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Mac Mini in an Apple TV box

dogslobber said:
I now understand what the 2016 Mini form factor will likely be.

If you consider the size of the motherboard in this photo, from a retina MacBook

https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/O5qYbWSJKkqrV4Ub

Then consider the back of the Apple TV generation 4

http://photos2.appleinsidercdn.com/gallery/14203-9543-Screen-Shot-2015-09-09-at-63530-PM-l.jpg

That where I fear we're headed :-(
Click to expand...

This is clearly where this product line is headed - it's ever more locked down and headed for merger with the closed content box.
 
This is the logical conclusion of where Apple is going. With soldered CPU, no discreet GPU, and soldered RAM, all that's left is the storage device. Once the storage is integrated, Apple may as well glue the Mac Mini together like all of their handheld products.
 
ActionableMango said:
This is the logical conclusion of where Apple is going. With soldered CPU, no discreet GPU, and soldered RAM, all that's left is the storage device. Once the storage is integrated, Apple may as well glue the Mac Mini together like all of their handheld products.
Click to expand...

Why does a Mini have an ethernet port? I could see Apple doing away with that. It's conceivable that the Mini could be THINNER than the Apple TV box if ethernet was discarded.

Actually, this makes more sense than I want to admit. The MacBook dongle contains an ethernet port so I can see this speculation being realized in an updated product.

You will note that the Mini is due for a redesign.
 
poematik13 said:
For use in wired networks? lol
Click to expand...

They want to sell more Thunderbolt/USB to ethernet adaptors. :)

Core M/i5, soldered RAM, 5400rpm HD, 8GB Ram, Wifi-only - sounds like a next generation entry machine to me.
At least they can make it space grey and gold for marketing.
 
dogslobber said:
Only techie experts use wired. For everybody else there's wifi.
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You've obviously never worked in a large corporation or enterprise, education or gov. environment where wifi is restricted for guests and browsing only and the only way to access the network and servers is thru the cable on your desk.

dont talk about things you know nothing about
 
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poematik13 said:
You've obviously never worked in a large corporation or enterprise, education or gov. environment where wifi is restricted for guests and browsing only and the only way to access the network and servers is thru the cable on your desk.

dont talk about things you know nothing about
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Generally mega corps allow access to internal network via VPN to wifi guest accounts for employees as the days of being single point of access (I.e. A desk) are long gone. If you Corp doesn't provide that facility then they're not using technology to optimize their business practices. That means shareholders ain't getting effective ROI from the executive management.

Don't tell me what to comment on.
 
I'd be fine with such a device really, I just weep for what we've lost. I'm targeting an iMac for my desktop upgrade when cannonlake hits. It'll be my first time walking away from the Mac Mini since they debuted in 2005. Ahh the good old open the case with a putty knife days.

I think I could find use for a tiny little computer the size of an Apple TV though.
 
Algus said:
I'd be fine with such a device really, I just weep for what we've lost. I'm targeting an iMac for my desktop upgrade when cannonlake hits. It'll be my first time walking away from the Mac Mini since they debuted in 2005. Ahh the good old open the case with a putty knife days.

I think I could find use for a tiny little computer the size of an Apple TV though.
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No doubt, but problem is the "computer" part. They wont be out to make a NUC-style microcomputer. More like the Apple TV 4: a closed appliance for streaming content they sell you. That, I am not sure I have any use for.
 
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Yeah, I seen some stuff like that before. Asus is soon to release the VivoStick which seems totally awesome. I'm definitely willing to forgo doing my own upgrades if I can have a full PC in this kind of form factor. We live in a great time for tech.

OS X on a stick, that'd definitely be handy to have.
 
dogslobber said:
Only techie experts use wired. For everybody else there's wifi.
Click to expand...
I don't consider myself a techie, but even I know wired is faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi so I ran ethernet cables to rooms with TV's and computers in my home. God knows Comcast and Netflix have their own overloaded bandwidth issues, I don't need to ad another variable at the end of this already sometimes tenuous chain (Wi-Fi).

Simple and easy does not mean best or even most popular. Why would someone spend big bucks on a new computer to get faster speed processors ans SSD drives, then throttle that systems internet speed by settling for Wi-Fi. The ease and advantage of running an ethernet cable to AT LEAST your main desk top (Mac Mini for me now), is a no brainer.

DS, we'll have to agree to disagree on your Wi-Fi rationale.
 
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davekro said:
I don't consider myself a techie, but even I know wired is faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi so I ran ethernet cables to rooms with TV's and computers in my home. God knows Comcast and Netflix have their own overloaded bandwidth issues, I don't need to ad another variable at the end of this already sometimes tenuous chain (Wi-Fi).

Simple and easy does not mean best or even most popular. Why would someone spend big bucks on a new computer to get faster speed processors ans SSD drives, then throttle that systems internet speed by settling for Wi-Fi. The ease and advantage of running an ethernet cable to AT LEAST your main desk top (Mac Mini for me now), is a no brainer.

DS, we'll have to agree to disagree on your Wi-Fi rationale.
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This is why it'll be removed and become an option for techies:

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC704LL/A/apple-usb-ethernet-adapter
 
That's not even gigabit ethernet - it's 10/100. You can get faster speed than that on Wifi.

There are thunderbolt-ethernet adapters with Gigabit ethernet.
 
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