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Mac Mini Still Alive? New Model Coming?
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My opinion is that Apple will discontinue the Mac mini....look at the statement made by Steve Jobs recently - "There are some customers which we chose not to serve," he added. "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that. But we can continue to deliver greater and greater value to those customers that we choose to serve. And there's a lot of them."
That essentially means Mac mini is dead IMO. Plus, from 80% consumer standpoint, an iMac is very comparable to Mac mini pricing. Mac mini + display + webcam + keyboard + mouse > iMac 20" pricing. Now dont tell me that u already have a monitor etc etc...Apple squeezes more margin out of an iMac than from Mac mini...which allows them to give out a better product.
That essentially means Mac mini is dead IMO. Plus, from 80% consumer standpoint, an iMac is very comparable to Mac mini pricing. Mac mini + display + webcam + keyboard + mouse > iMac 20" pricing. Now dont tell me that u already have a monitor etc etc...Apple squeezes more margin out of an iMac than from Mac mini...which allows them to give out a better product.
I could be wrong, but I think Steve Jobs was referring to cheap laptop/netbook from Apple. also the Mac mini is not a $500 computer.
Regardless, I really hope the Mac mini stays alive, or at least a new Apple alternative is introduced.
It can't. That is the point. These folks want a Windows PC with OS X instead of Windows installed on it. And I'm not casting aspersions at them when I say this.
As much as people complain about Macs being more expensive then Windows PCs, at least Apple can use some "smoke and mirrors" through different form factors and components to make it harder to do a direct comparison which helps them charge more money for it - especially since so much of the market that purchases Macs does not begin to have the level of computer knowledge so many of us do.
When the only difference between a Dell and an Apple is the logo on the front of the case and the OS that boots, the difference in price will be a lot less.
There is a reason why Apple can make 1/2 the profit and 3/4 the revenues - and have more cash - then Microsoft while only owning 1/19th of the market. And it isn't because Apple makes Windows PC that don't ship with Windows.
Folks may not like the "Apple tax", but that tax pays for a shedload of research and development. And none of that is cheap. Sure, you can point to the iPhone and the iPod and say "they have no competition. They make money hand over fist for Apple" but before there was an iPod or an iPhone, there was a Mac. And the money Apple made from those Macs helped pay for all the years of R&D that brought us the iPod and iPhone.
Mac is what made everything else we enjoy from Apple possible.
Right, mainly I just want a headless mac with specs similar to a MBP. Honestly I could care less what the form factor is. I'll leave that up to apple.
I was just comparing the prices of the Mini on the Dutch Apple Store and the American Apple Store, when I saw that the American Apple Store had a funny icon in front of the choice of hard drives, ie: normal HD and SSD.
http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/2041/1469/store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/btoimageharddrive.jpg
I'm not familiar with the US site, but the Dutch site just has the old, classical single HD, not the SSD icon.
So, is that normal for the US site? Could that be a mistake? Or an indication of soon-to-come updates?
I also attach a bigger picture.
A.
http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/2041/1469/store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/btoimageharddrive.jpg
I'm not familiar with the US site, but the Dutch site just has the old, classical single HD, not the SSD icon.
So, is that normal for the US site? Could that be a mistake? Or an indication of soon-to-come updates?
I also attach a bigger picture.
A.
Attachments
Weird, I just looked and sure enough, it does SHOW SSD as an icon-you can't choose one though...
That definitely wasn't there last time I looked at Minis-Man I really want a new mini!
Don't forget that Apple sells computers. Microsoft doesn't. It's an odd comparison.
Not sure about the whole future of the Mini (see previous posts...) but an SSD-option would be nice for an HTPC, with a really fast boot!
, looks like someone at Apple is letting folks know somethings coming .... just checked a few different apple stores and it does appear that only the US site has the SSD picture next to hard drive options ....can't be long now !!
It's the same image that all of the laptops use (they use the same drives typically), and they probably just replaced the image. I wouldn't take it as a sign that the Mac mini will be updated with SSD options (it'd be too expensive for that line). I hope it is, but I don't think we've been given any clues here.
jW
i wonder... what do you think?
one guy mentioned a consumer tower i suggest one that has these configs
base 2.0 Ghz Nvidia 9400 160 GB HD @5400 2 GB Ram 499
upgradable in increments up to 2.6 Ghz Nvidia 9600 512 MB 750 HD @7200 8 GB Ram 1499
this won't happen of course but does any one object to this highly configurable as the mac pro is but has cheap and decent all in one
ok destroy my post have at... it and have fun
one guy mentioned a consumer tower i suggest one that has these configs
base 2.0 Ghz Nvidia 9400 160 GB HD @5400 2 GB Ram 499
upgradable in increments up to 2.6 Ghz Nvidia 9600 512 MB 750 HD @7200 8 GB Ram 1499
this won't happen of course but does any one object to this highly configurable as the mac pro is but has cheap and decent all in one
ok destroy my post have at... it and have fun
I know what you mean.
I also thought about a site-wide change of the HDD reference picture. However, it's normal for the macbooks to have this image, and the iMac option screen still has the old HDD; the Mac Pro has the regular picture as well (with the bay).
I'm also used to see Apple with almost-perfect websites (besides mistakes), and showing SSD in a Mini does not seem like something normal in their marketing style. However, it still hasn't been changed.
So, maybe it means something, maybe not. Maybe Apple also wants to throw some oil on the rumors fire, hoping people would spot this "mistake". (Do they need the share values to increase?)
And don't forget that some 90% of all pre-built computers sold around the world ship with a license for Microsoft Windows. Over 256 million PCs were shipped last year, which means even if Microsoft makes $100 a machine, that is over $20 billion just in licensing fees. Then add in the upgrade sales (both retail and corporate).
And each license sale is effectively pure profit at close to 100% margin. Even the most expensive Macs only generate around 30% margin and the iPods and iPhones are likely in the 50% margin range.
Just wondering - is there some periodicity between the main Apple announcements/product launches thus far this year - i.e. is November a viable release?
I'm guessing so for iMac but it seems up in the air for the Mini. Presumably, if it's just a bump refresh, it wouldn't even deserve a presentation, and could just be a quick PR statement and Store update?
I'm guessing so for iMac but it seems up in the air for the Mini. Presumably, if it's just a bump refresh, it wouldn't even deserve a presentation, and could just be a quick PR statement and Store update?
Er... I think a bundled Windows is way under $100 per machine for MS. Additionally, this price has to include all the development costs, which must be quite high when you see the man-power used, plus part of the fixed costs of the company, etc... So, almost pure profit: I really don't think so.
Even at $40, that is still billions USD per year just from system sales. They easily pull in a billion-plus more via retail and licensing contracts. Then there is the money they make from Office retail, license, OEM and bundle sales - and none those are going out as low as $40 a pop.
Yes, I know The Seattle Times said Microsoft spent $10 billion creating Windows Vista and Microsoft had admitted spending $6 billion, but even if they did spend $10 billion, they made over $1 billion in sales just in the first week Vista was on the market (at $40 a copy). And, of course, there were seven years of Windows XP sales bringing in billions each of those year. I mean Microsoft would not be spending $300 million trying to get people to buy Vista if they didn't feel they would make a great deal more then $300 million back - and back rather quickly - from that investment...
Yes, I know The Seattle Times said Microsoft spent $10 billion creating Windows Vista and Microsoft had admitted spending $6 billion, but even if they did spend $10 billion, they made over $1 billion in sales just in the first week Vista was on the market (at $40 a copy). And, of course, there were seven years of Windows XP sales bringing in billions each of those year. I mean Microsoft would not be spending $300 million trying to get people to buy Vista if they didn't feel they would make a great deal more then $300 million back - and back rather quickly - from that investment...
Cosmetic Changes.
As all the new stuff now (iMac, Macboooks, Macbook Pros) Has recieved the Black Apple logo and bezel. I think Apple will update the Mac mini, add the display port, more GHz, more RAM, bigger HDD, and also change to top of it to black rather than white, and thats about it.
So in theory it could look like this.
<sarcasm> Wow look at my amazing editing skills! </sarcasm>
As all the new stuff now (iMac, Macboooks, Macbook Pros) Has recieved the Black Apple logo and bezel. I think Apple will update the Mac mini, add the display port, more GHz, more RAM, bigger HDD, and also change to top of it to black rather than white, and thats about it.
So in theory it could look like this.
<sarcasm> Wow look at my amazing editing skills! </sarcasm>
As all the new stuff now (iMac, Macboooks, Macbook Pros) Has recieved the Black Apple logo and bezel. I think Apple will update the Mac mini, add the display port, more GHz, more RAM, bigger HDD, and also change to top of it to black rather than white, and thats about it.
So in theory it could look like this.
<sarcasm> Wow look at my amazing editing skills! </sarcasm>
hhmm im not fond of that look. i want something tiny yet still packs power