Mac Mini Still Alive? New Model Coming?

[PinkyMacGodess]

Be really nice if they made the mini a screenless MacBook Pro, but with a 3rd USB, 2nd FireWire, full DVI and 1 PCIe card (even if these means doubling its height). Of course, what we will get, if anything is a computer about as good as a base macbook, sans screen that is hard to justify.

It would be nice if they made it warm and furry and able to jump in your lap and wag its tail too but then who would buy a dog?

Product placement in their line is paramount. Some of the battles in IBM over what product group would release what products and what degree of 'crippling' would be demanded to save other division products were probably bloody and yet oddly necessary. Think, a small Mac Pro. Who would buy the full-sized Mac Pro? The bleeding from the sales of the Mac Pro wouldn't make the bean counters happy and could spell the end of that line. Especially in this economy.

A speed bumped mini with more memory capacity would be a great idea. It's an entry level system. Think training wheels and a hard plastic seat, not Concorde in a shoebox..

They could do the AppleTV top for it??? Maybe add some blinking lights? A disco ball?

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I'm not discounting the system. But any computer that hasn't been updated in a year and a half (almost) should just about be considered to be abandoned. A LOT happens in a year and a half.

That said, I hope they do update the mini - I've recommended them in the past to people looking for a low-cost update to their windows system. But when my Sister-in-Law wanted to get one a couple of months ago, I steered her away from it. It was already slow, and I was by no means certain that it wasn't going to be dropped entirely.

At this point, I also can't understand why Apple hasn't dropped the price $100 or so, the components cannot be that expensive anymore - and they'd move that many more.

I think the thing for Apple is they don't want to be in the low-cost market. They see the Apple TV as a hobby, and I think they view the mini the same way. I suspect (like many) that they'll end up fusing their two hobbies together somehow - but I just can't see how. No one wants to use a TV screen as a computer screen (Job's has said that numerous times as well).

If it's true that the processors are EOL'ed, they might actually be paying Intel to crank them out special for them... Apple rarely lowers the prices, in public, for current systems except for refurb units.

And I hear you on the 'low cost market' but you, or they, have to remember that the low cost market often seeds that market with future purchases of the more advanced systems. Think 'education'. Why do companies have world wars over the education market? Because when Johnny and Jane get all growed up they tend to buy what they are familiar with... An education only mini would be a barn burner product in this economy... Just think of the sales, and the future sales...

 

[nfassbender]

New Mac mini packshot

So... Here it is:

http://www.denkersendoeners.com/macmini/

Greetz

 

[137489]

Oh the mini still sells well, I still see a lot of people buying them at the Durham NC store (they usually walk out with that, iwork, bento).

I bought my wife one in August as her HP desktop was just getting a little to aged.

the price though, yep - need to do something about that.....

I bought her a strict baseline as she does not need to do much with it, that also includes the combo drive. she does not burn DVD's, I do all the video work on my macbook.

Baseline mini
apple keyboard (hard wired)
iwork
applecare
north carolina state sales tax

Total Price - about $979

She could not see me buying her a macbook as it would have cost that much more for what she does. Good thing I already had a logitech 2-button mouse, speakers, and a 15-inch KDS LCD monitor (monitor 5 years old, but still looks great) laying around. oh, and then add in another $115 for a 360gb (smallest and lowest priced any local store had) hard drive for her timemachine backups.

My wife really did not want me buying her a computer, but the HP (nothing wrong hardware wise) was just getting old and she could not work without it saying low memory or taking forever to do something. Heck, just sitting there idle would pop-up virtual memory too low. she has been so much happier with the mini. she ius shocked that it has been 2 months and not a lock up, slow down, ect.

she wishes she had one for work. at work all she keeps saying to her IBM running XP is "Don't make me reboot you....."

 

[Superman07]

I'd looove to have a timeline for this. Anybody?

 

[137489]

So... Here it is:

http://www.denkersendoeners.com/macmini/

Greetz

Nice mockup - but nah. If they did not even make the glass trackpad a multi-touch display to shortcut tapping on your icons, i really dought the top of the mini will have it. that seems more logical on a laptop, not a desktop machine. since they are doing away with the white, I could see a black top - or more like the entire thing is aluminum (or as they said the in the keynote aluminium ).

what wold be nice, since the price of metals keep going up, and they claim the aluminum is so recyclable - Apple to say "Bring us your old aluminum Apple's when you buy a new one and we will give you a $100 discount"

think about how many more would be recycled, how many more they will sell, and how much aluminum they will have for re-manufacturing.

 

[darkblu]

firewire or bust ™

 

[Lesser Evets]

Another rumor!

I believe from past rumors that the mini will be re-tooled. It is a popular computer, though I know no one that owns one for home use.

If SATA is true, it's the best thing ever for the mini. Being able to have 1 TB internal makes it worthy of wider use. Though, the mini might be getting maxi if these rumors are true, and there will be room for two sata drives or an sata and an optical.

 

[rhpenguin]

Be really nice if they made the mini a screenless MacBook Pro, but with a 3rd USB, 2nd FireWire, full DVI and 1 PCIe card (even if these means doubling its height). Of course, what we will get, if anything is a computer about as good as a base macbook, sans screen that is hard to justify.

I'd buy that idea. Granted, my Hacintosh would probably wipe the floor with it and cost less, I'd buy it.

All I want is a machine with no built in display, dedicated user replaceable graphics with dual DVI and 3.5" SATA HDD.

 

[dernhelm]

If it's true that the processors are EOL'ed, they might actually be paying Intel to crank them out special for them... Apple rarely lowers the prices, in public, for current systems except for refurb units.

And I hear you on the 'low cost market' but you, or they, have to remember that the low cost market often seeds that market with future purchases of the more advanced systems. Think 'education'. Why do companies have world wars over the education market? Because when Johnny and Jane get all growed up they tend to buy what they are familiar with... An education only mini would be a barn burner product in this economy... Just think of the sales, and the future sales...

Absolutely. Most markets are driven from the bottom. It's the entry-level machines that most people will interact with. Microsoft got that 20 years ago. But Apple would much rather drive their ideas down from the top. In the computer industry, the really expensive cool ideas of today will be mainstream in 3-4 years or less. That's how it worked with the GUI/mouse, the iPod, and eventually how it will work with touch screen devices. Apple would rather be the innovator driving what the industry will be doing 3 years from now, than be the sales leader of today selling a lot of low-cost machines.

And now that they are better about protecting their trade secrets and patents, they are succeeding at it. When the iPod was released, it was EXPENSIVE, but very innovative. Now the shuffles and nanos are relatively inexpensive (still not dirt cheap) and most of the industry still hasn't been able to build competitive devices. But Apple has more or less stopped innovating on the scroll wheel iPods (except for shake to shuffle - which is more of an accelerometer innovation), and has moved on from the scroll wheel to touch interfaces, which in another 3 years will also be relatively commonplace; and they'll be innovating something else.

 

[nfassbender]

Mochup mac mini

Well it's just a thought but:

-If you take the best of the iphone: multi touch display
-The best of the Apple TV: Home Cinema
-The best of the imac: better Graphics and design
-the best of the mac mini: cheap, easy to use, multi funtional

You'll get someting like this:
http://www.denkersendoeners.com/macmini/

but as i said it's just a thought..

Grtz

 

[Arnaud]

But if they care at ALL about their dedicated customers and what we want, then give us options. Don't limit us to what they apple deems as adequate for our usage.

Well, I don't think Apple cares at all about their dedicated customers. They might have in the past, but not anymore, since the market share is growing by itself. And they have good marketing arguments: you want to avoid virus hassles? Run os x; you want the hype phone of the moment? Get an iPhone. Actually, sometimes, I think the attraction of the product is way beyond what it's really worth. I mean, they even had half the Mac-users' community salivate over the iPhone a good 6 months before it was even available.

Nowadays, Apple only cares about its returns. iMovie'07 was great, they brought iMovie'08 - forcing the "prosumer" to turn to Final Cut Express; TV is a nice tool, but still not answering to the "needs" of the clients - only 720p, no Divx or other exotic formats (without a hack, that is), no big evolution for the last year; now withdrawing FW from entry-level machines to push the half-pros to buy the pro-models; the iPhone os is the most closed one around, you have to go through their accepted apps via the app store.

Of course, there are good things in Apple products, but I still see the priority in the strategy: keep control, make money; do not surrender to users' wishes if there's a risk for less returns.

And in all that light, there is not much room for an improved Mini. There would have been, up to 3 years ago.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

<blockquote>But Apple has more or less stopped innovating on the scroll wheel iPods (except for shake to shuffle - which is more of an accelerometer innovation), and has moved on from the scroll wheel to touch interfaces, which in another 3 years will also be relatively commonplace; and they'll be innovating something else. </blockquote>

I'm waiting until they are implantable, or have a heads up display... Anyone remember all the talk of a 'portable/wearable' computer? Display screens being right in front of you? Yeah... That would be cool but unless you either build planes or kill people for a living, you have to wait it out...

It does make one wonder what is in store for the future... That's partly what keeps me getting up in the morning. 'What if...' If it wasn't for ridiculously strong copyrights and patents restraining innovation, where would humanity be I wonder...

 

[137489]

Another rumor!

I believe from past rumors that the mini will be re-tooled. It is a popular computer, though I know no one that owns one for home use.

If SATA is true, it's the best thing ever for the mini. Being able to have 1 TB internal makes it worthy of wider use. Though, the mini might be getting maxi if these rumors are true, and there will be room for two sata drives or an sata and an optical.

Oh a 1 TB internal drive then I could rip all 100 of my DVD's to it and hook it up to my new LCD HD TV.... Add a 500gb external drive and copy over all my music

That would really be a nice addition to build a home theatre system and then get rid of my 6 year old DVD player (that still works perfect). Have a system to use front row and a click of a remote to bring up the movie I want to watch, rather than finding the DVD in the cabinet, and loading it...

Would really give me a reason to hook up my surround sound again. Hmm, would be nice in the bedroom. a compact unit that can hold 100 movies and just watch at the flip of a switch...

ok, I'd buy 2 more

 

[Motley]

And so the saga continues.

I do think that firewire will be dropped in any update, why? Simply because apple can't update a product without doing something stupid that angers a lot of people.

 

[Kebabselector]

Am I the only one who remembers Steve Jobs comment in this week phone conference? "We don't know how to build a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk." .... The Mac Mini is dead!

It doesn't discount it though. Apple currently make a $599 mini which isn't $500.

So if they released a $600 Mini replacement it's not $500. If he meant $600 he would have said $600.

 

[JG271]

Good to see that the mini is still alive, but display port? Why? It'll be big enough for a full size DVI, so why change it if it isn't broken?

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Exactly what he said. He said the MINI DisplayPort is a proprietary connector.

What?

The 'MINI DisplayPort' is THE DisplayPort, right?. It shouldn't be as 'proprietary' as the VESA mounting plate layouts on the backs of monitors.

I imagine that the VESA member companies will be able to get the use of the DisplayPort standard making it proprietary only to those that aren't VESA member companies. DisplayPort is a move to hopefully stop the use of HDMI in computers for displays. It appears that with DisplayPort, the future includes being able to daisy chain displays off a single cable much like devices off of USB. HDMI and DisplayPort are nearly compatible...

White paper and certified devices.

It all sounds exciting and potentially expensive if the move is too sudden. Example: I've got a tv that only has the old style HD inputs (DVI). Now everything has the new HDMI connectors. I have to either use finicky adapters or buy a new set. Unlikely considering my other lusted for devices (Mac Pro, etc)...

 

[tom53092]

I'll buy two

It would be ironic if they discontinued it now. If the new mini has the same hardware as the new macbooks, it will be able to play full hdtv easily. I'll buy a second one just to use as a dvr. It's reasonably priced compared with a media server, and you get to stick with the mac interface and not deal with interconnectivity problems.

 

[overcast]

You are my last hope Mac mini for a new Mac.

This image is awesome.

A colocation service for mac minis has got to be THE dumbest business venture I've ever seen. What a waste of rack space, processing power and management.

 

[Ted13]

Its still to expensive bring the price down
maybe more people will purchase it

At its current price i would rather purchase a mac book.

That's exactly why Apple WILL NOT bring the price down. Steve Jobs explicitly said at the latest earnings call that Apple will not produce a sub $500 computer.

One more vote for the Mini as a great Home Theater PC -- just needs more horse power to run EyeTV better.

 

[zedsdead]

That's exactly why Apple WILL NOT bring the price down. Steve Jobs explicitly said at the latest earnings call that Apple will not produce a sub $500 computer.

I agree. The price point will remain the same, but a totally new product is coming. They are going all aluminum with a black top, and it will change names.

I agree that they are might even gives users the option to drop the optical drive.

 

[iMacLovin]

Mac Mini with Blue-Ray

Completely agreed!

What if the blue-ray comments from SJ were only related to the Macbooks and they plan to launch the Mac Mini Home Entertainment Edition with Blue-Ray for the home theater crowd.

Add HD video capture capability and it would then be the ultimate Home Entertainment Center ...

One can dream

 

[studlybw]

Why worry?

More than likely, if you have one you're supporting the continuance of the mini. If you don't have one then you think Apple should get rid of them. They are slower machines without nearly the options of a Mac Pro or even a MacBook but, unless it's getting in the way of making another great product then just leave it.
I personally just bought two of them for my small video production business because we are using Mac Pros for all of the editing, graphics, etc. but I wanted to get everyone on the same system so we could operate well together. The other employees only needed something to check email, surf the web, synch their iPhones well, and do some word processing. The mini was a perfect fit.
The mini has many uses for some of us and there's really no reason to demand that Apple discontinue it, or for that matter even have an opinion on it, if you won't ever buy one. I personally hope they stay around because they offer a great Apple experience without the investment for expandability that won't ever be used.

 

[Tilard]

after waiting for several months for a refresh and finally buying one in May, I am still more than happy with my mini.

Don't feel the need to upgrade, whatever the new mini will look like.