Mac Mini Still Alive? New Model Coming?

[takao]

This is where I'd have to disagree. Most graphics cards are still DVI, and slowly adding/switching to DisplayPort. It's an open standard, and they don't have to pay to use it, and would resist the proprietary Mini DisplayPort vehemently. I think ATI and nVidia would win this one, and the new professional ACD's would release with a standard DisplayPort instead.

Assuming they did attempt the Mini DisplayPort, it would be a massive mess, as existing equipment Mac Pro users own might just be rendered useless. At best, would reluctantly attempt to locate adapter solutions. Not good for customer relations.

i sure hope it goes standard displayport.. even more so that the "pro" screens get more connection possibilities .. on the other side for ati and nvidia it's not much of a problem to put another connector there since the interface is the same.. neither of them is exactly selling screens

and sure apple isn't exactly a company unheard of rapidly aging equipment .. they sure have no problems burning bridges behind them

I wouldn't expect too much. It is after all, a $500 machine.

after so much non-updates apple has to do more

in my opinion they should split the mac mini into 2 seperate devices .. the lower one keeping the current form factor and 499 price and and another form factor for 699 with dual screen output better 3,5" components etc.

 

[MacsRgr8]

I think the Mini is the ideal home-theatre system. Much better than the tv

Exactly. I have a Mac mini Core Duo hooked up to my LCD HD "ready" TV via DVI. Optical audio connected to Dolby 5.1 set, and it's perfect! (In need of a bigger an better TV though... )
I use Front Row, VLC and (dare I say it...) Xbox Media Center for Mac to play everything.. very cool.
Oh yeah.. DVDs too...

I wouldn't mind a faster Mac mini (very large 1080p HD .mkv-files sometimes need too much CPU time of my current 1.6 GHz Core Duo) to connect to a very big 1080p LCD TV.... hmmm....

 

[swarmster]

So... Here it is:

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

Greetz

Thanks for basically reading my mind and 'shopping that together; saves me the time. The only thing is the whole top-is-a-screen thing is really goofy. I think the aluminum-with-glass-top could very well be true, maybe (hopefully) with a glowing Apple logo under the glass. But no screen.

 

[TCasper]

Max update?

- A new Mini DisplayPort
- Increase in max RAM to 4GB
- SATA Optical drive (instead of ATA/IDE)

I briefly browsed the threads, but has no one mentioned that the RAM on the current Mac mini can already be maxed to 4GB?

 

[billystlyes]

I had a feeling they would be coming soon....

 

[Divindude]

I had read an article that Royal Caribbean was outfitting all of its new cruise ships with macs servers and mini's to operate the ships video/cable systems to the rooms. I seem to recall that there was one mini per pair of rooms and mac server per cluster of minis (don't recall the ratio). Seems like Apple has found a market for the mini outside of the normal consumer market - I can't imagine that they would want to walk away from such a large customer base

 

[askthedust]

was waiting for this news

As soon as this model comes out will be selling old powerbook g4 1.33 to buy the new mini. almost did the trade in thing yesterday thinking this thing was EOL'd

 

[archer75]

I want HDMI 1.3

The mini is the perfect HTPC.

The display port doesn't happen to carry audio does it?

 

[decimortis]

I really hope the mini sticks around. So far I've switched over my father, mother, mother-in-law, wife and sister. All of whom did so by getting a mini. It's too hard to convince someone to get an iMac with the price of lcd screens these days.

Viva la mini

 

[Felix01]

i worked at one of the busiest apple retail stores in the midwest for 3 years... and I can honestly say, I think I've only sold about 5 mac minis out of the several thousand computers I have sold since working there.

Lots of anecdotal evidence in that article to indicate you are far off the mark. The particular midwest market where you worked? Salesperson skills? Personal bias (steering potential customers away from the mini)? Who knows.

But to be #1 at Amazon means there's being a ton of them sold somewhere.

 

[Le Big Mac]

If they have stopped shipping that could just mean they are getting rid of the current stock in anticipation of a refresh.

While that makes sense, that rumor also mentioned stores had been informed there would be no more or a replacement. (not saying the rumor is true, just what it was).

 

[Le Big Mac]

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." ....

No, and two thoughts:

1) The mini isn't really a $500 computer, because you still need monitor etc. I took him to mean a "complete" computer.

2) Whenever steve says something like that he means "we've figured it out, but won't perfect it for another 2-6 months, at which point we'll release it."

Wild theory: iMacs are done, to be replaced by upgraded minis sold in tandem with new ACDs.

 

[srobert]

I hope they include at least one of their display adapter/dongle with it or they would have to change their catchy acronym.

B.Y.O.D.K.M. to B.Y.O.K.M…D.O.B.N.C.D

(Bring your own keyboard, mouse… dongle or brand new cinema display)

Either way, unless the adapter is included, that would effectively increase they entry price by an extra $30-$900. Bam!

 

[decimortis]

Wild theory: iMacs are done, to be replaced by upgraded minis sold in tandem with new ACDs.

I just threw up a little in my mouth.

 

[TEG]

I'd like to see the new mini use Magsafe instead of the current power connector, that way it would fit with the current 24" display. Also it will likely use the 9400M, but it would be nice to have the option of a discrete video card, or at least one PCIe port available for future expansion.

TEG

 

[Jowl]

I love my Mini. it sits under the LCD TV recording TV, shows my DVD and ripped movies.

Wouldn't mind a bit more powerfull cpu and graphics - to help with ripping/converting video. What I'd really like is blue-ray....can't see that happening anytime soon though.

 

[Rocketman]

Wouldn't it be cool if they made the Mini have an enlarged casing option for end user expansion?

Wouldn't it be cool if they put some ultra high speed I/O port like 10 gigabit ethernet or eSata, so it became the ultimate small grid machine? Then sell an 8-way rack for Mini's so desktop grids become popular.

I can wish!

Rocketman

 

[xonomox]

apple store down

Looks like the updates are coming today... at least for something.

 

[macaco74]

Very excited, been waiting for an updated mini since christmas. I will get one of these as soon as it is released!

 

[FJ218700]

apple stores down

Looks like the updates are coming today... at least for something.

not in the U.S.

 

[Superman07]

Looks like the updates are coming today... at least for something.

Store is not down in US.

 

[takao]

not in the U.S.

neither are the austrian or german stores down

 

[kenned]

Notebooks and the Mini are consumer products. As is the new 24" ACD that was just released.

The Mac Pro is a completely different market, and the Mini DisplayPort wouldn't do well here. Apple doesn't produce the graphics cards, and I doubt the vendors would be willing to use this connector, as they'd have to spend more money in a license/royalty to Apple to use it.

Mini DisplayPort isn't actually a standard, as it uses a proprietary connector with the DisplayPort standard. A small change, but just enough for it to be an issue with other manufacturers. It allows Apple to generate additional sales on cables to make anything else work.

Not going to happen, as Apple doesn't want to pay a $0.04 royalty per HDMI device produced.

The TV has HDMI

I want HDMI 1.3

The mini is the perfect HTPC.

The display port doesn't happen to carry audio does it?

Yes, the Displayport is capable of carrying audio

 

[Arnaud]

There's an awful lot of wishful thinking here...

Btw, re updates: today's not a Tuesday.

 

[Lesser Evets]

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...

It's really nice that you can also join up firewire or usb2 drives alongside if you ever want to expand out and have hundreds and hundreds of DVDs and thousands of songs. The mini would become a very nice media center.

I still think an upgraded mini would be excellent as a small art computer for a Cintiq, with internet, email, music and video. If you don't play games, edit video, and create 3D animations, the current processors aren't bad at all for almost everything else you use a computer for.