Mac Mini Teardown Reveals Potential for User-Installable Second Hard Drive

[Eidorian]

Not liking Lion is not an acceptable excuse! So but you need to confront that sibling as Lion is pretty nice if you actually try it.

Believe me, I told them it was the shiny new operating system from Apple, etc. After a few hours they get back to me that they do not like the changes and they are done with Macs, etc.

I am not going to suggest a Core 2 model for them. It is 2011 and they need more power to transcode video and burn it to DVD. Burning video DVD's is an occupation around here.

 

[wizard]

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I am hoping the tear down can help us answer these questions!

Is the SSD in the new Mac Mini user replaceable?

Is the SSD speed 400Mbps ( 19-nm process DDR 2.0 technology )?

Is Apple using the Samsung or Toshiba SSD or both?

Marcus

I have the exact same questions in mind... is the SSD fixed like in macbook air?

Can you guys even read? Come on answer the question!!!

If you could read you would realize that the SSD is not fixed in the AIR.

 

[jeffh]

Trouble is you can't just get a cheap SSD plus SATA cable and stick it in. Look at what the hard drive uses. There is a separate adapter board needed so you can't just use any common parts. I would hope that at some time you could buy that adapter. Perhaps a third party will make it but I don't know what would be required to do so. Still a mac mini with 128gig SSD devoted to the OS would be sick and da bomb to boot. I want one.

I'm not exactly clear what's needed here... Is there a port on the motherboard to add a 2nd SATA cable/drive, or do we have to buy the "server" configuration to get the ability to play with 2 drives in the Mini?

 

[gmcalpin]

Only in Apple world Do you know how many PC desktops have both?

How many PC desktops are 1.4" x 7.7" x 7.7" and weigh less than 3 pounds? Come on.

I'm not exactly clear what's needed here... Is there a port on the motherboard to add a 2nd SATA cable/drive, or do we have to buy the "server" configuration to get the ability to play with 2 drives in the Mini?

There is an empty hard drive cable port. You need a second SATA hard drive-to-logic board cable like the one used to connect drives Apple installs, but it should just be a matter of time before Apple parts resellers offer them.

 

[Wang Foolio]

Very tempted to get a Mini + Trackpad, and order one of those clips to stick the keyboard and trackpad together. Will be a nice addition to a home theater setup, sure it's way more pricey than TV but I think it would be way more versatile.

And besides, who hasn't dreamed of making a spreadsheet on their 50" TV with iTunes being routed through a nice surround system...

 

[wizard]

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No optical drive is complete BS! Physical media is going to be used for at least 10 more years and I wouldn't be surprised if that was longer. Just 1 more way to offer less product for the same price. Completely ridiculous and the fanboys just bend over and take it.

This is a fairly stupid response, and frankly demonstrates a lot of ignorance about PC hardware. This new arraingement if the Mini allows Apple to attack one of the biggest issues with PC hardware today. That is the vast difference in the speed of secondary store and main memory.

So at the expense of a device that is useless to many (the optical) they provide for space to install both a SSD and a HD. For people wanting very good performance out of their Minis this is huge. Frankly it is sad that so many are missing this important point.

 

[paradox00]

that is the ugliest thing I have ever seen.

Then pick a prettier one, there are plenty of options.

 

[wizard]

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Grabbed the $800 one yesterday and put the OCZ Vertex 2 from my Old mini


I fought to get Lion installed though as it would not see the recovery partition, actually had to throw it in a Windows box and delete the hidden partitions.


Anyhoos


It was much easier to switch out with no temp cables in the way, and there is so much room I could easily put a second drive in there


btw, this guy is a beast, I was amazed at how fast it is compared to the last version. WOW!


Gotta find that cable now

Great to hear from somebody with a new one freshly updated.

As to that speed I don't think a lot of people realize just how big of an update these machines are. With the ability to do an SSD + HD install they are an incredible performance upgrade.

If it wasn't for factors outside my control I'd buy one right now.

 

[Val-kyrie]

The majority hardly ever use their optical drives.

Care to back that up with a researched statistic? (not a forum poll)

I use them to install a purchased App or two, or rip music I bought from the store. That's it. Not much at all.

But even this minimal use is enough that the people I know would be put off by the idea of being forced to purchase an external optical drive.

If Apple totally axed the internal optical drive I'd just save up for an external and use it like 1-2 times a month. At the most. And for notebook users I think very few users need the optical drives on the move. At home you can just use the external. So if the internal optical drive was removed I'm not cry. I'd jsut buy the external.

I actually use my optical disc drive when away from home to burn CDs or DVDs (not pirated software, movies, music, etc.).

That being said, I would expect Apple to remove ODDs from MBPs in the next update, even though I don't like it. Like others, this is another way for Apple to increase their profit margin by selling yet one more overpriced accessory.

 

[heisetax]

What happens for some

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I'm in agreement, I would love to see a MBP with some real secondary storage capacity. I'm talking At least one blade SSD slot and two conventional format drive bays. Alternatively the could have 3 or more blade slots and one conventional drive bay. All of this in a thinner and lighter MBP with a long battery life.

On top of all of that Apple might find uses for that space we haven't thought about. People need to realize there is a future and right now it appears that Apple is the only manufacture with an eye on that future.

Frankly I'm not sure why there is so much hand wringing when it comes to the optical drive. In a laptop it simply isn't a big deal anymore.

Because of Steve Jobs dislike for a numeric keypad included with even the 17" Intel MacBook Pro I have to carry a whole keyboard to handle the majority of my entries. Because I place the keyboard either on the laptop or in front my 1920 X 1200 screen is even smaller to look at. Now with my pointing device either covered up or in a non useful location I add a Kensington Expert Mouse. Weight is going up fast & portability is going down even faster. Because all people are not as limited in their use of their Macs they & I still need an internal CD/DVD drive. Without one an external model will be needed. That means even more things to pack which means that my so called portable Mac laptop becomes as unwieldily as when I used to carry a Mac desktop with a separate lcd screen. I now feel like the days when I would assemble a Mac Iici from parts at my customers place of business. It only contained a motherboard, a plug in power supply, a hard drive, a floppy if wanted, a lcd screen, a keyboard & my Kensington trackball. Remember that this is supposed to be a desktop box not even listed as a transportable. Later a customer & me built a 1/4" plywood case that allowed the computer to be in a much more compact setup than the factory case would require. I fell like when I use my Mac laptop I am back to the Iici parts time. To you this is an advancement. To me this is stepping back ages in computer time.

Just remember that everyone does not have the same needs & funds to implement those needs that you may have. But as has been said here many times before, "Apple only makes 1 model, if you don't like it use it anyway." Things have not changed. It would;t be so back if there was some really good alternatives.

 

[Eidorian]

How many PC desktops are 1.4" x 7.7" x 7.7" and weigh less than 3 pounds? Come on.

Get a laptop and remove the battery. You can meet the weight requirements and in the worst case you get a screen, keyboard, and trackpad.

Stick with power hungry components in a desktop instead of a niche wannabe laptop.

 

[flopticalcube]

Because of Steve Jobs dislike for a numeric keypad included with even the 17" Intel MacBook Pro I have to carry a whole keyboard to handle the majority of my entries. Because I place the keyboard either on the laptop or in front my 1920 X 1200 screen is even smaller to look at.

USB numeric keypads are $10. No need to carry a full kb around.

 

[flopticalcube]

Get a laptop and remove the battery. You can meet the weight requirements and in the worst case you get a screen, keyboard, and trackpad.

Stick with power hungry components in a desktop instead of a niche wannabe laptop.

This is what i did with my old netbook for my father. Makes a great surfing machine.

 

[wizard]

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Not liking Lion is not an acceptable excuse! So but you need to confront that sibling as Lion is pretty nice if you actually try it.

Believe me, I told them it was the shiny new operating system from Apple, etc. After a few hours they get back to me that they do not like the changes and they are done with Macs, etc.

I am not going to suggest a Core 2 model for them. It is 2011 and they need more power to transcode video and burn it to DVD. Burning video DVD's is an occupation around here.

That is really sad to hear! There is no way that one can grasp all of Lions good points in a day. Much less get use to the new scrolling.

I really hate to see anybody leave the Mac world for what appears to be a very rash reason. Keep working on them, maybe they will come around.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Get this instead of a whole extra keyboard.

 

[Clive At Five]

Where's the graphics card?

 

[heisetax]

Keep up the good work!!!

[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


Just like the MacBook Air yesterday, iFixit has also conducted a teardown of the new Mac mini. While the internals are very similar to the previous generation, the teardown does reveal that users may be able to install a second hard drive on their own if a proper cable can be found.

Image

The possibility of adding a second hard drive is made possible by Apple's removal of the optical drive from all models of the Mac mini, leaving enough space for a traditional hard drive or solid-state drive to be installed. From iFixit's blog post on the teardown:Apple of course already offers the option of two hard drives on the server model of the Mac mini, although that model also brings other upgrades including a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor that push the price to $999, a $400 premium over the entry-level model.

With the Mac mini being relatively easy to open up and service, users looking to add a second hard drive to their Mac mini without going all in on the server model may in fact be able to do so, provided that an appropriate hard drive cable can be found for purchase.

Like the new MacBook Air, the revised Mac mini also includes a new Bluetooth 4.0 chip and Thunderbolt capabilities, as well as some other minor updates to components

Article Link: Mac Mini Teardown Reveals Potential for User-Installable Second Hard Drive

These are the best articles to read. For a hardware person this means more than many here that are of the start & use attitude will never understand. This is about the only feature that I am willing to pay extra for.

There are many here that feel this way. Some even more strongly than I do. Please listen to us & not those that say this is an unneeded item. To us these tear downs are a very, very useful feature. To these limited idea people anything is an unneeded feature. A feature is only needed if it is useful. These her downs are probably tops or near the top for many people here. Even some that do not consider themselves a hardware person.

Keep up the good useful work!

 

[Newfiebill]

reading your comment was a waste of time.

+1... nice come back!

 

[Newfiebill]

Get this instead of a whole extra keyboard.

Image

Link Please?

 

[Clive At Five]

How many PC desktops are 1.4" x 7.7" x 7.7" and weigh less than 3 pounds? Come on.

How many people care that their computer is the size of a slice of texas toast?

I'd rather have a full on graphics _CARD_ than a metal pancake on my desk.

-Clive

 

[heisetax]

A good idea

Get this instead of a whole extra keyboard.

Image

One problem with this keyboard is that it does not have an equal (=) key on it. There is another manufacture that includes one. I have a similar keyboard to this that I sometimes use with an ADB to USB adapter to take care of my numeric keyboard needs with the Apple laptops. It also has an lcd display to allow offline use with the same ability to paste it into the program one is using. But it also has the standard Mac numeric keypad that includes an equal sign.

But for those of use that would like to use this & other extra numeric keypads with our many iToys, just remember that at the current time they will only accept the use of one Blue Tooth keyboard at a time.

Useful addition for a Mac laptop but lacks that use with the iToy line. I have one BT keyboard that includes everything that I want + it is much larger than my iPad but my iPad will not see it.

We don't all want a single use item.

 

[wizard]

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I'm in agreement, I would love to see a MBP with some real secondary storage capacity. I'm talking At least one blade SSD slot and two conventional format drive bays. Alternatively the could have 3 or more blade slots and one conventional drive bay. All of this in a thinner and lighter MBP with a long battery life.

On top of all of that Apple might find uses for that space we haven't thought about. People need to realize there is a future and right now it appears that Apple is the only manufacture with an eye on that future.

Frankly I'm not sure why there is so much hand wringing when it comes to the optical drive. In a laptop it simply isn't a big deal anymore.

Because of Steve Jobs dislike for a numeric keypad included with even the 17" Intel MacBook Pro I have to carry a whole keyboard to handle the majority of my entries. Because I place the keyboard either on the laptop or in front my 1920 X 1200 screen is even smaller to look at. Now with my pointing device either covered up or in a non useful location I add a Kensington Expert Mouse. Weight is going up fast & portability is going down even faster. Because all people are not as limited in their use of their Macs they & I still need an internal CD/DVD drive. Without one an external model will be needed. That means even more things to pack which means that my so called portable Mac laptop becomes as unwieldily as when I used to carry a Mac desktop with a separate lcd screen. I now feel like the days when I would assemble a Mac Iici from parts at my customers place of business. It only contained a motherboard, a plug in power supply, a hard drive, a floppy if wanted, a lcd screen, a keyboard & my Kensington trackball. Remember that this is supposed to be a desktop box not even listed as a transportable. Later a customer & me built a 1/4" plywood case that allowed the computer to be in a much more compact setup than the factory case would require. I fell like when I use my Mac laptop I am back to the Iici parts time. To you this is an advancement. To me this is stepping back ages in computer time.

Just remember that everyone does not have the same needs & funds to implement those needs that you may have. But as has been said here many times before, "Apple only makes 1 model, if you don't like it use it anyway." Things have not changed. It would;t be so back if there was some really good alternatives.

I'm not sure what you are saying with all this rambling about keyboards. However if your jeyboard skills do not allow for bulk numeric entry then you should get a numeric keypad not another full sized keyboard.

Beyond that I wonder why you are spending so much time doing numeric entry, there are electronic ways to transfer data you know.

In any event you blow yourself out of the water as Apple has many laptops available, not just one.

 

[Eidorian]

This is what i did with my old netbook for my father. Makes a great surfing machine.

I was considering one of those $199 MeeGo powered ASUS notebooks. We just need a spare machine that can access the internet. I often see some Core i5 2400 or even Core i7 2600 at Dell's outlets for dirt cheap. This is top of the line mainstream Sandy Bridge quad cores!

That is really sad to hear! There is no way that one can grasp all of Lions good points in a day. Much less get use to the new scrolling.

I really hate to see anybody leave the Mac world for what appears to be a very rash reason. Keep working on them, maybe they will come around.

They had a chance to use Lion the entire week that I did. They have their own accounts and everything. They kept coming to me for explanations about changes or workarounds. It is not fun to have to explain to others why Apple "broke" their operating system. The fact that their "expensive" Core Duo iMac died from a common logic board issue compounds those feelings.

I currently have them on an Athlon II X3 machine that they appear to enjoy quite a bit with Windows 7. I would unlock the fourth core but the stock cooler is just not enough. I also happened to have a spare FireWire card as well.

They are very stuck in their workflows for transferring VHS to DVD. I think my next step is setting up a Windows XP VM for them.

 

[s15119]

I just love it when Apple do their Big brother stuff.
The space is there for an optical but hey no you can't have one because we dictate what is good for you
I understand there are lots of people who no longer need one but i can't believe there are not a significant amount that still do.
And don't give me the buy an external...that is a totally lame option.

Buy a computer that does have an optical. No one has dictated anything to you.

 

[Akula971]

If it can play steam games at a decent resolution. Then my 2008 Mac Pro just might be put up for sale