Mac Mini To Be Discontinued?

[w8ing4intelmacs]

My Pc's all have Raptors running at 10,000 RPM. Fast Intel processors running out of 5400 RPM HDD's is like a Porsche with slicks, why would you??

if you want maximum speed (i.e., raptors in a mac), then you get a Mac Pro.
if you want a computer with better-than-decent speed AND fits into small places, a mac mini is great.

 

[juanm]

crap this stinks! i have to get the money together quick and get one

THIS is the strategy!

I can see it from here, just before replacing the minis, Steve asked Appleinsider to spread the rumor to give Mini sales their last boost!

 

[yagran]

if you want maximum speed (i.e., raptors in a mac), then you get a Mac Pro.
if you want a computer with better-than-decent speed AND fit into small places, a mac mini is great.

i love my mac mini. its like speedy gonzalez

 

[electronboy]

Unfortunate, but necessary

I don't like to see Apple discontinue any product, but if the sales figures aren't where they need to be then I approve of Apple discontinuing the Mac mini.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

The Apple TV has taken the place of the Mac Mini unfortunatly.

I've got an old G4 Mac Mini which I just can't fault, I really do hope Apple doesn't do what they did to the eMac... kill a great product.

 

[Tattoo]

I've been waiting forever for Apple to update the MacMini so I can buy one to put in my Infinity There's nothing better you could have installed in your car to pimp your ride

Serious question - How does that work? Can you provide a link? Sounds interesting.

 

[ipedro]

Haven't we seen this before:

A successful product named "mini" is discontinued and a replacement is brought on called "nano". Mac Nano's coming soon...

 

[maxrobertson]

I hope not, it's really going to be hard to gain switchers without something in that area.

 

[pimentoLoaf]

Apple's mouse hasn't seen a revision in a long time... does that mean we'll be forced to use the Unix command prompt from now on?

 

[Konradx]

If this is true, and something twice as good+has wings doesnt come out..i'll boycott apple!

 

[Soulivar]

mac-mini R.I.P.

Look, not to sound homophobic or anything (i mean this in jest), but mini-macs are kinda gay. The only exceptions are for girls or maybe students living in a dormitory type of situation where size is of the utmost importance. A real man needs a tower. Having a mini-mac as a computer as opposed to a tower is the equivalent to riding a scooter instead of a real motorcycle in North America…meaning: unless you're in Barcelona or the south of France, riding a moped is just plain gay (not that there's anything wrong with being gay). If you want portability, go with a laptop.

 

[flopticalcube]

Look, not to sound homophobic or anything (i mean this in jest), but mini-macs are kinda gay. The only exceptions are for girls or maybe students living in a dormitory type of situation where size is of the utmost importance.

So basically over 50% of everyone out there.

 

[72930]

Serious question - How does that work? Can you provide a link? Sounds interesting.

A lot of people have done this...here is a photo gallery example

 

[plinden]

Soulivar, meet haoqfu.

WTF! they are going to put iMac as their lowest end product?! iMac is so gay!

Look, not to sound homophobic or anything (i mean this in jest), but mini-macs are kinda gay. The only exceptions are for girls or maybe students living in a dormitory type of situation where size is of the utmost importance. A real man needs a tower. Having a mini-mac as a computer as opposed to a tower is the equivalent to riding a scooter instead of a real motorcycle in North America…meaning: unless you're in Barcelona or the south of France, riding a moped is just plain gay (not that there's anything wrong with being gay). If you want portability, go with a laptop.

What's with newbies and this obsession with being gay today?

 

[Cindynjgirl79]

THIS is the strategy!

I can see it from here, just before replacing the minis, Steve asked Appleinsider to spread the rumor to give Mini sales their last boost!

hahahahaha how funny would that be! just love apple humor!

 

[Wolfpup]

As others have said, Apple's making a colossal mistake if they do this. The Mac Mini is already hundreds more than a low end Windows PC. They need something in it's price range, and they need a low/mid range system that doesn't have a built-in screen. An all in one design is only going to appeal to a limited number of people, especially at the prices they charge.

As others have mentioned, the Mac Mini is responsible for a lot of switchers, who then go on to buy other hardware.

It's also something that can get people looking at Apple. They may pay no attention to what Apple has if you can't get a system for under $1000. Those people might then end up actually buying a more expensive system, but they wouldn't have even considered it if not for the cheaper model.

They also need to because you need the market as large as possible. The larger the market, the more software companies sell. The more software sold, the less risky it is to buy a Mac, and the more people buy them, etc.

The Mac Mini was years overdue, and it would be a huge mistake to can it.

 

[randallisation]

I hope to god that the Mac Mini isn't dropped, I'm waiting on a Core 2 Duo or higher model to use as a simple Mac desktop and as a small media centre system. An AppleTV doesn't provide the desktop system I want, alongside the media machine I require. I want to be able to play DVD's with it, and AppleTV doesn't have that feature.

I'm only holding out on the hope they will get a CPU bump and possible graphics upgrade at or within two weeks of WWDC.

If Apple dropped a 2GHz Core 2 Duo in the top end Mini tomorrow, I'd buy one. It'd be a shame to see it dropped. I know a few places which are dropping eMacs to buy Mac Mini's to use as office machines, demand for the Mini is still about, even if it is not as high as people would wish.

 

[danny_w]

It's also something that can get people looking at Apple. They may pay no attention to what Apple has if you can't get a system for under $1000. Those people might then end up actually buying a more expensive system, but they wouldn't have even considered it if not for the cheaper model.

My case exactly. Now my whole family is Mac-only. No more Windows! This would have never happened if it were not for the Mini.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

We have a G4 Mini and its been great even has a real GPU in it.

 

[fireball jones]

That would be sad, I sold my old PC tower with uber leet video card for a G4 mini after I graduated college (good timing!). I still have it, I bought a new Macbook, thought about selling the mini, but I'm using it as a base for a print server/network share in the other room with the wireless router.

For the $500 odd I paid for it, it's lived it's life (and paid for itself) many times over.

 

[LoganT]

I really hope it's true. I really hope SJ and Apple is starting to get some sense in them.

 

[ChrisA]

According to Apple Insider, the Mini is

Let's hope it get replace by something better. Remember the G4 PowerMac? Back in the day you could buy an Apple tower system for $1,500. Today the minimum buy in is almost $1,000 more. You would think 10 years later Apple could sell a $1K headless tower system that is upgradeable. Heck I'd go for a $1,500 upgradeable system.

If Apple does not have one by this summer I going with Mac OS X on a generic PC.

 

[penguy]

We have a G4 Mini and its been great even has a real GPU in it.

I have a G4 Mini as well...but even w/ a real GPU in it, it can't even come close to the CD version with intel integrated graphics in terms of video performance...try playing HD trailers on both machines and look at the frame rate...the Intel mini will show the trailer at the proper frame rate with no hiccups, smooth graphics...and all 24 or 29.98 fps...the G4 will be lucky to maintain 12-15 fps.

Even with that handicap, everyone in the family will use my mini instead of my old P4 2 ghz pc w/ an ATI Radeon 9600 w/ 128 mb vram...in most things it will be faster...go figure...

so...PLEASE update the mini w/ C2D, make the price a little more competitive and move on...many of the early adopters are ready for a bump...especially with OS X 10.5 coming!

 

[MonksMac]

I love my Mac Mini, but I think Apple should drop the Mini and add a computer in a slightly larger case similar to the B&W Power Macintosh G3 or Graphite/Sawtooth G4's. Those would be the perfect combination of size and expandability. True that most consumers will never upgrade anything in their computer except maybe Ram. However that would give other people who like to do upgrades,etc. I know I would want one if it came in that style!
Like I said I love my Mini, Heck it even convinced my Dad to Switch, but it needs to be replaced with another new model in a similar price point.
Sorry for my long rant by the way.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

I have a G4 Mini as well...but even w/ a real GPU in it, it can't even come close to the CD version with intel integrated graphics in terms of video performance...try playing HD trailers on both machines and look at the frame rate...the Intel mini will show the trailer at the proper frame rate with no hiccups, smooth graphics...and all 24 or 29.98 fps...the G4 will be lucky to maintain 12-15 fps.

Even with that handicap, everyone in the family will use my mini instead of my old P4 2 ghz pc w/ an ATI Radeon 9600 w/ 128 mb vram...in most things it will be faster...go figure...

so...PLEASE update the mini w/ C2D, make the price a little more competitive and move on...many of the early adopters are ready for a bump...especially with OS X 10.5 coming!

Just some sarcasim but make no mistake Integrated is crap. Take a new Intel cpu or AMD mate a 7600Gt to it in the littlest box with OSX and presto. Who aint happy?