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Mac Mini To Be Discontinued?

MacMini was for the switch

The macmini was for a PC switch to Mac.

Now with Leopard there's no need for a small computer like the macmini,
if... ...if the OS is going open for all PC's !

Leopard will make an end to all the rumors of selling the OS in retail for a
apple computer only.

It is a complete solution.


ive
 
Apple won't open up Leopard to run on generic PCs, there are way too many configurations of hardware on generic PCs to cause more support trouble than worth, plus, with all the hate for Apple's "outragous prices" people simply won't buy Macs.

There is more of a chance that Leopard will have full built in support to run Windows without rebooting for bootcamp, and being able to keep a fullscreen Windows session running on another desktop with Spaces.

/offtopic
 
randallisation said:
Apple won't open up Leopard to run on generic PCs, there are way too many configurations of hardware on generic PCs to cause more support trouble than worth, plus, with all the hate for Apple's "outragous prices" people simply won't buy Macs.
Click to expand...

Not the whole truth.

Imagine if Apple did release OSX to non-Apple PC's, but only supported hardware components A, B and C. Then PC maker wanting to sell OSX-compatible computers would have to be using components A, B and C to stay compatible; and if ther's a D component, it would simply not work.

If they did it like I described, it would benefit Apple because everyone would have to use hardware of similar spec in comparisons instead of not those cheapo PC's.

With skillful PR, all hate for "outrageous prices" would turn into hate for "crappy PC's unable to run OSX". Naturally, that would also benefit Microsoft who cold claim Windows also runs so much better with these OSX-certified PC's and that many of the instabilities are in fact because of the crappy cheapo PC hardware and not the Windows code itself. But I bet people know better than that ;)
 
cube said:
Bigger means desktop hd, desktop CPU, desktop optical, desktop RAM, so it would be much cheaper and performant.
Click to expand...

iMac does not have desktop-CPU's either. Laptop-RAM is a bit more expensive, but not that much, same goes for optical drives. While they might make the device cheaper that way, they would also make it less valuable. Apple does not have to do any of that. Being small and silent is a value in on itself. Apple managed to make the Mini inexpensive in the past, while using laptop-components. They could do it again
 
See, Apple doesn't even have a desktop line. They have laptops in desktop form factors, and a server. Hence the need for a mid-ranged desktop.
 
It's a fantastic, enchanting little machine, and I can't see them discontinuing it. I just can't.

Mine's just the best little computer, and with the 23" ACD the look is hypnotic. Yes, Apple should keep the Mac mini line updated, or drop the price to reflect how old the bits in it are getting, but they absolutely shouldn't drop it.

Even if they were going to release a replacement, what's the point when the Mac mini is already so great?

Both myself and a friend were both sucked in to Macworld via the mini :)
 
Opening OS X 10.5 could be opened up to a certain selection of hardware, I still however believe this would be a mistake. Now that Mac's can natively run Windows using bootcamp / parallels, I think it's a better selling point to "Buy a Mac, still be able to run Windows".

I know a company that is 98% Mac based, but their accounting software is Windows only. Instead of buying 2 PCs for the accounting staff, they bought Macs and use BootCamp. It means they can just drop another Mac in if one goes down, instead of scrambling around to find a replacement PC or accounts.

I wouldn't support the drop of the Mini, and I wouldn't support the opening of OS X to other machines. I can see the views of other's posts, but that is my opinion.

(Back to topic)
 
Zigster said:
Sounds like a purely business decision to me. Mac mini apparently doesn't sell well, and I'm sure the profit margin is pretty tight. Why keep it around? You can "switch" for 1000 with a macbook.
Click to expand...

Why keep MacBook around? I mean, you could "switch" for $2000 then?

Mac Mini makes sense because it makes switching easy. Take me for example: I had been following Apple with interest for some time already, and I wanted to try OS X out. Mac Mini was so cheap that it was easy to buy one, just for experimentation. Had I hated it and/or OS X, the low would not have been that great. It was more or less an impulse-buy for me. Had I been required to buy a machine that costs $1000, that would not have happened. I do not make impulse-buys that cost $1000.

The apple tv box seems like a mini replacement already.
Click to expand...

Just because it has vaguely similar appearance does NOT mean that it's a "replacement". You can't run apps on it, you can't surf the web with it, it has no optical drive... In short: It's not a computer, whereas Mac Mini is.
 
Mac Mini rocks

In putting my two-cents in here, I would hope these rumors are wrong. I have two mac minis (G4 1.42 and Duo Core 1.66), and they have been two of the most trouble-free, reliable, and solid machines I've owned. I, too, would like a third as the media/TV/home entertainment center. Like many of the people here, I think I am interested in exactly what the sales figures for the minis are. If any one here owns Apple stock, I am confident that one of these investor's reports would have that documented.

I can also point to the Intel mini as being an excellent dual-purpose machine (i.e. running Windows with Boot Camp). Anyone reading other prominent forums, like MacWindows for example, can see that many have experienced several issues running Windows on the MacBook Pro, the MacBook, and even the iMacs. The Mac Mini, on the other hand, has had very little problems in this regard.

Otherwise, if the mini is eventually retired, I would expect any alternative to be just as competent, durable and competitively priced
 
Please Apple don't discontinue the Mac mini

Please Apple don't discontinue the Mac mini. We need a small-size computer behind our big screen TV. The AppleTV is not an option.

Best Regards,
Dennis
 
JFreak said:
The need to bring out "Macbook Mini" does not mean that Apple should drop "Mac Mini" from production. They are not the same thing! If anything, they would complement each others. Now imagine this:

Desktop line:
- Mac Mini (less than 1000 dollars, no BTO options)
- Mac (between 1000 and 2000 dollars, somewhat configurable)
- Mac Pro (more than 2000 dollars, fully configurable)

Portable line:
- Macbook Mini (absolutely ultralight, relatively cheap)
- Macbook (relatively light and cheap)
- Macbook Pro (absolutely powerful and expensive)

Consumer display line:
- 13" widescreen 1280x800
- 15" widescreen 1440x900
- 17" widescreen 1680x1050

Pro display line:
- 20" widescreen 1920x1200
- 30" widescreen 2560x1600
- 40" widescreen 3840x2400

How cool would that be ;)
Click to expand...


This is kind of what I was thinking. Maybe the iMac will be replaced with the mid-range Mac. There were those rumors of a redesigned iMac with industrial designs... Perhaps this is the mid-range tower?

I think this would help clarify things for people who are new to the Mac.

I just saw that Sony's desktop offerings are now all-in-one solutions like the iMac. Maybe Apple has decided to move away from this form factor now that others are doing it.
 
Wild speculation

Intel has just transitioned to a new generation of technology. The mac mini is likely to get upgraded to similar specs as the macbook, the old G950 with a core 2 instead of a Core, probably at 1.83GHz. The 30 days "late" for this generation across the board is not due to slow intel products, but the fact that Apple is waiting for their next major event, so they don't have to do a keynote on "So last month we released some very exciting new macs. Huh. Neat." Also, please note that the mac mini recieved an "update" according to the buyers guide just 2 months after the rev B, when a few users got 1.33 or 1.5 instead of 1.25 and 1.42 chips. The true average is 7 months or 210 days, NOT 143 days. They have NEVER updated the mini in less than 5 months, which is the current listed average. They are 40 days "late", and if they come out at WWDC they will be 50 days late. wow, a fluctuation in release timing. *shudder*
Now maybe they will discontinue the mini. But the current design refresh being behind the current technology is so they can price them ultra cheap, and so their $599 entry level desktop does not have the same specs as their $1099 midrange laptop (apple makes no entry level notebooks). It is playing up the quality of the macbook, even though it is now out of date and overpriced without Centrino Pro. Wow, they must be canning that line too!
 
It would be odd if they do axe the Mini. Apple TV is ok, but the fairly obvious drawback of it as a "media centre" replacement for the Mini is that you need a Mac somewhere in the house running as an iTunes server if you want to stream video/audio/photos to the Apple TV. As far as I can see Apple don't have a quiet, low-power, small machine in their lineup suitable for that role apart from.... the Mini!

OK, you can turn your Mac Pro, MBP or whatever on to sync the Apple TV up then turn it off again, but what's the betting that if you have a large media collection what you want to watch often isn't in the 40Gb you have synced? It'd be easier to pull a disc off the DVD rack in your lounge than go through the "turn on Mac, sync, turn off" process.
 
LoganT said:
We need more room for a mid-range tower! :)
Click to expand...

Yes, a midrange tower please! MacPro case with Core 2 Duo! For all who don't like the quality of the 20'' iMac Displays and don't want to have a bunch of external drives with all the cables and ac adapters flying around.

But I think Apple should add this anyway, without dropping the lowend minis.
 
AidenShaw said:
I've almost never seen a Mac Mini by itself - every one that I've seen is a mess of cables connecting the mini to a couple of external drives and usb hubs and card readers and ...

...

Base - similar in capabilities to today's mini, but somewhat larger to allow for a 3.5" hard drive and an LP PCIe graphics card. Add an eSATA port to the back. Front panel USB ports and 12-in-1 memory card reader (or side panel).
Click to expand...

My mini is a bit of a cable mess, with the external drive and USB/FW hub, plus the USB hub in my display... ya, a mess. I'm working on a custom mini hack into a G4 case to alleviate that, and other problems, but I'm waiting for after June 11 to see what machine I use for the base parts.

gkarris said:
I can see Apple getting rid of the display's powerbrick as well as the Mini's - the Dell displays don't have one.

Do that and you'll have a cool setup!
Click to expand...

I don't get what people's problems with power bricks are. I LOVE THEM. On a laptop, sure, it's a PITA as you have to move it around. On my mini, though, it just sits under/behind the desk. It takes a MAJOR source of heat (which in turn requires the use of a major source of noise) and moves it far away to a nice, passively cooled, little box that keeps my toes warm in the winter.

My biggest gripe (and most people agreed) about the G5 iMac was noise. I looked at some diagrams and thought "you know, they could probably cut a lot of the heat down, and hence feed for fans by moving the PSU out of the case." Less heat in the already cramped exposure, and also more open room for air movement... ah well.

FF_productions said:
A 17 inch iMac?

We are all saying if the 20 inch iMac is going to become standard, it will need to be a lot cheaper.

I think the 17 inch iMac could fit into that role within the 600-800 dollar range.
Click to expand...

Except that a large number of people who buy mini's do it because they DON'T WANT AN ALL IN ONE. If they did, they'd buy a laptop!

MacSA said:
The fact that half the people posting here who own Mini's seem to be using them as nothing more than "media servers" might illustrate why Apple might want to discontinue it - it competes directly with the Apple TV.
Click to expand...

Er, seems like a great OPPORTUNITY for Apple. Sell a $250 media server that's pretty nice, add a few features the new mini and then UPSELL ATV customers to a $600 computer...
 
capoditutti said:
I beg to differ - Nokia discontinued the 6310i, quite possibly the best phone they've ever made.

I've had more than 10 new phones partnering my 6310i since i bought it in 2002, and all of them are now with new owners... 6310i still going strong. I call it my 'charge on a Sunday phone' hehehe :D :D :D
Click to expand...

You said it. THis is by far the best phone I ever had. a phone., Not a camera, not a blackberry, not a friggin computer.
 
Ive said:
the OS is going open for all PC's !

Leopard will make an end to all the rumors of selling the OS in retail for a
apple computer only.

It is a complete solution.
Click to expand...

People who are serious about software should make their own hardware.
 
Soulivar said:
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.
Click to expand...

What a load of rubbish.

I have a mac mini because i wanted one, not to save space. If i wanted a space saving PC i'd have got an iMac. The mini works find for me.

Currently its my Lightroom, Photoshop (CS3), Parallels and general web/work machine. Also it runs apache and mysql. I get the occasional pause with it but i'm very happy. Best of all is the low noise and low power to run the thing. So why would a 'real' man need a big tower?

Do you need to make up for something else?
 
alFR said:
It would be odd if they do axe the Mini. Apple TV is ok, but the fairly obvious drawback of it as a "media centre" replacement for the Mini is that you need a Mac somewhere in the house running as an iTunes server if you want to stream video/audio/photos to the Apple TV. As far as I can see Apple don't have a quiet, low-power, small machine in their lineup suitable for that role apart from.... the Mini!
Click to expand...

So perhaps the "new mini" is going to be very specifically designed to be a companion to the @TV?

I'm wondering if the strategy is: Apple TV + New Mini = iTiVO?

Looking for the "mystery port" that would let the pieces fall together.

-hh
 
Ive said:
The macmini was for a PC switch to Mac.

Now with Leopard there's no need for a small computer like the macmini,
if... ...if the OS is going open for all PC's !

Leopard will make an end to all the rumors of selling the OS in retail for a
apple computer only.

It is a complete solution.


ive
Click to expand...

Just the ones with EFI
 
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