Mac Mini To Be Discontinued?

[therif]

I don't think it'll be discontinued...
iMac is also nearly 100 days over its average, so? will it be discontinued?? NO!

I think apple is waiting for something, maybe it's just leopard, or the WWDC...

Of course it can also be a marketing move. If the mac mini will be discontinued, a lot of people would like to buy one

Or perhaps they want to update the product-line of desktop pc's. New layout for the iMac/MacMini?

Let's hope apple will not disappoint us

 

[PCMacUser]

Well, in a bizarre impulse move, I just bought myself a Mac Mini on an auction site. 1.83GHz model, for 2/3rds its retail price, including a bluetooth keyboard and mighty mouse. Not bad for the second hand market here.

If they release a new version in a few weeks, I should be able to sell it for almost what I've paid for it. And if they don't release a new one, then...

 

[gregorsamsa]

If the Mini is discontinued (& what a great pity that'll be), IMO it'll have less to do with poor sales & more to do with Apple prioritizing the anticipated success of Apple TV. Perhaps Apple think that too many people are quite happy to use the Mini as their multimedia hub, which would ultimately affect future ATV sales. I think Apple would rather sacrifice the Mini to ensure Apple TV's success.

They'll probably reduce the price of the 17" combo iMac & have that as their only entry-level desktop Mac. I also expect them to introduce a new laptop model to capitalize on their great success with MacBooks (particularly) & MBPs.

As things stand now, one may be forgiven for thinking that Apple's priorities are thus:

1. iPhone.
2. iPod.
3. Apple TV.
4. Mac computers.

June's WWDC could of course confirm otherwise, so I'm not unduly alarmed; but I am becoming slightly concerned by how things appear to be going.

 

[milo]

Although I love mine, I'm not too surprised, the design was pretty botched from the start. The demand was for a cheap box and instead apple made size a higher priority than cost, making it impossible for it to really compete.

Let's hope dropping the mini makes way for the long demanded budget minitower.

 

[MacSA]

If the Mini is discontinued (& what a great pity that'll be), IMO it'll have less to do with poor sales & more to do with Apple prioritizing the anticipated success of Apple TV. Perhaps Apple think that too many people are quite happy to use the Mini as their multimedia hub, which would ultimately affect future ATV sales. I think Apple would rather sacrifice the Mini to ensure Apple TV's success.

This is true, reading through this thread, half the people that own Mini's don't even use them as computers.. they're just "media servers". Apple have probably realised this and thought that there is no point in having to two competing products.

 

[LoganT]

Although I love mine, I'm not too surprised, the design was pretty botched from the start. The demand was for a cheap box and instead apple made size a higher priority than cost, making it impossible for it to really compete.

Let's hope dropping the mini makes way for the long demanded budget minitower.

Wouldn't using desktop parts actually make the mini cost less money?

 

[72930]

Wouldn't using desktop parts actually make the mini cost less money?

Desktop parts create more heat, which would mean the mini would have to be bigger, and louder, and so not really be a mini

 

[72930]

As things stand now, one may be forgiven for thinking that Apple's priorities are thus:

1. iPhone.
2. iPod.
3. Apple TV.
4. Mac computers.

Whaa?! The iPod has been pretty much the same since October 12th, 2005, with the only (minor) update since then being at WWDC 2006...

 

[gregorsamsa]

Whaa?! The iPod has been pretty much the same since October 12th, 2005, with the only (minor) update since then being at WWDC 2006...

Fair point. I put the iPod 2nd purely because of its phenomenal past sales & financial success, which Apple will understandably try to maintain for as long as possible. I think, in the long-term, iPhone & its future versions may even better the iPod's success. However, I still have doubts about Apple TV, & I think Apple do, which is why they could be discontinuing the Mini.

But IMO the bottom line is: Macs are becoming the least profitable of Apple's lines & financial interests will, sadly, always dictate any corporation's priorities.

 

[elppa]

Fair point. I put the iPod 2nd purely because of its phenomenal past sales & financial success, which Apple will understandably try to maintain for as long as possible. I think, in the long-term, iPhone & its future versions may even better the iPod's success. However, I still have doubts about Apple TV, & I think Apple do, which is why they could be discontinuing the Mini.

But IMO the bottom line is: Macs are becoming the least profitable of Apple's lines & financial interests will, sadly, always dictate any corporation's priorities.

I don't think Macs are the least profitable at all.

For a start they are selling more and more and for second the margins are far higher.

Apple will show just how much the Mac means when it debuts Leopard next month.

Then you will take it all back.

 

[filmgirl]

Do you know whether the Apple TV hacks somehow allow 5.1 surround sound? That's the biggie for me, in terms of the Mac Mini's advantage over ATV.

Look at this article: http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/147048D8-D8B7-45E7-9A97-3CD5B4C2B75A.html

Long story short, assuming the file has the proper surround, DD5 or DTS stream in the container file, it can send that data to your HT receiver vis optical out and the receiver can then decode the signal.

For practical uses, this gets kind of messy because non of the iTunes store downloads are encoded with anything other than Pro Logic (even though you could conceivably just download an enhanced soundtrack that would be saved as a separate file attributed to the m4v, but whatever), and you need to make sure that you have either ripped the DTS or DD5 track from your DVD in AAC surround or AC3 or WAV.

HOWEVER, if you want to play a DivX or Xvid files that have embedded AC3 soundtracs, you are SOL - because Apple won't decode the AVI container (that article insipidly calls the AVI container archaic -- I guess he doesn't know much about getting universal playback on almost all machines, and you know, how Xvid showed up while Apple, Microsoft and other patent fiends were still battling over H.264 and the "true" MPEG-2 successor) to transmit the AC3 data. And because Apple didn't want to spring for a Dolby or Sony license, and relies on transmitting the data to a device that did pay for the right to decode signal, there isn't going to be a way to get a hack around it.

Unless you have only Surround files in H.2

 

[filmgirl]

Sorry, double post.

 

[gregorsamsa]

I don't think Macs are the least profitable at all.

For a start they are selling more and more and for second the margins are far higher.

Apple will show just how much the Mac means when it debuts Leopard next month.

Then you will take it all back.

I think to some degree I cover myself in this respect with the last line of post 453 (LOL), however, I very much hope & look forward to having good cause to "take it all back" come June's WWDC.

 

[localoid]

This is true, reading through this thread, half the people that own Mini's don't even use them as computers.. they're just "media servers". Apple have probably realised this and thought that there is no point in having to two competing products.

When I hear people claiming Apple TV and the mini are competing products I wonder if the people saying this really understand the specs of these two very different machines. It's like comparing a spoon to a shovel, and saying a shovel competes with a spoon. Sure, you could big a ditch with a spoon, but it'd take forever to do so. Why not pick the right tool for the job? Need to put sugar in your tea? Use a spoon. Need to dig a ditch? Use a shovel.

Apple TV cannot perform the same number or variety of "media server" functions that the mini can. Apple TV is an extremely limited system, that was created to perform a very limited number of functions. Out of the box, it streams (some) multimedia files from iTunes. Even if you have the skills, knowledge and desire to hack it, there are functions that the Apple TV will never be able to do.

 

[Yvan256]

When Apple introduced the Mac mini they announced it as a low-cost Mac, not a media center Mac. It doesn't matter if half the people use a Mac mini as a media center for their other Macs: a lot of switchers would never consider trying OS X without the Mac mini.

Given the increased prices since its introduction, sales may have slowed down. However it's still one of the most popular desktop Macs according to Amazon.com sales.

 

[Tara Davis]

Media center, sure. It's awesome for that.
Car computer, yeah. I've seen some beautiful hacks.

But there is one other use for the mini which doesn't get talked about as much that I think is simply amazing, and no other solution I've seen does quite as well:

Mobile Sound Processor

With a simple rack-mounted multi-input device (I like the MOTU 828 series) and a mini running Garageband, you have everything you need for:

- Vocal signal processing, including slight pitch correction for that Diva that sometimes gets a little off.

- Guitar amp (and stomp-box) modeling. Your bar band no longer needs to carry around a whole van full of guitar and bass amps. Everybody plugs straight into the mini, which then goes out to the PA and monitors. Train your sound tech to switch up effects for you on cue, and you don't even need a stage full of pedals anymore.

- Multi-track recording. A click of the mouse, and you're recording a concert album. Put the rack on a table in your rehearsal space, and you've got an instant digital recording studio.

- MIDI sequences and/or pre-recorded backing tracks. Got a bass player who keeps missing gigs because of his day job? In a pinch, queue up recordings of him playing your songs.

Best of all, if you have no sound tech and won't be changing your Garageband settings much, you can run it headless if you want. Either script it to launch your Garageband "project" on boot-up, or use any el-cheapo laptop with a WiFi card to run the desktop remotely via VNC. If you're running your own sound, there's no need to have a big mixer board up on the stage with you. Just an unwired laptop that you can set anywhere will allow you to totally control the PA system from across the room.

Considering what a powerful, cheap, rugged, portable, and easy solution this is, I'm stunned that there aren't a lot more musicians out there doing it this way.

 

[iDave]

When I hear people claiming Apple TV and the mini are competing products I wonder if the people saying this really understand the specs of these two very different machines. It's like comparing a spoon to a shovel, and saying a shovel competes with a spoon. Sure, you could big a ditch with a spoon, but it'd take forever to do so. Why not pick the right tool for the job? Need to put sugar in your tea? Use a spoon. Need to dig a ditch? Use a shovel.

I'm glad you said that. I agree and you have a very good way of putting it.

I would add that I can't understand why Apple would mind that a $599 product affects sales of a $299 product. Unless profit margins are much, much higher on the aTV, I think Apple would market the mini as the best thing to connect to your TV. After all, with Front Row, it does the same things aTV does, only better.

 

[PCMacUser]

Look at this article: http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/147048D8-D8B7-45E7-9A97-3CD5B4C2B75A.html

Long story short, assuming the file has the proper surround, DD5 or DTS stream in the container file, it can send that data to your HT receiver vis optical out and the receiver can then decode the signal.

For practical uses, this gets kind of messy because non of the iTunes store downloads are encoded with anything other than Pro Logic (even though you could conceivably just download an enhanced soundtrack that would be saved as a separate file attributed to the m4v, but whatever), and you need to make sure that you have either ripped the DTS or DD5 track from your DVD in AAC surround or AC3 or WAV.

HOWEVER, if you want to play a DivX or Xvid files that have embedded AC3 soundtracs, you are SOL - because Apple won't decode the AVI container (that article insipidly calls the AVI container archaic -- I guess he doesn't know much about getting universal playback on almost all machines, and you know, how Xvid showed up while Apple, Microsoft and other patent fiends were still battling over H.264 and the "true" MPEG-2 successor) to transmit the AC3 data. And because Apple didn't want to spring for a Dolby or Sony license, and relies on transmitting the data to a device that did pay for the right to decode signal, there isn't going to be a way to get a hack around it.

Unless you have only Surround files in H.2

Thanks for the detailed info! Well, I've purchased a 2nd hand Mac Mini so I'll see how it goes as a media (and a few other things) box. Unfortunately we don't have any TV or Movie content on the iTunes Store in my country, so the DVDs I watch will be either straight from the disc or from raw VOB files on my external hard disc.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it

 

[ankh]

Hard to believe Apple would lose the attractive entry level machine just as there's a big wave of people vacillating about the new Windows system, who are really tempted to switch.

Could Apple be so stupid?

Oh, right.

 

[iDave]

Hard to believe Apple would lose the attractive entry level machine just as there's a big wave of people vacillating about the new Windows system, who are really tempted to switch.

You really would have to wonder about the wisdom of such a move unless there's something else up their sleeve.

I think I've finally talked my boss into switching. She laughed at the price of the MacBook Pros and I think is finally going to get a used MacBook to test the waters. Lots of people are unsure about switching before making the move, so they don't want to spend much.

 

[danny_w]

You really would have to wonder about the wisdom of such a move unless there's something else up their sleeve.

I think I've finally talked my boss into switching. She laughed at the price of the MacBook Pros and I think is finally going to get a used MacBook to test the waters. Lots of people are unsure about switching before making the move, so they don't want to spend much.

I was one of those, and the Mini is what enticed me. I would never have gone for the MacBook, even if it is a better buy.

 

[ImAlwaysRight]

Ummmm ... no

Mac Mini will not be discontinued in the way most are thinking. It is going to be revamped to take a 3.5" hard drive while still using the laptop style combo/superdrive. Slightly bigger (and I mean slightly), faster Core 2 Duo processors, same great price ... great refresh. Wait and see. You heard it here first, folks.

 

[Wolfpup]

Mac Mini will not be discontinued in the way most are thinking. It is going to be revamped to take a 3.5" hard drive while still using the laptop style combo/superdrive. Slightly bigger (and I mean slightly), faster Core 2 Duo processors, same great price ... great refresh. Wait and see. You heard it here first, folks.

I hope so. I mean really I'd prefer if it were just a more normal mini-tower, although the current model does have a certain charm (even if a mini-tower is more useful).

 

[PCMacUser]

<sniff> My new Mac Mini turned out to be the 1.66GHz model rather than the 1.83GHz, so I'm taking it back. I suppose I'll be waiting for June then. Here's hoping for a revamp!

 

[dmelgar]

Mac Mini will not be discontinued in the way most are thinking. It is going to be revamped to take a 3.5" hard drive while still using the laptop style combo/superdrive. Slightly bigger (and I mean slightly), faster Core 2 Duo processors, same great price ... great refresh. Wait and see. You heard it here first, folks.

+1.
I'd vote for that. My issue with the Mini is primarily its 2.5" drive. Make the case a little larger and put 3.5" drive or two in it and they'll have a winner.
Does Apple ever really listen to their customers/market? I haven't seen it. I think they'll come out with something totally different and unexpected. Something Jobs dreamed up as the next new thing that will miss the immediate need.
(Still wishing for the Minitower).