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Mac Mini to be Discontinued?
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Ever since I made the switch back to Windows my options just keep getting better and better all for under $1000!
Yet a new contender has emerged! using the Ultra fast Intel® CoreTM i7 processors.
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/desktop-studioxps-435mt?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn
That's in the prosumer market. The one that Apple somehow thinks the iMac is a perfect for.
The Mini's most direct competitor would be the studio hybrid or one of the slimline inspirons.
This is pretty funny if you consider what really makes up the inside of a computer. Or maybe half of you clowns have no idea whats behind the shinny Apple. Yes Apple has world class design and has come up with some of the most stylish cases and enclosures the PC world has ever seen but once you strip away the pretty Aluminum casing what really separates the unit apart from any other PC aside from the OS ?
I would have used to say quality, but after the windows-esque problems I've had with my last couple of Macs and Leopard, I'm not so sure anymore.
Thanks for keeping it professional clearly others are not mature enough to understand my point.
Not sure how this belongs in a thread about the Mac mini, but did you post this just to depress me.Ever since I made the switch back to Windows my options just keep getting better and better all for under $1000!
Yet a new contender has emerged! using the Ultra fast Intel® CoreTM i7 processors.
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/desktop-studioxps-435mt?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn
Why Apple refuses to sell a comparable computer to this is beyond me. It covers the mid to upper end consumer market, the business market and the professional market depending on the configurations.
Mac Mini to be discontinued
If one wants a non-apple windows machine, go buy one. May I offer you the best of luck for servicing and warranty concerns . I am fortunate to live near an Apple store and a third party firm that can service the 5 Macs I own.
I am becoming increasingly frustrated waiting for the next mac mini updake. What many of us desire is a mac mini with at least a better graphics chip, a faster bus speed, and the ability to recognize and use at least 4 gigs of ram. This is basically a macbook without its screen, the expensive battery that either overheats or needs replacement, and a the lack of the overheating problems that plague Mac notebooks. The remainder of updates we desire can be accomplished faster and cheaper by us rather than by Apple.
Tom E
If one wants a non-apple windows machine, go buy one. May I offer you the best of luck for servicing and warranty concerns . I am fortunate to live near an Apple store and a third party firm that can service the 5 Macs I own.
I am becoming increasingly frustrated waiting for the next mac mini updake. What many of us desire is a mac mini with at least a better graphics chip, a faster bus speed, and the ability to recognize and use at least 4 gigs of ram. This is basically a macbook without its screen, the expensive battery that either overheats or needs replacement, and a the lack of the overheating problems that plague Mac notebooks. The remainder of updates we desire can be accomplished faster and cheaper by us rather than by Apple.
Tom E
Consistency, support, efi, and the sticker on the bottom that says designed by Apple in California.
Sure, we all know that Intel Macs are produced with common hardware, but the real differences are in the end user experience. Apple treats customer satisfaction with great concern. Dell treats customer satisfaction with the lowest bidder call center in south asia. And the lowest bidder is a common denominator with most of the big PC manufacturers hardware too.
There is a reason why the Macbook Pro and the iMac consistently dominate charts in PCworld and other windows magazine tests.
As a former employee of a company that may be Apple I can understand your sentiments. When I started at a company that may have been Apple it was a small retailer who had a passion for thinking different and a love for there customer base. Apple has developed into a money machine that has instructed there employees to push aside the long time computer users for the new an improved iPod and iPhone customers. Its not about us anymore. I see all these fan boys comments and its so sad because being behind the Iron Curtain which lays behind pretty glass windows, and brainwashed employees is the truth... Apple is no longer the company most of us fell in love with. I still use Apples and I am a Apple Server Admin but I can tell you Apple is slowly becoming a pretty computer with a nice idea of an OS. For now I use KDE 4 and Windows and its more than I need. I read your earlier comments and you were def. a fan boy but seeing your drastic change and many others here I think Apple needs to realize they are losing the customers they worked hard for.
You're right. Apple used to be about sunshine and love and now they want to make money. Disgusting.
Let's see - Apple computers (other than Mac Pro) are made intentionally so one cannot get in and do repairs themselves. Virtually, all PC's are easy access and can be repaired, diagnosed etc. easily if one is PC aware.
I use Macs since Vista came out. But let's be clear - Apple makes you go to them for repairs etc and makes you use their "do not open" systems while the other camp has nearly always been easy access. This is about control and dollars. No judgement but let's call it what it is.
Remember, Job's notion is you can use HIS OS in HIS Box and you must go to HIM to get things FIXED or one of his so called certified Mac repair shops.
For me, I don't mind this as very little to go wrong and as you point out if it does, you can let a Job's techie "fix" it. I prefer to fix my own stuff but alas, I'll make due <grin>.
Cheers
- Phrehdd
With the iMac and Mac Mini in particular, they are not only made non-user serviceable and upgradable, they are also a little skimpy on the hardware as to lessen the life cycle of the machine. But then again, when you're the only computer maker who makes Mac OS X computers and therefore your Mac OS X software, you're in an all too easy position to impose your will on the users. Let's face it here, with the exception of the most basic user (like most of the iPod users coming into the platform) who does not spend that much money on software that didn't come with the computer, Apple is playing to captive audience unless they're to spend another couple hundred or thousand on replacing software. Bad for the user, but good for Apple's bottom line.
There's plenty of videos on the 'net for opening & 'servicing' Mac Mini's - a little tricky, but "everyone's" doing them.
So where are the rumours ?
See what happens when Apple doesn't float rumours of upcoming products...
An update to the Mini is well and truly expected at MacWorld and -nothing- from anyone about what's coming.
Even the unibody MacBooks leaked like a sieve. I guess we'll have to wait until 'the holidays' sales are over before Apple are prepared to build up the "buzz" and allow some rumours.
See what happens when Apple doesn't float rumours of upcoming products...
An update to the Mini is well and truly expected at MacWorld and -nothing- from anyone about what's coming.
Even the unibody MacBooks leaked like a sieve. I guess we'll have to wait until 'the holidays' sales are over before Apple are prepared to build up the "buzz" and allow some rumours.
Many folks have cut internet service
Hundreds of thousands are out of work right now and can probably no longer afford internet service, I do not say this as a joke or to make light of a very serious situation facing many families today I only bring this up to point out that many families have probably dropped internet service in order to put food on the table. I don't think a new Mac Mini is really high on the list of most families right now.
See what happens when Apple doesn't float rumours of upcoming products...
An update to the Mini is well and truly expected at MacWorld and -nothing- from anyone about what's coming.
Even the unibody MacBooks leaked like a sieve. I guess we'll have to wait until 'the holidays' sales are over before Apple are prepared to build up the "buzz" and allow some rumours.
Hundreds of thousands are out of work right now and can probably no longer afford internet service, I do not say this as a joke or to make light of a very serious situation facing many families today I only bring this up to point out that many families have probably dropped internet service in order to put food on the table. I don't think a new Mac Mini is really high on the list of most families right now.
That's true at ANY time. And what about the starving babies in Africa, nonstop since Biafra in 1968 and I'm sure long before that.
I do not say this as a joke or to make light of a very serious situation facing many families today worldwide, but to point out a couple of facts:
1. Families who have given up internet service to put food on the table aren't reading this forum.
2. It would be nice if these sentiments didn't just appear around the Holidays but were kept in mind all year long.
3. If you were truly concerned about families who can't put food on the table you'd be preparing and/or serving soup in a food line, instead of rattling the cages of folks who do have the resources to waste time posting in mac rumors forums, and wouldn't be doing so yourself.
4. Trying to make a connection between folks who want an updated Mac Mini for the US or even the world economic crisis is a bit silly. Or even using the world economic crisis as an excuse to not offer one.
5. During the last Great Depression (as opposed to this GreatEST Depression), entertainment was the last thing to get cut out of the family budget. People went to the theaters in droves to see Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance in opulence, and to live theaters to see hundreds of scantily clad babes in diamonds and furs live the lives of the uber-riche.
This forum, and the internet, is nothing more than pure entertainment, and people are giving up and walking away from their houses before they give up internet service.
Just sayin'.
I see the mini discussion continues here. I just advised a friend to wait until after MacWorld to see if any updates will happen before they purchase a mini. I doubt it will be discontinued, but you never know. I think it's got one more refresh left before it gets discontinued. Just my opinion.
I was mucking around with Google Sketchup and designed a bigger "mini". It is slightly wider and longer than a Nintendo Wii, and about twice as thick. There is no texturing on the surfaces because I couldn't work out how but I was thinking PowerMac/Mac Pro grated on the front and back and aluminium everywhere else.
I put two 2.5" hard drives in it, a graphics card (connected via a riser that is not illustrated - my very basic sketchup "skills" are the reason) the space should allow for common ones but not extra long cards.
The CD drive up the top is slot loading (do people actually update their optical drives these days?) and the hard drives below it. I went with 2.5" drives as they are small, but added space for another so you can at least raid them (or ZFS when it comes along). For connectivity I got rid of FireWire and replaced it with eSATA. No display port because of a separate graphics card.
Anyway, like I said, a rough mockup which was fun to muck around with sketchup.
I put two 2.5" hard drives in it, a graphics card (connected via a riser that is not illustrated - my very basic sketchup "skills" are the reason) the space should allow for common ones but not extra long cards.
The CD drive up the top is slot loading (do people actually update their optical drives these days?) and the hard drives below it. I went with 2.5" drives as they are small, but added space for another so you can at least raid them (or ZFS when it comes along). For connectivity I got rid of FireWire and replaced it with eSATA. No display port because of a separate graphics card.
Anyway, like I said, a rough mockup which was fun to muck around with sketchup.
Attachments
The MacBook has the new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M which is integrated and still has a mini display port. There is no way Apple is going to release a new machine without it.
The mac pro should have full size DP with Full DP to mini DP.
A mini port that you need to pay $30 - $100 more is joke in a $2300 tower and a BIG rip off in a $600 - $800 desktop.
Personally, I would not be surprised with mini DisplayPort on the cards and two mini DisplayPort to DVI adapters included in the box.
Cheaper Macs? A: We chose not to server a certain customer base. We don't know how to make a $500 computer that we can make $250 off that's not a piece of junk. Our DNA will not allow us to ship that. We can continue to deliver value to customers we do choose to serve, who know very little about what value actually means.
fixed!
Apple has a $600-$800 desktop??? (that is not the currently overpriced/underpowered mini)
Apple has a $600-$800 desktop??? (that is not the currently overpriced/underpowered mini)
They call it a desktop but it's a mini POS.