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Mac Mini to be Discontinued?
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this is causing me grief
I'm in a complete bind with this Mini thing. Any advice would be appreciated.
Basically, I've been planning to move our office over to macs for some time now. We're a small operation using about 8 machines and Linux server. Bought 1 Mini in about March 08, and ironed out the problems involved in switching, but decided to hold off buying more as it looked like a Mac Mini product refresh was immanent. Anyhow, as we all now, it *still* hasn't happened. So I now seem to be left with the following choices, (given that I need to by new computers in a matter of weeks at most)
- buy overpriced, out-of-date Minis, then be infuriated when they finally update them a month too late
- buy Mac Pros, which are massive overkill for us, and very expensive
- buy iMacs, which, aside from the fact they're probably due an update too, are expensive, and an all-in-one design that i'd rather avoid, and will mean getting rid of perfectly decent monitors, and ruining the uniform office aesthetic at the same time.
- scratch the idea of switching to Macs entirely, and resign ourselves to using peeceeze forever :-(
I just can't decide what to do, and i'm furious at Apple for putting me in this situation. Essentially, i've persuaded my boss that Macs are the way to go, only to find that Apple simply don't offer the products we need, thus making me look like a right chump. Aaagh! What should i do?
I'm in a complete bind with this Mini thing. Any advice would be appreciated.
Basically, I've been planning to move our office over to macs for some time now. We're a small operation using about 8 machines and Linux server. Bought 1 Mini in about March 08, and ironed out the problems involved in switching, but decided to hold off buying more as it looked like a Mac Mini product refresh was immanent. Anyhow, as we all now, it *still* hasn't happened. So I now seem to be left with the following choices, (given that I need to by new computers in a matter of weeks at most)
- buy overpriced, out-of-date Minis, then be infuriated when they finally update them a month too late
- buy Mac Pros, which are massive overkill for us, and very expensive
- buy iMacs, which, aside from the fact they're probably due an update too, are expensive, and an all-in-one design that i'd rather avoid, and will mean getting rid of perfectly decent monitors, and ruining the uniform office aesthetic at the same time.
- scratch the idea of switching to Macs entirely, and resign ourselves to using peeceeze forever :-(
I just can't decide what to do, and i'm furious at Apple for putting me in this situation. Essentially, i've persuaded my boss that Macs are the way to go, only to find that Apple simply don't offer the products we need, thus making me look like a right chump. Aaagh! What should i do?
Trust me, you're not the only one in a similar bind. I could give you an answer, but I haven't figured that out yet. Its the preverbal rock and the hard place position caused by leadership that has become convinced that they have all the answers and you're the problem for not thinking as they do. Unfortunately the downside to extreme talent is usually extreme arrogance. Personally, I'd wait until march, see what comes in down the pipeline and then reassess from there. If nothing happens in the hardware department by then, I would think it would be safe to say that they have given up on the sub-$2300 headless market.
And I'd define releasing a modestly expandable small mini-tower with desktop CPUs (dual and quad) as a sign of intelligence!
Keep (and upgrade) the Mini, but add a mini-tower that starts at about the price of a typical Mini.
Let people choose between a tiny, almost silent, system - and a system that actually meets their needs.
you have precisely stated one of many problems leading to Apple's loss of market share this quarter - everybody holding off because the whole line needs upgrading. not just people 'in the know' who read the macrumors buyer's guide, but everyone who looks at the specs before they buy...
in your case, unless you have massive internal expansion requirements, and if you're considering Mini's I'm guessing you don't... then iMac is an excellent office machine
sure it's an all in one design, but frankly, they're so much neater in an office environment, not that much more expensive, and the screens in an iMac will look better than a PC screen for years longer
try not to be limited by PC thinking = "why buy a new machine when all I have to do is upgrade the power supply, mother board, RAM, video card, hard drive and monitor?" - false economy - sounds good because you can 'theoretically' do it incrementally, but in reality, one upgrade leads to another, leads to another... you get the picture
plus, it's business, right? you write the machines off over how many years? you'll get much better value from an iMac than the PC upgrade nighmare
that said - Apple went to a consumer show with one new product - an expensive 17" notebook - Steve NEEDS a holiday. a consumer electronics company that can't manage a yearly update for its product line is just not trying...
we know the new Minis and iMacs are coming, they're listed in the operating system that shipped with the new notebooks
unfortunately, Apple didn't WANT to release new machines in January because it wants to dispose of the Macworld expo - and their sales suffered because of it, but they're convinced they're still right... (don't get me started)
and the upshot, as everyone is saying... wait, there will be new machines "any day now", but the way Apple's been conducting itself lately, they won't be much of an improvement. yes there's suitable quad-core and new i7 processors, but if they new mac books are anything to go by, 'real world' speed improvement is about 20%, which isn't much of a reason to upgrade, unless you really want the shiny new unibody design
still, you might get the current 'only 20% slower model' at a good price when anything new is released - the golden rule of computer purchase applies - if you don't have to buy today, don't buy yet
Except that the MacBook family doesn't use i7, which is a DESKTOP processor, or ANY version of Nehalem, in fact. The MacBook family still uses Montevina-clocked chips that predate Nehalem.
And the neither the revision of the iMac nor Mac Mini is slated to use Core i7 because neither of those computers USE desktop processors.
Unfortunately, i don't think i can wait till March - i've got colleagues clamoring for new computers now. It would have been much better all round if Apple had just discontinued the Mini a year ago and made their intentions clear regarding it's attitude to us "sub-prime" customers. (i.e. "Take your business elsewhere please"). It's looking increasingly likely i'll be ordering a few ugly HP towers, downgraded to XP obviously. Silly really - Apple could have could have sold us quite a bit of hardware and software in the future, but apparently they would rather not.
in which case, buy the complainers an iMac today, they're fantastic machines - and those that can wait, buy them new iMacs when they come out - might teach the complainers to be patient
what part of 'the whole line' needs an update did you miss?
mac pros are more than a year since an update - everything except the mac books needs updating (and frankly, I'd be waiting for quad-core mac books before I bought one)
Okay? The last update took 518 days. Show me one existing Gainestown chip to be put into it and I'll complain about the update right alongside you.
No one in the workstation field likes their computers to be outdated. Apple markets the Mac Pro as a workstation. They are TIED to Intel's chip releases because they do not, and have never, made their own processors. If no Intel chips exist, there is no update.
Unfortunately, you're out of luck. Apple clearly is not catering to your and many others needs(re: mine included). It is a frustrating and an unexplainable situation that Apple should have corrected years ago.
Not entirely true... and maybe off topic but recall that Apple helped to co-develop the PPC processor with motorola and IBM... albeit they had to put extended pressure on moto/ibm and eventually just IBM (as moto sold off its chip manufacturing division) to get updates... hence the change to intel...
intel is aware of apple's need for new updates, but they also know that apple is lets say a discerning client that wants the best, so they know they can dangle the carrot for longer periods (sounds like the update rumours for us doesn't it?)
anyway, apple does have some pull with intel due to the volume of high end chips it buys, however scheduling and the proverbial better chip down the line hampers the consumer updates. While apple can deliver mediocre updates they may feel that due to strong sales, they do not have to do this but are waiting for something that would provide a stronger surge in sales than would be realized from a speed bump...
Or I'm talking out of my butt
If you are going the windows route, I would recommend the Dell Studio Hybrid if they're sold in the UK over a tower. They're very practical in design, save space, and will save you a bit on the electric bill. In other words, you get most of the advantages of the mini with the large exception of the operating system.
Unfortunately, you're out of luck. Apple clearly is not catering to your and many others needs(re: mine included). It is a frustrating and an unexplainable situation that Apple should have corrected years ago.
They had it corrected years ago. They un-corrected it when they decided they had the right to dictate what computer a user was going to buy and how they should use it.
You are pissing and moaning over things you don't understand.
There you go, you make it obvious that the problem is not Apple but you! You are in a mind set of permantly holding off for that next revision everybody knows is coming. Think about this thread and the number of times you could have purchased a new computer since you achnowledged looking! It is pretty obvious that you take more delight in keeping your people frustrated and under funded than you want to admit.
In anyevent you issue with the Mac Pro is really stupid, just what do you expect Apple to upgrade it to? The reality here is that Apple has to work within the confines of what Intel has available for them. Much the same could be said about a quad core Mac Book. Speaking of which why not get Mac Books if you really need the hardware? They are made of the same basic parts as a Mini ( todays MB are newer revs of course) and in some ways make a better office machine.
In any event I'm convinced that you take joy in seeing the performance of your people hobbled. Think long and hard about the complaints you are getting, if they are indicating that even current Apple hardware would be good enough then they must currently be working on some really pathetic hardware.
Dave
That is an opinion that is not based on fact.
There you go, you make it obvious that the problem is not Apple but you! You are in a mind set of permantly holding off for that next revision everybody knows is coming. Think about this thread and the number of times you could have purchased a new computer since you achnowledged looking! It is pretty obvious that you take more delight in keeping your people frustrated and under funded than you want to admit.
In anyevent you issue with the Mac Pro is really stupid, just what do you expect Apple to upgrade it to? The reality here is that Apple has to work within the confines of what Intel has available for them. Much the same could be said about a quad core Mac Book. Speaking of which why not get Mac Books if you really need the hardware? They are made of the same basic parts as a Mini ( todays MB are newer revs of course) and in some ways make a better office machine.
In any event I'm convinced that you take joy in seeing the performance of your people hobbled. Think long and hard about the complaints you are getting, if they are indicating that even current Apple hardware would be good enough then they must currently be working on some really pathetic hardware.
Dave
It's my personal opinion after observing Apple's behavior over the past year is that they are stretched to thin. They simply don't have the resources to keep up with everything they are trying to do, and their priority seems to be the iPhone, being the new cash cow that it is for them.
Between getting the iPhone launched, the 3G launch, the App Store, Mobileme, iPods, and Macbooks and now the new iLife/iWork suite, it's very clear they don't have the human capital needed to continue their rapid expansion. It become clear after reviewing iLife/iWork '09 latest features that they are lacking help as the suite is hardly an "upgrade".
What is unacceptable is not letting people now about the Mac desktops. I have to assume this is still a current product since no other announcement was made to discontinue them. Mac desktops are downright outdated next to the latest Dell/HP offerings, especially when they throw every feature under the sun into it and still offer them for sub $1000. I love my new Macbook Pro, that I picked up on launch day, and paid good money for it. But I'm starting to think I paid way to much for it - but I guess with my 3 year time horizon for it, I'm not too worried about it.
Between getting the iPhone launched, the 3G launch, the App Store, Mobileme, iPods, and Macbooks and now the new iLife/iWork suite, it's very clear they don't have the human capital needed to continue their rapid expansion. It become clear after reviewing iLife/iWork '09 latest features that they are lacking help as the suite is hardly an "upgrade".
What is unacceptable is not letting people now about the Mac desktops. I have to assume this is still a current product since no other announcement was made to discontinue them. Mac desktops are downright outdated next to the latest Dell/HP offerings, especially when they throw every feature under the sun into it and still offer them for sub $1000. I love my new Macbook Pro, that I picked up on launch day, and paid good money for it. But I'm starting to think I paid way to much for it - but I guess with my 3 year time horizon for it, I'm not too worried about it.
Thanks for that - i'll look into it. Only issue might be OS (not Windows generally, although that's unfortunate, but Vista) - any idea if you'd be able to run these with XP - I will not use Vista under any circumstances.
I can understand that, Vista is beyond a train wreck. I honestly don't know the question. I know XP can physically run on the hardware, but I don't know if Dell will preinstall. I'd ask them.
...and what's even more galling, (while my blood's still up about this), is that, not only are the current Mac Minis hideously out of date, but they're seriously expensive too. Especially for people looking to switch. Once you've factored in extra RAM (necessary), Apple keyboard and mouse, and AppleCare (apparently a wise move given the Mini's reliability record), and brand New MS Office licences, you're talking well over £1000 in the UK. I'm sure it's similarly grim in the US or anywhere else.
This makes switching a seriously expensive undertaking, especially given that this is the most basic option Apple offer. And what you're getting (in the fast moving computer market) is something that was introduced in the Summer of 2007, with zero improvements or reduction in price.
Thing is, I'd really like to be giving business to Apple, but given all this, I really can't justify it. I'd use expletives, but I really don't think they would adequately express just how poor this is.
This makes switching a seriously expensive undertaking, especially given that this is the most basic option Apple offer. And what you're getting (in the fast moving computer market) is something that was introduced in the Summer of 2007, with zero improvements or reduction in price.
Thing is, I'd really like to be giving business to Apple, but given all this, I really can't justify it. I'd use expletives, but I really don't think they would adequately express just how poor this is.
I agree. If the current mini's were $200 cheaper I wouldn't care that there were no new ones out yet. The price hasn't dropped in years.
...even increasing the default RAM to 2GB would have been a nice gesture, given how difficult it is to prize a Mini open.
Actually is a bit worse, they still have the 945GM chipset that was introduced in the original core iMacs three years ago and the CPUs are the same used in the november 2006 Macbook update. The 9400M and the Penryn-3M CPUs in the new Macbook are three generations newer.
yes i just dont understand how apple could do this
They are either bored with it, are setting the Mini up for failure to prove their own biases towards all in one designs, or they're talking conscious advantage of a situation where you have no option other than what Apple gives you.
I think all three. Apple doesn't want to sell you a $600 computer. They want to sell you a $1200 (or more) computer. I'm very surprised they still offer the $999 MacBook but I expect they're just trying to get rid of leftover parts.
The mini hasn't been killed because it sells so well and it hasn't been upgraded because it would hurt iMac and MacBook sales, unless the price was raised. Personally, I'd rather see a much improved mini for $200 more, than the pitiful one that's available now. Most people would scream at a higher price though.