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Mac Mini to be Discontinued?

My first Mac was a mini; purchased right after the Core 2 update.

I've since purchased a MacBook, and I use both daily. (So, see, it does work as a 'switcher' computer!)

It's a shame if they get the axe; I was really hoping that we'd see one with the Nvidia 9400M or at least the GMA X3100-- the mini really makes for a poor gaming machine with the GMA 950... and I'm not even talking about anything brand-new, even older games like UT2004 and Warcraft 3 are a bit choppy at times.
 
I can't imagine Apple killing another model after having blurred the lines so much between 2 other models last week (MB and MBP). There has to be another model coming... I was looking at getting rid of my iMac for an updated Mini, so I'm not sure what to do now... I guess we'll know more by 5pm... :(
 
hope not

geez, i hope this doesn't happen. i was hoping for a new version that allowed more ram than 1 gig!
 
i am honestly surprised it took them this long. i do think it is a stupid decision on :apple:'s part, but the writing was on the wall when it had not been updated in well over a year.
 
Those who complain about the Mini being underpowered and overpriced miss the point. The Mini is like a Vespa scooter: stylish and great for getting around town. My wife uses hers to check e-mail, use the web, and Skype with relatives. That's it. And the Mini does it with little fuss and little footprint.

Ciao, Mini. Been a pleasure.
 
jbernie said:
It has gone past the point where they should either kill it or upgrade it. It doesn't need to be bleeding edge, but it really needs to be more than it is right now.

Second option, cut the price by $100-150 and keep the current specs. They might find a new/bigger market at a lower price point. i.e. a starter pc for younger kids.
Click to expand...

Yes I agree. The idea behind the Mini is perfect. But again Steve knows best so we will see what happens.
 
dwl017 said:
Let’s face it the Mini has been silently phased out like it or not. If you still want one buy the current one while supplies last or just move on with life!
Click to expand...

Sure, move on towards Windows. Plenty of PC-hardware to choose from. I love OSX but the hardware limitations are getting ridiculous. Apple is becoming like Ford in the 1910s when it sold its T-model only in black. "You can paint it any color, so long as it's black." Okay, Henry Ford actually probably never said this, but the analogy is clear..
 
jbernie said:
It has gone past the point where they should either kill it or upgrade it. It doesn't need to be bleeding edge, but it really needs to be more than it is right now.

Second option, cut the price by $100-150 and keep the current specs. They might find a new/bigger market at a lower price point. i.e. a starter pc for younger kids.
Click to expand...

I agree! What better way to hook the younger crowd in early!!
 
gkarris said:
No Firewire in the MacBook - go buy a MacBook Pro...:eek:
No more Mini - go buy an iMac...:eek:
iPhone? T-Mobile is too resonable, go pay $90/month for AT&T... :eek:

Gas and food are overrated anyways... :eek:

Like my question all along, "Apple Getting Snobbish?"

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=6469637
Click to expand...

The suits at Apple are no different from the fat cats of Wall street, clearly they have made there billions and forgot who put them there. Dont let the jeans and black sweater that Jobs always has on fool you.
 
Uh... isn't this pretty normal (i.e. sometimes happens) when Apple is about to update a product?
 
I certainly hope it's replaced with a redesigned mini and not outright killed. I am worried that the lack of iSights might indicate the mini is destined to die (apple likes ichat and someone who buy's a mini isn't buying an $800 screen).

Oh well, my mom loves her mini and wouldn't have bought a mac if the only option was an iMac.:(
 
All apple users will use glossy monitors, or else.

Jobs has decided that all pros must have headaches from glare.

Glossy on all iMacs, notebooks.
Glossy ACDs coming to replace existing.
Kill the mini.
New MacPro to only support video cards with mini DisplayPort.

Snow Leopard will remove all support for any monitor not made by Apple.
Apple brownshirts coming to confiscate your old equipment.

Mwa-ha-ha

/sarcasm (I think)
 
Nice time to discontinue the top selling desktop on Amazon. :rolleyes:

macminiza8.jpg


Apple never gives this little guy attention because they are afraid of it cannibalizing more expensive Macs. I find that troubling.

One word now, Hackintosh....
 
wow. they're really trying to ruin all of their success breaking into the PC market, aren't they?

I personally know 2 people who went to Mac simply for the mini and because of the price/size.

Of course if you keep something the same price and the same speed for 2 years it will get less popular...The simple fact is that Apple's not going to let you buy an Apple for less than 1000 dollars anymore. The old macbook will be phased out in the next month, and the mini, too, and then the cheapest mac is 1200-1300 dollars.

And that simple fact will probably keep me from buying any more Macs for home use...I hope the OS X on generic hardware movement keeps slogging along making progress...I'll be in the market for one in a year or two when my current macbook isn't cutting it anymore...I would love a little 400 dollar 9" laptop with a small SSD...
 
Enough already!

The Mac Mini design has lost is freshness. Look how many similar devices Apple has introduced (with slightly different dimensions):
  1. Apple TV
  2. Time Capsule
  3. AirPort Extreme Base Station
In today's society the entry-level Mac has become the MacBook. Apple still could develop another cost-effective alternative to the Mac Pro without a monitor but I doubt if it will be positioned at the lowest entry point and probably will include a keyboard and mouse or trackpad surface.
 
I doubted it would be discontinued until I saw what they did to the new MBP.

Now I won't put anything past Apple.
 
dwl017 said:
Get a grip people its over! move on! the Mac Book is the new entry level machine.
Click to expand...

People saying things like this are going to be eating a lot of crow soon.

Don't mean to single out DW. There are plenty of you here claiming it. The MacBook is not the new entry level Mac. The MacBook is the entry level Mac portable.

Don't be surprised if it is announced with the new iMacs, or at MacWorld along with all the new AppleTV and other consumer home media stuff that they are sure to roll out there. After all, apart from the Mac Pro, the other Macs are all updated in terms of major redesigns, so expect a lot of great consumer media devices and software at MacWorld.
 
MacBoard?

ChrisA said:
All they need to do is build a new aluminium Macbook but leave the LCD panel, keyboard, trackpad and battery off. That should save at least 1/3rd or 1/2 of the price.
Click to expand...

Why not start with a Macbook, strip off the display & the hinge, but keep the keyboard & trackpad for use with an external display? The computer's in the keyboard. I'd buy it.
 
Well, if the mini is indeed dead, I suspect it is because Apple does not WANT to compete in the budget domain. They want home users to buy the iMac, and they want Pro users to be forced into the Mac Pro. That was the evil secret with the mini - with a Core 2 Duo, it was powerful enough that some "Pro" users who didn't need high end graphics could easily get away with a Mini.

I suspect Apple also figures that their brand has enough "exposure" now that they don't need the Mini to bring PC users into the fold. And remember, when the Mini first came out, Apple was PowerPC, so there was no "comfort zone" for current PC users - so the Mini, as a cheap "try it out" option for PC users - was needed. Nowadays, PC users can put Windows on their Mac if they hate OS X, so Apple likely does not see the same need for the Mini as a "crossover" device.

So, in conclusion, I suspect in Apple's mind, the Mini no longer is necessary to bring people to OS X, and serves only a negative purpose - it allows people who would otherwise buy a more expensive machine to spend less money. And we all know that's something Apple can't stand!

As for me personally, I'd still like to see a mid-range tower. I never was a huge Mini fan - it struck me as all the disadvantages of a laptop with none of the advantages. But for those in the budget market, I can see how its loss will be felt. I can also see how business people may be unhappy, as the Mini is the perfect little computer for secretaries and receptionists and anyone else doing standard office tasks.
 
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