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Mac Mini to be Discontinued?

Bad news if they're just dumping it.

FANTASTIC news if they're going to replace it with a more sensible model like a midtower.

It has some cool factor, but it's extremely impractical, overpriced, and underpowered. As long as they replace it with the machine they should have shipped in the first place, it will be a huge improvement.
 
Rumors of the mini's demise have been greatly exaggerated. But, I think they are true.

It's primary purpose for existence when introduced was to encourage switchers, by not forcing them to buy new peripherals (BYOKM). That the mini took on a life of it's own was perhaps an unintended result.

The only reason to have it around is to have an inexpensive computer coupled with a larger monitor. But with the mini at $600 and a 20" monitor at $600 you are likely to go with an iMac and get better graphics and a larger hard drive. (I understand you can buy a less expensive monitor from another vendor, but that doesn't help Apple).

I am using a mini right now, because I didn't like the glossy screen of the iMac and had an Apple cinema display already. The mini is also useful as a inexpensive server or development machine, but these uses are most likely not producing the numbers Apple wants to see.

Apple makes their money by keeping a simplified product line and keeping it around for a long time. That's how they get 30% of the money with only 10% of the computers. This also allows them to spend a lot of engineering time to come up with stuff like the Unibody enclosure. iMacs and MacBooks are the money makers for Apple and they have publicly stated again and again their lack of interest in the low margin budget PC. Better to let Dell and HP fight over the scraps.

As the economy tanks, it would seem like the appropriate response for Apple to enter this market, but that just hasn't been Apple's approach. Remember the last downturn and Apple's response? They said they would innovate through it by investing in research. That strategy worked brilliantly and set them up for the last four years of rapid growth. Their strategy is always counterintuitive; I expect them to drop the mini and eventually the white MacBook and have basically three Mac products: iMac, MacBook Pro (MacBook is a MacBook Pro now), and the PowerMac.

You may not like it, but that's what my crystal ball says.
 
Mac: "Hi, I'm a Mac"
PC: "And I'm a PC..."
Mac: "Hey PC, got something for you..."
PC: "What's all this?"
Mac (pushing 4 people over to PC) :"It's old my DV camcorder, old Pro-Audio Box, old external storage unit, and old high end display monitor"
PC: "But don't you need these things? Aren't you "The Creative Specialists" computer"?
Mac: "Yes, but I've outgrown and am much better than the companies that make them...."

Song ends...
 
If no upgradable minitower is coming, then bring on a new Mini with:

* Black top

* Cheap 20" LED iSight display (optional)

* Black keys and mouse (on the iMac too please) if you choose to buy them

* New MacBook GPU

* Higher model with the VERY top-end MacBook Pro GPU. Not bad for gaming!
 
Merge Mac Mini and Apple TV

Mac Mini and Apple TV should be merged. TV outputs, Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse inputs, hard disk, superdrive. At a low, low price of course.

We really do need a cheap Mac, it made my friend switch. Had an old PC monitor and keyboard, spent $500 and got a nice Mac. Just like Apple wanted. Today, you can do the same. Let the TV be the screen, but be a full Mac.
 
FF_productions said:
The cheapest desktop starts at $1100? are you kidding me?? Thanks Apple for being so helpful to the economy
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You have to remember that Apple is based in Cupertino California. Even with the current housing problem you can't really buy a house there for under $500K and double that price is not unreasonable. You have to figure that the Engineers and managers working at Apple are making enough to live near the campus. I can't imagine many of them making less then $6K a month first level managers would be at double that. To most of these people $1,100 is not so much that they'd need to talk it over with the wife before spending $1,100. Yes if you are working at a $12/hour job $1,100 is a big amount and you'd have to save up, but to anyone who works at Apple it is kind of at the top of the "impulse buy" range.

It's reasonable that the people at Apple would set the low end price point at $1,100.
 
Does this mean i cant get my broken mini fixed?

Don't most people buy a mini as a under the tv computer, why sell these when they can make everyone buy an apple tv and whichever mac making twice/three times the moola.:apple:
 
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.
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I bought my daughter a MacMini when they first came out, now she's a college freshman with a MacBook. I'm not sure she would be a Mac user if the mini wasn't available then. Oh well.
 
Those retailers were only told not to expect the Mac mini, nobody said "don't expect the smallest desktop in the world from Apple anymore"..

I honestly think that it will get a new name and some upgrades and will be introduced soon.
 
ChrisA said:
You have to remember that Apple is based in Cupertino California. Even with the current housing problem you can't really buy a house there for under $500K and double that price is not unreasonable. You have to figure that the Engineers and managers working at Apple are making enough to live near the campus. I can't imagine many of them making less then $6K a month first level managers would be at double that. To most of these people $1,100 is not so much that they'd need to talk it over with the wife before spending $1,100. Yes if you are working at a $12/hour job $1,100 is a big amount and you'd have to save up, but to anyone who works at Apple it is kind of at the top of the "impulse buy" range.

It's reasonable that the people at Apple would set the low end price point at $1,100.
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Actually, I'd be rather surprised if first level managers are pulling in that kind of money. Remember, the rule in places like the Bay Area, like DC, like NYC, is simply different than in the rest of the US. People simply don't expect to own a home. Rent in all those places is high, but doable. Salaries are high enough to cover rent - but not to own a big home. Generally only wealthy people, or couples where each person has a relatively high paying job purchase single family homes in these areas. Apple is aware of the low end/budget market, they just don't want to compete in it. In their mind, they are the computer version of "Lexus," not "Toyota," so they don't want to make a Corolla.
 
The only thing good about the mini is that it is not a all-in-one computer.

Make it larger so you can put a faster hard drive & desktop ram.

Otherwise kill it if you are going to keep it the way it is......

Build your own OSX desktop pc using the EFI-X boot device. Your mid range tower will be cheaper & faster than any imac, macbook, macbook pro or mac mini that Apple offers...
 
jahutch said:
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.
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And what's wrong with that? I'd sooner buy a Windows desktop for my office than a MacPro ... I don't need more power and I'm sure not going to spend 3 times as much to buy a MacPro. There are many 'Pro' users and not all are photographers or video editors. I'd buy a PC, with a decent graphics card and slots left to plug in a FW800 card or what else.. It's a win, win for me. I'll just miss OSX dearly..

Well, let's first wait whether the rumors are true and what else is in store..

If they update the mini I would buy the new model, the integrated Intel graphics card in the current mini sucks big time. Oh yeah, leave the FW-port!!! It's hooked to my FW backup-drive using SuperDuper. I'd be pissed when they'd axed the FW-port.. Also for my iSight webcam.. without a FW-port I'd keep my current Mac mini, it's only one year old, so it will be okay for another 2 tot 3 years.
 
Nooooooooo !!!!!!!!

If Apple needs to discontinue the Mini, they have only to thank themselves, it should have been updated, perhaps merge with the Apple TV even. With their new mfg process, they could even release a completely new successor, perhaps with a different name even. I believe firmly that Apple needs a budget machine in the range. Heck I have a mini at home for the kids, a G4 no less, but I would be interested in upgrading that to a more powerful Mini in time, without having to change all the rest, as I already BYODKM ... If I upgrade to an iMac, then I won't have enough to buy myself a new MBP, which will happen early next year. :apple:
 
That's unfortunate. I don't like the "all-in-ones" and I don't need a laptop trying to be my desktop. The Mini was my first introduction to Apple and the reason I own the products I currently own.

I have 3 Minis and a Mac Pro. I was salivating at the thought of a new Mini.

Bad on Apple. I believe they think they'll up the AppleTV sales as the Mini has been cannibalizing their HTPC sales.
 
They should just update it with the base MacBook processor and NVIDIA graphics. It would sell well.

A redesign would be really nice, but I doubt that will happen.

If it combined with Apple TV I'd buy one.

There is always Psystar. Maybe this is part of the arbitration.
 
Booooo. This are great little machines!

Not surprising, though. I can tell what Steve thinks of the Mini by how up-to-date he as kept them: not at all.

- - -

Hmm. I have two right now for a project I'm working on.

I needed a couple of test machines to test some USB devices and drivers with. I did a little research and found that the resale value of Minis is so good that buying refurbs was a very economical way to acquire machines for a few months (and they take up no space).

After this I may actually make a profit when I sell them.
 
I bought a Mini 'to see what all the Apple fuss was about'.

Since then, my family has bought the Late 08 Macbook Pro, the first gen Macbook Air, an iPod Touch, and my wife and I will be getting a pair of iPhones once our Verizon contract is up. Not to mention iWork 08 and iLife 08 and Leopard retail.

Not bad for offering a Mac Mini. Which now serves as an EXCELLENT Home Theater PC.
 
jahutch said:
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.
Click to expand...

Enter Dell Studio Hybird
 
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