Mac Mini to be Discontinued?

[Rocketman]

A few things. A baseline Mini is about $600. A baseline MacBook is about $1000. Running completely headless there is a cost upcharge for the Book. But if you need a monitor and keyboard and you plan to buy them with the Mini there is only a slight premium and you do get all-in one and mobility and BATTERY UPS for free in the deal.

As for Apple shifting to all glass displays for ecological reasons, it is a sales pitch and matte goes out the window as a result. Get a plastic cover with matte and be un-ecological. Apple refuses to breach their ecological virginity to offer a widely customer demanded feature.

The Cube form factor with its limited expandability is where I would like to see the Mini go toward. Dual internal discs, upgradable graphics, basically limited user interaction as a design point, unlike most other Macs. I would also like to see software and hardware to provide backward compatibility to older hardware accesable on the network via this Cube/mini device. I wish.

As for the higher margin computers released this week, new MacBooks starting at $1299, Apple is in a strong growth phase in terms of market share and unit volume. That has to be capitalized. Two main ways to do that is spend down the cash balance they have, or charge slightly higher margins so they partially self fund as initial capitalization is recovered. In the environment we are in taking a conservative tactic to fund rapid growth is smart. It is known companies like Apple have limited access to commercial paper so must be self funding.

It may be the case that once a level of saturation starts to show they may decrease margins a bit for the reverse of the above reasons. It will be interesting to watch what strategy Apple employs when they actually have a LARGE market share.

Rocketman

 

[VideoShooter]

I read three pages, so could have missed someone else's comments.

Why not a mini ITX Atom setup?

The mini is a web/email/word processing machine.

Plenty of power with atom and you could make a incredible cheap mini with those specs. If they want more switchers... It's the equivalent of a free crack rock.

Now of course... I wouldn't expect it. But, I wouldn't mind making my own

I'd like an updated version to use as a media server. But I won't do that until they're updated to Nvidia chipsets.

 

[Bonte]

Think about it, if Apple brings us a small $400 tablet it would be as fast as the current Mini and smaller. Apple TV also, the iPod touch has almost exactly the same functionality so why keep it alive?

 

[Rivix]

hopefully the update will be combined with apple tv.

I was thinking something similar.

The MacMini always tempted me, but the weak specs that they never bothered to update always held me back. It was also overpriced (especially in Canada).

 

[mattwolfmatt]

Mac Mini is the "gateway" (the adjective, not the brand) Mac for a lot of PC switchers: like me.

Just 15 months ago I had no apple products at all. Now look at my signature! I'm in the apple store so much they know me and all say "MATT!" when I walk in like I'm Norm from Cheers.

All because of that crappy Mac Mini - which I still use at home.

For a lot of PC switchers, the [perceived] problem with Macs is their steep price; the mini eased the burden a bit.

 

[apearlman]

Nothing less than $1000?

I can't imagine that Apple is going to have nothing available at a price below $1000. How many consumers start with computers less than that price? MOST.

Either this is as dumb a decision as we all think, or Apple has a surprise for us. I hope it's the latter, but it does seem like a lot of Apple's moves have been misguided lately.

 

[queshy]

I don't see why they have to discontinue it. It's a good idea. They could easily but in a 2.0 GHz C2D with 120 GB HDD standard and superdrive, and even lower the price by $50.

 

[Ted13]

No, the mini is a ridiculously overpriced, under-powered box.

Yet not a single PC manufacturer ever released a competitive machine at a lower price. Sony had some similar form factor models priced in the $2-3K range. Or there were the no brand stuff with LOUD fans that didn't have Core 2 Duo processors, Firewire, DVI or even a Windows install. I know Dell came out with a Mini clone recently but IIRC they too didn't compete.

Sorry, the Mini is not overpriced.

The Mini was and remains unique. It will be a tragedy of Apple kills it without replacing it. Fortunately its death has been predicted about as often as the demise of Steve Jobs and both are still alive and well.

P.S. I have been a Mac user since 1984 and the Mini has been my favorite Mac -- it is a great HTPC.

 

[The Tall One]

I don't see the point of a mac mini, but I know that a lot of people do. Killing it seems like another stupid move on the part of apple. Apple used to be such a down to earth, customer based company that encouraged us to think different and be creative. Now its business as usual. How boring.

 

[ZacUSNYR]

What a shame. I've been waiting for a revamp to get one - perhaps if they take 50% off the 2ghz one i'll pick one up anyway. I just want 4gb of ram.

 

[happydude]

oh, common, apple. this mini is such a great option for those who have all the peripherals and just need an updated computer. please keep this as an option. upgrade it, market it for schools, consumer markets, college students . . . common!!!!

 

[ZiggyPastorius]

I can't imagine that Apple is going to have nothing available at a price below $1000. How many consumers start with computers less than that price? MOST.

Either this is as dumb a decision as we all think, or Apple has a surprise for us. I hope it's the latter, but it does seem like a lot of Apple's moves have been misguided lately.

Well, to be fair, the White Macbook is $999

 

[jzuena]

geez, i hope this doesn't happen. i was hoping for a new version that allowed more ram than 1 gig!

Every Mini since the Intel transition has allowed at least 2 GB.

 

[AlphaBob]

What are Apple doing! The Mini is the machine that got me, and I suspect a lot of others, started with Apple. Since then I've gone on to purchase two iMacs and a MacBook. I really can't understand the reasoning behind dropping this machine unless they have something in mind to replace it. The next lowest priced Mac the is nearly twice as much.

This is EXACTLY my situation too. I bought the Mac mini to work with my iPod and as a media device for my entertainment center. It has served me well and I've bought two more Macs as a result. The mini gave me a very low cost way to discover Macs and their software.

I really think Apple needs both the Apple TV item (for clueless computer-phobic users) as well as some mini-like device for those that wish to add basic computer functions to their entertainment system. I can't tell you the number of times I watch something and grab the keyboard to do some googling right then and there. That wouldn't happen without the mini.

As much as I love it, it is sorely in need for an overhaul.

 

[specialbuddy]

It's funny how Apple is going green with all of their new products when their original green product was probably the mini. It uses a very little amount of electricity when compared to a tower and probably less then a laptop. I hope they make a cube or something else to replace it because I was planning on buying one of these. Hell if they made a mini type computer with dedicated graphics I would buy one for 1000 because I want a desktop but move around too much to want something big. If they had a refurb at $400 then I would have bought one already but I can't get myself to pay 500-600 dollars for a computer that's a year old.

 

[cantthinkofone]

I think it could have done a lot better if they kept it up on par with the rest of the macs.

It's had the same design it's whole life hasn't it?

 

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

The MacMini had several flaws from the start. Too Small, Too Expensive, Not Expandable.

We all know Apple has the desire to be different. They really pushed it by trying to sell one of the smallest desktop computers on the market. The problem was that to make that happen, they needed smaller, more expensive parts.

What they need to do is come out with a low end tower. Something that has some expansion ports on the back, at a much smaller price point. You can get dell towers for $350.

Yes Dell and Apple look at things very differently, but if you want switchers, you need cheaper price points. Let the ease of use be the selling point, not the design.

 

[DaBrain]

I hope this is NOT true BUT I fear that it is!

I have introduced many to OSX via the mac mini as they could not afford it otherwise. Hope something takes its place but the way things have been going I doubt it!

 

[gkarris]

My prediction:

Apple may reduce the price of the iMacs, but more likely add a $999 model:

iMac 2.0 GHz, 1Gig RAM, 160 Gig Hard Drive, Superdrive

So, for $200 more than the $799 Mini, you get a slightly larger hard disk, a display, discreet graphics, a keyboard, and mouse...

Good-bye, Mini!!!

 

[iMacmatician]

Sounds like this could be true. The Mac Mini shares most of its parts with its MacBook siblings. If the Mini were to be refreshed, it would've happened along side the MacBook redesign.

Has the MacBook and Mac mini ever been updated together? Although the iMac and Mac mini have been updated together twice before (not the latest iMac update, hmmm...)

 

[queshy]

The MacMini had several flaws from the start. Too Small, Too Expensive, Not Expandable.

We all know Apple has the desire to be different. They really pushed it by trying to sell one of the smallest desktop computers on the market. The problem was that to make that happen, they needed smaller, more expensive parts.

What they need to do is come out with a low end tower. Something that has some expansion ports on the back, at a much smaller price point. You can get dell towers for $350.

Yes Dell and Apple look at things very differently, but if you want switchers, you need cheaper price points. Let the ease of use be the selling point, not the design.

There will never be a midrange tower. It's just not how they do things. Apple's whole motto is that it's "an all in one world". The mini goes against that, but a midrange tower would throw up on the imaginary line between the iMac and the mac mini.

 

[billystlyes]

it's probably having poor sales.

Then the iMac is really sucking. The Mac mini outsells the iMac almost every day on Amazon. Mostly because people hate glossy screens though.....

 

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

There will never be a midrange tower. It's just not how they do things. Apple's whole motto is that it's "an all in one world". The mini goes against that, but a midrange tower would throw up on the imaginary line between the iMac and the mac mini.

right. that was kind of my point. While the low end tower might be good, it isnt what they do.

 

[Eidorian]

My prediction:

Apple may reduce the price of the iMacs, but more likely add a $999 model:

iMac 2.0 GHz, 1Gig RAM, 160 Gig Hard Drive, Superdrive

So, for $200 more than the $799 Mini, you get a slightly larger hard disk, a display, discreet graphics, a keyboard, and mouse...

Good-bye, Mini!!!

But it's a better deal? Am I right?

 

[nicksoper]

Killing the mac mini would suck

We have 2 mac mini's in the office. They work very well and are just as fast as my macbook pro.

If they kill it, and we don't have an upgrade path for those work stations, then we will have 2 cinema displays with nothing monitor-less to plug them into, except a mac pro (which are toxic apparently?) I was very keen to have a nice media center when I upgraded the office macs.

If our cheapest upgrade option becomes a macbook, that starts raising some issues for us as a small web design co. despite have another screen and greater versatility of the macbook. If we didn't want laptops (which need insurance), we would need the mac pros or the iMacs..

This could put a bit of pressure on the lower end of the market. I personally think Apple will produce an equivalent model if they kill the current one.

Keeping the faith.