Mac Mini Update Specs?

[MacRumors]

Think Secret claims to have information on the rumored revision to the Mac Mini. According to the site, Apple will replace the existing Core Solo model with the existing 1.66 GHz Core Duo model, and add a 1.83 GHz Core Duo model, effectively eliminating all single-core CPUs from Apple's computer product line.

The new systems are said to be "ready for production." Think Secret believes the models will be introduced in a few weeks time with little fanfare, although not totally under the radar like the last Mac Mini update.

 

[MacSA]

Pretty much in line with what I expected... probably just a simple processor update, everything else about them will stay the same.

 

[Machead III]

A few weeks?!?!?/11!!1onehundred111!?

 

[BlizzardBomb]

No Merom? Mac mini and Mac Pro drifting even further apart now. Although TS have been quite unreliable lately so I'm going to wait for AppleInsider's take on it.

 

[epicwelshman]

I think it's ridiculous to not put a Core 2 Duo chip into the Mini. While I'm not waiting for Merom, to upgrade one of your machines with a faster version of the same soon-to-be-out-of-date chip is silly.

 

[prady16]

A "FEW" weeks!!!!!!!
That too for a Core Duo and not even a Core 2 Duo!

Thats disappointing!!!

And what about the MBP?

 

[BenRoethig]

Those speeds line up exactly with the T5000 series of Merom.

 

[MacSA]

I think it's ridiculous to not put a Core 2 Duo chip into the Mini. While I'm not waiting for Merom, to upgrade one of your machines with a faster version of the same soon-to-be-out-of-date chip is silly.

But this IS Apple were talking about lol. Anyway the article doesnt mention which 1.66/1.83 chips they will use. Probably Core Duo (Yonah) though. If that were the case, they could, but i'm sure they won't, cut the prices a little further now that Core 2 Duo is out.

 

[cait-sith]

The machine is due for an update in a month or so anyways. This is a pretty safe rumour.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

But this IS Apple were talking about lol. Anyway the article doesnt mention which 1.66/1.83 chips they will use.

It says Core Duo. If we were talking about Merom, it would be Core 2 Duo.

 

[milo]

Incredibly underwhelming.

If they're going to stay yonah, at least bump the clock speed more than that.

The only upside to this is that it leaves a HUGE gap between the mini and Pro, could mean that apple really is planning a conroe minitower/pizzabox/mediacenter.

That, and the fact that ThinkSecret is NEVER right. EVER.

 

[ImNoSuperMan]

Mac mini not getting Meroms might also mean MB wont get Meroms any time soon too. Hopefully Apple will put Meroms in MBP only. So that I can sell my MB without much loss and buy a merom MBP

 

[MacSA]

It says Core Duo. If we were talking about Merom, it would be Core 2 Duo.

oops.. so it does, getting my cores mixed up

 

[m-dogg]

This is the lowest end machine Apple makes. Let's be realistic. This is a reasonable update for the base model. And it's probably being done in advance of a Core 2 Duo update to the iMac.

 

[MrFrankly]

I think it's ridiculous to not put a Core 2 Duo chip into the Mini. While I'm not waiting for Merom, to upgrade one of your machines with a faster version of the same soon-to-be-out-of-date chip is silly.

I think Apple is more concerned with price for the Mac Mini than speed. Make them just a little bit faster than they are now, but much cheaper.

They're too expensive in the line-up now, with merom they would stay the same price but with Yonah they can make them cheaper again.

 

[iHotu]

Hope they bring back the $499 price point, Merom or not

 

[Scarlet Fever]

wheres my media edition mac mini...

seriously i would be stoked if they released an ULV Mac Mini with a 100GB HDD for all your audio and video needs. Ability to plug a 30" ACD would be nice, as 23" isn't that big for a TV. Built-in eyeTV equivalent, better remote... i want one!

 

[Small White Car]

Merom

Why is everyone so hung up on Merom?

I never expected the mini to go that way this year. Remember, the entire point of the mini is to be LOW COST.

The switch to Intel caused the price of the mini to jump $100. I would much rather see its processor lag behind a little bit if they can get that price back to $499.

Same thing with the Macbook, I'd rather see a $999 Macbook with the current chips than a $1,099 Macbook that keeps up with the Macbook Pro's chips.

Of course, there's nothing saying Apple will lower the prices but IF they do then I would be very happy to see the "old" Intel chips stay in those machines another 6 months. The first core chips are still VERY fast chips, it's the rest of the system (video card) that's holding things up now. I wonder how much extra benefit you'd even get from a Merom chip in a mini.

 

[MacSA]

Does anyone know how much the Core Duo chips will be now that we have Core 2 Duo. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that Intel were reducing the prices again. If thats th case, i'd be a bit disappointed to see the Mini stay the same price.

 

[BenRoethig]

This is the lowest end machine Apple makes. Let's be realistic. This is a reasonable update for the base model. And it's probably being done in advance of a Core 2 Duo update to the iMac.

Yonah doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Merom is pin-compatible and costs exactly the same amount. Besides, it would be a PR boost for Apple to have the entire lineup 64-bit and "Leopard ready". The Mac Mini is going to use the 5000 series Meroms and the iMac is going to use the 7000s.

 

[MacSA]

Same thing with the Macbook, I'd rather see a $999 Macbook with the current chips than a $1,099 Macbook that keeps up with the Macbook Pro's chips.

HP have $800 laptops with Core 2 Duo though....

 

[BlizzardBomb]

Why is everyone so hung up on Merom?

I never expected the mini to go that way this year. Remember, the entire point of the mini is to be LOW COST.

The switch to Intel caused the price of the mini to jump $100. I would much rather see its processor lag behind a little bit if they can get that price back to $499.

Same thing with the Macbook, I'd rather see a $999 Macbook with the current chips than a $1,099 Macbook that keeps up with the Macbook Pro's chips.

Of course, there's nothing saying Apple will lower the prices but IF they do then I would be very happy to see the "old" Intel chips stay in those machines another 6 months. The first core chips are still VERY fast chips, it's the rest of the system (video card) that's holding things up now. I wonder how much extra benefit you'd even get from a Merom chip in a mini.

To cut the price of the Mini by $100, Apple better hope Intel are doing a "Half Price" cut which is extremely unlikely. How much would it hurt Apple to just double the height of the Mini and put a 1.83 GHz Conroe (Allendale) in there and a 3.5" Hard Drive? I'm pretty sure no-one would be whining about that. It would also get the price back down to $499 easy!

 

[Small White Car]

Merom is pin-compatible and costs exactly the same amount.

And you think they're going to still cost the same next month? When something faster comes out the slower thing has to get cheaper or Intel will suddenly find that no one is buying them.

Besides, it would be a PR boost for Apple to have the entire lineup 64-bit and "Leopard ready".

In an ambigious "64 sounds better than 32" kind of meaningless way. Can you think of any 64-bit-advantages that Mac mini owners could actually take advantage of?

 

[Evangelion]

No Merom? Mac mini and Mac Pro drifting even further apart now.

Yeah, imagine that. Their top-of-the-line 64bit full-tower quad-core workstation and their bottom-of-the-barrel consumer-model have wildly different specs!

As to putting Merom in there... Yep, in a way, it would make sense. But I bet that Intel is unloading their Core Duo's to Apple for rock-bottom prices to be used in the Mini (and maybe MacBook).

 

[milo]

This is the lowest end machine Apple makes. Let's be realistic. This is a reasonable update for the base model. And it's probably being done in advance of a Core 2 Duo update to the iMac.

Compared to similarly priced PC's, $799 for a yonah duo 1.8 is pretty weak.

To be honest, I'd rather see the cheaper model drop in price (if not both) than a speed bump.