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New 2014 Mac Mini Has Soldered RAM, Not User Replaceable

This thread is full of cheapskate wannabe power users.

Can we talk about who the mini is actually meant for?

My work dictates what I buy...for what I need to get work done. The mini is not that. Do I wish it was so that I could spend $500 on what I need instead of $2500? Sure but that isn't realistic.
 
Maybe if everyone buys a new mac mini and returns it because you discover it has soldered ram. I'm sticking with the last model that I easily upgraded myself. Apple is so effing mean with their ram and ssd drives. And the flash drives on the itoys are cheaper than chips, but sold at a huge mark-up.
 
Mac Mini

Just wait lots of people will buy old mac minis because of quad core but oh boy when apple will don't support the hd 4000 graphic with next OSX !
 
Padmini said:
This thread is full of cheapskate wannabe power users.

Can we talk about who the mini is actually meant for?

My work dictates what I buy...for what I need to get work done. The mini is not that. Do I wish it was so that I could spend $500 on what I need instead of $2500? Sure but that isn't realistic.
Click to expand...

This thread is also full of excellent replies to that kind of condescending attitude.
 
Padmini said:
This thread is full of cheapskate wannabe power users.

Can we talk about who the mini is actually meant for?

My work dictates what I buy...for what I need to get work done. The mini is not that. Do I wish it was so that I could spend $500 on what I need instead of $2500? Sure but that isn't realistic.
Click to expand...

I'm a mini buyer, I don't represent all of them, but here's my use case scenario.

A small, cheap-enough Mac that's good for everything, going from email, Facebook, web browsing to light gaming and the occasional photo retouching in Photoshop.

This is just a home computer for me, I don't need all the hoopla of a 27-inch iMac or 15-inch rMBP - I also already have a decent monitor I'd like to keep using, as well as peripherals.

A dual-core CPU is kind of iffy, but ok - it'll do. Quad-cores aren't such a specialized thing anymore, but whatever. Especially not in a desktop machine (yes I know it uses laptop CPUs and MBAa and 13-inch rMBPs are stuck with dual-core chips too).

8 GB of RAM is fine for now, but I'd like to have the opportunity to upgrade it as I see fit without having to get rid of the computer to buy a new one.

See, it's awful lot of restrictions put in place to tell me to either put up with a weaker setup or to spend more to get a quad-core iMac - one that's quite a bit more money for my needs.

I'm gettings a refurb 2012 quad-core mini when I see one, I'm sorry I waited out for this update because it wasn't worth it.
 
These are fine, inexpensive machines for most tasks. If it doesn't meet your needs, don't buy it. I'll be buying one. It's a fine little computer at a good price.
 
Padmini said:
This thread is full of cheapskate wannabe power users.

Can we talk about who the mini is actually meant for?

My work dictates what I buy...for what I need to get work done. The mini is not that. Do I wish it was so that I could spend $500 on what I need instead of $2500? Sure but that isn't realistic.
Click to expand...

Did you read that back to yourself before submitting it?

People who "could" get a quad i7 Mac with user upgradable RAM for £649, now can't. It's not for those tediously obsessed with their personal opinion of demographics to decide who can and can't have a system that meets their requirements in a reasonable price range. The term "Professional" is so over used to justify rose tinted views of Apple's obsession with disposable tech.

Recommended specs for a lot of current software is heading to quad i7 already and some already have them as a minimum requirement, Pro Tools 11 for one.

People are forced to the used market by Apple's bean counters when they used to be catered for by their systems.

It's 2014. No current model desktop Mac should have a dual core i5 apart from the entry level Mac Mini and iMac models and even they should have the 2.6Ghz i5 from the 13" MacBook Pro, not the 1.4Ghz i5 from the MacBook Air.

It's not value for money soldered RAM or otherwise and no new system should have inferior CPU power to the model it replaces. Especially if it's taken 2 years for an update.
 
s15119 said:
These are fine, inexpensive machines for most tasks. If it doesn't meet your needs, don't buy it. I'll be buying one. It's a fine little computer at a good price.
Click to expand...

It used to fulfill two rolls - yours and poeple who needed a headless quad-core that could support more demanding tasks. Now it only fills one. Since you got what you want, the others should shut up, right?

Let them eat cake.
 
crsh1976 said:
I'm a mini buyer, I don't represent all of them, but here's my use case scenario.

A small, cheap-enough Mac that's good for everything, going from email, Facebook, web browsing to light gaming and the occasional photo retouching in Photoshop.

This is just a home computer for me, I don't need all the hoopla of a 27-inch iMac or 15-inch rMBP - I also already have a decent monitor I'd like to keep using, as well as peripherals.

A dual-core CPU is kind of iffy, but ok - it'll do. Quad-cores aren't such a specialized thing anymore, but whatever. Especially not in a desktop machine (yes I know it uses laptop CPUs and MBAa and 13-inch rMBPs are stuck with dual-core chips too).

8 GB of RAM is fine for now, but I'd like to have the opportunity to upgrade it as I see fit without having to get rid of the computer to buy a new one.

See, it's awful lot of restrictions put in place to tell me to either put up with a weaker setup or to spend more to get a quad-core iMac - one that's quite a bit more money for my needs.

I'm gettings a refurb 2012 quad-core mini when I see one, I'm sorry I waited out for this update because it wasn't worth it.
Click to expand...
This crazy world where they want you to spend more for something better.
 
xWhiplash said:
I have never, EVER met a grandpa, parent, or just a general user that upgrades ANYTHING on their system.
Click to expand...

So, your justification for Apple removing the ability of some people to upgrade their RAM, is that you've never met anybody who has upgraded their RAM?

In what way, is that an improvement?
Situation 1: a number (unknown) of people upgraded their RAM; a number (unknown) did not.
Situation 2 (now): nobody can upgrade their RAM. Everybody is forced to by 3x or 4x market rate for RAM at time of purchase.

In what way is situation 2 a step forward over situation 1?
Sure, in a myopic way, it's good for Apple Corp. But it's short-sighted. It's an attempt to keep margins high, when in reality, the world is moving inexorably to lower margins.

Apple's margins are scrutinised by The Street. But so too are their revenues. Generally, most people are not getting better off. Apple can keep going for the high margin, high $ markets, but at some point, they will suffer, because the biggest chunk of the market doesn't want to be forced to pay the Apple tax, and will increasingly look to escape it rather than pay it.

TC can shove his "refreshed" mac mini up his rectum.
 
Macdick said:
Just wait lots of people will buy old mac minis because of quad core but oh boy when apple will don't support the hd 4000 graphic with next OSX !
Click to expand...

What you say is funny, but sadly Apple have done something in a similar vein recently.

When yosemite beta's were out, some bright folk decided to upgrade the bluetooth cards in their 2010/2011 MBP's to bluetooth cards of the same footprint/format that support bluetooth 4.0LE (required for handoff/continuity), taken from later MBP's. Very easy to do, no harder than swapping out the internal HDD.

This all worked perfectly well, and allowed these happy folk to continue using their laptops with these new features for another year. But some Apple staff, who seemed to have nothing better to do than read rumour forums caught onto this, and purposely coded a check in the relevant kernel extension to see if the bluetooth card in the laptop was what originally came with that model laptop - if not the kernel extention would not load.

I have so many issues with this. The fact they would purposely stop a small percentage of users keeping their laptops useful for a greater period of time, its beyond me. Are they hoping to push planned obsolence on us in this way? They hoping these people would run out and buy a 2014 rMBP?

It's these types of actions that make me question buying Apple equipment. Since they can, and do go out of their way to screw us over for a few dollars. Just wish I wasnt so hard to get out of their ecosystem.
 
RockSpider said:
I think you're old Prescott might be faster than this little runt. Better check it out carefully before throwing away your money, I've got last years Core i7 2.5GHZ and it's not that fast, these aren't PCs.
Click to expand...

Before answer to your post, i want to say to not worry. I only change when this machine dies.

My 540j presscott has hyperthreading and a lot of power...but power is not everything and more important is the design and its own ISA.
It runs dead spaces and 3D fallouts without problems (with a x1950 pro), but it slows when i'm browsing. Running YouTube or twitch, for example.

The i5 1.4 is not the problem (boosts at 2.7 with no problems). For me its the 5400 hdd, although has 500 gbs (read about data density).
 
Very Glad I Bought 2012 Server

Very glad to see I bought a 2012 Server, and can't wait for something larger than the 8GB sodimm chips I have in it now.

27" iMac is perhaps one of the only things that could tear me away from my 2012 server.
 
This is a continuation by Apple - who could imagine a starting point iPad Air 2 at 16GB - only Apple could come up with that idea - how useless.
 
crsh1976 said:
I'm a mini buyer, I don't represent all of them, but here's my use case scenario.

A small, cheap-enough Mac that's good for everything, going from email, Facebook, web browsing to light gaming and the occasional photo retouching in Photoshop.

This is just a home computer for me, I don't need all the hoopla of a 27-inch iMac or 15-inch rMBP - I also already have a decent monitor I'd like to keep using, as well as peripherals.

A dual-core CPU is kind of iffy, but ok - it'll do. Quad-cores aren't such a specialized thing anymore, but whatever. Especially not in a desktop machine (yes I know it uses laptop CPUs and MBAa and 13-inch rMBPs are stuck with dual-core chips too).

8 GB of RAM is fine for now, but I'd like to have the opportunity to upgrade it as I see fit without having to get rid of the computer to buy a new one.

See, it's awful lot of restrictions put in place to tell me to either put up with a weaker setup or to spend more to get a quad-core iMac - one that's quite a bit more money for my needs.

I'm gettings a refurb 2012 quad-core mini when I see one, I'm sorry I waited out for this update because it wasn't worth it.
Click to expand...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

This reseller sells it new, regular price.
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I have a late 2012 i5 mini that I use in my home office and the first thing I did was upgrade to 16gb of RAM. I downloaded 10.10 the other day and with the following apps open: Mail, Messages, Safari, Pages, Calendar, System Monitor the Ram usage is up to 10gb! It's pretty lame to sell a new machine with 4 gigs of soldered in RAM in my opinion. Hopefully this mini will last a few more years for a decent priced worthy upgrade otherwise I will have to look at Win offerings and I've been with Mac since System 7.
 
RedOrchestra said:
This is a continuation by Apple - who could imagine a starting point iPad Air 2 at 16GB - only Apple could come up with that idea - how useless.
Click to expand...

That's one thing I really hate about apple. For the last few iPhone generations, it's been starting at 16GB. Had it double for each generation, we should be at least 64GB or 128GB for the $199 price.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone

What is going on with Apple? I think they are trying to drag this out and maximize the profit on storage capacity while they can. Probably 5 years from now, we would still be starting out with 16GB, or if we're lucky, maybe 32GB.
 
OldSchoolMacGuy said:
The average user doesn't know or care about timing belts or spark plugs. That's why they pay a dealer or shop to take care of them for them. They never open the hood themselves other than maybe to add some windshield fluid and a very small percentage of them will check their own oil level between changes. For most, the hood could be welded shut and it'd make no difference to them. Just as the average Mac mini owner will never open up their machine even if the RAM was upgradable.
Click to expand...

Don’t be ridiculous. If car manufacturers decided to make it so that certain parts couldn’t be changed you would take notice and there would be public uproar. Imagine if they welded the block, bottom end and head together.

What’s happened here is that Apple have managed to find that place where their average buyer considers the price as ‘throwaway’.
That is to say that it’s priced as highly as possible but also at a point where most will just concede that when it fails they need to get a new one rather than learn about or repair it themselves.
 
lol @ all the nerd rage.

You guys have NO idea that absolutely no one gives a crap about upgrading RAM.

How many women do you know have ever upgraded their PC?

Face it, dweebs, but PCs these days are appliances, not a rubble-bucket of low-margin tinker-tailor nerd parts.

Get used to it.
 
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