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New Mac Mini Coming by End of February According to Belgian Retailer
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Average users have zero use for 4k and don't ever touch FCP X or Motion. You are in no way the average user. These systems are meant for entry level users. Realize that the average user does nothing but web surfing, email, word processing, plays iTunes, and maybe a little iPhoto. The specs offered by the current mini are more than enough for what their target market, and the market actually buying them, is looking for.
Why is it that everyone always assumes THEY are the target for every product on the market? "The iPhone doesn't have the very top of the line specs." That's because for what the vast majority of the users, the largest group of people buying the iPhone, it's more than enough as is. They want to make calls, go on Facebook and Twitter, send a email here and there, text, and run a couple basic apps and that's it. That's 95% of Apple's iPhone sales right there. Smart business in looking to the heart of your buyers. You're never going to satisfy everyone but you're best off going for the biggest portion.
A dGPU means more heat, needs a bigger power supply (which generates also additional heat) for a very little performance improvement, compared to the Iris Pro 5200. That's not very efficient and a waste of money.
What a nonsense! 4K is interesting for everyone because it makes text nice and sharp.
It hasn't been "hacked" for the rMBP till now....
I thought it worked at 30 Hz? Saw this in anandtech review. That would be plenty for office use and video.
What are you dreaming, the days of dedicated graphics are forever over.
For everything but the high-end pro desktop and pro laptop.
So what you're saying is that the days of dedicated graphics cards are far from over.
30Hz works out-of-the-box, but it's very jerky.. Scrolling is not smooth at 30Hz and even the mouse cursor will move very jerky. For video it might be ok, but definitely not for office use.
And the problem is where? There's a discrete in the mac mini 2011 and no heat problems ever occurred. Haven't heard of any heat issues with the iMacs nor the Mac Pros. Heat isn't a bad thing, it means stuff is happening. And I want stuff to happen.
I don't think Apple will ever release a "Mac Mini Pro" that consists of the iMac internals sans screen.
I think they fear that it would eat into iMac (and maybe even Mac Pro) sales.
Still, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat. I love modularity, but the Mac Pro is way, way out of my price range, esp since I'm not a target market for it (video pro).
Given the thermal design, I think all-in-ones are a bad idea; too many high-heat producing items are too close together.
My 2011 top-of-the-line BTO had to have the logic board and the graphics card replaced less than 2 years in, bricking it (couldn't even use it as a monitor). Before that, my 2010 and 1009 had issues too.
Never again.
I think they fear that it would eat into iMac (and maybe even Mac Pro) sales.
Still, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat. I love modularity, but the Mac Pro is way, way out of my price range, esp since I'm not a target market for it (video pro).
Given the thermal design, I think all-in-ones are a bad idea; too many high-heat producing items are too close together.
My 2011 top-of-the-line BTO had to have the logic board and the graphics card replaced less than 2 years in, bricking it (couldn't even use it as a monitor). Before that, my 2010 and 1009 had issues too.
Never again.
I too am afraid it won't have 4K support. After all, they only speak of simple HDMI and TB connectors (and a non-discrete GPU, of course).
Nevertheless, I don't agree with 4K's being niche. Typically, Macs, even Mac Minis, are on the more expensive end of the price spectrum and are, consequently, purchased for 2-3 years at least. Even decent 4K monitors are now around or even under $700 (the Seiki being the champion with $450...500 but still offering decent image quality). I simply don't see the point in purchasing lower-res monitors any more if you need as high resolution as possible - I certainly woulnd't go under 4K.
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Exactly. 4K is the resolution to go for now that 4K monitors / TV's have become cheap. It'd be silly to purchase a 1080p or even a 1440p monitor today.
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4Kp30 would be sufficient for coding or office work - that is, stuff where high resolution is essential.
I completely and utterly disagree with you there is plenty of room for a stand-alone core i7 mac with dedicated graphics. Proper graphics none of this laptop rubbish.
While I won't be upgrading my Mac Mini for a few years yet, it's always nice to watch this product line develop. While it's easy to drool over the Mac Pro or even pine for a 27" iMac, I'll probably never buy one of either; the Mini is plenty for casual home use.
So I've got a 2011 mini at home and have done the same (256GB Samsung 840 Pro). I feel the hurt on the HD3000 graphics sometimes, but I seldom use it for gaming. In fact, the only game I really play with it is Torchlight 2 in Win8 via bootcamp... and I've got to say it runs admirably.
Still, at least 90% of my home computing occurs on my iPad. I sometimes go weeks without touching the mini, especially since swapping my 16GB iPad 3 for a 32GB retina Mini.
So I've got a 2011 mini at home and have done the same (256GB Samsung 840 Pro). I feel the hurt on the HD3000 graphics sometimes, but I seldom use it for gaming. In fact, the only game I really play with it is Torchlight 2 in Win8 via bootcamp... and I've got to say it runs admirably.
Still, at least 90% of my home computing occurs on my iPad. I sometimes go weeks without touching the mini, especially since swapping my 16GB iPad 3 for a 32GB retina Mini.
I feel pretty certain the form factor will remain the same, as 'Sonnet' just released their new 'updated' Thunderbolt RU1 'rack-mount' chassis, so I believe they were already aware of at least some of the design details. If this holds true I'm definitely buying the higher-end model as soon as it's released.
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That's a hell of a difference in specs. If there was a version of the mini that could be configured the same as the top iMac I'd be a lot more inclined to agree with you.
I'd posit it will be at least another 2 years before there is lots of 4k content choice on iTunes, which leads me to think this upcoming Mac Mini generation won't support 4k. It will eventually, sure. But there is only currently one Mac that does support it... the Mac Pro. The Mini is not aimed at people who will create 4k content. The iMac will probably support 4k before the Mini.
There certainly is. Why purchase essentially a new monitor every 2-3 year when the CPU / GPU etc. becomes too restricting? I'd too prefer the Mini over both the iMac and the MBP, assuming it had comparable specs (4K video output being the most important) and were either much more user-extendable (which the new MBP's are not) and/or much cheaper.
I'd certainly LOVE a, say, $600 high(er)-end Mac Mini with 4K output and freely accessible RAM / HDD (SSD). It's still light to take with me between home and work every day (instead of my 17" MBP, as I do daily) but is sufficiently powerful.
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All late-2013 15" rMBP's support 4K output.
According to Geekbench a 2012 Mac Mini tops out at 12,575 while a 2012 iMac tops out at 13,869 or a 9.7% increase.
The difference is negligible.
What most people want when they say 'headless i-mac' is really the Mac Pro but they just don't want to pay for it.
Many 4K screens are *cheap* and still of good quality. It'd be silly to go for 1080p monitors any more if you can get a decent 4K monitor, which is WAAAAAY more flexible and versatile, for only a bit more. (Again, the decent-quality Seiki TV / monitor only costs some $450. Dell's offers aren't much more expensive either. We arent' talking about $2000+ prices any more.)
What I might expect -
1) next level of CPU
2) next level of on board GPU - Iris Pro
3) typical hard drive set up (as before)
4) Wifi - AC
5) same connectivity (FW, USB3, HDMI, TB1)
What I would like to see
1) TB2
2) discrete graphics option (Nv not ATI)
3) card slot moved to front
4) 1 UBS3 in front
5) able to handle more RAM (which ever way)
What I will never see that I would like -
1) addressable external slot to swap 2.5 drives
2) return of disc reader/writer
3) 1/4" taller chassis to allow for better circulation/fan and access
4) hex CPU option over quad
Everybody has different uses for the Mac Mini and as such it would be nice if Apple would realize and address this just a bit better and realize it wont compete with their iMacs which usually is a very different target customer.
Just more peanuts from the gallery...
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Mac Mini quad 2.0 16g RAM, 240 OWC SSD
Mac Mini quad 2.6 16g RAM, 512 Samsung 840 pro SSD
NEC PA241w monitor calibrated
Pioneer Blu Ray reader/writer
Firmtek USB3 enclosure w/ 1tb 2.5 drive, various external drives
QNAP NAS 559pro 5x 4tb Seagate NV drives
QNAP NAS 469L 4x 3tb WD red drives
more
1) next level of CPU
2) next level of on board GPU - Iris Pro
3) typical hard drive set up (as before)
4) Wifi - AC
5) same connectivity (FW, USB3, HDMI, TB1)
What I would like to see
1) TB2
2) discrete graphics option (Nv not ATI)
3) card slot moved to front
4) 1 UBS3 in front
5) able to handle more RAM (which ever way)
What I will never see that I would like -
1) addressable external slot to swap 2.5 drives
2) return of disc reader/writer
3) 1/4" taller chassis to allow for better circulation/fan and access
4) hex CPU option over quad
Everybody has different uses for the Mac Mini and as such it would be nice if Apple would realize and address this just a bit better and realize it wont compete with their iMacs which usually is a very different target customer.
Just more peanuts from the gallery...
-------------
Mac Mini quad 2.0 16g RAM, 240 OWC SSD
Mac Mini quad 2.6 16g RAM, 512 Samsung 840 pro SSD
NEC PA241w monitor calibrated
Pioneer Blu Ray reader/writer
Firmtek USB3 enclosure w/ 1tb 2.5 drive, various external drives
QNAP NAS 559pro 5x 4tb Seagate NV drives
QNAP NAS 469L 4x 3tb WD red drives
more
Dell JUST announced their 4k displays and they aren't shipping them yet. Seiki is low-end brand so that's not that surprising that they're cheap. Like most of the cheap brands, they buy up the old, last year models from the bigger brands and repackage them inside their cases.
Just because they're getting less expensive doesn't mean that everyone is going to move to them this second. More to the point, the stuff that people do on the Mac mini, web browsing, email, word processing, isn't going to benefit from a 4k monitor for the most part.