Poll: What do you expect for the Mac mini in 2018?

[redheeler]

Since there isn’t much in the way of Mac mini rumors at this point in time, other than the PR statement Tim Cook put out last fall claiming the Mac mini is still an important product for Apple (the treatment of it following the Late 2012 seems to suggest otherwise), I’m curious what you think. Will it be discontinued, redesigned with quad-core Coffee Lake processors and upgradable RAM, or simply refreshed with newer dual-core chips?

Mac mini Timeline

• 2005 - Mac mini PowerPC G4 (Original) and Mac mini PowerPC G4 (Late 2005)
• 2006 - Mac Mini Core Solo / Core Duo (Early 2006) and Mac mini Core Duo (Late 2006)
• 2007 - Mac mini Core 2 Duo (Mid 2007)
• 2008 - None
• 2009 - Mac mini (Early 2009) and Mac mini (Late 2009)

• 2010 - Mac mini Unibody (Mid 2010)
• 2011 - Mac mini Core i5 / Core i7 (Mid 2011)
• 2012 - Mac mini (Late 2012)
• 2013 - None
• 2014 - Mac mini (Late 2014)
• 2015 - None
• 2016 - None
• 2017 - None

It used to be worrisome when Apple let a full year go by with no Mac mini (2008, 2013), but they have now skipped no less than three without a single refresh or price drop. The last refresh happened in 2014 and is seen by many to be a downgrade due to a move to soldered RAM and no longer offering higher-end quad-core processors as found in Mac mini (Late 2012), though Apple tried to justify it with a $100 price drop. The current Unibody case design is identical to the Mac mini Server (Mid 2010), other than the port arrangement and removal of the twist-off base for easy RAM upgrades. More detailed info: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_mini/index-macmini.html

In this poll you may select more than one option, but please don't vote for two that conflict with each other (for example, both A new 2018 mini with dual- and quad-core processors and A new 2018 mini with dual-core processors only when it can only be one or the other). For anyone coming here through search, please keep in mind that this poll is made up of speculation and not Apple's actual path going forward.

 

[Glmnet1]

I believe they will release a new one along with the Mac Pro in 2019.

 

[opeter]

I believe they will release a new one along with the Mac Pro in 2019.

Or not at all. If there won't be a Mac mini refresh this year, it is questionable, if it will get updated, ever.

 

[Zazoh]

I honestly think Apple would like to lead us into a post computer era. For many people there is less and less need for one. I work for a very large financial organization and most senior executives are on an iPad. Yes there will always be a need for some to use computers, but less and less as time goes on.

 

[Miat]

I don't expect anything this year. Certainly not planning my next hardware upgrade on it.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

I'm starting to think they're either developing a new Mini along side the Mac Pro, or that the Mac Pro will be a Mini replacement all together with significant scaling options ranging from consumer level components to workstation level components. That last one is less likely but it could fit into their modular approach.

Whatever the reason, I think it's criminal to keep the mini in its current form. Either lower the price or upgrade the internals.

 

[Partron22]

For a post Mac world, Apple really needs to upgrade Siri
Its speech recognition is awful cmpared to Cortana or android.
If I need to do a complex search, I'll die before typing it out on a mini or onscreen keyboard.
Apple's not just dropped the ball on this one, they've hurled it into Hell!

 

[Dr_Charles_Forbin]

I'm really torn on this one as I sit here and look at my mini. Part of me thinks this is the end of the mini and they'll do the same things they've been doing with other lines - come out with a lower end, consumer-based mac in about the $1-1.5k price range that uses all external peripherals like the mini does now. They'll make their money once again on upgrades and lock this one down tight - no user upgrades at all. People will do just like they do with MBP's - max them out - which maximizes their profit - and do the refresh cycle in another 4 years. I have no illusions about Apple.

 

[Partron22]

An iOSKintosh? - an iPaddish like thingy that supports keyboard, mouse, touchpad, external drives and displays; with a really cruddy file system like the current iPad?
APFS points against that, but Apple's taken some odd twists and turns before.
Perhaps there's a powerful internal evangelist we know nothing about.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Whatever Apple does with the Mac Mini, I fully expect to be underwhelmed. It's one area where Apple never fails to deliver.

It may very well sleep with the fishes and the iPod.

 

[Dr_Charles_Forbin]

An iOSKintosh? - an iPaddish like thingy that supports keyboard, mouse, touchpad, external drives and displays; with a really cruddy file system like the current iPad?
APFS points against that, but Apple's taken some odd twists and turns before.
Perhaps there's a powerful internal evangelist we know nothing about.

God, I hope not. Microsoft learned their lesson with trying to use a common OS for tablets/phones and computers. Let’s hope Apple learned that lesson. I can see them wanting to share a code base though. I think you may see something like those Intel boxes .. 1 or 2 usb c ports that everything will hang off of. Dongle heaven. Kind of like an Apple TV form factor.

 

[CUDA_Switch]

Interesting poll. I selected a bunch of the answers because I think it will be a mix of the above. My prediction:

• Nothing will happen until 2019. Maybe at the same time as the Mac Pro.
  
• The new Mac Mini will have a case refresh and be much smaller, and Apple will make a big deal out of it. Even smaller than AppleTV. I can just imagine Phil saying "Now THIS is a Mac MINI! Har har!"
• 8 or 16 GB of soldered RAM. No expandability.
  
• NVMe storage, but probably not much. Maybe a choice of 126 or 256 GB max. No HDD.
  
• USB-C only
• Same price as today
  
• Dual core, and the one option you forgot - it will run macOS on ARM. This will keep costs down, but help keep it focused as a consumer-oriented product. Yes, it will do iOS apps.

And then, that'll be the last Mac Mini - never to be heard from again

 

[Boyd01]

LOL, "Discontinuation" and "Nothing" have 76% of the votes.

 

[Dr_Charles_Forbin]

LOL, "Discontinuation" and "Nothing" have 76% of the votes.

Yeah - it sucks. Do I spend the $300 bucks on upgrading my SSD to 1TB now or wait and see what’s coming down the road? Can the late 2014’s support 2 SSD’s? Not interested in an All in one

 

[Partron22]

Yeah - it sucks. Do I spend the $300 bucks on upgrading my SSD to 1TB now or wait...

That 1TB SSD will prove just as useful in your shiny new 8 core Lenovo next year. At worst, you'll have to buy a caddy.

The mini? A new yellow lightning bolt shaped case with red LED lit trim around the edges:
Solid on, strobe effect or chasing lights depending on processor usage.

 

[George Dawes]

Pretty outrageous that they haven’t lowered the price on such outdated hardware

I need a new mini after my last one packed up but no way am I buying the 2014 again... 4 years...ridiculous

 

[sleconte]

I wanted a Mini quite a bit, but I've bought two Windows computers since then, the most recently last month - the last straw. So I am moving on. Just visited out of curiosity and I am not going to be a customer again (for computer hardware) any time soon.

I am still into iPads and may consider the SE2 phone if the rumors of that are real.

 

[Dr_Charles_Forbin]

I wanted a Mini quite a bit, but I've bought two Windows computers since then, the most recently last month - the last straw. So I am moving on. Just visited out of curiosity and I am not going to be a customer again (for computer hardware) any time soon.

I am still into iPads and may consider the SE2 phone if the rumors of that are real.

I wouldn’t take another Windows box if you gave it to me for free... unless I could wipe it and build a Linux box.

 

[Falhófnir]

Those who just want a cheap Mac will be directed to the MBA, those who need a more powerful desktop will be directed to the new Mac Pro, that’s got to be a good 80% of the Mac mini market covered. No consolation to the remaining 20% who need a desktop but don’t want to pay pro money, but that’s how it goes.

 

[Boyd01]

those who need a more powerful desktop will be directed to the new Mac Pro

I think you'll be able to get a nice iMac for a lot less than the new Mac Pro.

 

[Partron22]

unless I could wipe it and build a Linux box.

That's what the second ssd slot is for.

 

[triptolemus]

The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

12,000+ posts discussing all of this.

 

[EightyTwenty]

Discontinued by October 2018. Bank on it.

 

[sleconte]

I wouldn’t take another Windows box if you gave it to me for free... unless I could wipe it and build a Linux box.

In fact you know you can do that - wipe it and install Linux. No need to settle for Windows. The newest long term support version of Ubuntu looks pretty cool in Virtualbox - a good option.

 

[Mike82]

Crickets. I expect crickets.