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Supply Shortages Hint at Possible Mac Mini Refresh

My crystal ball says:

New model called Mac Mini Pro
w/ Quad Core
w/ nvidia 320m graphics module
w/ HDMI port
w/ Embedded WiFi and Bluetooth
w/ Blu Ray super drive option
w/ front USB port
w/ terabyte drive option

there is also another model with a bunch of options to replace Mac TV and become a living room entertainment hub with LOTS of WiFi suite software to use your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch as you watch your favorite show or movie.
 
arkmannj said:
HOw about 10.7 have the features of the AppleTV built in, then when you first power up the machine you choose which environment you want to run.
(and of course could be switched back later on)
Then combine the Mac Mini and the AppleTV into one product.
Click to expand...

I don't see why you'd even need a dual boot. All Apple has to do is update Front Row to the current ATV UI with access to the iTunes Store, internet radio and YouTube. Press the menu button on the remote and there you go. Here's hoping someday...
 
masmullin said:
If there is a quad core processor put into the mini, I'll buy one.
Click to expand...

CFreymarc said:
My crystal ball says:

New model called Mac Mini Pro
w/ Quad Core
Click to expand...
Not this time around. Mac mini's components closely follow those of the low-end MacBook Pro (or MacBook) which we know was recently updated and retained the Core 2 Duo processor. Heck, not even the high-end 17" MacBook Pro offers a quad-core processor as a build-to-order option.

I was hoping for the same thing, but I think we'll need to wait a couple more years. In the mean time, I'm probably picking up one of the upcoming Mac minis.
 
Will anyone ever make a home media computer with dimensions and aesthetics matching the other 100,000 audio/video components on the market? It would be nice to slide a Mini into a rack with my receiver and DVR versus hiding it away in a cabinet...
 
I heart the Mac Mini

Having owned four of them (one actually belonged to a client for a year), I sincerely believe the Mac Mini to be Apple's most reliable and underrated product. I sit here typing this on what is currently the highest specced non Server model (2.53GHz, 4GB RAM etc) connected to a Dell U2711 27" monitor (awesome!) - and she runs cool, only struggling if I fire up InDesign CS5 with a few other CS5 apps open at the same time, but only then if Chrome is struggling with Flash, which it does with aplomb!

A speedier Mac Mini would be great, but I cannot think of much else to make it better. Perhaps removing the CD/DVD drive and making it even smaller would be cool, with a black case option for home media centre use.

Apple went wrong with Apple TV by focusing on the hardware too much. They should have simply prepared some excellent OS X software and produced a media bay free Mac Mini - with HDMI out of course.

I love my Mac Mini because it's 'invisible' and quiet.

Why do you love yours?
 
wilycoder said:
Its going to be core2duo and nvidia 320m, guaranteed.

In other words, lame upgrade :(
Click to expand...

Not really, considering what the Mac Mini is meant to do and who its target audience is. Its more for casual people who don't need a laptop, but want a small desktop computer and only need to be able to do stuff other then gaming and high end applications. If you need something more powerful as a desktop, you get the imac or mac pro.
 
Oflife said:
A speedier Mac Mini would be great, but I cannot think of much else to make it better. Perhaps removing the CD/DVD drive and making it even smaller would be cool, with a black case option for home media centre use.

Why do you love yours?
Click to expand...

The only thing I want to put in mine is an SSD drive.

I love mine because of the size, its a fantastic looking computer, its fast for what I use it for (casual internet, chatting, email).
 
I would love a quad-core mac mini... but its never going to happen.

I'm hung up on whether the new Macs that I buy now-ish will be able to take full advantage of 10.7

Its clear to me that 10.7 will be taking advantage of the groundwork from 10.6 .... which is full 64-bit kernel and apps .... maximum use of grand central in core os and apps ... and maximum use of OpenCL. For me that means decent graphics, at least 4 cores at a minimum and minimum 8gig ram.

What this will bring to the typical end-user remains to be seen.

Isnt it just possible to swap out the C2D for a quad core model? Whats the heat/power situation on that do people think?
 
I know this is a long shot, but what if they use AMD chips? It could be a way at getting back at intel for forcing their garbage graphics on everyone. I would buy one in a heartbeat if it is true, especially if Apple used some of their recently bought CPU engineers to improve performance on the chips, and lower power consumption.
 
CFreymarc said:
My crystal ball says:

New model called Mac Mini Pro
w/ Quad Core
w/ nvidia 320m graphics module
w/ HDMI port
w/ Embedded WiFi and Bluetooth
w/ Blu Ray super drive option
w/ front USB port
w/ terabyte drive option

there is also another model with a bunch of options to replace Mac TV and become a living room entertainment hub with LOTS of WiFi suite software to use your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch as you watch your favorite show or movie.
Click to expand...

LOL, the current model already has the Wifi and Blue tooth. A couple of the wifi features as well.
 
Lara F said:
I don't see why you'd even need a dual boot. All Apple has to do is update Front Row to the current ATV UI with access to the iTunes Store, internet radio and YouTube. Press the menu button on the remote and there you go. Here's hoping someday...
Click to expand...

I think we're on the same (or similar) page, I don't think I expressed myself very well the first time.

I wasn't thinking a duel boot, just the first time the machine boots into the OS it could ask if you wanted front row to default loading rather than the desktop.
(Basically, are you usually going to use this machine as a desktop or a media center)

If yes, then they could setup some security settings (like maybe you want it paired with only one remote, and maybe you do/don't want to allow Front Row to be closed out, allow/disallow keyboard/mouse access, etc.)
 
Malsi said:
I know this is a long shot, but what if they use AMD chips? It could be a way at getting back at intel for forcing their garbage graphics on everyone. I would buy one in a heartbeat if it is true, especially if Apple used some of their recently bought CPU engineers to improve performance on the chips, and lower power consumption.
Click to expand...

There was a news post on here a while ago that suggested that Apple has been in talks with AMD for sometime now. We could possibly be seeing AMD CPUs in Mac computers next year.
 
Malsi said:
I know this is a long shot, but what if they use AMD chips? It could be a way at getting back at intel for forcing their garbage graphics on everyone. I would buy one in a heartbeat if it is true, especially if Apple used some of their recently bought CPU engineers to improve performance on the chips, and lower power consumption.
Click to expand...
Not until next year at the earliest.
 
There are only two things I would prefer to see changed on the mini:
#1- DisplayPort with Audio support like with the MacBooks recently updated, so that I can use a DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter to hook it up to my home theater.
#2- Even if it means making it taller, the use of 3.5" SATA drives that can easily be swopped out. I would love to have an internal 1.5GB drive in that thing!
 
Malsi said:
I know this is a long shot, but what if they use AMD chips? It could be a way at getting back at intel for forcing their garbage graphics on everyone. I would buy one in a heartbeat if it is true, especially if Apple used some of their recently bought CPU engineers to improve performance on the chips, and lower power consumption.
Click to expand...

That would happen with the Early 2011 update not now. Right now it's definitely going to follow the other products with C2D and Nvidia 320m. Late 2010, Intel stops making C2D, and Apple will be forced to change direction. At that time, they could go AMD/ATI. I would prefer they did that. The CPU in current computers are plenty capable. We're better off with faster drives and drive controllers and much better graphics like ATI could provide. Intel's GMA HD is garbage and it seems Apple doesn't want it since it's avoiding Core i-series CPUs and continuing to use the Nvidia 320m GPU/chipset model.
 
wilycoder said:
Its going to be core2duo and nvidia 320m, guaranteed.

In other words, lame upgrade :(
Click to expand...
Depends. Why do you buy a Mac mini, for regular computing (email, internet, music and the occasional movie). So for all that a C2D will be more then enough to handle those tasks. They might even clock the base model to 2.66 GHz I guess.
 
Mini + appleTV

maybe we will see the combination of both for a super home entertainment package
 
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