I think you are confusing what you want and what is likely to happen.
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The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming
- Thread starter GabrieleR
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We'll see. For couple of year I've been speculating that Apple and AMD are building a custom CPU/APU. Apple doesn't like to pay Intel premium, when they could pay AMD one time a lump of money for the design, and then they could just copy the chip millions of times and get a lot more profit.
With the custom chip they could meet these problems; hackintoshes and a non-favourable comparison between Windows machines and Macs. With AMD they could differentiate by adapting AMD's HSA and hUMA technology and by adding co-processors that are not easy to add on a Windows PC's. Co-processors for Siri, face recognition, security and other special purposes. A lot of co-processors can create a lot of overhead on a CPU without HSA/hUMA. Basically this is the same tech Apple has been using on iToys. Intel is a limiting factor here with its locked memory space.
I guessed that Apple will use security enclave processors on Mac way before it happened. It was obvious. And I think the trail with AMD is also obvious, if Apple doesn't want to abandon x86.
Still, as you said, I can be confused what I want and what is needed.
Just trying to think what Apple is thinking.
The problem with the one time lump sum is that they needed to do it a few years ago when AMD was in a huge slump. Now with Ryzen and Threadripper that lump sum would be considerably more.
Could it be that Apple became AMD GPU only user to fund something without disturbing the markets and keeping it secret? It was Apple's chip engineer who built Apple's' Ax chip who went to AMD to design Zen architecture after all.
And has this secret customer been revealed yet? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/who-amds-partner-mysterious-arm-based-semi-custom-chip-luskin
Apple will pay the lump sum when it's ready.
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My guess is they're thinking it's time to throw another underpowered Mini to the small number of people who want one, since Tim said they would.
But your guess is as good as anyone else's. If you're right, it sure wouldn't interest me though.
Not following that logic at all. Unwanted(by many) tech, and associated costs added on(Apple doesn't do #*&%$ for free), is a but turnoff - See the backlash for the touchbar in the MBP.
If you don't hook your computer up to your TV, the added capability is useless.
AppleTV is already way more expensive than the other streaming devices. I doubt you would have too many people movin' on up to the Mac Mini, they would be moving on to a Roku or others - because they are cheaper and often offer more capabilities than an AppleTV already.
This sounds like your personal dream machine. I can certainly respect that. But it doesn't mean I'm buying it
If you don't hook your computer up to your TV, the added capability is useless.
AppleTV is already way more expensive than the other streaming devices. I doubt you would have too many people movin' on up to the Mac Mini, they would be moving on to a Roku or others - because they are cheaper and often offer more capabilities than an AppleTV already.
This sounds like your personal dream machine. I can certainly respect that. But it doesn't mean I'm buying it
Almost certainly.
Already available for those who need / desire it albeit not the base model at the base price. Seems many here who lust after flash specs for whatever reason, resent paying more than those for whom the base model is adequate for their more basic needs.In Apple's world, you can get the high end 2014 Mini with either a 1TB fusion drive or a 256gb SSD for the same price. I think the current Mini would be much more compelling if they just got rid of the 1.4ghz model and made 2.6ghz/8gb the new base model with your choice of a 1TB fusion or 256gb SSD for $500. This would be similar to what they did a couple years ago on the MacBook Air and all that would be involved is making a few changes on their website.
There's a lot of it about on this forum.
Apple is going to start their TV & movie streaming service soon, so I wouldn't be surprised, if we'll find AppleTV from every Mac soon similarly there was Front Row & remote in the past.Not following that logic at all. Unwanted(by many) tech, and associated costs added on(Apple doesn't do #*&%$ for free), is a but turnoff - See the backlash for the touchbar in the MBP.
If you don't hook your computer up to your TV, the added capability is useless.
AppleTV is already way more expensive than the other streaming devices. I doubt you would have too many people movin' on up to the Mac Mini, they would be moving on to a Roku or others - because they are cheaper and often offer more capabilities than an AppleTV already.
This sounds like your personal dream machine. I can certainly respect that. But it doesn't mean I'm buying it
Interesting theory. Maybe so.
But if it were to have a material impact on Apple’s financials they would have to report it somehow as they are a public company. Same for AMD.
For technical people you're right. But for most people, the really simple interface is great when you just want to watch TV.
It provides video streaming services with the simplicity of an iPod.
Point taken.
But isn't that is just a software issue, and as such it could be built into OS X and iOS?
The whole point of the iPod was that it was simple. The UI was nothing more than a set of menus. The controls featured the ability to navigate up, down, right, left, and scroll -- nothing else. The fact that you could do almost nothing else than listen to music with the device was a feature, not a bug; tech-averse users enjoy being able to use the machine with a minimum of effort learning how it works.
True, but also true that you need a computer to use an iPod (to set it up and load the music onto it).
Not in case of streaming services. Soon most iProduct will be just that: clients, that will work as streaming devices for Apple services and nothing more.
That is, where the money is.
I agree - just look at the new AppleTV, you cannot download 4k movies, only stream them. And the main menu items on all the Apple TV's cannot be deleted and lead to things you have to buy from Apple. They are clearly not interested in home theater pc's, they don't want you to rip your own movies and store them locally. But to be fair, @jpietrzak8 was talking about the simplicity of the original iPod, which was useless without a computer.
Depending on compression, a single 4K movie could use up all the space on an ATV. So streaming makes sense.
As far as ripping and playing locally, a Plex server works nicely.
Just waiting for that Amazon Prime video app....
Yep, not PC. But, to have a separate system in a Mac to run AppleTV could be the solution, like I imagined on my previous post. It would be a perfect DRM solution for Apple. Mac wouldn't have any access to the content, but the user could always press a button on a remote to turn on the AppleTV on the Mac and it would seem like it's working on it.
AMD SoC with Apple Axx chip on it. Music Streaming and every other DRM content could be run on Axx chip. Apple could even negotiate better deal with content makers, when they have "the ultimate DRM" solution.
Vintage products are those that have not been manufactured for more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.
Vintage in the United States and Turkey and obsolete in the rest of the world:
- Mac mini (Late 2009)
- Mac mini (Mid 2010)
- Mac mini Server (Mid 2010)
Obsolete worldwide:
- Mac mini [original]
- Mac mini (Late 2005)
- Mac mini (Early 2006)
- Mac mini (Late 2006)
- Mac mini (Mid 2007)
- Mac mini (Early 2009)
- Mac mini (Late 2009)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624
The 2012 Mini was manufactured until 2014, so it still has a couple of years to go before it is vintage in the USA and Turkey, and obsolete elsewhere. It will be 2021 before the 2012 Mac Mini is obsolete worldwide.