You may be right. I offered them $50,000 for it, and they said I needed to come up with a real offer.
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The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming
- Thread starter GabrieleR
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What do you mean false?
It was widely reported that Tim Cook said there will be a new mini.
"...we do plan for mac mini to be an important part of our product line going forward."
Translation: we'll continue selling overpriced old hardware while we can, and then we'll release mac mini pro which will be three times more expensive."
Maybe.
I think the only take Home from that quote for sure is there will be new ones in the future.
Also in every apple lineup a Pro is always a pro of something else.
IMac IMac Pro
MacBook MacBook Pro
IPad IPad Pro
Would be interesting to see what would distinguish a Mac mini from a Mac mini pro.
I am hopeful for the product directions Apple is taking at the moment with external graphics, vr, modular Mac Pro . However I do fear the runaway price increases.
I have a Mac for xCode and a PC for VR development. I dream of getting a modular Mac Pro to do both choosing standard NVIDIA or AMD cards as I please for graphics as upgrades are required. However I fear they will jack the prices up from the current Mac Pro model to unaffordable levels.
Already unaffordable by a long shot - I paid $4000 for my G5 and swore I'd never spend a buck more and that was back then. Certainly now - I would only consider $3000 and at that, it would need to be upgrade-capable with a life extending at least 5-years or more and a published plan for the architecture.
No reason to redact what Cook also said in that same quote, that it’s "not time to share any details..."
Translation: Apple isn’t ready to announce any details yet.
I didn’t think your going to get your Mac mini Pro though, not enough demand.
There will be a Mac Pro, but it won’t be the size of a mini.
Even the President is getting sick of this:
You can currently get a new MacPro for 3k . Like you that’s pretty much my limit.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewansp...o-cancelled-2018-touchbar-macos/#50e05207731e
Another sign of Apple innovation. THIS and the dongle/headphone debacle tells me Apple has lost it's way on it's own highway.
Another sign of Apple innovation. THIS and the dongle/headphone debacle tells me Apple has lost it's way on it's own highway.
Personally, I think that's a good sign. The touchbar was a stupid idea that did not catch on. Glad that Apple is accepting this and moving on to something else.
Well, the TouchBar died when they released 2017 iMacs and the iMac Pro along with new Magic Keyboards that didn't incorporate the TouchBar... if not before when they decided to use it as the most visible distinction between what should have been the new MacBook Air (the non-TB MBP, the first computer that actually turns into a better machine if you just scratch the "pro" label off) and the true "pro" models. Rule 1 for a company built on a reputation for providing a consistent user experience: don't use fundamental UI features as a gratuitous distinction between models (see also the force touch and/or Pencil support dichotomy on iOS).
Anyway, the main practical upshot of the TouchBar was adding TouchID for Macs, and now FaceID is the new sexy (probably only because they couldn't crack through-screen TouchID in time for the iPhone X), that's not going anywhere.
As for the rest - well, if the promised Modular Mac Pro doesn't at least get announced this year, that's lost all credibility.
Otherwise, though (and in the absence of any unlikely about-face on the MBP design) as long as they just bump the CPUs this year, the next-gen Intel chips with more cores for the same wattage are going to be really worthwhile upgrades - unlike previous years where the CPU improvements were ~meh and PC makers had to rely on gimmicks to sell upgrades.
Simple Mini hack FYI: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...-i5-8400-uhd-630-graphics-high-sierra.239157/
Consider how much a touchbar on an external keyboard would cost. Could it be powered by a wired USB port - can USB even provide the power required? If not we're into the realm of using a wireless connection and for that I think we can discount having TouchID on it. For a desktop machine with cameras such as an iMac it makes for sense to have a FaceID setup to keep the security chip on the main unit motherboard.
The iMac Pro doesn't have it. Perhaps rev B will have it.
For similar reasons I don't think the Modular Mac Pro will have it either and it makes even less sense for the Mac Mini to have UNLESS they change the form factor to build it into a keyboard form factor so they can add TouchID and perhaps a touch bar. This would be bizarre though and I can't see how they could justify it in a Mini when they sell non touch bar laptops.
The iMac Pro doesn't have it. Perhaps rev B will have it.
For similar reasons I don't think the Modular Mac Pro will have it either and it makes even less sense for the Mac Mini to have UNLESS they change the form factor to build it into a keyboard form factor so they can add TouchID and perhaps a touch bar. This would be bizarre though and I can't see how they could justify it in a Mini when they sell non touch bar laptops.
I got a new keyboard for my Mini recently. If you go with Apple, the keyboard with numeric keypad and a touchpad will set you back $260, which is ridiculous when the base Mini only costs $500. If you don't want the numeric keypad and get a mouse instead, that is still $176 which is also way too much. I can only imagine what a keyboard with a touchbar or fingerprint reader would cost at Apple's price, it would surely be more than the Mini itself.
It's really a shame Apple discontinued the old USB extended keyboard, they were great and IIRC only $50. FWIW, I ended up getting a Microsoft wireless keyboard/mouse combo for $50. Big and ugly but it's just fine for my iTunes server that is mostly managed from another machine with screensharing anyway.
It's really a shame Apple discontinued the old USB extended keyboard, they were great and IIRC only $50. FWIW, I ended up getting a Microsoft wireless keyboard/mouse combo for $50. Big and ugly but it's just fine for my iTunes server that is mostly managed from another machine with screensharing anyway.
That's a really good point but isn't the Mini aimed at switchers who bring their own keyboard and mouse?
Perhaps that lends a little weight to the next Mini coming as an all-in-one keyboard design. It needn't come with touch bar or TouchID too be fair because of the price hike - and the TouchID would require the secure enclave chip which would mean you may as well bring along the touch bar too.
Of course, the range topper in this imaginary product could come with touch bar and TouchID and 28w CPU as per MacBook Pro 13" with Touch bar...
Well that was certainly the case originally. No idea if it's still true. I suspect that a lot of people are just looking for the cheapest Mac they can buy. In my own case, I gave a Mini to my daughter's family last year. They had a very old iMac but the mouse and keyboard were so beat up I thought they needed replacement. Then I got a base Mini for an iTunes server and needed a keyboard/mouse for that. And I also got a used 2012 quad for editing video so I needed a keyboard/mouse there too.
Single core score: 5427
Multi core score: 22066
That is for a 6-core i5.
The fastest Mini ever made is the 2012, 2.6GHz 4-core i7, which scores 11322.
The fastest 2011 model is the 2GHz 4-core i7, which scores 8397.
The fastest model of the current (2014) Mini is the 3GHz 2-core i7, which scores 7040.
You have to go back to the 2010 model before the current model starts looking like an improvement.
Apple Mini. Taking you forward to the past, the distant past.
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Well, from Apple's perspective this just makes good business sense. You want your entry system to be cheap ... er, inexpensive ... well, not exorbitant, but you also don't want it so good that it becomes a habit. The gateway drug ... er, entry system, should hook them and naturally move them on to more expensive product. Basic MBA Squeezing Blood from a Customer 101.
You are definitely on to something, but what I'd love to see is "Mac" and "Mac Pro"
These machines would mimic the iMac lineup but not be all-in-one designs. There is also potential for a Mac mini option in there, but I'm not sure its needed.
"Mac mini" = non TouchBar 13" MBP (12" MB?) hardware in a tiny enclosure
"Mac" = retina iMac hardware
"Mac Pro" = iMac Pro hardware
Price point could be iMac - display. So for the "Mac" you could arrive at ~$500 (27" iMac @ $1799 - LG Ultrafine 5k display @ $1299 = $500)
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I genuinely believe that up until Apple's mea culpa last year they had intended to ditch the Mac Mini, Pro and MacBook Air. The naming conventions make sense and I think the lineup was going to look like this:
iOS:
iPad / iPad Pro (Mini dead/discontinued)
macOS:
Macbook / Macbook Pro (Air discontinued)
Mac / Mac Pro (current iMac & iMac Pro; Mini and headless MP discontinued)
The 'iMac' naming no longer fits with macOS but their hand has been forced. I think the iMac was going to be rebranded as purely 'Mac' with the new iMac Pro becoming the only 'Pro' model. That machine is way too fully formed (look at the cooling system!) to have been knocked up in a panic - it was always going to be the 'new Mac Pro' IMO. It also fits the mentality of reusing the parts bin (stand/casing/screen/keyboard/mouse) with a lick of paint to keep existing tooling for higher-priced SKUs.
Of course, the backlash to the MacBook Pro (butterfly keyboard/16gb RAM limit/Touch Bar) wrecked those plans; pros had finally had enough, especially with no other new 'pro' hardware on offer. I don't doubt this completely changed Apple's positions (there is still zero indication from the supply chain or otherwise of any new Mac Pro or Mini designs) and they really are starting from scratch now.
They are also in a tight spot with the notebooks - the 2015 Pro is still for sale and they can't ditch it or the Air as (1) they sell too well and (2) the regular MacBook shares the same issues (port restrictions/keyboard) as the new Pro.
What a mess.
Single core score: 5427
Multi core score: 22066
That is for a 6-core i5.
The fastest Mini ever made is the 2012, 2.6GHz 4-core i7, which scores 11322.
The fastest 2011 model is the 2GHz 4-core i7, which scores 8397.
The fastest model of the current (2014) Mini is the 3GHz 2-core i7, which scores 7040.
You have to go back to the 2010 model before the current model starts looking like an improvement.
Apple Mini. Taking you forward to the past, the distant past.
Late 2012 - 2.6GHz - 16GB of CL9 1600MHz: Scored 12674 in GeekBench 4 x64 - http://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/2683308
Mid 2011 - 2.0GHz - 16GB of CL9 1866MHz: Scored 9689 in GeekBench 4 x64 - http://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/3334046
Late 2014 - 3.0GHz - 16GB of CL11 1600MHz: Scored 7634 in GeekBench 4 x64 - http://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/2464498
Just to update the numbers you posted. These were all performed within the last year with GeekBench 4 x64. The Late 2012 was using CL9 1600MHz from G.Skill. The CL9 actually made a nice difference from CL11 (http://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/2497865) where the same Mini scored 12488. The Mid 2011 can actually use up to 2133MHz DDR3L but the scores were lower than the 1866MHz CL9.
Looks cool, but $99 for a USB keyboard? I like the backlit keyboard on my laptop but have no need for one on the Mini. I saw a news item a few months ago, some company was supposed to intoduce a new USB keyboard that looked like the old Apple one and was reasonably priced.
I think that you're close. Apple has an insular culture which believes that they know what's best and can beat trends (or force the market forward onto them). That kind of sometimes correct, sometimes arrogance can lead to some bad decision making at times
Around 5 years ago, PC sales were still dropping and smartphone/tablet sales (esp. tablet) were exploding. That led to the "Post PC" thinking. I believe that Apple bit really, really, really hard on that. Not long after that, they brought out the ipad pro and stopped upgrades on Macs...
The "Post PC" idea was great for Apple. They could get rid of the open system Macs for the completely 100% controlled iOS systems and potentially make more money
What happened? PC sales kept dropping a little bit year after year. Tablet sales (including the ipad) plummeted, including large revenue and unit number drops each year. That only halted last year... for revenue anyway
The indication is that Apple still has the "Post PC" thinking (recent ipad ads, etc), but that they're slowing down the obsolescence of the Mac line for a few more years
You're advocating the removing of the i then
The naming convention is fine but they have to keep "iPhone" because it's just an all-pervasive brand now. They could have called the iPhone X the ApplePhone for example but you can see why it's so much easier to stick with iPhone.
In a different way, they originally wanted the AppleTV to be iTV before the British broadcaster complained.
The touch bar and touch ID assembly adds a lot of to the price of 2017 MacBook Pros but there's just too many examples of 2016 and 2017 models going on sale at third party retailers at huge discounts for it to be a coincidence - are Apple tacitly allowing select retailers to sell cheaper versions of hardware?
Is it like going to a designer outlet shop and picking up an out of season Armani jumper for a fraction of the cost of brand new stock?
The old 2012 non-retina MacBook Pro stuck around for four years until the launch of the 2016 model saw Apple offer a basic version of the otherwise discontinued 2015 series as a cheap option alongside the 2016 model which saw price increases in part due to currency changes (in the UK at least).
The MacBook Air has not had a substantial upgrade since early 2015 and that was just a minor speed bump over 2014 models so we can say that it's there to fill a price point and draw people to the more profitable models.
Both of these mobile models are there for people who can't afford the higher priced 'Pro' models and also to make them look better value for money for the people who can afford them. Is it any surprise then that they may well sell incredibly well despite looking the poor cousins of their more illustrious modern upgraded models?
According to Apple we're getting a headless modular Mac Pro and logically you'd expect a lower spec consumer 'Mac' below that to make the higher end model look more attractive. Current specs could be priced up to a $2000 without keyboard and mouse but at best you get something that only has 2 cores and pretty ancient graphics.
I think as long as Apple give the Mini a proper refresh most people will give it serious consideration whatever specs it comes with and I suspect a price increase at the base level is coming as the Mini is the only Mac with 4Gb entry level specs - 8Gb is surely the minimum over three years after the 2014 model was launched. If that is the case then I'm hoping that Apple lift the price range of the Mini and the spec accordingly. Anyone who needs value computing should look towards the iPad.
This is even more the case if the modular Mac Pro starts well above $3k - the iMac Pro is priced at $5k because of the high base level specs in a machine which isn't easily upgradable.
Why couldn't a modular Mac come with higher specs as standard but still allow access to RAM slots and drive bays so users can fit their own in case of damage? Surely such a modular Mac Pro could come with AppleCarePlus to include accidental damage in case of user upgrade disaster?