The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

[sublunar]

Only the MBP supports TB3 for external GPUs in the laptop line up. I'm surprised that the MB doesn't support them. That being the case, it suggests to me that the Mini wouldn't support TB3 until after the third gen rMB. So when TB3 comes to the rMB is generally the timeframe we might see a new Mini. That being said, how does the ARM Mini fit into this strategy? I think it suggests Apple's Mac strategy is a total mess.

From the official technote:

"eGPUs are supported on MacBook Pro notebooks released in 2016 and later1, iMac computers introduced in 2017 and later, and iMac Pro. Your Mac must also have macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 installed."

These devices have Thunderbolt 3 ports. The MacBook only has USB-C - not Thunderbolt 3 - and I think the reason behind this is for power conservation rather than anything else as they have been though at least 2 revisions without turning that USB-C port into a TB3 port.

The rest of the range (MBA, Mini, even the 2013 Mac Pro) are all Thunderbolt 2 because they haven't been updated.

Now they have released the macOS update that unlocks eGPU for existing users they can refine it and get it right for 10.13.5 (in time for WWDC) and with any luck a 2018 revision that will bring the TB2 machines into line.

I won't disagree that the range is a mess, but I don't think Apple can be messing with ARM Minis at this stage. They certainly can't use EGPU without PCIe lanes and Thunderbolt 3 and I can't see how they can gain that.

 

[Neodym]

So when TB3 comes to the rMB is generally the timeframe we might see a new Mini. That being said, how does the ARM Mini fit into this strategy?

If the mini would to get the motherboard of the revamped rMB (or vice versa), it could mean that both rMB and mini would be the new (potentially ARM-based) consumer platform in Apple’s portfolio, while the “Pro” devices would stick to x86.

Should enable Apple to bring down cost for both consumer devices (whether that’d translate into lower prices would be a different question, though).
[doublepost=1522609538][/doublepost]

I don't think Apple can be messing with ARM Minis at this stage. They certainly can't use EGPU without PCIe lanes and Thunderbolt 3 and I can't see how they can gain that.

What if eGPU is not intended to be offered in a potential new (Arm-based) consumer platform in the first place?

The average user neither needs nor would want to pay for it (-> lower entry price preferred), enthusiasts and professional users could be upsold to the Pro machines with higher margins for Apple. Win-win.

 

[EightyTwenty]

Geez, if Apple even slightly cared about the Mini, they could have increased the base RAM to 8gb also, that doesn't require any re-tooling....

The fact that they sell a computer with 4gb of RAM and a 500gb spinner in 2018 is an embarrassment. How can they pretend to be a premium brand when they sell such complete garbage?

Either yank it from the shelves or put 8gb of RAM in it. Pick one. The current situation is a farce. The base mini hurts the Apple brand - makes them look like a company that sells total crap. I can't imagine it makes them much revenue, so why keep selling it?
[doublepost=1522637053][/doublepost]

I predict if we ever see another mac mini, its the same internals as the MacBook not-pro.

I am perfectly fine with that. Thrilled, actually. 4K, 8gb RAM, 256 SDD all standard? Sign me up.

 

[Cape Dave]

The fact that they sell a computer with 4gb of RAM and a 500gb spinner in 2018 is an embarrassment. How can they pretend to be a premium brand when they sell such complete garbage?

Either yank it from the shelves or put 8gb of RAM in it. Pick one. The current situation is a farce. The base mini hurts the Apple brand - makes them look like a company that sells total crap. I can't imagine it makes them much revenue, so why keep selling it?
[doublepost=1522637053][/doublepost]

I am perfectly fine with that. Thrilled, actually. 4K, 8gb RAM, 256 SDD all standard? Sign me up.

"The fact that they sell a computer with 4gb of RAM and a 500gb spinner in 2018 is an embarrassment. How can they pretend to be a premium brand when they sell such complete garbage?"

SO TRUE! Been true for years, unfortunately. How can they even show their face with this crap on the shelves? Shame Shame Shame.

 

[PickUrPoison]

"The fact that they sell a computer with 4gb of RAM and a 500gb spinner in 2018 is an embarrassment. How can they pretend to be a premium brand when they sell such complete garbage?"

SO TRUE! Been true for years, unfortunately. How can they even show their face with this crap on the shelves? Shame Shame Shame.

Oh please, enough with the SSD snobbery. Not everyone needs an SSD, or 8GB of RAM for that matter. Or a $799 mini, because that’s the alternative if you want 8GB and an SSD.

A $499 mini serves a purpose, and while it may not be sufficient for your needs, don’t presume to speak for everyone.

People also turn their nose up at the $1,099 1080 display iMac. And sure, the 1,299 4K is a much better computer, and a lot of times it’d be worth scraping up the extra $200. But again, the entry level machines serve a purpose.

I suppose we shouldn’t have 32GB iPhones or iPads either—surely no one can get by on such a paltry amount of storage

 

[sublunar]

Oh please, enough with the SSD snobbery. Not everyone needs an SSD, or 8GB of RAM for that matter. Or a $799 mini, because that’s the alternative if you want 8GB and an SSD.

A $499 mini serves a purpose, and while it may not be sufficient for your needs, don’t presume to speak for everyone.

People also turn their nose up at the $1,099 1080 display iMac. And sure, the 1,299 4K is a much better computer, and a lot of times it’d be worth scraping up the extra $200. But again, the entry level machines serve a purpose.

I suppose we shouldn’t have 32GB iPhones or iPads either—surely no one can get by on such a paltry amount of storage

Entry level machines are there to make the higher up models look value for money.

If the lower end machines will serve the purpose then all's well but they aren't great value for what you get.

One the iOS side of things, though, it's more evident where the profit comes from when you see the cost difference between 32Gb and 128Gb of storage.
[doublepost=1522665040][/doublepost]

"The fact that they sell a computer with 4gb of RAM and a 500gb spinner in 2018 is an embarrassment. How can they pretend to be a premium brand when they sell such complete garbage?"

SO TRUE! Been true for years, unfortunately. How can they even show their face with this crap on the shelves? Shame Shame Shame.

They just don't address the original spec with a bump or a price cut at all. That's what's irking us.

When the likes of Dell, HP, Acer etc would have discounted their models on a weekly basis soon after release before spec bumping them at least annually with the release of new Intel CPUs or Nvidia/AMD GPU. Educated Mac users would wait for a semi-predictable update schedule at WWDC or in October, buying the latest model and accepting the fact that the price point remains the same while the spec bumps annually.

The 2014 Mac Mini is in a time warp both in spec and price. If Apple don't have anything to announce they won't do a spec bump or price cut - not least because they don't make as much profit per unit as with an iMac.

In the meantime, third party retailers must be getting some sort of incentive to cut the price of various iMacs and MacBook Pros - barely a week goes by without seeing the latest Microcenter or B&H deal - and Apple must be sanctioning this otherwise these retailers would be losing money hand over fist for a bizarre loss leader.

In 2018 it's going to be clear that minimum RAM will be 8Gb but I expect hard drives to be a staple of lower cost computers in the basic spec.

 

[Cape Dave]

Oh please, enough with the SSD snobbery. Not everyone needs an SSD, or 8GB of RAM for that matter. Or a $799 mini, because that’s the alternative if you want 8GB and an SSD.

A $499 mini serves a purpose, and while it may not be sufficient for your needs, don’t presume to speak for everyone.

People also turn their nose up at the $1,099 1080 display iMac. And sure, the 1,299 4K is a much better computer, and a lot of times it’d be worth scraping up the extra $200. But again, the entry level machines serve a purpose.

I suppose we shouldn’t have 32GB iPhones or iPads either—surely no one can get by on such a paltry amount of storage

iPhones ad iPads are, wait for it, SOLID STATE

 

[PickUrPoison]

iPhones ad iPads are, wait for it, SOLID STATE.

Of course they are. Did you even read what I wrote? I was addressing the capacity snobs:

I suppose we shouldn’t have 32GB iPhones or iPads either—surely no one can get by on such a paltry amount of storage

Time and again people take their own requirements and generalize them to the entire universe of customers. News flash: just because you (not you specifically Cape Dave) need 64GB doesn’t mean everyone needs 64GB.

Re: SSD vs HDD on the Mac mini and iMac, as I said, not everyone needs an SSD. Sure, you wouldn’t buy a computer without one, that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean everyone needs one.

 

[jasnw]

Now we have this new rumor of Apple dropping Intel processors starting in 2020. This could translate into no new Mini until 2020 when it becomes the consumer testbed for the new Apple processor line.

 

[dogslobber]

Re: SSD vs HDD on the Mac mini and iMac, as I said, not everyone needs an SSD. Sure, you wouldn’t buy a computer without one, that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean everyone needs one.

Everybody needs an SSD as this is 2018. Stop with this nonsense!
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I didn't think you would consider a Mac without ARM CPU.

Yah. Just waiting for the rumors to catch up with me

 

[sublunar]

Now we have this new rumor of Apple dropping Intel processors starting in 2020. This could translate into no new Mini until 2020 when it becomes the consumer testbed for the new Apple processor line.

With the front page news claiming that Apple will be starting to use ARM cpus in Macs by 2020 at the earliest, I think Apple will be specifically looking at the 5w Retina MacBook first as the ARM CPUs will be more suited to a portable device with low power usage.

We're yet to see what becomes of the Mini - it surely can't continue to be abandoned for a further 2 years mainly because Intel could stop making the Haswell CPUs at any point during that and it would be very strange to have Macs still rocking Thunderbolt 2 ports when the new Mac Pro and Apple displays come out.

Remember that Apple could still go 15w Intel i5-8250U across the board with a 2018 Mini, throwing in Thunderbolt 3 ports for compatibility with an external Apple Display. It could become a stepping stone towards a future <15w ARM powered model. They can use the 'energy efficiency' claim each time with these models.

 

[Cape Dave]

Of course they are. Did you even read what I wrote? I was addressing the capacity snobs:



Time and again people take their own requirements and generalize them to the entire universe of customers. News flash: just because you (not you specifically Cape Dave) need 64GB doesn’t mean everyone needs 64GB.

Re: SSD vs HDD on the Mac mini and iMac, as I said, not everyone needs an SSD. Sure, you wouldn’t buy a computer without one, that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean everyone needs one.

And yet, again, wait for it... I am entitled to my opinion. Does not mean you have to agree, or even like it. But I for sure think you will find many more on this forum who agree with me that a 5400 spinner is dead no matter what.

I got to go to the store, now where did I put my darn horse whip?

 

[Santabean2000]

Oh please, enough with the SSD snobbery. Not everyone needs an SSD, or 8GB of RAM for that matter. Or a $799 mini, because that’s the alternative if you want 8GB and an SSD.

A $499 mini serves a purpose, and while it may not be sufficient for your needs, don’t presume to speak for everyone.

People also turn their nose up at the $1,099 1080 display iMac. And sure, the 1,299 4K is a much better computer, and a lot of times it’d be worth scraping up the extra $200. But again, the entry level machines serve a purpose.

I suppose we shouldn’t have 32GB iPhones or iPads either—surely no one can get by on such a paltry amount of storage

Way to totally miss the point.

An Apple apologist at its worst.

When you're ready to leave 2008 come back and continue this discussion...

 

[malsan]

i7-8559u announced by Intel. Now if Apple could finally give the Mac mini some attention, a worthy successor to the 2012 Mac mini is almost certainly coming. Fingers crossed that this happens before the change over to A series.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Way to totally miss the point.

An Apple apologist at its worst.

When you're ready to leave 2008 come back and continue this discussion...

Nice content free post, with an ad hom thrown in as a nice little bonus

I understood the point quite well. OP thinks it’s somehow an embarrassment or shameful for Apple to be selling a 4GB/500 mini for $499.

You ignored my counter arguments, but apparently you disagree with my response that not everyone needs an SSD or 8GB. Or maybe you think an 8GB/SSD mini at $799 should be the minimum config Apple sells, who knows.

Feel free to come back if you’re ready for a discussion

 

[dogslobber]

So we're getting a 6-core Intel Mini this year and an ARM based Mini in 2020. Way to spoil us rotten, Apple! Either of these upgrades more than complements any Mini with a 4200rpm spinner.

 

[bopajuice]

Oh please, enough with the SSD snobbery. Not everyone needs an SSD, or 8GB of RAM for that matter. Or a $799 mini, because that’s the alternative if you want 8GB and an SSD.

A $499 mini serves a purpose, and while it may not be sufficient for your needs, don’t presume to speak for everyone.

People also turn their nose up at the $1,099 1080 display iMac. And sure, the 1,299 4K is a much better computer, and a lot of times it’d be worth scraping up the extra $200. But again, the entry level machines serve a purpose.

I suppose we shouldn’t have 32GB iPhones or iPads either—surely no one can get by on such a paltry amount of storage

The base mini with an spinner is almost unusable. I bought the middle of the line 2014 with a 1TB spinner. WAY TOO SLOW. Put a SSD in it. Like a new machine. Night and day. Just opening and closing a browser is much improved not to mention accessing music and movies. Anyone would appreciate having an SSD at this point.

For the group the buys the latest and greatest iPhone each year, supports the removal of the headphone jack, and claims a HomePod is audiophile quality, I thought they would embrace an SSD in everything Apple sells.

 

[Cape Dave]

Nice content free post, with an ad hom thrown in as a nice little bonus

I understood the point quite well. OP thinks it’s somehow an embarrassment or shameful for Apple to be selling a 4GB/500 mini for $499.

You ignored my counter arguments, but apparently you disagree with my response that not everyone needs an SSD or 8GB. Or maybe you think an 8GB/SSD mini at $799 should be the minimum config Apple sells, who knows.

Feel free to come back if you’re ready for a discussion

My original post had nothing to do with price. Those specs that an unknowing consumer is supposed to take home and accept that level of performance in 2018 is horrendous at any damn price. A SATA 256 2.5inch SSD would at least be a step up and still cheap. Even a 128GB M.2 SSD would be better than a 500GB spinner.

 

[EightyTwenty]

Oh please, enough with the SSD snobbery. Not everyone needs an SSD, or 8GB of RAM for that matter.

Actually, if you are running a modern version of macOS, you absolutely do need 8GB of RAM and/or an SSD to have anything approaching usable performance. You don't need to have both, but you do need at least one of those things. Has nothing to do with "snobbery". It's about not wasting your hard-earned money on a computer that absolutely chokes on the operating system to the point where using it becomes a chore.

Or a $799 mini, because that’s the alternative if you want 8GB and an SSD.

Yeah, I remember the 60% price hike on the entry-level Macbook Air when it moved to 8GB of RAM... oh wait, the price remained exactly the same.

A $499 mini serves a purpose, and while it may not be sufficient for your needs, don’t presume to speak for everyone.

You can make that kind of silly statement about literally anything. "An iPhone 3Gs sold for $599 in 2018 serves a purpose". See how that works? It's just a ridiculous statement. The 2014 entry-level mini is a junk product. There is no justifying it.

People also turn their nose up at the $1,099 1080 display iMac. And sure, the 1,299 4K is a much better computer, and a lot of times it’d be worth scraping up the extra $200. But again, the entry level machines serve a purpose.

Terrible comparison. The iMac is a usable computer in 2018 and was made with modern parts. The entry 2014 mini is none of those things.

I suppose we shouldn’t have 32GB iPhones or iPads either—surely no one can get by on such a paltry amount of storage

The analogy you are looking for is a modern iPhone with 512mb of RAM. And no, such a product should not exist in 2018.

 

[Crosscreek]

Gone for a couple of weeks. Where the new Mini....

Hate to break it to u all but there ain't going to beeee 1.

Get a hair cut ,,,get a job. That's what my parents use to tell me when I were a young man. Now I'm just an old retired Bummmm.

Nothing to see here....lol

 

[PickUrPoison]

My original post had nothing to do with price. Those specs that an unknowing consumer is supposed to take home and accept that level of performance in 2018 is horrendous at any damn price. A SATA 256 2.5inch SSD would at least be a step up and still cheap. Even a 128GB M.2 SSD would be better than a 500GB spinner.

But is about price. If you want an SSD mini, that’s not a $499 box. Currently, the cheapest mini with an SSD is $899. That’s not because the SSD costs Apple $200-300 more than the 500GB HDD in the $499 model. It’s because Apple isn’t making anything on a $499 mini; there’s very little gross margin there. They’ve got to get the selling price up into $800-900 so they can get the margin they need.

(Switching to SATA would save a few bucks, sure, but that’s going to be an $800 mini anyway. Just because it’s only $20 more in BOM cost doesn’t mean Apple would sell that mini for $549.)

But fine, let’s leave price out if the equation. At what point did HDDs become unacceptable for everyone? I’ll say it again: just because you’re used to SSD-level performance—and are willing and able to pay for it—doesn’t mean it’s the only choice anyone should have.

The $499 mini is a perfectly acceptable option for certain uses. Throw a $150 external 8GB HDD or two on it. I bet you could think of a couple uses, and no, it doesn’t need an SSD boot drive.

People also say Apple shouldn’t sell 32GB iPhones, 64 should be the minimum. And that the iPhone 6S should be discontinued. Same with the iPad mini, it’s got an old A8. And with the entry level iMac 1080 display entry level model. Many even complain about Apple “having the nerve” to sell the MacBook Air, which they call obsolete and turn their nose up at

All those products serve a purpose, and Apple sells a boatload of their entry level products. The ASP for all Macs is less than $1,350. That should tell you how many millions of Airs, iMacs, etc. of entry level models Apple sells.

 

[MRrainer]

Aspect ratio. 16:9 is the standard these days.
16:10 are a bit old hat. NEC still sell a 30" 2560x1600.

PA302. For 2 grand here.
The 4k version PA322UHD is "only 50%" more.

 

[sublunar]

View attachment 756826

i7-8559u announced by Intel. Now if Apple could finally give the Mac mini some attention, a worthy successor to the 2012 Mac mini is almost certainly coming. Fingers crossed that this happens before the change over to A series.

Very impressive specs and yes, a possible return to quad core for the Mini. One worrying point is the lack of announcement of a 15w Iris Graphics CPU as used in the non touch bar 13" MacBook Pro.

That's some drop between those 28w Iris Graphics models and a supposed base model with the i5-8250U which would only come with 1.6GHz quad core.

The Intel announcement also includes suitable chipsets and the recent announcement of the May 1 results call could see silent updates any time during May and leading up to WWDC but with extra cores being the headline of this generation I think we'll see another hardware unveil at WWDC itself.

I would have thought that extra cores would lead to external design changes but iMacs would probably stay the same judging by the iMac Pro design. Laptops might be candidates for change this time with the new Intel + Radeon CPUs on the scene - if they have solved the battery issues and intend to fix the keyboard issues.

The Mini itself would probably have to make do with the same case plus Thunderbolt 3 ports instead of the TB2 ports if they decide to go with the 28w CPUs.

 

[Miat]

"The eighth-generation Core processor family also includes new quad-core Core i5 and Core i7 processors with base clock speeds between 2.3GHz and 2.7GHz and integrated Iris Plus graphics. These 28W chips, part of the U-series, are suitable for future 13-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini models."

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/03/intel-debuts-core-i9-coffee-lake-eighth-gen/

No excuses left, Apple. Get on with it.

 

[Count Blah]

"The eighth-generation Core processor family also includes new quad-core Core i5 and Core i7 processors with base clock speeds between 2.3GHz and 2.7GHz and integrated Iris Plus graphics. These 28W chips, part of the U-series, are suitable for future 13-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini models."

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/03/intel-debuts-core-i9-coffee-lake-eighth-gen/

No excuses left, Apple. Get on with it.

As if there were any legit ones already for keeping the mini at TB2 and dual core?