The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

[masterbaron]

"Despite the thermal corner they have designed themselves into"

Woah... to design a state of the art box without "over-building" it for all that money is an absolute disgrace. To admit the failure and not put in place "damage-control" by building out a platform and publishing a product roadmap clearly says "Elvis has left the building" and the show is already over! "But Wait!" - Apple has hit the canvas in the past- maybe, just maybe they can manage to get back up.

 

[Partron22]

maybe, just maybe they can mange to get back up.

Jobs returns from the grave?
Even he went flaky over phones towards the end.

 

[jasnw]

No middle ground ever for headless mac.

And this is what many of us still lurking on this thread are waiting to see - does Apple want to build computers for people who use computers for other than browsing or developing apps/content for the Apple mobile sheep. A clear signal to me will be if there is no attempt, or plan, to develop the headless desktop Mac beyond a pathetic Mini and an overpriced Pro. Perhaps, or even probably, Apple management doesn't care about anything that isn't aimed at keeping the money machine (those mobile-using sheep I mentioned) putting in their $1000 "quarters" and pulling the lever-arm. I'm ready to move elsewhere, but I'm hoping that someone at Apple decides that a headless line for computer users is worth pursuing. A year should tell us.

 

[Santabean2000]

And this is what many of us still lurking on this thread are waiting to see - does Apple want to build computers for people who use computers for other than browsing or developing apps/content for the Apple mobile sheep. A clear signal to me will be if there is no attempt, or plan, to develop the headless desktop Mac beyond a pathetic Mini and an overpriced Pro. Perhaps, or even probably, Apple management doesn't care about anything that isn't aimed at keeping the money machine (those mobile-using sheep I mentioned) putting in their $1000 "quarters" and pulling the lever-arm. I'm ready to move elsewhere, but I'm hoping that someone at Apple decides that a headless line for computer users is worth pursuing. A year should tell us.

Tim only looks at spreadsheets. On paper the mini is a perpetual non-starter.

 

[scoobs69]

Looking at the front page of MacRumors doesn't give me confidence Apple has much interest in their computer offereings. It's all about the iPhone and iPad - aside from one bit about an OSX update.

 

[fastasleep]

Tim only looks at spreadsheets. On paper the mini is a perpetual non-starter.

I don’t think Cook would’ve replied to the email, much use the words “going forward” if there wasn’t a new mini coming. I think we see an update this fall alongside other Mac updates. The one other factor is that they allegedly are working on new displays as they mentioned when discussing rethinking the Mac Pro. There’s not much reason those would take until 2019 to figure out, so maybe they’re coming this year? They may have timed a new mini release to sell alongside new displays, which also would look great alongside new MacBooks. The main thing is I would find it a marketing problem for them to push out minis and not selling a current display.

“While it is not time to share any details, we do plan for Mac mini to be an important part of our product line going forward.”

 

[Count Blah]

I don’t think Cook would’ve replied to the email, much use the words “going forward” if there wasn’t a new mini coming...

“While it is not time to share any details, we do plan for Mac mini to be an important part of our product line going forward.”

Yes, they plan to milk it for as long as they can.

Want proof? last updated in 2014, and that was a downgrade to begin with. As long as costs are low, it still sells some, and ticks some checkbox on the category matrix, it continues on.

The disdain is palpable

 

[Miat]

Want proof? last updated in 2014, and that was a downgrade to begin with.

They did upgrade the TB port (to TB2, and added one more), WiFi to a/c, and the iGPU to HD5000 or Iris5100 depending on the model.

But otherwise, yeah, not a very impressive 'upgrade' overall, especially the lack of a quad version (just in case you have never heard me mention that before ).

 

[Micky Do]

They did upgrade the TB port (to TB2, and added one more), WiFi to a/c, and the iGPU to HD5000 or Iris5100 depending on the model.

But otherwise, yeah, not a very impressive 'upgrade' overall, especially the lack of a quad version (just in case you have never heard me mention that before ).

Thus 2014 was a small upgrade.... maybe more a modernising..... plus a price drop for the bottom of the range (sneered at by geeks, but adequate for the average Joe or Jill with basic needs), along with dropping the quad core top of the range (possibly because of lack of a suitable CPU that would fit).

The Mac Mini is not a powerhouse, and mostly never has been. It is, and will remain the cheapest Mac..... Need more grunt? There are other Macs which will be more suitable.

Supported by the latest MacOS, and will be so for several generations to come, the current offering is still a viable propsition for someone with basic desktop needs..... just as the MacBook Air remains a popular choice for those whose needs include portability. My needs have changed so am now considering one in addition to my Mac Mini.

USB C may be the way of the future, and it is the only choice on the higher order MacBooks, but it is far from universal. The latest iMacs still have USB 3 as well as USB C, which will likely be the case for some time to come. Expect the similar on a new Mac Mini.

The Mac Mini range is certainly in need of some modernisation to move with the times.... the new Mac Mini is almost certainly coming.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Man ... every time I jump into this thread I seriously need to cry. Nothing new from Apple regarding the Mac mini.

Mod's are you laughing at all of us participating in this thread?
Mod's is this thread the type whatever you want to almost come close to bending the sites rules?? Might as well be.

OP how on EARTH did you get so lucky with Macrumors longest surviving threads?! You're Jobs incognito are you not?!

 

[Miat]

While that comment was partly sarcastic given Apples approach to the Mac these past few years, and the 2014 Mac mini, i'm not kidding. I would expect people to have more than zero faith in them, you seem to have given up.
[doublepost=1531052475][/doublepost]
There was no news piece, I am saying there will be a new Mac Mini 'soon' and it will be quad-core.

You can choose to believe me or you can choose to call me delirious as you have done.
I honestly don't care, although maybe an apology would be nice when you're proven wrong. Or just an acknowledgement that you were wrong.

Do you have inside info the rest of us don't?

Very easy to come on here anonymously and say it is going to happen, without offering any proof. That is exactly how this thread started 517 pages and almost 5 years ago, and all we have seen since then is the anaemic 2014 'upgrade'.

The history of it all does not currently favour your claim. I don't think you can deny that.

Are you prepared to acknowledge and apologise if you are wrong? Say by the end of July 2019? I think that generously covers 'soon', in this context.

We are not talking a revolutionary product or advance here, just a decent specs bump to bring the existing Mini form up to date (including a quad option).

That Apple have not done so is clearly a free choice, not something forced upon them. Basically a marketing decision to kill competition from below for the iMacs, but one – I believe – that is very poorly thought through for the longer term.

 

[Neodym]

I don't think it's to protect the iMac. It's rather a wrong extrapolation of the computer market on Apple's part:

• They expected that everything would go mobile and (nearly) noone within their target group(s) would ask for desktop machines really.
• Or maybe they thought an iMac could cover the remaining desktop fanatics (hence no nMP refresh).
• Or they would be able to switch everyone and his dog to an iPad as desktop computer replacement.
• Perhaps they had internal fightings about resource allocation between iOS & macOS departments. There are reports that bean counters have won a lot more influence since SJ passed away (unfortunately many of that breed can't understand that there are important aspects you can't put in numbers really).
• Perhaps aggressive investors influenced internal decisions more than known in public.

Whatever it was, it did hurt Apple's reputation seriously. And it lead them to some ... unexpected (for "younger" Apple) behaviour, such as admitting they took wrong decisions and announcing new products way ahead of time.

Looking at the big picture, I do tend to believe TC that the mini will play an important role in Apple's future plans and that a completely redesigned, modular MacPro will appear (there have been several suggestions as how Apple could approach this, including from myself).

So I'm giving Apple the benefit of doubt to walk their talk within the next 6-12 months (tops). Actually rather 3-6 months, as there need to be some serious announcements this fall (and then the complex mMP project could take its time until next year).

But even if Apple releases a flurry of new hardware in fall, including MacBook & mini, I'm sure that people will still complain about either or all of those (list not complete for sure):

• Price (e.g. if the mini would really act as a basis for upgrades converting it to a MacPro)
• (Perceived) lack of ports
• Lack of Intel CPU inside (I'm convinced Apple will introduce an entry platform based on Ax chips in the not-too-distant future, making its debut in mini and/or MacBook, which could easily share a platform)
• Concept change (e.g. the future mini being merely a glorified docking station for an iDevice)

 

[leo-tech]

They expected that everything would go mobile and (nearly) none within their target group(s) would ask for desktop machines really

It is hard to believe they could be that shortsighted, if not plain stupid.

 

[Miat]

I find it difficult to believe that nobody in Apple's decision making level said why the eff are we abandoning the pro users? That must have been discussed at least a few times since the 2013 nMP. Surely they did not release it, and then just abandon it, with no ideas or intentions to follow up and keep developing that end at least, even if they ignore the Mini end?

The way they have stiffed their pro user base in particular just blows my mind, and makes me concerned about their judgement. It is one of the most reckless things I have ever seen a major IT company do. During the cheese grater period they had virtually the whole field of audio-visual, graphics, design, etc, in the palm of their hand, and could have owned them forever, but instead just let them slip through their fingers.

Apple can't possibly plead lack of resources or knowledge. So what the heck were they thinking? There is literally no explanation I have heard or can think of that can even remotely justify it.

Looking at the big picture, I do tend to believe TC that the mini will play an important role in Apple's future plans and that a completely redesigned, modular MacPro will appear

I think that is quite plausible, given Apple are serious about remaining competitive in this segment of the market, which frankly is an unanswered question at this point in time.

They have to come up with something to differentiate, and a tightly integrated modular system, that really did allow serious flexibility and expansion as and when required, might just do it.

But they need to get it out soon and make sure it does the job properly. They have already badly burned their pro users, and those guys will not let it happen twice.

And if those guys leave, we can kiss goodbye to any Mini.

 

[triptolemus]

Looking at the big picture, I do tend to believe TC that the mini will play an important role in Apple's future plans

It may - and I think it will, too. The problem is that they will likely continue with the soldered on parts; non user-upgradable nonsense. That's a non-starter. Any value added to the mini by processor and GPU bumps will be stripped away by insane prices for soldered on, glued on Apple "upgrades". That's a non-starter. $300 to get to 16GB of soldered RAM is ludicrous.

But we're all just saying the same things over and over at this point...

 

[Miat]

$300 to get to 16GB of soldered RAM is ludicrous.

Yeah, I am fed up with the gouging.

 

[masterbaron]

I don't know about you guys but if Apple walked away from the Entertainment and Arts industry, music and corporate industries and failed to support gaming en mass then anything is possible - add to that no published roadmap and they don't have to own up to anything.

That's Apple courage!!

We'll just wait for Apple to do something epic again only to question why they made another halting attempt at being meaningful in the headless space.

This is our shame!!

 

[philipma1957]

It may - and I think it will, too. The problem is that they will likely continue with the soldered on parts; non user-upgradable nonsense. That's a non-starter. Any value added to the mini by processor and GPU bumps will be stripped away by insane prices for soldered on, glued on Apple "upgrades". That's a non-starter. $300 to get to 16GB of soldered RAM is ludicrous.

But we're all just saying the same things over and over at this point...

I moved on to the lenovo m700 and m710 tiny as they are good machines.
I7 6700 t in the m700 I7 7700t in the 710 both machines can use 32gb ram and both machine have an m2 slot and a sata slot. micron makes a good 2tb ssd . So my goto little machines that do some real work are the lenovo machines.

My 1 dead 2011 mac mini sits in a box. I will give it away for parts if you are in the usa and pay me 25 usd to ship.

I do have 2 2012 mac minis with 2tb micron ssds attached via usb3 they have 16gb ram they blog on macrumors bitcointalk and are used to shop on the net along with some banking. And they have some bitcoin wallets as they are easy to back up.
I also have a 2014 base mac mini that internet blogs.

 

[Neodym]

It is hard to believe they could be that shortsighted, if not plain stupid.

Easy: If you're a bean counter by heart, you simply look at the numbers. Desktop machine numbers (especially for nMP & mini) were small and shrinking, when compared to the iDevice numbers.

On management level there usually is little time to understand the hidden dependencies and other "fine print". You look at the numbers and listen to internal consultants / product representatives. If the latter contradict, you weigh the numbers stronger and suddenly it makes no sense to invest into products that only contribute small figures to your earnings - ON PAPER!

Apple is infamous for fostering internal competition to a pretty extensive degree, so the iDevice representatives will have played the figures according to their agenda.

For the mac representatives it is harder to argue (due to sheer numbers - ON PAPER) and they also f*d up in market development prediction.

So it took a massive backlash from the markets, press and user outcries to be eventually noticed by top management (namely TC). And when (t)he(y) recognized that 1-2 years ago, (t)he(y) couldn't decide instantly. Instead, new calculations and decision studies had to be made and after that the engineers needed time to do a proper job.

A company like Apple is a big tanker, not a speedboat. Takes time to adjust plannings, when you plan years ahead. And it also takes time to execute complex designs, where you had previously dragged your feet for a long time.

 

[masterbaron]

So it took a massive backlash from the markets, press and user outcries to be eventually noticed by top management (namely TC). And when (t)he(y) recognized that 1-2 years ago, (t)he(y) couldn't decide instantly. Instead, new calculations and decision studies had to be made and after that the engineers needed time to do a proper job.

I think pure fantasy.

After Steve ... Apple attempts to be innovative (IVE) and when that is ho-hum (TouchBar) they go "Disruptive" like a spoiled child ... Nooo - I see a mind-set very similar to "You'll take it and like it" - "because we're Apple!"

It makes good business sense sense to do what you do well while you research innovation - but continue to do what you do well (MagSafe)!!

A computer is not rocket science - wringing out every mm of space in design and the last dollar out of our pocket is!

 

[Neodym]

I think pure fantasy.

Pure reality in huge companies, unfortunately.

 

[masterbaron]

Pure reality in huge companies, unfortunately

Not doubting that at all - I just don't believe the reason applies to Apple. They have to be cognizant of the technology and the industry - they could have delivered logical, progressive improvements all the while.

I believe they got drunk on their own cool aid - trying to force epic change in a standardized model that makes sense for most people. I believe they want to revolutionize with every iteration which has it's obstacles instead of just extending existing capabilities - probably the vision of one egotistical individual who wields considerable clout (Tim nods his head) but not enough practical concern for anything he's not getting credit for.

Frankly, mobility is what sells to the current generation ... those who are most likely to indiscriminately drop their money to remain meaningful whereas those who find comfort in static platforms appear like old bankers with green visors and shirt sleeve protectors.

 

[Count Blah]

The Mac Mini is not a powerhouse, and mostly never has been.

No, the option existed in the 2012 model, to make it TOO powerful for Apple. So it had to be neutered.

 

[dogslobber]

Tim only looks at spreadsheets. On paper the mini is a perpetual non-starter.

Which computer does he run his spreadsheet on? A Mini?

 

[Partron22]

Tim must have completely transitioned to an iPad by now.
He's likely got the Keyboard, Pen, and beta test version mouse for it. Likely an SSD slot w 512gB.
-No computers allowed in his office.