The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

[Spectrum]

Apple would have been updating the Mac mini if they intended a future for it. They're probably going to completely change and rebrand the mini. I don't think anyone here will be happy with the changes, they will be intended for new customers. What if the new Mac mini is iOS-only but it runs a version of iOS that supports keyboard/trackpad and it can run Xcode?

Much as I wouldn't like it (yet), part of me sees this as being more likely...why else would there be this 4 year delay? Software will be the key thing if they go iOS (obviously). If it was a (very) fast system and came with the ability to emulate MacOS (for occasional tasks until that software gets re-written) perhaps it could even work for me...

 

[tubular]

It’s very easy to explain why the Mac mini went unimproved for four years without hypothesizing grand architectural changes. They ignored it because they didn’t understand it because they don’t understand the headless desktop. Same reason explains the 2014 Mac mini lobotomy: they didn’t know what people use the mini for, guessed, and guessed wrong.

 

[Ursadorable]

Honestly, if there's no new Mac Mini, I don't know what I'm going to do.

I'll never buy an iMac, and I hate Windows.. Hackintosh is not a valid option.. so it may be time to look at Linux and crossover for the adobe suite.

 

[Lammers]

Well after four years of no updates, what are consumers otherwise expected to assume? This isn't some charity event where we're expected to wait until Apple is ready to talk. To ignore your customers for four years is just disrespectful. I think it's entirely reasonable for a customer at this point to allow Apple up to October 30 to demonstrate that they are going to update the Mac mini or to start looking for alternatives elsewhere.

The problem with Apple is that they find it acceptable to ignore customers and don't seem to realise just how underhand that is. It is the only reason they had to apologise for the delayed Mac Pro – because they decided to insult the professional community by remaining silent. Their apology was actually for remaining silent, not for the delays, because that's what forced professional users to start thinking about moving away from the Mac platform.

It's a culture of arrogance instilled by Steve Jobs which still permeates throughout the company. You just need to witness how they deal with your bug reports to see their culture of arrogance in action.

People are judged by their actions. I don't care if they need to ignore bug reports to avoid promising something that can't be delivered. It is not hard for an engineer to acknowledge to us that a bug is being investigated and to let us know when a bug we've filed is fixed or can't be fixed. I manage a SaaS platform for Agile devs. I would be slaughtered by users if I chose to ignore their bug reports like Apple does. Remind me again why Apple gets away with it and I can't?

This is a serious problem with Apple and it's pissing off many of us within the pro community. So mark me unsurprised to see Apple remaining as silent as day one on the status of the Mac mini. The only thing we've heard is from Tim Cook and Phil Schiller to let us know "it's an important product". Don't forget Tim Cook mentioned that one year ago. Unless their entire engineering organisation left all at once, what possible justification have they got for this ridiculous delay? Had it ever taken Apple four years to update Mac hardware under Steve Jobs?

That all assumes that the average Mac mini consumer knows anything about the update cycle, or in any way perceives that they are being disrespected in the way you describe, or even knows that the October 30 event is happening and that it's something to wait for. And I'm not convinced that any of that is true. After all, people still come to this and other Apple forums to proudly post "I just bought a Mac mini!".

For Mac mini "enthusiasts" (as I guess I would refer to people on this forum), yes, as you say, it's likely that a good chunk of them will treat this as Apple's last chance. But also I imagine this isn't the first time this conversation has been had in the last 575 pages and yet we're all still here. So if Apple doesn't reveal that "knockout" Mini on October 30, then it's also likely that a good chunk of people will just assume that it's not ready yet but that it's still almost certainly coming and go on waiting for the next Apple event announcement.

My point is that it's not as binary as claimed. It's clearly ridiculous to say that it's "the final nail in the coffin for Mac hardware" if Apple doesn't release that knockout mini next week.

As for Apple's institutional arrogance, yes, plenty of evidence for that!
[doublepost=1540227460][/doublepost]

It’s very easy to explain why the Mac mini went unimproved for four years without hypothesizing grand architectural changes. They ignored it because they didn’t understand it because they don’t understand the headless desktop. Same reason explains the 2014 Mac mini lobotomy: they didn’t know what people use the mini for, guessed, and guessed wrong.

Personally I think it's more likely that they ignored it because the revenue from it is so immaterial to them, and the market for "headless desktop" is shrinking, that it just wasn't worthy of their time and attention.

 

[Cape Dave]

Apple would have been updating the Mac mini if they intended a future for it. They're probably going to completely change and rebrand the mini. I don't think anyone here will be happy with the changes, they will be intended for new customers. What if the new Mac mini is iOS-only but it runs a version of iOS that supports keyboard/trackpad and it can run Xcode?

I, and I think others, have been very fearful of this very thing. It is not out of the question at all. As long as they give the mouse/keyboard/trackpad feature to the iPad at the same time, I WILL BE HAPPY I left the mini long ago for better faster upgrade able pastures. Not sure I could go back no matter what they do. I have 25 years experience with Windows and get around it pretty good

 

[opeter]

Apple would have been updating the Mac mini if they intended a future for it. They're probably going to completely change and rebrand the mini. I don't think anyone here will be happy with the changes, they will be intended for new customers. What if the new Mac mini is iOS-only but it runs a version of iOS that supports keyboard/trackpad and it can run Xcode?

That can posibbly happen. Wouldn't really be a big surprise.

 

[spacebro]

I, and I think others, have been very fearful of this very thing. It is not out of the question at all. As long as they give the mouse/keyboard/trackpad feature to the iPad at the same time, I WILL BE HAPPY I left the mini long ago for better faster upgrade able pastures. Not sure I could go back no matter what they do. I have 25 years experience with Windows and get around it pretty good

This is the only way I can understand what they are talking about with the usb-c 4k output support. Airplay 2 can already drive 4k playback without needing to plug in a cable, so it doesn't make sense to hype that this will now be possible over usb-c.

 

[Ursadorable]

What if the new Mac mini is iOS-only but it runs a version of iOS that supports keyboard/trackpad and it can run Xcode?

So, that would be like writing a BASIC interpreter in BASIC? No thanks! lol

 

[NyUC]

As someone who went from MacBook Pro to iMac, used it for 7 (!) years, lost patience in late summer, bought a NUC 8 VR, realized Windows remains, at times, as clunky as I remember it from the Windows XP days, I am hopeful for October 30. Dedicated graphics is a lot to ask for, and modular would be wild yet unlikely, but I am itching to unhook this machine and fling it onto eBay. If only Apple would make it expandable enough so I can do something with the 970 EVO NVMe drive.

 

[Micky Do]

Apple would have been updating the Mac mini if they intended a future for it. They're probably going to completely change and rebrand the mini. I don't think anyone here will be happy with the changes, they will be intended for new customers. What if the new Mac mini is iOS-only but it runs a version of iOS that supports keyboard/trackpad and it can run Xcode?

That can posibbly happen. Wouldn't really be a big surprise.

That can't possibly happen...... Won't really be a big surprise.

The new Mac Mini will almost certainly be an update on the modest consumer machine it is, with something of a nod to pro users. Maybe, as with iMac and MacBook, it will top out with a Mac Mini Pro. Being a Mac it will run MacOS.

We will almost certainly know for sure on 30 Oct.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Apple would have been updating the Mac mini if they intended a future for it. They're probably going to completely change and rebrand the mini. I don't think anyone here will be happy with the changes, they will be intended for new customers. What if the new Mac mini is iOS-only but it runs a version of iOS that supports keyboard/trackpad and it can run Xcode?

The mini already runs a version of iOS that supports keyboard/trackpad and runs Xcode. It’s called MacOS.

iOS is the touch-based OS. If Apple transitions from Intel to their own AX processors, that processor will run an ARM version of MacOS.

Not to worry

 

[redheeler]

The mini already runs a version of iOS that supports keyboard/trackpad and runs Xcode. It’s called MacOS.

MacOS is not "a version of iOS". It actually started out the other way around, but with plenty of fundamental differences to separate the two, and both have been maintained separately ever since.

This is why bringing iOS APIs to MacOS (so iOS apps can be ported over without having to maintain two separate codebases) has been such a challenge for Apple.

 

[PickUrPoison]

MacOS is not "a version of iOS". It actually started out the other way around, but with plenty of fundamental differences to separate the two, and both have been maintained separately ever since.

This is why bringing iOS APIs to MacOS (so iOS apps can be ported over without having to maintain two separate codebases) has been such a challenge for Apple.

I guess you missed the joke, of course iOS is a fork of MacOS. The point is, the mini is no more going to run iOS, than iPad is going to run MacOS.

Anyway, they share a lot of frameworks and kernel code as I understand it. The UI is completely different, sure, but they’re much alike. I don’t think anyone outside of Apple knows the percentage of common codebase, maybe I’m wrong.

 

[opeter]

We will almost certainly know for sure on 30 Oct.

That's right. No objection there.

 

[Boil]

i9 9900K CPU
32GB DDR4 (3200/14) RAM (2 @ 16GB DIMMs)
2TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Vega 64 w/8GB RAM

US$2.999.99

Sounds like the new 2018 Mac Mini Pro to me...!?!

Or, an ARM-based system, but still with a Vega GPU (probably of the 56 variant)...?!?

 

[Spectrum]

i9 9900K CPU
32GB DDR4 (3200/14) RAM (2 @ 16GB DIMMs)
2TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Vega 64 w/8GB RAM

US$2.999.99

Sounds like the new 2018 Mac Mini Pro to me...!?!

Or, an ARM-based system, but still with a Vega GPU (probably of the 56 variant)...?!?

I think I might buy that...although I'd prefer to upgrade the RAM and SSDs myself from a <£1500 base price

 

[spacebro]

The mini already runs a version of iOS that supports keyboard/trackpad and runs Xcode. It’s called MacOS.

iOS is the touch-based OS. If Apple transitions from Intel to their own AX processors, that processor will run an ARM version of MacOS.

Not to worry

There already is non-touch iOS, its on Apple TV. They're going to rebrand it "apple desktop" or something. Why else would they hype 4k output over usb-c?

 

[Solomani]

I wonder if they may ever bring back the Apple Cinema Display.

 

[PickUrPoison]

There already is non-touch iOS, its on Apple TV. They're going to rebrand it "apple desktop" or something. Why else would they hype 4k output over usb-c?

I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you referring to your earlier idea about Apple using iOS on the mini?

And what’s this hyping 4K over usb-c you’re talking about? The MacBook has done that since 2015, MBP since 2016 and iMac since 2017... but I guess I missed out on the “hype”. Are you referring to the iPad?

 

[spacebro]

I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you referring to your earlier idea about Apple using iOS on the mini?

And what’s this hyping 4K over usb-c you’re talking about? The MacBook has done that since 2015, MBP since 2016 and iMac since 2017... but I guess I missed out on the “hype”. Are you referring to the iPad?

Yeah, they're probably about to add trackpad/keyboard support to iOS and merge tvOS into iOS.

 

[Lammers]

Yeah, they're probably about to add trackpad/keyboard support to iOS and merge tvOS into iOS.

iOS already has keyboard support, and already has trackpad-type modes using the keyboard.

Why would Apple merge tvOS into iOS? Don’t think that makes any sense.
[doublepost=1540324572][/doublepost]

I wonder if they may ever bring back the Apple Cinema Display.

Bring back the previous products? No. But they have said they are doing an Apple display.
[doublepost=1540324729][/doublepost]

There already is non-touch iOS, its on Apple TV. They're going to rebrand it "apple desktop" or something. Why else would they hype 4k output over usb-c?

Rebrand what “apple desktop”?

It seems fairly obvious to me that 4K output over USB-C from iPad - assuming that’s what you’re referring to - is for the purpose of sending 4K video content to 4K displays.
[doublepost=1540324874][/doublepost]

This is the only way I can understand what they are talking about with the usb-c 4k output support. Airplay 2 can already drive 4k playback without needing to plug in a cable, so it doesn't make sense to hype that this will now be possible over usb-c.

Er, isn’t it obvious that being able to do it over a cable is to support scenarios where AirPlay isn’t an option?

And what “hype” are you referring to.

The Mac mini is not going to run iOS.

 

[leo-tech]

"Actually, there is a new Mac mini - but it is only available to Apple employees. In April 2018 Popular Science wrote about Apple's recycling efforts and revealed that Apple has made Mac minis out of the aluminium from recycled iPhone 6 handsets, you won't be able to get your hands on one though - unless you work in Apple's headquarters..."

New Mac mini release date, price, features, specs
https://www.macworld.co.uk/news/mac/mac-mini-2018-3472956

 

[PickUrPoison]

i9 9900K CPU
32GB DDR4 (3200/14) RAM (2 @ 16GB DIMMs)
2TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Vega 64 w/8GB RAM

US$2.999.99

Sounds like the new 2018 Mac Mini Pro to me...!?!

Or, an ARM-based system, but still with a Vega GPU (probably of the 56 variant)...?!?

Sounds like about 300 Watts (min) to me, and it’s too early for ARM.

That’s not a mini; the power supply alone would probably be twice the size of the current mini.

 

[Boil]

Sounds like about 300 Watts (min) to me, and it’s too early for ARM.

That’s not a mini; the power supply alone would probably be twice the size of the current mini.

Mo, it is not a Mac Mini...

It is a Mac Mini PRO...

 

[PickUrPoison]

Mo, it is not a Mac Mini...

It is a Mac Mini PRO...

Sounds like a Mac Pro, will it be in the same cylindrical form factor?