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The new Mac mini is almost certainly NOT coming
- Thread starter grcar
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Micky Do
macrumors 68020
Then I'd settle for a 2014 Mac Mini if I need to replace my 2009 model before the new Mac Mini, which is almost certainly coming, arrives on the market.
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Almost only counts with horseshoes and hand grendaes.
Crosscreek
macrumors 68030
It's a great satisfaction to build one from scratch. Nice job.🙂
Micky Do
macrumors 68020
I fail to see what horseshoes and hand grenades have to do with the Mac Mini, which came to be a dozen years ago, and its demise has been predicted for nearly a decade. Got some real smart cookies around here, for sure!
philipma1957
macrumors 604
Apple no longer supports the desktop. Was nice while they did.
The 2011 and 2012 quads were quality gear.
Now dell and hp make very good replacements same size and they can use i7 6700t cpus. Along with 2tb ssds.
I have a m700 a m900 and a dell opt. I am teaching myself linux. My distaste runs deep for Apple at this time. I really did not want to have to learn a new os and was perfectly content with 2011 or 2012 minis. Apple saw the state of intel cpus and realized no one had a need for the iMac. so they killed the mini and the mac pro to save the iMac. They also do not want to support desk os . I can not begin to say have sad I see this but I am just a guy in NJ USA typing on a key board.
The 2011 and 2012 quads were quality gear.
Now dell and hp make very good replacements same size and they can use i7 6700t cpus. Along with 2tb ssds.
I have a m700 a m900 and a dell opt. I am teaching myself linux. My distaste runs deep for Apple at this time. I really did not want to have to learn a new os and was perfectly content with 2011 or 2012 minis. Apple saw the state of intel cpus and realized no one had a need for the iMac. so they killed the mini and the mac pro to save the iMac. They also do not want to support desk os . I can not begin to say have sad I see this but I am just a guy in NJ USA typing on a key board.
jblagden
macrumors 65816
I'm in a similar situation. I really like the repairability and upgradability of my late 2011 13" MacBook Pro, and I can't stand the new Macs. So, I'm also teaching myself to use Linux. I still use my MacBook Pro and I just use Linux a little bit at a time, but I'm learning, little by little.
I've found that FOSS apps can actually sometimes be better than some commercial or mainstream apps. The one example I have of this is Thunderbird, which I think surpasses Apple's Mail.app with its integrated add-on support for things like contacts, calendar, and PGP.
We should compare notes sometime.
GoldfishRT
macrumors 6502a
While I'm disappointed there's no real 'high end' mini to speak of these days I think it's understandable why there isn't one even if I'm not happy with it. The mini has its fans (like this forum and myself) but even going back to 2005 the target audience of the mini is students, lower income households, or Apple fans who need a tertiary machine in the living room for guests to use or something.
We hear a lot of talk around the mini 'canabalizing sales'. I think it's worthwhile to consider that perhaps the finger is being pointed at the wrong device. I really don't think Apple is the slightest bit worried about the mini eating into sales of any of their other products as it's a very different device. In fact, along with the Mac Pro, it's one of their few computers that isn't completely integrated. The real pointing should be put towards the iPhone, iPad, and increasing mobile device segment. For $500-600 you can buy a fully integrated device, screen and all the fixings, that can do basic computing tasks, play games, listen to music, watch netflix, write an essay, and do so very well. TVs have integrated apps now and support storage media and can stream from other devices that can do all the same things.
The mini is a relic of old computing for better or worse. It's nothing to do with the worry of the mini canabalizing anything. It's that other devices have canalized the mini's market. There are increasingly fewer reasons for the mini to exist in the larger computing world.
I think it's more likely we'll get the Mac Pro and mini consolidated into a single product line than an update to either at this point. The only people who are going to be interested in either going forward are enthusiasts and those that prefer 'old' computing and have spent a load of cash on peripherals they want to keep making use of. I believe there's middle ground somewhere for the two products.
We hear a lot of talk around the mini 'canabalizing sales'. I think it's worthwhile to consider that perhaps the finger is being pointed at the wrong device. I really don't think Apple is the slightest bit worried about the mini eating into sales of any of their other products as it's a very different device. In fact, along with the Mac Pro, it's one of their few computers that isn't completely integrated. The real pointing should be put towards the iPhone, iPad, and increasing mobile device segment. For $500-600 you can buy a fully integrated device, screen and all the fixings, that can do basic computing tasks, play games, listen to music, watch netflix, write an essay, and do so very well. TVs have integrated apps now and support storage media and can stream from other devices that can do all the same things.
The mini is a relic of old computing for better or worse. It's nothing to do with the worry of the mini canabalizing anything. It's that other devices have canalized the mini's market. There are increasingly fewer reasons for the mini to exist in the larger computing world.
I think it's more likely we'll get the Mac Pro and mini consolidated into a single product line than an update to either at this point. The only people who are going to be interested in either going forward are enthusiasts and those that prefer 'old' computing and have spent a load of cash on peripherals they want to keep making use of. I believe there's middle ground somewhere for the two products.
jpietrzak8
macrumors 65816
The Mini is a very different device because Apple has designed it to be a very different device. If you check out modern SFF computers from other manufacturers, you'll find that they are very competitive with iMacs, both in terms of price and performance.
In my opinion, Apple only chose to create the Mini a decade ago because SFF machines were convenient for several situations where a classic desktop-size machine was inconvenient; but also, there was no way to cram enough features into any SFF-sized machine to allow it to compete with a standard desktop machine. Today, that is no longer true; and, therefore, Apple now has as much of an incentive to kill off the Mini as it did to kill off the Apple desktop tower machines.
That is, if you're going to buy an Apple computer for your desktop, you'd better be buying an iMac.
robotica
macrumors 65816
An IMac doesn't look good connected up to my tv though.
jpietrzak8
macrumors 65816
Honestly? An iMac doesn't look good connected up to anything. In trying to give it the iPhone style, they've made the device look ridiculous with any wires coming out of it or any boxes sitting next to it.
And, unfortunately, since it is totally un-expandable, you almost have to have boxes sitting next to it to get work done... 🙁
If it is true that the small headless desktop Mini-style segment of the computer market is dying, then why the recent explosion of such devices being offered by other manufacturers?
Not only does the compact headless computer not look like going away, it looks like becoming a core long-term player. Apple have just stopped competing in that market segment, and I think they will come to regret it.
I am actually quite pleased with how this market segment is developing, because it will make it a lot easier for me to transition away from Apple desktops if and when that time comes.
jpietrzak8
macrumors 65816
Hear, hear! Miniaturization is a core factor in the rise of personal computing; if you can fit a full-featured desktop PC into the space of an SFF box, I see no reason why you wouldn't want to do so. The SFF is, I think, likely to become the new standard form of the desktop PC. Far more flexible in use than an integrated machine (whether on the desktop, next to the TV, or for more esoteric purposes), and yet still capable of everything a PC can do, it really is the wave of the future.
Yep. The all-in-one form is cute, but not the best on engineering or economics.
Apple could still offer different SKUs of MacMini with, e.g., different number of TB3 ports.
A cheap one with just one TB3 port (to be plugged into a display that then offered USB3 etc.pp.), a middle tier one with two TB3 ports and a high-end one with three TB3 ports, capable of doing 3x4k (which Kaby Lake does, AFAIK). If they only offer TB3 (and audio), these should be cheap enough to make and still offer an attractive enough product to generate a nice margin for Apple. Even though they don't really sell displays anymore.
That said, does anybody know of any non-Apple Kaby Lake desktop that offers 3xTB3?
I have no interest at all in 3d stuff. I just need desktop real-estate for my terminal-windows and Sublime ;-)
A cheap one with just one TB3 port (to be plugged into a display that then offered USB3 etc.pp.), a middle tier one with two TB3 ports and a high-end one with three TB3 ports, capable of doing 3x4k (which Kaby Lake does, AFAIK). If they only offer TB3 (and audio), these should be cheap enough to make and still offer an attractive enough product to generate a nice margin for Apple. Even though they don't really sell displays anymore.
That said, does anybody know of any non-Apple Kaby Lake desktop that offers 3xTB3?
I have no interest at all in 3d stuff. I just need desktop real-estate for my terminal-windows and Sublime ;-)
Apple 26.2
macrumors 6502a
I hate to disagree, friend, but looks just fine as part of my media center. I'll be among those disappointed if Cupertino decided to get rid of the Mini.
jpietrzak8
macrumors 65816
Ah, I'm talking about the iMac, not the Mini. 😉 The Mini does fit neatly into many different situations, either on the desktop or next to a TV. The iMac, on the other hand, stands out like a sore thumb...
Apple 26.2
macrumors 6502a
Right you are, in both posts, my good friend... I will now <open mouth, insert digital foot>.
Go Dragons!
jblagden
macrumors 65816
That's where iTunes DRM really becomes a problem. If all or most of your media was DRM-free, you could just set up either a Nettop or a NUC as a HTPC.
If the Mac Mini is selling so poorly it doesn't make sense to have more SKUs. I would predict just 2 USB-C/TB3 ports but with 4 USB3 ports and a real Ethernet port taking up the remaining PCIe lanes. It would be nice to have a real HDMI port too. There's just no point for a desktop with plenty of room to have a pair of half speed USB-C ports when they could give users discrete ports they'd actually use.
To be more precise, both Kaby Lake and Skylake CPUs would have 12 PCIe lanes hanging off the CPU but Apple will probably stick with Skylake because they'll get economies of scale from buying for the Macbook Pros. The Kaby Lake models are launched and Apple would get a saving on not having to purchase additional USB-C controllers but I'm not sure they'd have the Mini leading the Macbook Pro in technology even if the laptops are expected to get these in October.
With 4 lanes each for 2 USB-C ports, they would split the remaining 4 lanes into 4xUSB3 ports, an Ethernet port, and a HDMI port alongside the expected Wifi/Bluetooth module and internal SSD/HD that would come off the (probably 8) motherboard lanes.
This would be a straight replacement for the 2 TB2 ports on the existing 2014 Mac Mini which were themselves replacements for the 1xTB1 and 1xFW800 ports on the 2012 Mini.
My only concern would be Apple deciding to go entirely with the 15w CPUs from the non-touchbar Macbook Pros which now has Iris Graphics 540 hanging off a 2GHz i5-6360U CPU.
Perhaps with the existing case we could see the Mini operating in turbo mode for longer than average (or quieter for longer) which for many people will be a quality of life increase.
Shadowauthor
macrumors newbie
So, is the general consensus that the Mac Mini will NOT be refreshed? I bought the base model last night at Best Buy as it was lowered to $399. This leads me to believe that either they are trying to get rid of stock because Apple is going to refresh, or Apple is discontinuing the line and they are selling off what they have left.
Oddly, Apple still has it at $499 on their site.
Thoughts?
Oddly, Apple still has it at $499 on their site.
Thoughts?
jasnw
macrumors 65816
I believe that the general consensus is we haven't a clue, but whatever happens will be bad. Interesting about Best Buy clearing inventory, however.
That's a great price. And for many tasks, the bottom tier Mac Mini is perfectly fine. The 1.4 ghz clock speed is deceiving. It is actually faster than the old 3 ghz core2duo (based on Geekbench scores).