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Waiting to pull the trigger on Mac Mini 2011 Refresh, this Feb
- Thread starter whocaresit
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Previously I was hopeful about updates same time as the iMac's, but now I suspect it could be quite a wait.
Just checking the MacRumors Buyers Guide shows the MacBook now at 353 days since an update, with its update-average 195 days. Mini on 325 days, average 248. If they can neglect the more popular MacBook & get away with it by seeing presumably decent enough ongoing sales, they'll almost certainly do so with Mini.
This is Apple we're talking about. It makes no difference that no PC company could pull this rip-off c-rap & survive. Apple have no hardware competitors with OS X. Besides, they've done it before with the GMA950 Mini, which wasn't updated for far longer.
I'm now prepared to wait longer than I'd like, but if there's nothing in a few weeks time, I'll probably look at a refurb or a cheaper Mini on eBay.
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both the macbook and mac mini are the 'awkward child' in the current lineup. Both using older processors and old architectures. The question for apple is if/when they can update the architectures to the core 'i' series chips for an acceptable cost and/or heat/power limit.
Considering you can get really budget i3 laptops these days, I'd think that'd be fairly easy for them. However perhaps this is an opportunity for Apple to consider whether they even *want* a macbook anymore, or a mini.
I think you have a point with the white MacBook, which increasingly looks like a design maverick alongside all the aluminium Macs. But I'd be very surprised & greatly disappointed if they also canned the Mini after giving it a new slimmer design only last year.
That doesn't mean to say I don't think they'll neglect it as regards future updates; I think they will, relatively speaking. But if they canned it, I could see a fair few people who can't stand glossy screens eventually saying goodbye to Apple. FWIW, me too, as much as I'd regret it!
New Mac Pro
In my opinion, with the removal of the XServer Line and the mention around the Mac Sites that the Mac Pro may change Form Factor, I'm looking forward to seeing a possibility of replacing my 2010 Mac Mini with one of these new form factor Mac Pros. There are talks of it being smaller and Rack Mountable to replace the XServers. It will be an interesting couple of Months for sure. In addition, if you are in the market for a new Mac it just seems logical to me to wait for OSX 10.7 Lion to be included....
In my opinion, with the removal of the XServer Line and the mention around the Mac Sites that the Mac Pro may change Form Factor, I'm looking forward to seeing a possibility of replacing my 2010 Mac Mini with one of these new form factor Mac Pros. There are talks of it being smaller and Rack Mountable to replace the XServers. It will be an interesting couple of Months for sure. In addition, if you are in the market for a new Mac it just seems logical to me to wait for OSX 10.7 Lion to be included....
well waiting seems to be the best idea for now. I am looking forward to the lion roaring in July!
Mac Mini waiting on Cinema displays and Lion?
Far be for me to even try to outguess Apple, but maybe they're waiting on a refresh of Cinema displays with Thunderbolt, and release of Lion (for the server capabilities)? Snow Leopard server is pretty long in the tooth as it is, so introducing a new mini with the same OS just seems like bad form
Far be for me to even try to outguess Apple, but maybe they're waiting on a refresh of Cinema displays with Thunderbolt, and release of Lion (for the server capabilities)? Snow Leopard server is pretty long in the tooth as it is, so introducing a new mini with the same OS just seems like bad form
Hoping for i5 Quad core sandy bridge, SSD -64GB as standard in new mac minis ... don't really need a lot of storage ... just get an external hard drive for your movies and music and all that shiz ...
definitely wait and see here
Just a waiting game now.
Been pretty much on my iPad 95% of the time since I got it a month ago. The iMac is barely turned on, except to access my screenwriting software and/or projects.
So it looks like the Mini for me since I'm not using the iMac anywhere near as much as I did even 5 weeks ago and that the iPad has solved my portability need.
Just a waiting game now.
Been pretty much on my iPad 95% of the time since I got it a month ago. The iMac is barely turned on, except to access my screenwriting software and/or projects.
So it looks like the Mini for me since I'm not using the iMac anywhere near as much as I did even 5 weeks ago and that the iPad has solved my portability need.
I see SSDs coming to the Mac Mini very soon though not quad core. i5 dual core seems more likely.
So the cheapest computers in Apple's lineup would be $1000(MBA)/1200(iMac)? That would be horrible.
The Mac Mini is in the current position because Apple is afraid to update it and lose iMac customers.
The iPad is less than that...and for many people's purposes, the iPad is all the computer they want or need.
I couldn't disagree more
Upgrading to an SSD when I bought my Mini almost two years ago was the single best computer upgrade I have ever done. It simply is a night and day difference, and I will never buy a computer without one - save on cpu or even gpu upgrades, but get the SSD...
I couldn't disagree more
Upgrading to an SSD when I bought my Mini almost two years ago was the single best computer upgrade I have ever done. It simply is a night and day difference, and I will never buy a computer without one - save on cpu or even gpu upgrades, but get the SSD...
I'm not talking about the actual benefit one would provide to people that know, I'm talking about the way Apple sell them to consumers. They don't go 'hey look SSD' on the MBA, they wrap it up in 'instant on' - you don't need to know or care about the tech involved.
For that reason I don't think they'd offer an SSD as standard in the mini as the 'instant on' isn't a problem needing to be solved. Doesn't stop them offering it as a BTO though.
The best way to lose a customer is to lose it to yourself. The worst way to lose a customer is to lose them to a competitor. Nothing wrong with cannibalising sales of a specific line if you keep the customer.
I don't want an iMac, I want a headless HTPC/server. There are plenty of people like me that want to use their own screens for their own needs. If Apple don't cater for us, we'll buy/build Windows 7 boxes and be done with it. Frankly the only thing stopping me at the moment is the lack of a Plex windows client.
I am hoping for the same. I want one to use as a music server. Nothing else will be on it, so SSD and sandy bridge would be perfect.
If you're going to use it as a music server, why not buy a refurbished 2009 one and put a bigger harddrive in it? Surely there's no need for a sandy bridge, let alone a quad core?
Exactly. Apple pretends there isn't a gap between the mini and the Pro. Or if it does acknowledge the gap it believes that the iMac is the answer for everything. Sorry Apple but that isn't true.
I'm using two low-end "white" Mac Minis as entertainment servers with Plex, and an 8 year old Dell Optiplex with iTunes as a music server. I have an additional mini with Snow Leopard Server used as a file server (it's got 4 external drives attached) among other server tasks.
In all of these cases they run fine with their standard processors, memory, and (except for the file server) original drives. The last thing I want is for mini to be upscaled. I'd like to see a low end version at the old $500 price. Their biggest replacement threat is a Shuttle PC running Windows 7 (except for the file server).
In all of these cases they run fine with their standard processors, memory, and (except for the file server) original drives. The last thing I want is for mini to be upscaled. I'd like to see a low end version at the old $500 price. Their biggest replacement threat is a Shuttle PC running Windows 7 (except for the file server).
not even that, find a 'crappy' core duo that someone is selling off cheap because they want to upgrade for plex etc. Just for file serving you need almost nothing CPU wise.
my 2GHz 2007 C2D plays 1080p in plex just about. I'd like more grunt for transcoding to apple TV clients and more headroom to avoid 1080p occasional stutters.