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2011 Mac Mini - Speculation

I'm rather disappointed there was no Mac Mini refresh with this week's iMac update. That probably means it's at least 1-2 months out (as they wouldn't announce new desktops this week and new ones the week after).

A Sandy Bridge i5/i7 (the 13" MBP has an i7 option) w/ 8GB+ of RAM and an OCZ Vertex 3 SSD would be just about perfect for me.
 
Lesser Evets said:
If they put in Sandy bridge, I think the price of the mini will jump up a hundred or more. It would bring amazing speed making the mini about as fast as this 2006 tower I have, and it would bring the versatile and awesome Thunderbolt. It'd make sense, but it would raise the price.

I'm hoping 1TB drives are universal at the base, 2TB custom.
Sandy Bridge.
Thunderbolt.
$799
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Please, no! The price went up $100 with the last refresh and that's too high.
 
Lesser Evets said:
If they put in Sandy bridge, I think the price of the mini will jump up a hundred or more.
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I don't see that happening. The 13" MBP stayed the same price when it was updated, despite the same performance leap. If anything, I think the new mini will be cheaper.
 
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As long as there is a 2.2 GHz or greater quad core i7 option I will snag one, otherwise I'll be sticking with my current set up until Ivy Bridge comes out.
 
ZRD said:
As long as there is a 2.2 GHz or greater quad core i7 option I will snag one, otherwise I'll be sticking with my current set up until Ivy Bridge comes out.
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Good luck with that. They want to hold the price and specs lower to not overshadow their iMac serie. SB Dualcore is already a huge performance boost over C2D. So I think the next update over SB Dualcore will be the SB Quadcore and after that they will probably start with Ivy Bridge.

*A Quadcore MBP starts at 1,799. Doubt they will cut the price 500 to 800 Dollar/Euro only because there is no screen added. (Mac mini can't be more expensive than an iMac)
 
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Due to my budget I'm now looking at a MacMini and a $100 monitor from Wal-Mart.
Is there a chart on this thread of what we might see?
Does anyone think we might see two models like there used to be?
 
RAM most likely 4GB standard, up from 2GB
HD probably 500GB, up from 320GB. Might be an SSD option as well.
 
Hellhammer said:
Which leads to "xMac" discussion that has been beaten to death. Apple hasn't shown any interest on mid-tower, their desktop lineup is doing pretty strong without it.
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Umm Do you remember when PowerMac G4'S where $1499 or so? I do and I miss those days...
You had the best of both worlds expandability for a REASONABLE price.
 
MCIowaRulz said:
Umm Do you remember when PowerMac G4'S where $1499 or so? I do and I miss those days...
You had the best of both worlds expandability for a REASONABLE price.
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Oh how I wish Apple would go back to the G4 days. Those G4 machines had amazing lifespans with the upgrades, some of the dual G4 processors were better than early G5s!
 
MCIowaRulz said:
Umm Do you remember when PowerMac G4'S where $1499 or so? I do and I miss those days...
You had the best of both worlds expandability for a REASONABLE price.
Click to expand...

That is what I am using. A PowerMac G4. The MacPro is just too big and for what I do is overkill. But the mini isn't enough. But it is getting awful tough to do anything on the G4 anymore. Just too old and newer software won't run on it. And it is slow.

Apple could put the guts of the iMac into a mid sized case big enough for two hard drives and an optical drive, make it easy to get into and I would gladly pay $1500 for it. Apple would be making a tighty profit since they wouldn't be supplying a built in monitor that costs them a good chunk of money.

If the next mini isn't an improvement in internal expandability over the current one I will be thinking seriously of switching to Windows. It is sad that Apple demands $2499 for any expansion capability.
 
G4er? said:
If the next mini isn't an improvement in internal expandability over the current one I will be thinking seriously of switching to Windows. It is sad that Apple demands $2499 for any expansion capability.
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I understand the desire to have everything in one box, but using ThunderHead®, external drives will be as fast as internal drives. Do you really need more than the 8GB memory capacity of the Mac mini? What else do you want to expand? A mini with a couple of external drives takes up a whole lot less space beside your desk than a tower. And I assume you know the current mini is like, three times faster than your old G4 tower.

I used to hope for a mid-Mac myself but no longer see the need.
 
I really hope they throw a Quad Core BTO option order maybe at least with the server model. And that makes sense for the market they are going for with the server.

I know at my work the SB two core model wouldn't be enough speed. We just order and installed a bunch of Xserves as we had been designing and plan a bunch of server set ups, and just as we were ordering the final Xserves so everything was online, Apple announced they were cutting the computer from their products. This means in the future we'll need to replace the set up with either the Mac Pro or the Mac mini, if it gets a quad model, is a much more do able option in the future(although still unlikely unless software becomes efficient in comparison to the hardware)
 
G4er? said:
That is what I am using. A PowerMac G4. The MacPro is just too big and for what I do is overkill. But the mini isn't enough. But it is getting awful tough to do anything on the G4 anymore. Just too old and newer software won't run on it. And it is slow.

Apple could put the guts of the iMac into a mid sized case big enough for two hard drives and an optical drive, make it easy to get into and I would gladly pay $1500 for it. Apple would be making a tighty profit since they wouldn't be supplying a built in monitor that costs them a good chunk of money.

If the next mini isn't an improvement in internal expandability over the current one I will be thinking seriously of switching to Windows. It is sad that Apple demands $2499 for any expansion capability.
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The problem with that is people who could go either way (build in model or tower and buy an external monitor(or use an old one) could go to the less profitable model. (so most likely the not iMac one, as a user wouldn't have to pay for a screen even if they need one)
 
Seeing the 27" iMac specs, makes me want. I will hold out until they release the 2011 mini and hopefully there will be a quad core option including at least one Thunderbolt hopefully two in the mini server. I wouldn't mind getting Lion OSX for waiting either, but my G5 dual core can't keep up with today's demanding processes any longer and my software continually is growing obsolete.

I'll opt for the iMac just to keep working efficiently if mini disappoints, even though I don't need or want a glossy display. Lol
 
zap2 said:
The problem with that is people who could go either way (build in model or tower and buy an external monitor(or use an old one) could go to the less profitable model. (so most likely the not iMac one, as a user wouldn't have to pay for a screen even if they need one)
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The problem with the current line up is there is nothing that fits my needs. I'm not asking for the moon. A simple computer that has some easy to access internal space for two hard drives and an optical drive that allows me to continue to use the existing monitor I have already purchased.
Apple wants to be thought of as being green. Heck even Al Gore is on the board. But what the heck is green about having to buy more than I need (built in monitor) when I have one that works?
Apple wants people to switch to Mac. I have never owned anything but Mac but I am close to switching the other way.
 
I just read a neat write up over at appleinsider.. a source says that all mac distribution chains are drawing down supplies and preparing for new inventories of updated apples.:) To prevent mild cannibalism due to the ipad2.. we may all be pleasantly supplied with better macs in the coming month or two. I'm excited about thunderbolt and 4cores, for sure.
 
srf4real said:
I just read a neat write up over at appleinsider.. a source says that all mac distribution chains are drawing down supplies and preparing for new inventories of updated apples.:) To prevent mild cannibalism due to the ipad2.. we may all be pleasantly supplied with better macs in the coming month or two. I'm excited about thunderbolt and 4cores, for sure.
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Are you talking about the so-called speculation by that Wu guy? Wasn't he on Deadwood?

Speaking of iPad, even though Macs are still a large percentage of Apple's sales, sometimes I think Apple wishes the iPad would kill the Mac so they could put all their R&D into the iPad. Lately, all of their advertising sure points that way. I wish Apple would forget the iPad and put all their R&D back into Macs, but that's just me. :)
 
MacMini_Srvr_2011.png


Voilà! Two Thunderbolt ports!

(credit to arkmannj for the image)
 
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