2011 Mac Mini - Speculation

[Newfiebill]

No Brainer

They should just come out with the same hardware that is in the new iMac with CPUs up to 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 and AMD GPUs up to 2GB 6970 but with USB 3.0 ports along with one Thunderbolt port. I paid $99 for a 2TB Seagate ext USB 3.0 HDD back in Dec and it will be a long time before Thunderbolt ext HDD get to that price level so replace the USB 2.0 ports that are on the current Mini to 3.0 that also work with 2.0 devices.

I just don't understand why the Mac Pro has to be so over priced compared to the price of comparable computers, and please the OSX OS in not a viable reason. If Apple reduced the size of the Mac Pro and added the power of the new iMac (i7 SB & Graphics) and give it a good price point around $1,200.00/$1,400.00 then they would be able get rid of the Mini all together. It has been said that the Mini serves new Apple OS converters, I don't believe this for a second. Give me a really good computer at a reasonable price that I can upgrade some of the basic hardware (Drives, video & RAM is enough) and they would have a real winner. Apple, I am sure, would see a mass exodus from the Windows environment. Just my 2 Cents...

 

[firestarter]

I just don't understand why the Mac Pro has to be so over priced compared to the price of comparable computers, and please the OSX OS in not a viable reason.

The MacPro isn't overpriced. It uses server grade components, and it's pretty reasonable value given what's in it.

Your point is valid though. I'd be happy enough if Apple made an expandable headless computer using desktop grade components, which would weigh in a lot cheaper. At least with Thunderbolt, the iMac at last has some sort of high speed expandability.

 

[John.B]

And he finds the price point of the Mac Mini fine? I mean things will be better after the refresh, but you'll still be paying a premium for the hardware just because it's from Apple.

You can always go cheaper than Apple if that's the only decision criteria. Maybe not as much as it used to be, but that is still true and probably always will be.

 

[Lankyman]

I could be being a pessimist but I don't think the Mini is about to get an upgrade, least not one that is imminent. I think if it does get one this year it won't be until much later. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't get updated until next year or maybe not at all. That's because there are competing factions within Apple - one that says Apple should have a low price point Mac to tempt in switchers and people like SJ that has never liked the Mini and would like to see its demise.

 

[GoKyu]

And he finds the price point of the Mac Mini fine? I mean things will be better after the refresh, but you'll still be paying a premium for the hardware just because it's from Apple.

I get a bit of discount with my employee discount (I don't work for Apple), and I'm willing to subsidize the price a bit to get him to the $500-550 range - same as he'd pay for an average laptop. He's been using my Mac Pro for a few weeks now, and I think he sees that it's not so different for the stuff that he does on it. (He was very against Macs because all he knew was Windows, and thought it was all completely different - but all he does is use Firefox and 2 or 3 programs for eBay.)

He buys and sells a LOT on eBay and I really think the integration of iPhoto and GarageSale is far beyond the disorganized mess he had with throwing his pictures haphazardly on the desktop in no discernible order, and the crap that is Turbo Lister.

 

[gregorsamsa]

I could be being a pessimist but I don't think the Mini is about to get an upgrade, least not one that is imminent. I think if it does get one this year it won't be until much later. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't get updated until next year or maybe not at all. That's because there are competing factions within Apple - one that says Apple should have a low price point Mac to tempt in switchers and people like SJ that has never liked the Mini and would like to see its demise.

I won't bet against what you say coming true, only because (as stated earlier) Apple has neglected updating the Mini previously for about 20 months. That no-one else would get away with it is by the by.

I'll give it a few more weeks then buy a current Mini from the refurb store or eBay. Before that, I'm buying a desktop PC with decent graphics after having had a relatively good experience with Windows 7 since buying an anti-glare screen laptop 3 weeks ago. Thankfully, for some of us at least, there are acceptable compromises to just taking Apple's greedy ways.

 

[philipma1957]

I won't bet against what you say coming true, only because (as stated earlier) Apple has neglected updating the Mini previously for about 20 months. That no-one else would get away with it is by the by.

I'll give it a few more weeks then buy a current Mini from the refurb store or eBay. Before that, I'm buying a desktop PC with decent graphics after having had a relatively good experience with Windows 7 since buying an anti-glare screen laptop 3 weeks ago. Thankfully, for some of us at least, there are acceptable compromises to just taking Apple's greedy ways.

I swore off windows in the 90's . My last major use was windows 95. Because the 2011 mini was delayed I purchased an ASUS 1215b from amazon for 450 I added a stick of 2gb ram for 20 bucks. I purchased 3 year 'ASUS Care" for 90 bucks includes accidental damage. It also came with a full windows 7 64 bit has a usb3 port that allows booting. So the mini delay cased me to grab a pc. What I like is if I drop the machine in 34 months I get a replacement or cash back.

APPLE DOES NOT SELL ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE WITH APPLECARE! Why is that?
wink wink. BTW I well still buy the new mini when it comes out. One of the things I did with the new pc was take advantage of a one month offer on ebay all ebucks were boosted to 10 percent from 2 percent so I purchased lots of Apple gift cards on discount. around 1400 worth for 1180 after the discounts.

 

[Mal67]

C'mon Apple i5 mini

 

[mrklaw]

is there a big difference between the lower TDP 2 core sandy bridge with hyperthreading, and the lower end 4 core w/out hyperthreading?

For the quiet/cool/small form factor of the mini I think a 2 core with hyperthreading is a good compromise. Video encoding/FFMPEG etc are already nicely threaded applications so would run well compared to the C2D current machines.

 

[mdgm]

Well as an 09 Mini user, I definitely won't be upgrading to the 2010 Mini. There's not enough of an improvement. Once Apple releases the 2011 Mini I'll consider upgrading. If I don't like what I see then I may wait for next year's model (it could be nice to get a model released after Lion) or beyond.

I would argue that Apple is hurting sales at least a little by not updating the Mini yet.

 

[Kebabselector]

APPLE DOES NOT SELL ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE WITH APPLECARE! Why is that?

Probably cos they don't want to repair items that have fallen down stairs at around 35 months old.

Though to be honest I don't rate Apple Care, Macs should be warranted for at least 2 years anyway. Fortunately in the UK I have the option of a reseller that gives 2 years warranty free of charge.

 

[gregorsamsa]

I swore off windows in the 90's . My last major use was windows 95. Because the 2011 mini was delayed I purchased an ASUS 1215b from amazon for 450 I added a stick of 2gb ram for 20 bucks. I purchased 3 year 'ASUS Care" for 90 bucks includes accidental damage. It also came with a full windows 7 64 bit has a usb3 port that allows booting. So the mini delay cased me to grab a pc. What I like is if I drop the machine in 34 months I get a replacement or cash back.

APPLE DOES NOT SELL ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE WITH APPLECARE! Why is that?
wink wink. BTW I well still buy the new mini when it comes out. One of the things I did with the new pc was take advantage of a one month offer on ebay all ebucks were boosted to 10 percent from 2 percent so I purchased lots of Apple gift cards on discount. around 1400 worth for 1180 after the discounts.

I swore off Windows in 2005 with my 1st Mac, but now I've found Windows 7 is generally faster than OS X for some tasks, or at least as fast for many others. Both my Macs (including the less than 3-year old iMac that died) frequently beach-balled.

IMO, AppleCare only compares favourably with other warranties if you're regularly travelling globally with your Mac. At least AppleCare's global cover is good. But how many of us are going to do that, even with Mac laptops? Otherwise, AppleCare, like some of their products, is well over-priced for what it offers. FWIW, John Lewis in the UK offer a free 2-year warranty with all Macs & PCs they sell. If ever I buy a new Mac again, that's where I'd get it from.

FWIW, I too got an Asus (a laptop) with a 3-year warranty. That also covers "accidental damage" & was less than half the price of AppleCare. Little wonder. Apple's priorities, mostly: profit margins & increasing shareholder value. Most PC companies don't have that leeway due to strong competition from so many rivals. - Let's hope Apple don't keep us waiting much longer for updated Minis, though frankly I'll be surprised if it happens in a few weeks.

 

[Lankyman]

I won't bet against what you say coming true, only because (as stated earlier) Apple has neglected updating the Mini previously for about 20 months. That no-one else would get away with it is by the by.

I'll give it a few more weeks then buy a current Mini from the refurb store or eBay. Before that, I'm buying a desktop PC with decent graphics after having had a relatively good experience with Windows 7 since buying an anti-glare screen laptop 3 weeks ago. Thankfully, for some of us at least, there are acceptable compromises to just taking Apple's greedy ways.

Can't say I blame you one bit. I too have a W7 Desktop and love it to bits. I'm firmly of the opinion that MS has closed the gap with W7 and OS X to such an extent it's now just down to personal preference. I have also found W7 to be rock solid stable, not had a glitch since buying it on day one of RTM.

I have actually had two 2010 Mini's (also have an iMac) the first one failed on start up, faulty graphics card and the second failed after seven days, HD. I still like the Mini but I did decline the offer of a third one from Apple. I will just wait and see what happens now.

I see that Dell has again upgraded the Zino which is a worthy contender for anyone looking at a small form factor option.

 

[Lankyman]

Probably cos they don't want to repair items that have fallen down stairs at around 35 months old.

Though to be honest I don't rate Apple Care, Macs should be warranted for at least 2 years anyway. Fortunately in the UK I have the option of a reseller that gives 2 years warranty free of charge.

Good old JL - it's the place to shop for peace of mind.

 

[Westyfield2]

Just been having a look at what the Mac Mini competitors are these days... the ASRock Vision 3D is the main Mac Mini rival I'd say.

It's pre-Sandy Bridge first gen Core i Processors, but has alright specs:

• Intel Core i5-560M Mobile Processor (Dual 2.66GHz, Turbo Boost to 3.2GHz)
• HM55 Express chipset
• 2 x 2GB DDR3-1066MHz RAM (can upgrade to 8GB)
• NVIDIA GeForce GT425M Graphics
• 2.5" 500GB 7200RPM HDD
• BD Combo Drive
• Front Ports: 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x MIC, 1 x Head Phone, 4-in-1 Card reader (MMC/SD/MS/MS PRO)
• Rear Ports: 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI-I, 5 x USB 2.0, 1 x S/PDIF, 1 x eSATAII, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x Gigabit LAN, 7.1 Ch HD Audio with THX TruStudio PRO
• External 90W Power Adaptor

£730 or $960 depending on which side of the pond you're on.

A bit bigger, but still what I'd call small.

 

[gregorsamsa]

Can't say I blame you one bit. I too have a W7 Desktop and love it to bits. I'm firmly of the opinion that MS has closed the gap with W7 and OS X to such an extent it's now just down to personal preference. I have also found W7 to be rock solid stable, not had a glitch since buying it on day one of RTM.

I have actually had two 2010 Mini's (also have an iMac) the first one failed on start up, faulty graphics card and the second failed after seven days, HD. I still like the Mini but I did decline the offer of a third one from Apple. I will just wait and see what happens now.

I see that Dell has again upgraded the Zino which is a worthy contender for anyone looking at a small form factor option.

Really bad luck with those Minis, then again, some say Apple's QC has really gone downhill in recent years & that the PPC stuff was probably better made. As debatable as it is, at least that tallies with my experience. My 12" iBook is still going strong, unlike my Intel iMac.

That Dell Zino also comes at a nice price. If I wasn't after better graphics, I'd certainly be tempted. As things stand, I think the only small factor desktop I'll have will be a Mini & use that with a KVM switch alongside a more powerful PC.

 

[grapefruitx]

OK so it will probably just get a chipset overhaul and Thunderbolt, but I think this product could potentially go two ways, Was impressed by the RaspberryPI PC on USB stick, why not go super simple, and Ipod with a HDMI connector and wireless you can carry around, essentially a different product.

Or a rethink of the pro live up, Thunderbolt is a bit of a game changer, you don't need loads of internal drive bays or chips that verge on melting for decent performance,
Why not a super thin "unibody" design with an SSD, the low end models staring at around $1000, but that you can spec out for HD and HD+ Video rendering and the like, that you can also stack together for more server power.

 

[philipma1957]

OK so it will probably just get a chipset overhaul and Thunderbolt, but I think this product could potentially go two ways, Was impressed by the RaspberryPI PC on USB stick, why not go super simple, and Ipod with a HDMI connector and wireless you can carry around, essentially a different product.

Or a rethink of the pro live up, Thunderbolt is a bit of a game changer, you don't need loads of internal drive bays or chips that verge on melting for decent performance,
Why not a super thin "unibody" design with an SSD, the low end models staring at around $1000, but that you can spec out for HD and HD+ Video rendering and the like, that you can also stack together for more server power.

just a small flash ssd is needed for an osx backup. this piece would stack well.



http://www.adorama.com/SNTF21000M5....ping Site&utm_campaign=Other&utm_source=gbase


they are going to have t-bolt hookups. or this piece


http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/MEQMH0GBK/


not sure about t-bolt as of today no word.

either of these allows you to have no hdd in the mini just a small starter osx with flash chips.

 

[Sdevante]

I bought a Mac Mini 2 weeks ago out of sheer impatience, and returned it today b/c I kept getting beachballs and realized I really should just wait out the refresh.

The Apple Store employee insinuated that it was a good call because a more powerful refresh should be out soon. Not sure if he really has inside info or anything, but it did make me feel better about the return lol.

 

[G4er?]

I just don't understand why the Mac Pro has to be so over priced compared to the price of comparable computers, and please the OSX OS in not a viable reason. If Apple reduced the size of the Mac Pro and added the power of the new iMac (i7 SB & Graphics) and give it a good price point around $1,200.00/$1,400.00 then they would be able get rid of the Mini all together. It has been said that the Mini serves new Apple OS converters, I don't believe this for a second. Give me a really good computer at a reasonable price that I can upgrade some of the basic hardware (Drives, video & RAM is enough) and they would have a real winner. Apple, I am sure, would see a mass exodus from the Windows environment. Just my 2 Cents...

The fact that Apple does not the type of computer you describe is close to convincing me to make an exodus from Mac to Windows. I would gladly pay $1500 for iMac parts in an 8 to 10 inch tall case that had the footprint of the mini. Make it easy to open with some jacks and ports on the front. Let it have room for the optical drive and two hard drives. Perfect.

 

[bearcatrp]

The fact that Apple does not the type of computer you describe is close to convincing me to make an exodus from Mac to Windows. I would gladly pay $1500 for iMac parts in an 8 to 10 inch tall case that had the footprint of the mini. Make it easy to open with some jacks and ports on the front. Let it have room for the optical drive and two hard drives. Perfect.

Ditto here. Would gladly pay for a mac pro with 1 sandy bridge and half the size so users can change drives and GPUs. I'll keep using my mini but won't be getting another Mac unless a mid size tower comes out. Doubtful apple will build one. Guess it's hackintoch time. Now if the next mini comes with a quad core i5, or even a i7 (dreaming here), I'll jump on it provided it's at least a 2.5ghz with turbo.

 

[Lankyman]

I bought a Mac Mini 2 weeks ago out of sheer impatience, and returned it today b/c I kept getting beachballs and realized I really should just wait out the refresh.

The Apple Store employee insinuated that it was a good call because a more powerful refresh should be out soon. Not sure if he really has inside info or anything, but it did make me feel better about the return lol.

We have all made impulse/impatience buys and more often than not lived to regret it. Sometimes it works out but I think you were wise to return the Mini and simply sit it out.

 

[Tulpa]

I bought a Mac Mini 2 weeks ago out of sheer impatience, and returned it today b/c I kept getting beachballs and realized I really should just wait out the refresh.

The Apple Store employee insinuated that it was a good call because a more powerful refresh should be out soon. Not sure if he really has inside info or anything, but it did make me feel better about the return lol.

He's probably going off the same info that many here are, ie that the time since the last refresh has been longer than average (which is an unreliable indicator for the reasons I stated earlier). I really doubt salespeople in the field have any inside info; if they did we'd see a ton of release date leaks like we do for other products that have to involve third parties in their release.

Again, if you actually have a need for a computer now, it's ridiculous to wait for a refresh if you don't know when or even if that refresh is coming. The reality of electronics shopping these days is that there is always a refresh coming in the near future, so you have to come to terms with the fact that your purchase is going to be obsolete early in its lifetime. If you're just buying it to buy it, then waiting might be a good idea though. I don't know which camp you're in.

 

[srf4real]

He's probably going off the same info that many here are, ie that the time since the last refresh has been longer than average (which is an unreliable indicator for the reasons I stated earlier). I really doubt salespeople in the field have any inside info; if they did we'd see a ton of release date leaks like we do for other products that have to involve third parties in their release.

Again, if you actually have a need for a computer now, it's ridiculous to wait for a refresh if you don't know when or even if that refresh is coming. The reality of electronics shopping these days is that there is always a refresh coming in the near future, so you have to come to terms with the fact that your purchase is going to be obsolete early in its lifetime. If you're just buying it to buy it, then waiting might be a good idea though. I don't know which camp you're in.

I have a different viewpoint. My main workstation is a 2004 dual 2.0 G5. You may read into this that I like to keep my Apples productive for as long as feasibly possible. It will be a nice file server after upgrading. That said, now that none of Apple software not even iCal is supported in OS X 10.5.. and Adobe CS5.5 requires far more of a processor to work effectively than CS4 which I'm currently having to first convert raw files to .dng and then post process..

I am going to buy a new model Mac. It will likely be the mini, or the pro depending on which is refreshed the soonest. I don't need 16 cores and 64GB ram. But I need something that can grow into the end of the decade as my old G5 was capable of until last year or so.

I see no reasonable justification to buy a pre Thunderbolt equipped machine when shortly this will be the standard for connectivity. And the core 2 duo is virtually obsolete considering the longevity I expect from my next workstation. But I need a computer now. Almost badly enough to buy a 2011 iMac but not quite that badly.

I am in a hurry for the Thunderbolt / i5 mini release, and if mac Pro doesn't get a refresh this summer the mini it will be for certain. Wouldn't be so silly to say that I'm going pc should Apple fail to satisfy my needs.. but there is an entire gambit of new Apple software sales and hardware sales that will not occur by many other waiters as well until we can determine what the wisest upgrade path should be. For those like me who don't need to fork out extra money for a decent display (iMac) because we are already equipped.. we are anxious for Apple's next move and it would be imprudent for us to act now.

 

[Sdevante]

If you're just buying it to buy it, then waiting might be a good idea though. I don't know which camp you're in.

I've an iPad 2 and a Macbook Air I just gave to my wife as she starts a residency. I don't really "need" a computer at the moment, so I'm going to wait it out. I did love that small form factor sitting next to my tv though....