Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
2011 Mac Mini - Speculation
- Thread starter Nanker/Phelge
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
What are you talking about?Have I fallen asleep and missed the update announcement?
Simply English humour - RoelJunn was asking how many TB connectors the Mini would get in the upgrade. Everyone appears to assume a Mini upgrade in 2011 is a done deal yet there has been no information that there will even be one this time around, hence my quip.
Well, apart from the early 2009 model, there hasn't been a single Mac Mini model that took longer to get released.. And it makes no sense for Apple to not upgrade to i3/5 core processors and Santa Bridge, so I certainly do expect a new model any day now..
Although I will wait with my purchase until after WWDC, so I can get Lion cheaper (Hopefully!).
I hate Laptop/Notebooks of any kind. In fact if someone gave me the most expensive Laptop in the world the first thing I would do is change/sell it for something like a Mini, or Desktop PC.
I was originally going to get an Imac but it was dependant on the monitor. I can't stand the gloosy screens and was really hoping for a matte option. Alas there wasn't one so I am going the Mac Mini route now.
So I boutght an awesome used 26 inch LG monitor from a friend who upgraded and bought a used apple keybopard off ebay last night.
Seeing I waited so long for the Imac I am just going to wait another couple of months and hope the mini is released with Lion.
If not I'll get a refurb'd mini from Apple.
So I boutght an awesome used 26 inch LG monitor from a friend who upgraded and bought a used apple keybopard off ebay last night.
Seeing I waited so long for the Imac I am just going to wait another couple of months and hope the mini is released with Lion.
If not I'll get a refurb'd mini from Apple.
Or you could check around Craigslist or ebay for a cheap first gen Mac Pro. There's a few on ebay right now priced similarly to the Mini.
I would definitely go that route, but I am in the military (stationed in Japan) and a lot of people and companies will not ship to FPO addresses, especially a Mac Pro due to its size.
Yea makes sense, it'd cost a fortune to get it shipped over there.
Off topic: how popular are Macs/Apple over there in Japan?
Off topic: how popular are Macs/Apple over there in Japan?
Sandy Bridge and external GPU would be really great. I hope they include large internal HDD. I could imagine to exchange my MBP with a Mini.
Well we're almost into June and even the most optimistic amongst us must now be questioning if a Mini upgrade is going to happen this time around. I think if there has been no announcement by the end of June there won't be one. I was speaking to an Apple reseller today and he said he wasn't aware of anything for the Mini (doesn't mean a lot I know) and there hadn't been any restriction on re-ordering which is often an indication.
My prediction for the 2011 Mac Mini:
First, the server version will be dropped as there will not be a stand alone server version of Mac OS X Lion.
Second, Apple basically has two processor options to choose from; they could use desktop processors or mobile processors. The desktop processors are a 2.5 i3 and a 2.7 i5 while the mobile processors would be a 2.3 i5 and a 2.7 i7. If they choose the desktop processors they will likely go with the AMD 6490M for graphics since the desktop CPU's only come with Intel's HD Graphics 2000. If they choose the mobile CPU's we'll be looking at Intel's HD Graphics 3000 as the GPU.
Third, they will bump the HDD up to 500GB on the default and offer a 750GB configuration option and hopefully they will make the default RAM 4GB.
Visualized:
or
First, the server version will be dropped as there will not be a stand alone server version of Mac OS X Lion.
Second, Apple basically has two processor options to choose from; they could use desktop processors or mobile processors. The desktop processors are a 2.5 i3 and a 2.7 i5 while the mobile processors would be a 2.3 i5 and a 2.7 i7. If they choose the desktop processors they will likely go with the AMD 6490M for graphics since the desktop CPU's only come with Intel's HD Graphics 2000. If they choose the mobile CPU's we'll be looking at Intel's HD Graphics 3000 as the GPU.
Third, they will bump the HDD up to 500GB on the default and offer a 750GB configuration option and hopefully they will make the default RAM 4GB.
Visualized:
Last edited:
Well we're almost into June and even the most optimistic amongst us must now be questioning if a Mini upgrade is going to happen this time around. I think if there has been no announcement by the end of June there won't be one. I was speaking to an Apple reseller today and he said he wasn't aware of anything for the Mini (doesn't mean a lot I know) and there hadn't been any restriction on re-ordering which is often an indication.
Much as I am worried you are right. surely once Lion is released they have to drop the Mini Server or at least rename it as there will not be a special OS for it. Maybe we will see a price drop if nothing else.
Think we will see a Mac Mini without a disk drive?
Also. Does the Mac Mini output Dolby / True HD audio via HDMI?
Also. Does the Mac Mini output Dolby / True HD audio via HDMI?
Last edited:
It's possible but I doubt they will do it this year what with them dropping the server version. Maybe as a BTO option so you can get dual HDD's or an HDD+SSD combo.
I'm hoping there will be an SSD option and they drop the C2D processors. I'd like an i5 or even an i7 but I think they would likely go with an i3 as this is the entry level mac.
I highly doubt that they will include desktop CPUs. Did you compare the TDWs? What about the GPUs?
In any case your desktop version would be really great.
Both the desktop CPU's and mobile CPU's have a TDP of 35W (this includes the IGP). Apple wouldn't activate the IGP on the desktop version so they would have more wattage for a discrete GPU.
Desktop CPU's:
2100T - 35W - 2.5 GHz i3
2390T - 35W - 2.7 GHz i5
Mobile CPU's:
2310M - 35W - 2.3 GHz i5
2620M - 35W - 2.7 GHz i7
Last edited:
TB may be the future, but my FW800 storage devices are here to stay a while longer. I am hoping Apple does not drop FW800 in favor of TB.
That would be nice. Though for me one TB port would be sufficient. Also I really do not see much need for multiple TB ports. One TB port can serve many (10?) devices.
Well, they didn't on either the laptops or iMacs, so I'm going to go with "will probably still have a FW800 port and USB2 ports" for legacy support. I don't understand why people would even speculate about USB3 though given no other Apple product supports that technology.
I don't expect the new Mac Mini to be anything other than a 13" MBP in a different case. The lack of discrete graphics will piss a lot of forum goers off, but given the low priority MacOS gaming seems to have at Apple, it seems pretty unlikely that Apple would be willing to make the tradeoffs required to dissipate the extra heat generated by a discrete graphics solution.
The real question to me is, when? This summer? Fall? Next year?
I think it was six.
And I don't think MacOS gaming has low priority at Apple, considering decent graphics options in the 17" MBP and the iMac boasting kinda the best mobile GPU it could. But Apple doesn't build the Mini for gamers, neither does it build the MBA for gamers. I'd like a Mini with something better than HD3000, but perhaps that'll be enough for me, as I'm not planning on doing much gaming besides WoW. Still, having the options open would be nice
The only fly in that particular ointment is the not insignificant problem of space - there is no room in the casing for a discrete graphics. That was the reason they didn't get one last time around. There has been discussion about this last year. A couple of reviews also highlighted this was the case.