While I would love to see a Mac mini with a dedicated graphics card, monster CPU, etc, the fact is that Apple is making huge leaps in sales while windows machines are losing market share. This is even true for the business side. Apple gains support while pc slips. Apple is not going to build a small computer that rivals their more expensive iMac. They will build what they think the masses want - and they will be right. If the new mini is even slightly better than the one before it, it will sell more than the one before it.
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2011 Mac Mini - Speculation
- Thread starter Nanker/Phelge
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<sorry if this has been gone over before, I've only read through the first few and last few pages of the (fairly long) thread>
Hey all, long-time PC user, currently in the process of switching over to Mac =)
I 100% agree that the current gen MM would perform perfectly well as a media-centric HTPC. That said, I'm still holding out for the MM refresh...mainly in the hopes of eking out a *little* more power to run mid-level games.
Valve announced at GDC earlier this year a new "Big Picture" mode for their Steam service, with an optimized interface for HDTVs...they're also working with developers to provide gamepad support. I'm hoping a new MM could pull double duty as both a media center and a mid-level gaming system, mainly for small Steam games and (maybe) a bit of WoW'ish stuff on a 60" 1080p HDTV.
Keeping in mind that I don't have any goofy aspirations of playing Crysis 2 or anything of that caliber on this little thing, how unrealistic is this?
Bonus question: if Steam for Mac isn't quite up to snuff, would a dual-boot MM (running Steam on the Win7 side) have any effect?
TIA =)
Hey all, long-time PC user, currently in the process of switching over to Mac =)
I 100% agree that the current gen MM would perform perfectly well as a media-centric HTPC. That said, I'm still holding out for the MM refresh...mainly in the hopes of eking out a *little* more power to run mid-level games.
Valve announced at GDC earlier this year a new "Big Picture" mode for their Steam service, with an optimized interface for HDTVs...they're also working with developers to provide gamepad support. I'm hoping a new MM could pull double duty as both a media center and a mid-level gaming system, mainly for small Steam games and (maybe) a bit of WoW'ish stuff on a 60" 1080p HDTV.
Keeping in mind that I don't have any goofy aspirations of playing Crysis 2 or anything of that caliber on this little thing, how unrealistic is this?
Bonus question: if Steam for Mac isn't quite up to snuff, would a dual-boot MM (running Steam on the Win7 side) have any effect?
TIA =)
Here are two articles from BareFeats that may be relevant to your question. Long story short, if the Mini uses Intel's HD3000 graphics, performance will be either a little better or a little worse than the nvidia 320m in the current Mini, depending on the game. So not a whole lot to hope for in GPU improvements at the moment. Also, there is still a bit of a gap in performance between OS X and Windows, though it's generally less than it used to be. Again, very much dependent on the game: Valve seems to be caring more than others at the moment about optimizing for the Mac.
If Apple truly wanted to take over the business world, the mini is the way to go! And not some paltry offering, either! Almost every PC-User in an enterprise already has a monitor... so the Mini would fit right in to replace all those aging PCs! However, the issue then runs into applications... Office on the Mac is NOT the same as on the PC and the PC version STILL has many options not available on the Mac - recall email for one! Until the PC and the Mac version of Office are exactly the same - Macs will not be taking over the enterprise space any time soon. Visio? Access? Project and Project Server? Office on the Mac is very, very limited and from my own experience in our office, is the single biggest reason that we do not move entirely to Macs.
I hear you too! I want a gamer-Mini! Not some low-end, who cares box. Give me a MacPro in the smallest form factor as possible. If it's bigger than the mini now - then I don't mind! Who needs that massive tower these days anyway?
Not actually my view, it was a recent article from Gartner's and they are the ones supposedly in the know.
It goes way beyond that though, Office is only the tip of a very large iceberg. Many companies use specially written specialised Windows based applications. Our company in the UK is national and we use a specially written application that we use which then feeds into other companies who tailor their applications to take account of the applications we require, and so it goes like an ever expanding spiders web. To re-write such applications would cost millions of pounds taken across all these companies. We can't even move from XP to W7 because the costs of upgrading the software are to great and virtualization isn't stable enough.
Where I work, much of our software is cross-platform or even web browser apps. There should be no issue at all buying Macs, but since management loves itself and won't listen to reason, they still laugh at the suggestion.
It doesn't help that they hire IT "pros" from outside who have scammed them into thinking XML is something unique and proprietary.
They've stopped their limited focus on backend. Hosted they are infiltrating front end and mobile. They're making more money now from enterprise than probably ever before.
With GADGETS, not actual Macs... which means they need not bother with changing over to Macs at all... Argh!
So then the future of Apple is not with the Mac itself but with iOS and the gadgets that go with it... So why not go the route of Microsoft and stop being in the business of making computers. If the chips and such that Macs and PCs use are the same, then why not just allow the Mac OS onto PCs and be done with it. We then would be able to tailor our PC to run Mac OS but buy the machine from Dell or whomever...
If the front page is right: https://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/19/new-mac-pros-and-mac-minis-launching-august/
I give up. This is absolutely ridiculous that they're making everyone wait this long for mini's. That's two more months.
I give up. This is absolutely ridiculous that they're making everyone wait this long for mini's. That's two more months.
Apple makes a buttload of money with every mac they sell. Why would they stop making them? And do you really want to see how poorly Mac OS would run on the cheap parts most pc vendors install in their machines?
Come on, tell the truth- you want to custom build a high end gamer machine and run it with Mac OS..
But Apple wants you to buy a Mac Pro.
Back to the mini, I am very happy with the results I've achieved doubling ram in the ol' G5, I can wait all summer now! I really doubt Lion server will run on my G5.. but with thunderbolt and a pci-x adapter I could still be in business. Manage from the mini and mass storage with the original Mac Pro. I can't wait!
just a few more weeks...patience. mini's are not the breadwinners for apple so they don't have to hustle as much to get em out. that's just the way it is.
i assume lion will be out a week or two before they ship
I understand that but it's been over a year without any update. At least drop the price of it. Paying $700 for technology thats this outdated is mad!
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I agreed with Auero statement, long time waiting in meanwhile the HTPC market is offering a lot of options... Now what can we do? Definety wait that Apple can surprise us....
I agreed with Auero statement, long time waiting in meanwhile the HTPC market is offering a lot of options... Now what can we do? Definety wait that Apple can surprise us....
i agree.. and i'm not trying to justify why they are still offering a core 2 duo product at that price point. apple won't budge and i bet there are still people who don't know any better that will buy it.
thankfully we have the common sense to pass, and while it's frustrating to wait, the jump to SB will be worth it
Wait and see what Apple come out with.
Worst case, it's a nice refresh of current Mac Mini.
Best case, we get significantly revamped Mini suitable for games / server.
I'm hanging out for a cool server
Worst case, it's a nice refresh of current Mac Mini.
Best case, we get significantly revamped Mini suitable for games / server.
I'm hanging out for a cool server
If this rumor firms up, I'm tempted to sell my 2007 mini off early and wait it out. Was considering migrating it to the spare room for basic HTPC playback duties, but the appleTV with plex is pretty good. Selling it to trade in will mitigate any concerns I have over price - and lets face it a sandy bridge update will be a big bump and so Apple will feel no pressure to drop prices.
How is plex on the appletv? I considered it but the fact it isn't 1080p bothers me.
the fact that it isn't 1080p bothers me
But its for the spare room so its fine. I'm not sure I'd roll it out in any rooms where I want the ultimate in quality. The UI is a little odd too, but perfectly usable. Syncing of library information (watched etc) is all there.
Actually its one reason I'm looking to upgrade my mini - I want the new one to have enough oomph to transcode to the appleTV while playing something else on the main TV.