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Discontinue the Mac Mini?

S

Steelseries

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 2, 2013
60
0
Well, the Mac Mini hasn't receive an update this year, so I guess either it's going to have a massive redesign like the Mac Pro or Apple would probably discontinue it.

This may be biased as I never owned a Mac Mini. But I think if you want a desktop you should buy the iMac. Why? It's more powerful GPU, built-in display, keyboard and mouse are included and many more. It's an all-in-one.

The advantage of the Mac Mini I guess is that it's cheap ONLY if you already have a monitor and the peripherals. You can also upgrade yearly without buying a new monitor and such. The small design is a pro for some. Also it's a better server than an iMac.

But there is only few who actually use their Macs as a server (I think) also why would you buy a Mac Mini just to act as a media hub to your TV? There are better solutions, like the Apple TV.

So, in conclusion the iMac has always been the preferred Mac desktop and it only starts at 1299.

Sorry I'm not good at explaining stuff, but I want to discuss this? Any thoughts?
 
I don't "upgrade" yearly - I upgrade my macs until they've run their purpose or too slow for said purpose... I went from G3 400 mhz iMac (grape) to PowerMac Dual G4 tower to '06 (early) mini to '11 mini (current) ...


I love the Towers / minis for a major factor = if the screen goes out - you only replace that one component and not the whole unit ...
 
Steelseries said:
Well, the Mac Mini hasn't receive an update this year, so I guess either it's going to have a massive redesign like the Mac Pro or Apple would probably discontinue it.

This may be biased as I never owned a Mac Mini. But I think if you want a desktop you should buy the iMac. Why? It's more powerful GPU, built-in display, keyboard and mouse are included and many more. It's an all-in-one.

The advantage of the Mac Mini I guess is that it's cheap ONLY if you already have a monitor and the peripherals. You can also upgrade yearly without buying a new monitor and such. The small design is a pro for some. Also it's a better server than an iMac.

But there is only few who actually use their Macs as a server (I think) also why would you buy a Mac Mini just to act as a media hub to your TV? There are better solutions, like the Apple TV.

So, in conclusion the iMac has always been the preferred Mac desktop and it only starts at 1299.

Sorry I'm not good at explaining stuff, but I want to discuss this? Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

it's perfectly fine and doesn't have to be upgraded on a daily basis. They're working on it but the current one is fine with the majority of people.
 
My feeling is that it won't be discontinued anytime soon since it fills a particular market niche.

According to recent intel (intelligence, not the company) in the rumor mill, a new mini should be out shortly, by end of February.
 
I think it's a bit weak of Apple to leave the mini as it is for as long as it has however there are still plenty of other manufacturers still selling gen 3 in their notebooks. Whether this means though Apple is planning on discontinuing or alternately redesigning the mini only they know and they can't be bothered telling us. But knowing them if it's going to be released it will quite possibly be even thinner.
 
Apple TV can't do near the things a real computer can do. The whole thing is also a great way to get rid of old 3 or 4 years old minis you have around and use them another 3 or 4 years, I wouldn't buy a new mini and put it in as a media center.

The refresh cycle may be slower from here on out for some of these as there aren't a lot of significant changes in computing power. The mobile, tablet and laptop segment have a lot more things that change annually between processing power, battery and screen, but for a mini, not so muchear to year.

The other thing is a mini is a real workhorse for those not lucky enough for a MacPro. I was going to get one for work before the nMP. If you look at the price point, it got some amazing computing power, ram, storage combo for the cost of around the cheapest laptop.
 
I think the complete opposite:
The iMac (and the Mac Pro, but with 6-12 cores it at least has a niche) has never been as bad as a value as now:

- Back in time with the 24 inch alu iMacs, Apple offered a true IPS screen for very little extra money. This main reason has evaporated. You now pay premium for the worst display of the bunch. The screens from the competition are better and cheaper nowadays
- Mouse and Keyboard have always been the most crap Apple products, and the latest are no difference. Since the iMac is way more expensive than a similar powered Mini, these are also overpriced. Keyboard should not try to be pretty and wireless. They should type well, and not bug you with battery warnings. A wire is 0.0 of a problem.
- GPU power is less and less needed, albeit big promises of great GPU support in software taking over soon. Remember you bought a Mac Pro 2009 with GT120 videocard? How do people see the eight-core version of that machine today: as big workhorse! How does the GT120 compare to a HD4000. It sucks big time! Both cards do 2 30 inch 2560x1600 screens with ease. People either need a GPU for gaming (don't buy a Mac for that) or for heavy 3D rendering/video production (don't buy an iMac for that).

Why the imac is irrelevant:
- The Mini 2.3 i7 quad non BTO mini outperforms all non BTO iMacs! With the NMP being very hard to get, it is the easiest to pick up fast machine in a store and take home directly!
- The Mini is the only Mac with true freedom to internal storage/memory. Buy 2 256GB Sammy 840 Pro drives, put them in RAID 0 and you have a CHEAPER AND FASTER storage solution than the new PCI SSD in the new Mac Pro
- The Mini is the only machine that is available (NMP means waiting to march at least) that offers true video-out support. It runs 4K monitors, has no problem with 23.976Hz output. On an iMac you are stuck to internal 60Hz refresh rates and crappy external monitor support.
- A comparable Mini costs 300-600 bucks less than its iMac counterpart. On the entry side you can skip crappy 21 inch FullHD displays (too small screen) and get at least 1920x1200 24 inch IPS for less money. On the 27 inch side for the same money you have a professional grade screen for less money than the imac, with ergonomics, more than one input (for the notebook), AdobeRGB display and great warranty (iMac screens hold very badly over time!)
- The imac is bad to upgrade and repair: it scores a 2. The Mini does a solid 8, and components are widely available (not so for the MacPro that also scored an 8).
- The Mini has the most incredible low year-to-year cost of ownership. The resale value is amazing, you can MiniMac for 100 bucks a year. My G4 mini I sold recently did double the amount I bought a similar powered G4 iMac for! 100 bucks for a 9 year old I-totally-loved-it but now totally crap computer: amazing! The iMac I got for 50 only serves as a nice desk lamp with good speakers for iTunes and therefore is priced accordingly.
- I can't take the iMac with me. The Mini delivers me a professional workstation I can use on any location, from hotel room to client corporate offices. You could buy a Macbook for that, but I don't like notebook screens, and I refuse to work while commuting.

And less objective arguments:
- The iMac is a totally ugly see-that-done-that overdose of testosterone on your desk that is asking to be stolen.
- I pay designers/photographers on iMacs less per hour as they don't take their screen, and thus their work serious.
 
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So I guess they won't be discontinuing the Mac Mini anytime soon. But for me the Mac Mini is not that upgradable for a desktop, so if you want better processors and graphics, you'll be buying the whole unit again. But still it's the cheapest Mac and I think it's main purpose is for those who want to switch to OS X. Also pairing it with any monitor you like is also an advantage against the iMac specially the 21 inch.
 
The Mac Mini Will Stay

I love my Mac mini. I have since I bought it in June 2012. It's a mid 2011 model with an i5 2.3 GHz, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB HDD. Fairly close to the top of the line. Why do I love it? It's small, cheap, and does everything I need. It's powerful enough to handle my gaming, photo editing, and iMovie editing. It's very fast, and it works with all of the stuff I owned previously with my Dell laptop. My Mac mini was my first Mac. It served as a great transition from Windows to Mac. All I had to do was plug it in and hook it up to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Of course I bought an Apple Keyboard and Trackpad but I could've used my previous equipment. It's also ideal as a server because it's so tiny. The footprint it leaves on my desk is so small which is good because it leaves a lot of room for all of my other equipment. Overall, I love my Mac mini. The Mini won't be discontinued. It serves so many markets so well. Just because Apple hasn't updated it since the Late 2012 model doesn't mean it's getting discontinued. If anything I see it getting a somewhat major revamp this year and it will hopefully become an even better machine than it already is.
 
You said: "Well, the Mac Mini hasn't receive an update this year, so I guess either it's going to have a massive redesign like the Mac Pro or Apple would probably discontinue it".

This is the correct statement.

Comment: I guess it's going to be redesigned and announced not later than June 2014....else, it will be discontinued...let's see!
 
Steelseries said:
Well, the Mac Mini hasn't receive an update this year, so I guess either it's going to have a massive redesign like the Mac Pro or Apple would probably discontinue it.

This may be biased as I never owned a Mac Mini. But I think if you want a desktop you should buy the iMac. Why? It's more powerful GPU, built-in display, keyboard and mouse are included and many more. It's an all-in-one.

The advantage of the Mac Mini I guess is that it's cheap ONLY if you already have a monitor and the peripherals. You can also upgrade yearly without buying a new monitor and such. The small design is a pro for some. Also it's a better server than an iMac.

But there is only few who actually use their Macs as a server (I think) also why would you buy a Mac Mini just to act as a media hub to your TV? There are better solutions, like the Apple TV.

So, in conclusion the iMac has always been the preferred Mac desktop and it only starts at 1299.

Sorry I'm not good at explaining stuff, but I want to discuss this? Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

iMac is a great system but not all of us like the desktop all in one form factor. I prefer the matte screen of my Dell monitor, which otherwise has the same resolution and panel as the 27" iMac, as well as more connectivity options. And I like being able to turn off my monitor while the computer stays on, drawing only 12 watts of idle power (I do use mine as a server).
 
You speak for your rather superior sounding self

Steelseries said:
Well, the Mac Mini hasn't receive an update this year, so I guess either it's going to have a massive redesign like the Mac Pro or Apple would probably discontinue it.

This may be biased as I never owned a Mac Mini. But I think if you want a desktop you should buy the iMac. Why? It's more powerful GPU, built-in display, keyboard and mouse are included and many more. It's an all-in-one.

The advantage of the Mac Mini I guess is that it's cheap ONLY if you already have a monitor and the peripherals. You can also upgrade yearly without buying a new monitor and such. The small design is a pro for some. Also it's a better server than an iMac.

But there is only few who actually use their Macs as a server (I think) also why would you buy a Mac Mini just to act as a media hub to your TV? There are better solutions, like the Apple TV.

So, in conclusion the iMac has always been the preferred Mac desktop and it only starts at 1299.

Sorry I'm not good at explaining stuff, but I want to discuss this? Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

A Mini is probably all the computer many people need, and I have seen reviews suggesting it is a better choice than an iMac for many people.

I have no need of a more powerful GPU; a base model early 2009 Mini, with an extra 4 GB of RAM, is just fine. I still use the matte screen monitor and speakers that I bought with my first Mini in 2005.

For me, and many others, an iMac would be well beyond my budget and needs.
 
Steelseries said:
Sorry I'm not good at explaining stuff
Click to expand...

This.

You've never owned a Mac mini, but you feel you know enough about the machine and its users to conclude that a iMac is the best machine for them? All of this after you point out several key advantages the Mini has:

  • it's cheap ONLY if you already have a monitor and the peripherals
  • can also upgrade yearly without buying a new monitor and such
  • small design is a pro for some
  • it's a better server than an iMac.

Wow, so... uhhh... wut?
 
The mac mini as supposedly been on the chopping block in the past but apple keeps it going. For one thing its a very popular model. There's also brand loyalty, many prior Mini owners keep upgrading. Finally, Apple in the past has skipped an update, not just the Minis but also iMac and Mac Pro. I remember back in the day waiting forever for apple to update their laptop line so skipping a year is not unheard of.
 
I'm hoping for a massive redesign. The optical drive is gone and flash storage is becoming mainstream at Apple, so there's no need for the chunky footprint it has now.

PCI flash, Iris Pro and a quad core i7 is all it would take for me to upgrade immediately.

I don't think Apple will discontinue the mini at all. They said this in 2009 when the old model hadn't seen any updates for a while and all of a sudden we had a new model.
 
Steelseries said:
But there is only few who actually use their Macs as a server (I think) also why would you buy a Mac Mini just to act as a media hub to your TV? There are better solutions, like the Apple TV.
Click to expand...
The apple TV plays only mp4. Are all your DVDs and all the media you have in mp4? Thats like maybe 1% of the population.

A lot of people are buying and using Mac mini for media. Which is exactly why Apple will kill the mini when the release an Apple TV that aims at replacing cable box, along with their 4K screen. They will kill it to force those buyers to chose either to downscale to Apple TV2 or move up to base model Mac Pro.

Proper open computers are dying. Not because people dont want them but because users are now viewed as sheep to be milked and the computing is seen as a wedge into your wallet. So the masses are being shoved over to "appliances". In that world you cannot pretend Mac Mini has a long lifespan.
 
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Cloudsurfer said:
I'm hoping for a massive redesign. The optical drive is gone and flash storage is becoming mainstream at Apple, so there's no need for the chunky footprint it has now.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping for NO redesign. While PCIe SSD would be cool, a redesign would probably mean that user upgradeability of both RAM and HDD would be gone.
 
I do not think they will be discontinued

As many have said, it's not unusual for Apple to skip a year or two before refreshing. And with all the attention paid on finishing the nMP, it makes sense about the delay.

The mini will most likely be my next Mac. After 15 years of iMacs, it's time for a change and for more choices in displays and other peripherals.

The more I read about the mini, the more I cannot wait to own one. They keep their value, last a really long time and seem like they are a much more versatile computer.
 
Having owned an iMac, 2 mac minis, and a retina macbook pro, I can tell you the mac mini was a fantastic computer.

1. you can open it and modify things very easily (SSD installs, memory, cleaning, etc)
2. great for HTPC use
3. silent and reduces dependancy on apple parts (my iMac had a bad screen and the apple store would not replace it. the mac mini was more versatile there.)

Overall, my mac mini was the best computer i've ever had.
 
Steelseries said:
So I guess they won't be discontinuing the Mac Mini anytime soon. But for me the Mac Mini is not that upgradable for a desktop, so if you want better processors and graphics, you'll be buying the whole unit again. But still it's the cheapest Mac and I think it's main purpose is for those who want to switch to OS X. Also pairing it with any monitor you like is also an advantage against the iMac specially the 21 inch.
Click to expand...

You need to think a little more about your answers. You're making idle comments (referring mostly to your original post). You seem to suggest the mini is cheap and therefore is substandard to the iMac and other Macs. The mini is cheap for many reasons but one of them is that it rides of the technology of the MacBooks and the second is that it does not have a monitor, keyboard etc. It is exceptional value for money but it is not cheap as in 'substandard cheap'. Value for money it is one of the best in the Mac line.

Also its main purpose is not to get consumers to switch to OS X. In fact almost every one I know switches from Windows to a Mac via a Macbook. Ask a windows user about what they know about Macs and most do not know about the Mac mini. Most people I know have a Macbook first and but a mini as a secondary Mac after the fact.

Anyway, that is my 20c.
 
Steelseries said:
Well, the Mac Mini hasn't receive an update this year, so I guess either it's going to have a massive redesign like the Mac Pro or Apple would probably discontinue it.
Click to expand...
It is only an award for how good this thing is and how well it keeps standing against all other computers.
 
Steelseries said:
The advantage of the Mac Mini I guess is that it's cheap ONLY if you already have a monitor and the peripherals.
Click to expand...

This is a terrible argument! A mini, a generic but ok monitor, KB & Mouse cost about 55-60% the price of the base iMac. It clearly is the cheap option (which is why there should be a home for it in apple's line-up.)
 
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