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Farewell Mac Mini ( ...again)

I thought there was supposed to be a Mac Nano coming out at the end of the month. So rumors of the Mac Minis end seems perfectly normal.
 
I really don't see a benefit to a "Nano" as a low cost alternative. We can presume it will require all external plug-and-play components (optical drive, hard drive, etc.) that would end up costing as much, if not more, than the Mac Mini. If sluggish sales were to blame for the demise of the Mac Mini, Apple should have integrated AppleTV into the Mini configuration and marketed it as the complete and affordable multi-media Mac.
 
decadentdave said:
I really don't see a benefit to a "Nano" as a low cost alternative. We can presume it will require all external plug-and-play components (optical drive, hard drive, etc.) that would end up costing as much, if not more, than the Mac Mini. If sluggish sales were to blame for the demise of the Mac Mini, Apple should have integrated AppleTV into the Mini configuration and marketed it as the complete and affordable multi-media Mac.
Click to expand...

You sound like people who were saying the old iMac "needed" a floppy drive.

We are at the point where the market should be ready for on-line software delivery and on-line off-site storage & backups.

For a simple "browse the web, check your e-mail, synch your iPhone, and run office software" box, do you really need any drives at all beyond a little flash drive to store the OS?

I could see them selling these things like hotcakes *and* getting a bunch of customers hooked on .MAC at the same time.
 
JAT said:
Well, that's what it is already. But they didn't market it that way.
Click to expand...

So now we just basically get a CPU with serial bus controller and you have to add everything else to it externally. What's the point? It will end up costing you more than a Mac Mini. Apple is taking a step backwards here. What they should have done was integrate AppleTV and HDMI and aggressively marketed the new Mac Mini as your all-in-one multimedia solution. What are they thinking? So glad I got a Mini.
 
I just got a refurb C2D mini and I think it is a fantastic machine! I have not touched my MBP since this thing got to the house. If the same thing minus an optical drive was available, I would probably have preferred it, but I honestly do not see why it would not include one.

Maybe if the Apple TV is upgraded to a competitive product with an optical drive...
 
decadentdave said:
So now we just basically get a CPU with serial bus controller and you have to add everything else to it externally. What's the point? It will end up costing you more than a Mac Mini.
Click to expand...

Only if you insist on the "add everything else to it" part.

I have a mini which doesn't use the bluetooth, doesn't use any of the USB ports, doesn't use the video out, doesn't use the optical drive, and doesn't use most of the hard drive.

Would a much smaller box with fewer features on it be more useful to me (or as useful, at a lower price)? Maybe.
 
I want the Mini to be the core of my home theater system driving my HDTV, an external HD/Blu-ray combo drive and still integrate all of my personal computing needs (printer/fax/networking). For me, the add-ons are essential, as is data storage. I'm not keen on online data storage solutions either. I prefer to keep my data in my control and I'm not an advocate for VOD either. I don't like studios telling me when I can or cannot "borrow" their copyrighted material. That's why I like owning a movie or a song on a disc and not some file that's going to corrupt or self-destruct or have some proprietary codec or whatever. I think the Mini was a step into the multimedia convergence paradigm for Apple and I think they made a mistake. The Mac Mini wasn't marketed correctly or aggressively enough. It was targeted for Switchers who wanted a low-cost "introductory" Mac and it really wasn't seen as a multimedia machine by the masses. I also think it was premature. As HD begins to catch on in the market, more users like myself want to integrate desktop computing and home theater entertainment into one and I think there has never been a better time for the Mac Mini than now. Like with most of Apple's new products, the Nano will be hot initially, then simmer down. We'll see if it will last. AppleTV sales haven't exactly been stellar either. That's why they should have just integrated both into one complete solution at an attractive price.
 
It would be really unfortunate I think if they got rid of the Mac Mini. I was hoping to get one to start having a permament Mac at home, but won't be able to get one till next month. I already have a nice widescreen monitor from my Windows setup, so the mini fits the bill. Not sure I'd be so motivated to ditch it and get an iMac.
 
I love the Mini the way it is, "with the exception of the graphics". I really hate to see something less upgradable, which is what I think the Nano will be. I understand there desire to keep a control on the hardware, but it really sucks. One thing I do miss about Linux, (was going to say and windows but I really dont ever miss it much.) lol
 
apple insider is retarded.

mini's just got updated 2 months ago with the imacs.
 
zioxide said:
apple insider is retarded.

mini's just got updated 2 months ago with the imacs.
Click to expand...

Yes and it was reported as a "quiet" upgrade.

The thing I dislike is that Apple is making "disposable" products. The idea behind non-user upgrades is that they are banking on you getting hooked on a product and will continue to use it and every couple three years toss it out and buy a new one, like the ipods, or the iMacs. I really dislike the iMacs because of this. Sure, it's a great all-in-one out-of-the-box turnkey desktop solution but with virtually no upgradeability whatsoever save RAM. That is why I went the Mac Mini route. I can always get a different display, or add larger media storage or optical drives. Of course, nothing beats a costly Mac Pro when it comes to expansion and longevity but being a former PowerMac user I have to say the Mini fits the bill just fine. If I was a serious graphic artist or video editor (actually that is my profession) I would stick to a Mac Pro but for home the Mini services all of my needs (well, most of them anyway ;)
 
I think they would have dropped the Mini on 7th August if they were going to drop it.

As long as the Mini makes a profit and doesn't take sales away from the iMac, they might as well keep selling it as long as is viable.
 
I think they would have dropped the Mini on 7th August if they were going to drop it.

As long as the Mini makes a profit and doesn't take sales away from the iMac, they might as well keep selling it as long as is viable.

They probably make more money on the Mini than the iPod Shuffle.
 
I'll be sad to see it go. I bought one a few weeks ago for the kids, and it's a great computer.
 
If this photo is legit, then the so-called "Nano" does indeed appear to have an optical drive:

macmini_1.jpg
 
OllyW said:
If you have ever seen how packed full of components a mini is inside the case, I very much doubt it would be possible to make a computer with either a hard disc or optical drive in a case that small!
Click to expand...

There's NO WAY you are going to fit a hard drive in a 1" thick case WITH an optical drive. The motherboard must be wafer thin. And what about cooling? How are you going to fit a cooling fan in there? If this is indeed legit than I can see these suffering from overheating issues. But... Apple has been known to shock and awe us before with revolutionary new products so this could very well be the new Mac Mini.
 
That's what external storage drives are for. Remove the internal hard drive and you can add-on whatever storage capacity you want. I'd hook this up to a terrabyte drive. Alright, I'm sold on this new Mini. :)
 
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