Apple wants to control their market - they used to have loads of machines that crossed different 'product segments' and it didn't work for them. It was only when Steve Jobs came back and gutted the line down to professional / consumer that things started going right for them.
[WARNING - THIS POST VEERS WAY OFF TOPIC]
I know your right. But I can't help but to think that switching to Intel hardware and OS X has changed a lot of things. In my opinion OS X has so much to offer but is not given the chance due to the restricted configurations of hardware.
I have spoken to a lot of friends who are IT Directors and managers, and those who have looked at OS X server have been very impressed. A lot of these guys are Microsoft guys, who grudgingly implement Linux - but feel it is archaic. They look at OS X as a time saving tool, that is right on the money for deploying open source technologies. Apple has managed to come up with a platform that is unrivaled in today's market. Unfortunately, though, none of the people I have spoken to have said that they would be willing to commit to the platform for various reasons. Besides single vendor lock-in, one of the factors that hurts Apple is their single server offering - with no other options at all. No blade servers, no virtualization support, and no options for anyone where the Xserve does not fit in. I don't see how Apple will ever be able to infiltrate IT infrastructure unless they commit to their business line or license someone else to go forward. I know it is not Apple's priority - but why not? I know Apple is no longer Apple Computer, Inc. and sees itself more as a gadget company, but I just hate seeing OS X being held hostage on the limited offered platforms. In my opinion Linux is a joke compared to OS X, but Linux is pushed by IBM, Oracle, etc. 10 or so years ago, Linux was under the radar and was not taken seriously by management and CIOs. Once IBM committed to supporting Linux, it became very popular across IT shops - even though Linux is not a great OS. I think their 'product segments' work against OS X tremendously.
What does this have to do with the Mac Mini? Well, to me, the Mac Mini is the only other available option for a low cost OS X server. It at least provides one alternative to the Xserve, and provides a low power consumption system that can be a viable option for small businesses. So, obviously, I would love to see as powerful a mini as they can make - using it in a fashion that it was not intended for!
I don't know - I just hate seeing OS X not being able to reach it's true potential, on both the desktop and the datacenter. I have worked with Sun Solaris, Linux and BSD in the past, but I'm basically a refugee from a Microsoft IT world. I've worked on all aspects of the Windows world being an MCSE, MCSD.NET, MCDBA, etc... I do have Linux, Oracle and Sun Java Developer certifications, but they mostly went to waste as I continued being drawn into the Microsoft blackhole - and I'm just sick of it. I would love to switch to OS X for development and system engineering - but will there ever be demand for OS X skills if Apple is content playing in a niche market? I have gone back and forth about pursuing Apple certifications - but I don't see the use if Apple is not serious about their business line.
And coming back to the Mini and Apple's 'product segments' - with what OS X is, I don't necessarily believe that Apple has been so successful. I mean with the whole Vista debacle, OS X could have completely turned the market upside down - but only 10% of the market wanted either an all-in-one, a somewhat underpowered, non upgradeable small form factor pc, or a $2500+ tower. I know that a lot of people are happy with 10% marketshare, but I would like to see it increase, because if more people use it a home, then more people would want to use it at work and in the data center...
I'm sorry about veering way off topic - your comment just sparked a flurry of thoughts. It's just that I really love OS X, after playing around with many different platforms - I am just blown away by it as a developers environment, and as a server platform. With full ZFS support around the corner - it even becomes more compelling.
Hopefully Apple is just letting OS X age like fine wine, and have a grand plan for it. Perhaps it is not enterprise ready, and they are continually improving it so that it becomes bullet-proof and robust for enterprise use, and then they will be ready to make the push into the datacenters.
In a bizzaro world, I would have loved to have seen OS X based on Solaris instead of BSD. Having an OS X frontend to Solaris would be incredible, and it would have automatically had big play in the enterprise market...
[BACK ON TOPIC FINALLY]
As for my Mini purchase - I have been debating exactly what I want. I keep on going back and forth. I will probably end up buying two eventually - and might go for the 2.26 in one of them. Otherwise, I'm also thinking about one mini and one iMac, so that I can have a little more power if I need it. I think a 2.26 mini with an SSD drive would make for a pretty nice small profile performer.
I guess I really need to take some time off work and get some rest. I'm obviously beginning to imagine better specs on Apple hardware, a sure sign of sleep deprivation. 
