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Mac mini and studio comprise 1% of Mac sales
- Thread starter thebart
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yes; Yes; and YES.
I can most-certainly do-what-I-do on my c.2005-2012 Macs/2000-2015 PC's (heck, I did it back-then when they were Current).
It's the OS-Support that always ties-me-up.
I'd agree for the most part save for a couple of things:
Video codecs have moved on and a newer CPU with h.265 support or vp9 support in hardware for example is a massive difference in ability to play back 4k content or higher or video conference without massive cpu use and heat/fan noise.
Its the difference between a machine that is awesome to use and one that can only get by.
If you aren't running a high res display (4k, or higher) then no CPU hardware support for the above is fine - but if you are, old hardware just chokes on it.
I believe the cutoff for h.265 / vp9 support in hardware on the CPU is something like 2016-2017 or there-abouts. Earlier hardware has it pretty rough.
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A very fair point on a truly practical benefit of newer hardware.
Well, that would make the results less surprising (1 Mac Pro generates the same turnover as 10 base Mac Minis or 5 base iMacs - likewise MacBook Air sales could be out valued by a smaller number of MBP sales)...
But: the fact that the source doesn't specify "unit sales" or "value" - along with "CIRP does not detail its research methodology" - are just two reasons for not trying to draw any conclusions from this data. Data is pretty much useless for making comparisons without information as to likely biasses or sources of error... doubly useless if you don't even know what is actually being measured...
For one thing, since Apple don't release sales data they presumably don't hand Apple Store online and offline sales data to the likes of CIRP. So the data is presumably missing out what is likely to be one of the largest sales channels for Mac. So you have to assume that the distribution of sales between models is the same for direct purchases from Apple as from third party resellers. I.e. the chances of someone finding what they want on offer at their local Walmart is the same whether they're looking for a back-to-school base MacBook Air or a custom $12k BTO Mac Pro...
Yes.
Love your apropos understatement
I predominately work with illustration for print&web.
My "1%" 2023 Studio was a totally-fantastic purchase, and really adds perspective.
Still amazing to remember what I was able to do with CorelDRAW 3.0 on a 486-DX cpu....
Personally, I am still using my late 2013 27 inch iMac and am desperate to upgrade, but having heard rumours of a new all-in-one iMac (32 inch iMac Pro) coming out soon, I am putting off buying the Mac Mini or Studio, and the Studio Display. Last thing I want to do is buy that and then a big all-in-one comes out. For me, desktop is still my main machine as I work from home.
MacBook Pro and MacBook Air overwhelmingly drive Apple Mac sales
New research claims to have details on exactly how dominant MacBook Pro and MacBook Air sales are, versus desktop contemporaries.appleinsider.com
I figured it was single digit but didn't think it'd be 1%. It also says Mac pro makes up 3%, which is also surprising.
So the figures don't surprise me because I think there are a lot of people like me out there who are waiting for a bigger all-in-one to come out. The 24 inch iMac is just too small.
But I am getting impatient now and need to upgrade soon due to MacOS limitations, which limits what I can install...
The rumours of a 32 inch iMac Pro seem to be ramping up a bit now, so fingers crossed.
I love my new base m4 Mac mini as I got it the same day I ordered it on my Apple Store app on my iPhone for 9 dollars from the local store in my area downtown as amazon does not offer this service unless you sign up for amazon prime which to me isn't a good deal for me as I don't buy enough from them or frequently enough to justify the price of prime just to get same day delivery on items they sell. Beyond that it sips power, is dead quiet and to use it's perfect for what I need for a computer to use at home and I can upgrade it in the future swapping it in a trade in for a more updated Mac mini bace model in the future like I do for my iPhone if I so wanted to do as an option and that to me is a convenience I can use in a possible future era where tariffs can make these computers very unaffordable here.
My only gripes are it does not have 1tb gen 5 ssd speeds as the bare minimum for disk space to fully use the m4 chip on only 16gb of shared integrated ram on the m4 SoC to use as a swap file in a RAMDISK option here and no wi-fi 7 as standard here for networking options. Maybe in 2026 the M6 model will have them as standard here along with 32gb of integrated memory as well as gen 5 1tb ssds as standard on the base model here as by then the PC side will have pic get 6 and get 7 ssd speeds by then along with possible 16tb ssd m.2 modules as well to buy.
My only gripes are it does not have 1tb gen 5 ssd speeds as the bare minimum for disk space to fully use the m4 chip on only 16gb of shared integrated ram on the m4 SoC to use as a swap file in a RAMDISK option here and no wi-fi 7 as standard here for networking options. Maybe in 2026 the M6 model will have them as standard here along with 32gb of integrated memory as well as gen 5 1tb ssds as standard on the base model here as by then the PC side will have pic get 6 and get 7 ssd speeds by then along with possible 16tb ssd m.2 modules as well to buy.
Anyone can make such statements. What is the basis for your statements? I give NO credibility without additional information.
I think a lot of people dock MacBooks, but there is still a large market for desktops, especially for people that already have monitors. The cost to upgrade is so much cheaper.
I would love (and use the crap out of) a Mac Studio but I just can't afford it until I get a real job again.
The M4 Mac Mini is literally half the price of an equivalent MacBook Pro. Guess which one I am getting.
I have a MacBook Air M3 that I use as my portable machine.
I also have a MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Max) that has never moved from my desk. I want to sell this one on and replace it with a 'proper' desktop solution with a larger screen. Although its worked for me for several years, seems silly to me having 2 laptops now.....lol
I wonder how many people prefer to keep their main system (Mac Mini, Mac Studio or MacBook) safe at home, and take a smaller, lighter Mac 'on the road?'
I use an iMac, but a Mac Mini should be here very soon. I have an old 2017 12" Intel era MacBook. When I ordered the Mini, I struggled with whether to get a 14" MacBook Pro - I think it would've cost around $600 more?
But that's not far from the cost of a MacBook Air. There was a time one might've said 'I want all my files with me,' but between cloud options (e.g.: DropBox) and fairly cheap portable bus-powered SSDs, that's not so hard to do. It's all the more so if you have family who might use the main Mac when you're gone. Many of us are already packing an iPhone and some an iPad - is the travel notebook even needed?
How many computer users' practices are a variation on the old adage 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket?'
My 2015 retina MBP 13 battery was still holding up pretty well when I finally traded it in after 8+ years. It has been almost 20 years since I had to replace a battery on a ThinkPad. Our organization only doles out laptops to all employees to take between home and office and I haven't heard of anyone having any battery-swelling issues. More common is that our keyboards wear out, actually.
When I briefly had a Mac Studio M1 Max and M1 MacBook Air, I felt like one or the other wasn't getting used enough and became a waste. I am tempted to get a cute base M4 mini but really I don't need it and it will probably become a waste. If I worked solely at home then I could entertain the idea of a desktop but with return-to-office mandates I also need portability again.
I started with the M1 Macbook Air and loved it. Had it since 2020. Then last year I wanted more power to do photo and video editing. Costco had a fantastic deal on the M1 Max Mac Studio for $1499 so I grabbed one. The Mac Studio was great -- powerful, quiet, good port selection.
I found myself using the MacBook Air less and less due to the power disparity. Granted, the M1 MBA with 16GB could actually do all my photo and video editing, just 3x slower than the Mac Studio. I decided to trade in the MBA for some Apple credit while the value was still good.
Shortly after I missed having a laptop to work in other parts of the house so I returned the Mac Studio and set my eyes on an M1 Max 16" MBP with 64GB and 4TB for $2999. It was a pretty phenomenonal machine and deal. I kind of wish I still had it. Anyways, at the time I found it heavy and bulky so I sold it on Swappa without losing too much and bought the base M3 Max MBP 14 instead.
I like the idea of a desktop but realistically I'm better off with a laptop and dock. And with Apple, their Macbooks can be just as powerful as their desktops.
Dumbest decision I ever made was to buy a Macbook Pro two weeks ago because it was $200 off at Costco. So I ended up spending “only” $2800, out the door (48 GB memory). Mind you, I already own an M2 MBA, so have all the portability I need. And I only run undemanding apps, so it's plenty fast with 8GB memory. So I wised up, will return the Mac and ordered an M4 Mini today. Saving 2 grand. Two. Thousand. Dollars. I already had a keyboard and trackpad, so only additional outlay was for a monitor. Nothing high-end, but plenty decent. I am a proud 1 percenter.
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Certainly mine are. I have two Mac minis and a MacBook Pro, and an iPad and iPhone. Seems like a lot for one person, but not really.
One Mac mini in my home office - one in my workshop - and the MacBook Pro for occasional travel (not often enough; I could get by with a MacBook Air in retrospect but the 16" display is handy). iPad and iPhone are all-around use.
Someone gave me the acronym PACE - Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency. I think it's military origin. But it's a more modern/specific version of "don't put all your eggs in one basket."
I've heard people say - "I rely on (device) and I can't be without it even for a day or two" - that just tells me they haven't planned for contingencies. You could take a sledgehammer to ANY one of my devices, and I'd be able to work around it for at least a few days.