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MAC MINI (NEW) UNDERWHELMING
- Thread starter HappyDude20
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I'm not sure it really matters too much what the specs are, what's worrying is that it took four years to produce it. What is so radically different from this mini to the 2014 mini?
I don't understand why Apple can't simply provide both the i7 and the 256 GB SSD for $1,099 as a standard configuration. Acting like prices for fast PCIe SSDs haven't changed since 2014, or desktop processors are more expensive than mobile hence the bottom-end i3 at $799, when it is literally the other way around according to Intel...
Yup.
I have been asking that myself as well.
What could they not have incrementally added/changed over the past 4/5 years?
Apple moves in mysterious ways and I've grown to be less patient with that.
Yea but 128gb for Osx are a nightmare because you will have space problems soon.
They come back to 2012 version, with changeable ram and a good CPU.
You also can connect 3-4 mini with 10gb ethernet for have more power
I think it may be Apple creating a demand for the mini. People don't replace their computer every year like their phone. My first mini was the 2011 model. 2012 was an improvement with USB 3 (and a little faster) but that certainly wasn't enough to buy after one year. 2014 was an improvement with Thunderbolt 2 and 802.11ac, but the rest of it was a step backward. Certainly no desire to buy after 3 years. With a 4 year drought with no new models I was absolutely starving to replace my 2011 that is starting to act up. We'll see if this strategy works. It did with me, I pre-ordered one.
*sigh* Sure… only in Apple's reality distorted world does going backward to previous models mean progress to some people.
Seriously?
So, again, what could they not have added, of all the things you listed, during the previous 4 years?
A trillion dollar company unable to make these incremental changes over 4 years.
And you're OK with that?
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You mean they're "playing" their customers?
That is not really good business practice. Sooner or later we idiots catch up to that.
An undersold value to mini is its versatility. See what else it can do on the same network or in the same room. For example, a workstation in the corner of a living room + hdmi to the TV for presentations and entertainment.
The more it can do, the more it is worth
The only thing I'm disappointed in, is the lack of a dedicated GPU. An 8GB Radeon RX 580 would have been nice - even if it meant the Mac Mini had to get a little taller. Would have also like 4 USB 3.0 ports, as well as 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Beyond that, it's a damn good update, considering Apple was likely working on this last year when the i7 8700 was available. And the 8700 is a flipping sweet CPU, which is negligibly slower than the 8700K (not overclocked). And that means it's a decent upgrade over the 7700k iMac.
True, the iMac is not comparable to the Mac Mini (and vice versa). I guess what I mean to say is that, while the new Mac Mini is very powerful—and I appreciate it for that—it doesn't seem worth configuring one to the max. At that point, an iMac would be a better value. I think I'd rather just get the low-end Mac Mini and only buy for it the CPU upgrade. That may cost less than a similar iMac. But, we don't know until Apple updates those iMacs. $600 more, currently, and a 5K 27" iMac would get you Radeon graphics, a desktop CPU, and a great screen (w/ peripherals and speakers). I'd have an iMac if my Mac Pro hadn't been free.
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I'm not quite sure that is the best description of what Apple is doing. The Mac Pro base is probably not very large, and they will probably like to get several years out of their purchase. Does Apple think it is worth it to refresh it every year? Only they know that answer. The Mac mini base is probably bigger but that may not warrant yearly refreshes if most of this base wants to keep their mini 5+ years! If Apple adopted a 4 year refresh period for the mini that would probably work for me.
Wow, it actually costs around the same price to upgrade the RAM configuration as it does to buy a RAM kit from elsewhere. 16GB of 2666MHz DDR4 is $150-200, online. From Apple, that upgrade is $200.
I'm surprised Apple went so far.
I thought they'd punt, but it looks like they put significant engineering talent into it.
The way processor advances are slowing down, this one may even be good for four years.
I thought they'd punt, but it looks like they put significant engineering talent into it.
The way processor advances are slowing down, this one may even be good for four years.
https://browser.geekbench.com/processors/2063
The ^^ i7-8700 multi-core score puts this in the top 10 of all macs
https://browser.geekbench.com/mac-benchmarks
The ^^ i7-8700 multi-core score puts this in the top 10 of all macs
https://browser.geekbench.com/mac-benchmarks
Except if you buy the RAM third party, you can flip your Apple RAM for a pretty penny to offset the cost, so it's really not the same hit to the wallet in the end.
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You can get fairly reputable 8GB modules for around $60-$70 each. So you're getting a hefty markup, plus you don't get the standard RAM (worth about $70) in your pocket to sell or save for a rainy day. So, for about a $70 value, you pay $200.
See attached screenshot of like 40 different rams from $120 to $140. You can do even better than $120 if you are a little patient in finding a good deal or stacking offers.
32GB (2x 16GB) runs about $265 right now. Apple is charging $600 for that.
64GB (4x 16GB) runs $550 to $600. Apple is charging $1400 for that.
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In 2018 a 128GB SSD without the ability to upgrade it is criminal. Micro Center recently had their house brand 2.5" 256GB SATA SSD on sale for $30. It's currently selling for $35. Surely Apple could have made the base configuration a 256GB drive.
Setting aside price it was a very nice update though. Regardless of what you think about it it shows Apple is still interested in offering the Mini.
I dont even use that space. I have a 640gb hdd on my 09imac and ive used idk maybe 20-30gb if that. Who even stores music on their conputers anymore? Its all streaming now. Unless youre heavily into video editing then i dont see the point in having more space and even if you need more space an external is cheap these days
