If apple releases a 2014 mini then there will be people who love the design/specs and those who dislike the design / specs... Those 2 groups will show if apple releases an updated mini.. 
We're in for what Apple thinks we need, vice what it is we're telling Apple we want.
Did anyone ask for thinner desktops?
Did anyone ask for non-upgradeable RAM?
I loved my 2009 iMac with Snow Leopard and my iPhone 5 with iOS6.
I freaking hate my 2012 cMBP with Lion+ and my iPhone 5 with iOS7.
Apple never haven't based the Mac Mini on the MacBook Pro of the time. It's ridiculous to think it would start sharing specs with the iMac all of a sudden.
If we're lucky, we get:
- base model, like latest entry-level iMac (everything soldered)
- normal model, with a "real" i5, that lets you BTO an i7 and/or 16GB RAM and/or a larger SSD
- gfx the same in all model (see entry-level iMac)
- so no TB2, no 4K
- everything sealed-up like a submarine ;-)
In any case, as I've already spent the money on the 2012 model and upgrades.
By the time, I need to upgrade that, the iWatch probably has more raw power than the 2012 Mini...
Isn't Broadwell supposed to deliver "integrated" gfx capable of driving 4K-displays natively?
Mac Mini mid-2010: Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz (up to 2.66GHz BTO), 320M graphics.
Macbook Pro mid-2010: Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz (up to 2.66GHz BTO), 320M graphics.
Mac Mini 2012, high-end model: Ivy Bridge i7, Intel HD 4000, USB 3.0 ports.
Retina Macbook Pro 2012: Ivy Bridge i7, Intel HD 4000 (and a 650M), USB 3.0 ports.
To me it's clear that at least the high-end Mini will offer similar specs as the 2014 Macbook Pro, that is: Haswell quad-i7 and Iris Pro (or Iris Graphics to match the 13" rMBP models).
Of course, the specs are not exactly the same, but they usually share the same CPU spec and sometimes even the same GPU model.
I'm going to weigh in with this;
The 2014 mini is essentially the same as the 2012 with the exception of the appropriate Haswell CPU/GPU upgrade. Graphics will be Iris, not Iris pro. A 500GB SSD will be available but the base storage will remain a 1TB 5400RPM HDD.
The back panel may offer one TB2 + FW800 or two TB1 ports. Minimum RAM will remain at 4GB. Prices will also remain the same.
What I would like to see is Iris Pro with an upgrade to the same 1GB VRAM dGPU used in the MBP. Unfortunately that doesn't fit the Apple product profile for the mini.
October, November ?
please show me the news about mid-2014 mac mini. You all discuss this like it's about to happen but I don't see news anywhere.
The mention of the mid-2014 Mac mini may be a simple error, but the machine is long overdue for a refresh. Last updated in October of 2012, the Mac mini is the only product in Apple's mainstream Mac lineup that has not seen an update with Haswell processors.
Oh there's been plenty of rumours, but very little from reliable sources, and any that are are pretty vagueSupported by the fact that there's no other indications or news or rumors about mac mini release in 2014, this minimize the hope.
If everything will be soldered and glued together, the thing might actually become very small (and watertight). Maybe shiny aluminium, the size of Apple TV?
I'm still using a 2009 Mac Mini which is very fast thanks to upgraded RAM and SSD. Its sad that those days of upgrading PCs are over, but it allows for innovation and excitement about design like we saw with the nMP and such.
Who knows indeed.8 gig ram standard. Possibly ssd (hopefully bigger than 128). The same chip as the lowend imac/ airs. However I would hope that this will be the lower priced option and a more speccy version will accompany it for a higher price. However there could be a complete redesign so who knows.
The main problem with the mini is Apples fear of cannibalising its market of the more profitable imac and mac pro. In this case the more powerful internal gpu options like Iris Pro is a major obstacle to Apple. They are cornered right now and don't know how to get out. Only solution so far is no mini at all.
If they would have released a powerful IrisPro mac mini in 2013, they would have sold a lot less Mac Pros and iMacs. Thats the only reason why there is no new mini. Lets face it, a lot of people and semi professionals would be just fine with an IrisPro mini instead of an iMac or an Mac Pro for two or three times the price.
And today everybody has an old monitor laying around somewhere.
Because of this, I would be surprised if a new IrisPro mini will ever be released.
To keep the gap large enough between those competing product segments, they will go a complete different route. I think there is something like an Atom CPU coming and no upgrade options in a smaller sealed package. The new mini will be the new Raspberry Pi in a time capsule enclosure.
I would absolutely hate that scenario, but it would make sense from an economical point of view. Remember.
If everything will be soldered and glued together, the thing might actually become very small (and watertight). Maybe shiny aluminium, the size of Apple TV?
I'm still using a 2009 Mac Mini which is very fast thanks to upgraded RAM and SSD. Its sad that those days of upgrading PCs are over, but it allows for innovation and excitement about design like we saw with the nMP and such.
But nothing is soldered or glued on the nMP, it just has GPU boards with non-standard form factors. The memory and processor are OEM replaceable/upgradeable, and it looks like the SSD could get third-party vendors. There doesn't seem to be any good reason that a new Mac Mini couldn't be as modular.