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Mini - beyond pathetic

OldCorpse

OldCorpse

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 7, 2005
1,758
348
compost heap
Yeah, yeah, I know this has been beaten to death, but really - the lack of a new mini is just beyond pathetic! I needed a new mini for a year now, but I refuse to pay for the obsolete piece of junk Apple is flogging shamelessly.

I mean, what is the point of the "Buyer's Guide" here on MR, when they have the same "updates soon" for years on end? So what does "soon" mean when it's the same "soon" for years? This is BS.

Yeah, I'm frustrated. I'm giving it to March, then it's time to look into the PC world. WTF are the guys at Apple thinking selling a computer that's almost 2 years old at full price? Given how fast technology moves, 2 years is an eternity. Just imagine no iPod updates for 2 years. People would freak - and that's with almost no competition to the iPod. Here the computer industry is ultra competitive, and Apple is resting on its laurels for 2 frakking years!!! F*** this sh|t, enough is enough. Seriously, why not just close the computer division, and announce "we are the iPod + iPhone joint". In general, I'm not impressed with the speed of Apple updates to all their computers. The iMac could use a refresh for quite a while, not to mention the MP. I thought going Intel meant Apple was going to step up the speed of updates, instead they are slower than the glacial pace of the PPC days. I'm sick of it. /Rant over.
 
I can see what you're saying. They obviously put a lot of time into the new notebooks, and for sure, my guess would be that the desktops are next.

My guess is also that the desktops will be released with Snow Leopard so March, I don't think is going to cut it. But keep your hopes up, I could be very wrong with my guessing.
 
Last month, we needed a new PC at work. I was ready to recommend a mac mini, but seeing as we could get a Dell for less money, and it had better specs, and came with a mouse, keyboard, and monitor...

Then my MBP met Applecare, and we are quite glad we went with the company that offers business class support on their professional machines.
 
I'll agree with you, the Mac mini offering is beyond laughable. It's frustratingly hard to understand Apple's thinking sometimes. That is why I bought a 8-core Mac Pro loaded with 14 GB of (third party) RAM, and I couldn't be happier. :D
 
I do agree with you. The mac mini is a bit long in the tooth now and it is in urgent need of and update without a doubt


I am interested in a mini but there is no way i'll be getting one as they are at this moment in time. Specs are quite poor and very outdated.

I think we will see a refresh by May this year



Mat:apple:
 
The OP needs to chill out, there are plenty of things to get hot under the collar about and waiting for a product refresh which is probably one of the least selling items in Apple's lineup is laughable.

In terms of the current mini being an 'obsolete piece of junk' I have to disagree. My C2D 1.83 machine has been my main computer for 18 months, using it for everything including professional music, video and 3d packages and virtual machines and games.

Granted, it's not at the cutting edge, but its more than capable for most users, even today. Remember, the original purpose of this machine was to be an introduction to the Mac world for PC users or new to computer in general and it continues to do this job admirably.
 
Here's how a mac mini would be worth it:

Similar CPU to the entry level iMac. (if the entry iMac goes to 2.4Ghz Quad, use a 2.2Ghz or 2.0Ghz Quad)

INCLUDE a keyboard and mouse at least (it's probably all of £10 for apple to do this)

Allow 4Gb RAM, Come with 2Gb 1066Mhz RAM as standard (again this means the whole range from macbook - iMac uses the same type of RAM. Savings for apple on the bulk buying)

Superdrive

Dual display support (even if it uses 2 proprietary connectors and only 1 VGA adapter is included with the unit to keep it "mini")

Same video GPU as the laptop range to keep the costs down but still perform.

User accessible 2.5" drive bay (with 7,200rpm drive as standard)

1 esata/usb combo port (the whole mac range should have at least 1 of these)

1 firewire 800 port

It's not asking too much, it's not even unrealistic.

Apple are kings of squeezing functionality into a small device and changing it's dimensions to suit. look at all the various sizes of iPod Nano over the years.

********************

On a basic level, all I really want this year is an Intel Mac with Leopard and the Pro Tools LE 8.0 update.

A used mac mini would suit me in the short-term as a PowerPC to Intel "Switcher" system. There's a take apart video available on the OWC website. I can still do DVD burning on the Superdrive in my G4.

I'd be dedicating the system to audio work only so then I'd perform the following upgrades that would then be transferable to a Mac Pro system at a much later date:

An 80Gb SSD as the system drive and somewhere to put all those software synth patches so they load really fast.
A 10,000 rpm Raptor for recording to (in an external case)

Then, give it a year or so...

Get whatever entry level Mac Pro I can afford:

Fit the SSD and the Raptor in the Mac Pro

Replace the original HDD in the Mac Mini and hook the system up to the TV in my bedroom as a media centre.
 
With those features, it changes the mini from a introductory machine to a potential entry level iMac replacement.

It simply does not fit well in Apple's lineup.
 
RemarkabLee said:
Remember, the original purpose of this machine was to be an introduction to the Mac world for PC users or new to computer in general and it continues to do this job admirably.
Click to expand...

The problem is by not being updated it looks bad against its windows opposition. I think the average PC user and potential switcher would be put off, thinking they are getting less value for money because the specs are low.
 
seb-opp said:
The problem is by not being updated it looks bad against its windows opposition. I think the average PC user and potential switcher would be put off, thinking they are getting less value for money because the specs are low.
Click to expand...

Granted, based on specs alone. But you can get more out of the same spec Mac than a PC. There is no way I could perform the same tasks I do on a similarly spec'd PC, thanks mostly to Windows being a resource hog.
 
RemarkabLee said:
Granted, based on specs alone. But you can get more out of the same spec Mac than a PC. There is no way I could perform the same tasks I do on a similarly spec'd PC, thanks mostly to Windows being a resource hog.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's why you pay for OSX with your Mac not windows.
They should either upgrade mac mini or knock-off 300$ off the price, I can get a better PC for half the price nowadays...


And I am talking especially about the Mac mini which is seriously out-dated. iMac's and Mp too but not on that level (e.g a 3.06ghz 8800 iMac still has a lot of life in it)
 
i've been waiting for a mini update for over a year now. at one point, i was willing to buy two...but then remembered what an outdated overpriced piece of junk it is.........

so then i looked at the mac pro, but being a student i can't even stretch to one...

so now i've resorted to the pc world. for the price of two mac mini's i get...

antec fusion 350 case (the best looking pc case i could find :p)
Q9550 2.83GHz Quad core
4GB 800MHz DDR2 RAM
500GB 7200rpm HDD
9800GT 512MB Graphics card

now how do two mac mini's compare to that?
(N.B. i will be rendering, not gaming, despite the graphics card)
 
Atom Processors with the GMA950 are selling. They're cheap, granted, but the technology is really old.

With that in mind, I can see why Apple just decided to keep the Mini with the GMA950, and take their time updating it...
 
Heck yeahit's annoying. I grew sick of waiting over a year ago and bought a refurb mac mini.it's served me well since then.. i'll be buying the new one when/if it comes out though
 
SteveMobs said:
My guess is also that the desktops will be released with Snow Leopard so March, I don't think is going to cut it.
Click to expand...
That's what people said about the aluminum iMacs in 2007, that the redesign would come with Leopard. Didn't happen.
 
Needs an update, for sure. That 80GB HDD is looking very small, more so when you see a netbook with a 160GB HDD


I stopped waiting, I'll live on 1.66Ghz Mini until college where I'll get a MacBook/MacBook Air


Really the Mini from Apple switch to Intel(Core Solo 1.5Ghz/ Core Duo 1.66Ghz) to the current Mini isn't that big a different. Which is pretty bad!
 
RemarkabLee said:
The OP needs to chill out, there are plenty of things to get hot under the collar about and waiting for a product refresh which is probably one of the least selling items in Apple's lineup is laughable.

In terms of the current mini being an 'obsolete piece of junk' I have to disagree. My C2D 1.83 machine has been my main computer for 18 months, using it for everything including professional music, video and 3d packages and virtual machines and games.

Granted, it's not at the cutting edge, but its more than capable for most users, even today. Remember, the original purpose of this machine was to be an introduction to the Mac world for PC users or new to computer in general and it continues to do this job admirably.
Click to expand...


Gah..the mini fails at running FCP and Photoshop CS3. With the GMA 950 and 1.6 ghz C2D it is as fast as a PC laptop I paid $170 for.
(btw: the two best computers I have ever owned have been that PC and my PowerBook G4 12". Both keep chugging on.)
 
Wiska said:
That is why I bought a 8-core Mac Pro loaded with 14 GB of (third party) RAM, and I couldn't be happier. :D
Click to expand...

I would love to run a 8-core Mac Pro as a file server, but that's not really feasible.
 
RemarkabLee said:
The OP needs to chill out, there are plenty of things to get hot under the collar about and waiting for a product refresh which is probably one of the least selling items in Apple's lineup is laughable.

In terms of the current mini being an 'obsolete piece of junk' I have to disagree. My C2D 1.83 machine has been my main computer for 18 months, using it for everything including professional music, video and 3d packages and virtual machines and games.

Granted, it's not at the cutting edge, but its more than capable for most users, even today. Remember, the original purpose of this machine was to be an introduction to the Mac world for PC users or new to computer in general and it continues to do this job admirably.
Click to expand...

I agree with this guy. I have the same mini and its just fine. Its been my main computer for 3 months and its fine. I have a professional music program on it and it handles it just fine. I guess it COULD be a little faster TBH, but it still handles things fine.
 
I agree with the OP.

I've faithfully followed Apple and purchased their products since the mid 1980's, and this lack of update of the Mini is just bizarre.

It's really odd, as many have said, when you consider that a mere 3 years ago, when the first intel mac came out, we all thought updates would come more frequently, not less.

Heck, I remember back when we waited for a little over a year (we thought that was alot, hah) for a notable powerbook g4 update, we thought THAT was ridiculous.

Look at it another way: The intel macs have been out for 37 months. It's been 18 months since that last mini update - nearly HALF the entire time intel macs have been in existence.

I. Simply. Don't. Get it.
 
The worst part now is with plex and boxee working so well the mac mini is a perfect media server. I just can't bring myself to pay $599 for an under spec'd machine. I'm leaning towards a dell hybrid which is a neat little unit for 399 and trying to get osx on it with an IR reciever so I can use the apple remote. Sad I know. I might be better off waiting for another month and see if they update the mini. Just F**ing update already. Ok I'm done.
 
I would not recommend the current mini at the current price to somebody who needs a general-purpose desktop computer.

But the mini is GREAT for a lot of unconventional uses. I've got two. One drives my home theater, while the other is rack-mounted in my mobile PA system for use with my band. Other people have mounted them in cars, or as wi-fi relays, and even web servers.

A mini is small, quiet, powerful enough for most purposes, and runs relatively cool. That makes it a very useful for a lot of tasks where a big beige box would be undesirable.

But if all you need is a desktop computer, the mini is not currently a good value for the money. Don't buy one. If you must have OS X on a shoestring budget, buy a used Mac or build a hackintosh.
 
I agree that it's time Apple update the Mac mini.

I really want to purchase one (or two) but not at it's current spec. I'm planning on purchasing a new mac in March but it'll probably be an iMac or another MacBook if the mini doesn't shape up.
 
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