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New Mac Mini to use Intel Core M?

I just don't understand why someone would want to further castrate the Mac Mini to make it nothing more than an Apple ATV on steroids.

Apple will do whatever it wants to do with the next round of Minis. I can only hope they get back to either incremental upgrade (unlike this last round) or a full upgrade with new Intel processors that offer more speed, same or less power required and of course the niceties of TB2 or 3 and USB 3.1.

For now, that Asus looks like everything the Mini could and should be in its next release but Apple has a major hard on for telling us where we belong in their grand marketing model scheme.
 
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The Mac mini has typically been based on existing laptops, typically the 13" macbook pro, in a box. The 2012 version was except for the quad version. The 2014 two upper models are macbook pro's in a box and the base model was the base 1.4 macbook air model which has since been upgraded to 1.6. The air, the mini is still 1.4.

I only see the mini going to core m if the laptops it is based on do the same thing, of course they could always base the mini on the macbook but that would surprise me, what would be the point? I doubt they would ever do all of the models though, maybe drop the mid model to the air then the base on the macbook. I would not have thought they would have based the base mini on the base air so who knows what they might do. They will do it without me if they do
 
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EnesM said:
IMO they can have a fanless version, I wouldn't mind, but also keep upgrading the high-end version.

While I understand the trend of going thinner and smaller (marketing selling points), I would rather have the same sized Mini with a bigger and quieter fan, not unlike Mac Pro's fan. And, yes, it should also have all features of Apple TV, as it is being used by many as an HTPC. As Apple TV will be the center of HomeKit devices/accessories, it would be nice to have that option in a Mini too...oh, and a 2TB SSD pretty please (and HDMI 2.0a)

5 days till we know more, or not :)
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I wouldn't hold your breath on any Mini news at WWDC. Apple just updated it last fall, and these days it's not typical to see any Apple desktop updated more than once a year. I personally don't think we'll see a new Mini until Skylake is released, so we're talking maybe 1Q16?
 
Maybe the lower powered version released last year was a test of if the market wants the cheapest Mini possible, or snubs it for the models with more power. Even if not intended, it will have given some good figures on what the market wanted.

If the low powered version has been the dominant seller, I think we will see a Core M Mac Mini. And if we do, I think it will be redesigned to take advantage of the smaller form factor it allows, blocking the opportunity for continued i5 support.

That isn't what I want, unless it opens the way for a separate higher powered model, the mythical xMac.
 
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EnesM said:
I hope there'll be 2 models, one fanless, one more powerful. Different strokes for different folks.

I personally would go for the fanless, because I'd use it on a 4K TV for browsing, music and videos, iMac for other stuff.

Some people on the other hand use it with a 4K 40" TV as a desktop, so they'd need more power, not some fanless Celeron-like processor...
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I would also go for the fanless. I've been wanting to buy a mac mini as my first mac but have been waiting for a redesign. If it is, hopefully it comes with an SSD standard, even if its only 256GB. 8GB of ram would also be nice (only for future-proofing OS X), but I can see why previous owners of mac minis would be upset with an even less powerful processor than the 2014 mac mini.
 
EnesM said:
I hope there'll be 2 models, one fanless, one more powerful. Different strokes for different folks.

I personally would go for the fanless, because I'd use it on a 4K TV for browsing, music and videos, iMac for other stuff.

Some people on the other hand use it with a 4K 40" TV as a desktop, so they'd need more power, not some fanless Celeron-like processor...
Click to expand...

Another new fanless NUC, see "ASRock packs Cherry Trail and USB Type-C into a fanless mini-desktop"

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015...l-and-usb-type-c-into-a-fanless-mini-desktop/
 
toddzrx said:
I wouldn't hold your breath on any Mini news at WWDC. Apple just updated it last fall, and these days it's not typical to see any Apple desktop updated more than once a year. I personally don't think we'll see a new Mini until Skylake is released, so we're talking maybe 1Q16?
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Nah, Q4 2015!
 
Moonjumper said:
If the low powered version has been the dominant seller, I think we will see a Core M Mac Mini.
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Well, it probably is the most selling Mac mini. However, not because people want low power, but because they want a cheap Mac mini.

Apple has never listened to the needs of Macrumors users. I have the feeling, that they are doing the exact opposite most of the time. ;)
 
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toddzrx said:
I wouldn't hold your breath on any Mini news at WWDC. Apple just updated it last fall, and these days it's not typical to see any Apple desktop updated more than once a year. I personally don't think we'll see a new Mini until Skylake is released, so we're talking maybe 1Q16?
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The infrequency of updates might be more due to Intel's schedule slips with Broadwell. Skylake by all accounts is coming soon. According to this, Skylake-Y will be available in September:-

intel-skylake-schedule.jpg
 

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Meister said:
They did downgrade performance wise from the 2012 to the 2014 mini and there is no good benefit for the customer to solder cpu, gpu and ram.
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Theyve downgraded every generation.

My 2011 was the last with dedicated gpu chip with dedicated video memory.
Then it was soldered memory.
And I think at some point dropped quad core.

Each Mini is the slowest yet! It makes perfect sense to switch to Core M.

Im probably going PC this fall.
 
MRrainer said:
If anybody thinks there's going to be an "entry" model and a "power" model a la 2012 Mini, they're delusional.
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Why?

For example. The MBA 13" comes pretty close to the rMBP 13" in terms of speed...
 
Menel said:
I'm probably going PC this fall.
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Same. I had a good run with OS X and I'm glad I got to switch for just a little bit. It doesn't mean I won't quit on Apple completely but they need to give me a reason to spend my money with them.
 
Black Belt said:
I'd love a GOOD Mac Mini with a top i7 Quadcore so I don't have to build a Hackintosh. I don't want an all-in-one Mac and the MacPro is more than I want.
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the i7 2012 mac mini is available again now through the refurbished section of the apple online store?
 
Axeros said:
What is the likelihood that Apple will switch to using the Intel Core M instead of i5/i7 processors in the next Mac Mini?
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For 2015 and probably 2016, it is probably pretty low. Historically the Mac Mini has "lived off of" the major component parts of the highest volume laptop standard configurations. It is a headless laptop more than anything else. ( the MBA CPU packages in the Mini and the solely dual rMBP 13" class CPUs in the Mini are not an accident. )

Right now the MBA and rMBP are the top volume laptop sellers. Apple is selling a decent number of MacBooks, but not at the same volumes (and hence Intel discounts ) as the other two.

At some point the 12" (and 13") 'Retina' screen mature (prices bottoms out) and the volume of Core M sales will tip to the point when the MacBooks may wipe out the MBA. ( the MBA wiped out the MacBook when assumed the same price point. Probably same will eventually happen when MacBook moves back to its former price zone. ) When that happens then the Mac Mini may follow (at least on entry level model). That wouldn't be this generation's Core M though. 2-3 iterations down the road the Core M options may not be as big of a compromise.

if the rMBP 13" stays dominate though there still would be leverage of its major components in the Mini's design.

Alot of folks want the Mini to be a headless iMac. It never was and is even less so now as the iMacs went on a more desktop class component track.
 
If they decide to release a small desktop with an Intel Core M, I wonder if they would call it the Mac Nano? They might use the miniaturization process from the MacBook, though it would kind of defeat the purpose of a desktop computer.
 
Andres Cantu said:
If they decide to release a small desktop with an Intel Core M, I wonder if they would call it the Mac Nano? They might use the miniaturization process from the MacBook, though it would kind of defeat the purpose of a desktop computer.
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If they can make it small enough, the name would make sense. The traditional "desktop computer/laptop computer" divide is starting to break down now. Cheap silent fanless computing units may become more and more common, for one view see this video from Intel:-

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/nuc/newton-fanless-case-for-intel-nuc-video.html
 
Axeros said:
If they can make it small enough, the name would make sense. The traditional "desktop computer/laptop computer" divide is starting to break down now. Cheap silent fanless computing units may become more and more common, for one view see this video from Intel:-

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/nuc/newton-fanless-case-for-intel-nuc-video.html
Click to expand...
I've been wanting to buy a mac mini for a long time, but did not like the recent update with no SSD standard. For my needs, even the Intel Core M would run circles around my laptop!
 
well WWDC is almost over. looks like no new mac mini after all :((( I know people want more powerful but I would totally buy a core m mac mini that was the size of a credit card.
 
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