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New thought on Mac Mini being phased out (for new one/redesign) ?

A

Architect4122

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 2, 2007
172
24
I don't know if this has been brought up, I searched and didn't find anything, so here goes.

As you know, Apple within the last month has teamed with Best Buy (which Dell has recently done as well), to display and sell their products in store.

I recently went to a Best Buy and its the whole deal, basically a slice from an apple store placed in Best Buy. They have a large wall with two LCD monitors, and their tables holding "all" of their products. Built into the wall is all the accessories (airport extreme base station, mice (wired/not), keyboards, software, gadgets, ilife, iwork, basically....everything that is made by Apple and what they sale at their stores.

But wait....iMac (both sizes), laptops (MB [b/w],MBP), apple cinema displays.

Ok, there wasn't a MacPro, but this is Best Buy, they're aiming at the average non professional consumer. However, the biggest components missing, especially from a market at which it is aimed at...the Mini. There was no Mac Mini. Like I said, I understand not having the Mac Pro, but of all computers to sale at Best Buy, and in the attempt t reach the most people...no Mini?

Thats my two cents. I wonder if anyone else picked up on this! And, Apple did it at the right time, around the holidays when Best Buy is a mad house...who would have time to realize they don't have a Mac Mini displayed!

note: this was my best buy.

EDIT: Mac Mini is the ONLY computer not on www.bestbuy.com

Really Excited!!!!!
 
It may have something to do with CompUSA folding. I did notice the Best Buy ads for Apple stuff but our BB doesn't stock it. You have to order it online and possibly pick it up in-store.
 
Maybe its just cause the Mac hype machine has gotten old to me. But I still don't think there's a reason to believe the Mini is going anywhere.
 
Thats what I was pointing out, is the fact you CAN'T even order the Mini online at Best Buy.
 
I've always maintained that the :apple:tv and Mac Mini were too similar anyway. They should just rebrand the Mac Mini as the new :apple:tv, slap on some component and HDMI outputs and be done with it.
 
I understand and realize your order of sophistication, but granted that while you can't purchase the Pro in store but can online, the mini is neither found in store or online at BB.

CompUSA actually had it in store and online, but I don't see why CompUSA, or their troubles, would have an affect on Apple pushing products through BB.
 
Cave Man said:
Too expensive and unnecessary features on the Mini.
Click to expand...

The first thing anyone who buys :apple:tv has to do is hack the crap out of it to give it some purpose. So why the hell a Mini is seen to have "unnecessary features" when it is in actuality just a non-gimped :apple:tv is beyond me.
 
jnc said:
The first thing anyone who buys :apple:tv has to do is hack the crap out of it to give it some purpose.
Click to expand...

No you don't. The ATV works just fine as it is.

So why the hell a Mini is seen to have "unnecessary features" when it is in actuality just a non-gimped :apple:tv is beyond me.
Click to expand...

There's a US$300 gap to close between the ATV and Mini. The Mini has a better gpu, more RAM, firewire, Core 2 Duo processors, both SATA and PATA controllers. Nor is a DVD/Blu Ray/HD-DVD drive part of Apple's business model. None of these are necessary for a device that will only play, at most, 1080 content with 5.1 surround from MPEG-4 files. Everyone who owns an ATV also owns a computer, thus no need for those other items for a playback device.
 
Architect4122 said:
I understand and realize your order of sophistication, but granted that while you can't purchase the Pro in store but can online, the mini is neither found in store or online at BB.

CompUSA actually had it in store and online, but I don't see why CompUSA, or their troubles, would have an affect on Apple pushing products through BB.
Click to expand...

I really think it comes down to profit margin - which is higher on an iMac than on a Mini (where they may not buy an Apple display, keyboard and mouse, since the Mini was developed as a "switcher" mac). Of course, that's just a WAG.
 
I don't think Best Buy availability is the best way to determine the future of the Mini. And if they did get rid of the Mini I don't think anyone would shed tears --- seems like everyone I know is "Switching" and getting a MacBook these days.

That said, if they bumped the Mini I would be a very happy camper. I destroyed my MacBook with Diet Coke. I am probably going to get an iMac but I already have a beautiful Dell 24" display. The current Mini is slightly too weak for me, but if they bumped it (and perhaps made it easier for user-installable RAM) it would save me having to sell my Dell display to get an iMac.

--Chris
 
Cave Man said:
That's because the Mini isn't targeted at most Best Buy shoppers. The order of sophistication is:

iMac
MacBook
MacBook Pro
Mac Mini
Mac Pro

:)
Click to expand...

agreed, but here's the thing, mac pro isnt targeted at anyone except for pros, and pros want top, and garunteed quality, they're going to want to shoot for order straight from apple, pros wont even want to buy it from an apple store, online at apple, customized, mac mini is just for the average user who checks their emails, surfs the web, space isnt an issue for them, and most computers at best buy are like that, only some are normal somewhat high-end computers like the imac, so duh, i wouldnt imagine a mac pro sittin there for testing, but a mac mini... why not?:confused::confused:
 
maybe BestBuy refused to put out the mini because it's not an all-in-one unit, which makes it more difficult to sell and therefore not worth BestBuy's floor space.
 
bluedoggiant said:
mac mini is just for the average user who checks their emails, surfs the web, space isnt an issue for them,...
Click to expand...

Yeah, and running Aperture, Photoshop CS3, Dolby Digital/DTS Home Theater systems, Sequencher DNA contig assembly software, MacVector, xgrid and other computationally-intensive apps.

I sure wouldn't buy an iMac for photo work; not with those new "improved" glossy screens.
 
bluedoggiant said:
...all of their PC's are not all in one, excluding the HP touchsmart, and 3 other PC's
Click to expand...

BestBuy gets more money from Microsoft and Windows-based computer manufacturers than it does from Apple for selling computers, though.

BestBuy probably did not want to expend the money necessary to train their employees beyond the basic Mac info ("plug it in and turn it on") when they could make more money from selling a Windows-based computer, a monitor, and - importantly - the security and other software for a Windows-based computer. software adds up to a good percentage of the hardware's value and provides BestBuy with a lot of profit they don't get by selling a Mac that needs little or no additional software.
 
Cave Man said:
Yeah, and running Aperture, Photoshop CS3, Dolby Digital/DTS Home Theater systems, Sequencher DNA contig assembly software, MacVector, xgrid and other computationally-intensive apps.

I sure wouldn't buy an iMac for photo work; not with those new "improved" glossy screens.
Click to expand...

watch it lol, ive got one of those baby's at my desk, and they are AWESOME!!!! and i do not have any complaints on the screen, came great, made it even better by calibrating it in system preferences, what else would you want, it has core 2 extreme!! one of the best, would have been better if it were the quad model, and was clocked up at 2.9GHz...VROOM VROOM VROOM

i wouldnt buy a mac mini for photo work, im not saying an imac is good for photowork, i agree, the screen isnt TOP, but its very good compared to some of the very high end displays that ive played with, although those were antiglare, either way, there is no way to experience anti-glare on the imac, the LCD it self is GLOSSY:eek:, unless they have one of those anti-glare panels in extra large 24 inch/20 inch sizes, forget it


those apps should be painfully slow on the mac mini if you got it before aug 7th!
 
bluedoggiant said:
i do not have any complaints on the screen, came great, made it even better by calibrating it in system preferences,
Click to expand...

No photographer in their right mind would "calibrate" a display with software only. You need a colorimeter.

i wouldnt buy a mac mini for photo work,
Click to expand...

Minis are great because you can put any DVI matte S-IPS display on them. You can do this with an iMac, but it's an extra expense (display 2).

im not saying an imac is good for photowork, i agree, the screen isnt TOP, but its very good compared to some of the very high end displays that ive played with, although those were antiglare, either way, there is no way to experience anti-glare on the imac, the LCD it self is GLOSSY:eek:,
Click to expand...

My point exactly - and why I have a white 24" iMac; it has an S-IPS matte panel. The new iMacs' glossy screen is difficult to manage for photo work without the ability to finely control your ambient light and to turn the thing's brightness down. Only the 24" is S-IPS, the 20" is TN.
 
Cave Man said:
No photographer in their right mind would "calibrate" a display with software only. You need a colorimeter.



Minis are great because you can put any DVI matte S-IPS display on them. You can do this with an iMac, but it's an extra expense (display 2).



My point exactly - and why I have a white 24" iMac; it has an S-IPS matte panel. The new iMacs' glossy screen is difficult to manage for photo work without the ability to finely control your ambient light and to turn the thing's brightness down. Only the 24" is S-IPS, the 20" is TN.
Click to expand...

but the power of the mini is very weak, i do have a colorimeter, used it on a display that really matters :)
 
Cave Man said:
Why do you say the Mini is "very weak" as a photo editing machine?



Then why did you say you used System Preferences to calibrate? There're no colorimeters I'm aware of that use System Preferences panels for calibration.
Click to expand...

i used my colorimeter, on my old PC display from HP, it was a sony PC, with an HP display, 21.7 inch, i calibrated it with a Spyder2 Pro Studio by Colorvision, it depends on the specs of the mini, im making a general statement that the majority of mac mini's arent the new and improved mac mini's with C2D
 
bluedoggiant said:
i used my colorimeter, on my old PC display from HP, it was a sony PC, with an HP display, 21.7 inch, i calibrated it with a Spyder2 Pro Studio by Colorvision,
Click to expand...

What does calibrating your PC display have to do with your iMac's System Preferences? The Spyder software is stand-alone.

it depends on the specs of the mini, im making a general statement that the majority of mac mini's arent the new and improved mac mini's with C2D
Click to expand...

So what? All CD/C2D Minis are fine for photo work - especially when you don't have to deal with that glossy screen of the iMac. There is very little difference in performance between my 1.66 CD mini and my 2.1 C2D iMac for Photo work.
 
Cave Man said:
No photographer in their right mind would "calibrate" a display with software only. You need a colorimeter.
Click to expand...

"A photographer" is a broad term encompassing print, digital, amateur, pro. One size does NOT fit all.

A photographer produces on and for a medium that his or her client most appreciates. The digital medium for viewing photos is now most commonly a glossy display, ergo it would be wise to prepare your photos to appear best on a glossy display. No hardware colorimeter is needed to do that.

Just a thought. :)

--Chris
 
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