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The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming
- Thread starter GabrieleR
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I do know that el capitan looks good on the new minis but awful on my 2011 model , I guess the 256 card just can't handle it all..
Be very afraid.
Mac Mini is mac book in a desktop packaging.
Now go look at the new Macbook series - that 12 is the first in a new line of laptops that will consolidate the Pro and Air lines. If you are a Mac Mini fan, be afraid. Buy now. It will only get worse and more expensive. And less HTPC-friendly, as Applet tries to push their closed-system TV streaming dongle aka "Apple TV".
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I share your opinion and I'm sure that mini and imac will be built with good enough specs and that's it. I'm tired of always waiting for their upgrades.I don't upgrade every year but when I want to buy, I don't want to buy hardware dating 1-2 years ago (at a premium price).
Yeah....that seems the way Apple rolls anymore. I'll be ready to upgrade next year and since the Miini is no longer rocking the quad cores I have been watching the iMacs which at one time I would never consider an AOI.
Love OS X but the hardware selection sucks.
I had an iMac in 2008. I had to live with a yellow tinted screen but with the latest version of OSX it was slowly becoming unusable. I considered getting an iMac 5k but with an i7,295x,8gb RAM, 256GB ssd it cost around 4000$CDN + 15% taxes and I still have to add more memory. I will still use my rMBP but I'm moving anything I can on my PC. I already sold my iPhone last year. So far I enjoy my move.
I still like the small form factor and the lack of any noise.
By the time I need a new Mini, I can probably farm out any heavy-duty tasks to our private cloud at work.
I'm already doing that for certain stuff that needs too much memory.
I don't run any other GPU or CPU intensive tasks - virtualization is the main reason I have opted for a 2012-i7.
By the time I need a new Mini, I can probably farm out any heavy-duty tasks to our private cloud at work.
I'm already doing that for certain stuff that needs too much memory.
I don't run any other GPU or CPU intensive tasks - virtualization is the main reason I have opted for a 2012-i7.
I wanted to do the same, but OSX is not really efficient. I chose to build my own servers and put Linux instead.
As a reference, Phoronix compared performance of OSX and Linux on a mac mini (OSX, Fedora & Ubuntu)
Phoronix link
The performance of the latest OSX release against the latest versions of Ubuntu & Fedora seems to be under way. I don't expect much change for Virtualization purpose. Unless you need mac VM, for performance, Linux or Windows are better suited.
I hear you on these three OS s and can only comment from my own 30 years dealing with these systems along with DOS and Unix.
Windows crashed the most,Linux next with Unix the most stable followed by OS X.
Windows and Linux have little resale value. Macs hold their value very well.
I get the initial Mac hardware cost which are over inflated with inflated resale value.
It comes down to a personal preference on how one values the user experience.
I use to love to mess with building computers but any more I just want to turn it on and know it's going to work.
I hear you, but I'm a System Administrator (Windows & Linux) by profession so using any of the 3 OS doesn't give me any headache. The most straightforward is Mac OSX. In a 'virtualization' scenario, I was just suggesting that Linux could be beneficial (and it enables you to use custom PC).
I currently have 3 servers (2 physical linux machines & 1 Windows hyper-v) with around 30TB and connect my Win/OSX machines to them without no issues.
It's sad to see Apple lose focus on the Mac platform. Plenty of people would be happy with minor updates every year. When you need to buy something it gives you the feeling it's brand new. Now, when you buy something, you go check to see how old their stuff is. I can't still figure why they don't release Apple retina monitor.
I just don't want to have another box sitting around.
I admit I'm in a special situation in so far as I can create VMs on our private cloud as I need them, within reason (I don't need Windows at all, just Linux and FreeBSD servers).
For local test-VMs, a 2012-i7 is still OK. With 16GB, I can run a lot of VMs at the same time, provided they don't do much.
Which is usually the case - the local VMs I need mostly to try out concepts.
In addition, I don't have a house with a basement, where I can put a noisy server. Just a small flat.
So, I'd have to buy a silent PC - which usually don't exist in high-performance editions.
Most off-the-shelf i7s are gaming PCs.
I could buy a GPU-less workstation (like a Z640 or a Z440 would probably be enough) and add a cheap NVS290-style card (I just need dual-screen), replace the entry-level HDD with a cheap SSD and be set.
But then, I wouldn't have OS X, which I've become accustomed to.
I love FreeBSD on the server (and Linux to a degree...) - but for anything else beyond browsing and doing sysadmin-work in terminal-windows, it's lacking big time on the desktop.
Can't beat it for terminal-windows, though.
Windows (the Microsoft one) is not an option for me ;-)
This time next year we'll be looking back at the 2014 model as a powerhouse and DIYer's dream.
Afraid of what?
My base model 2005 original Mac Mini cost about 26,000 baht where I am at. To make it useful I needed to get a USB hub (it came with just USB 2 ports) which was expensive at the time. Then there was Office for Mac to register, another cost. All up well over 30,000 baht initially, then the cost of more RAM to drive some hardware for which the original 256 GB was not enough.
The base model early 2009 Mini that I replaced it with cost about 23,000 baht, and it came with 5 USB ports. iWork was another 5,000 baht, so good to go for about 28,000. A couple of OS X upgrades, and an extra 4GB of RAM have added another several thousand baht over the years.
The current (2014) base model costs about 17,000 baht, and it would perform better than what I have now. It comes with the iWork apps pre loaded, and OS X and app upgrades can be downloaded at no extra cost. A mid tier Mini, which would probably be favourite for my current use, comes in at around 23,000 baht.
History suggests that lower spec Minis have been getting better, and they are not more expensive than their predecessors.
At the higher level specs, more performance is available, and yes, it does cost some. But isn't that true of anything?
Sure there is plenty of squealing about the quad core being dropped, DIY RAM upgrades no longer being possible, and the maxed out current model having lower geek bench scores. While it may cause cynical wailing and gnashing of teeth among tight-fisted geeks, who want Mac Pro performance at a Mini price, the average Joe or Jill couldn't give a hoot. Something that "just works" is just fine.
The new Mac Mini is almost certainly coming…… And at the lower levels it will almost certainly perform at least as well as the current generation, and not cost a whole lot more
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Last June I purchased from the Apple Store a Refurbished i5 MM(Late 2014), 2.8GHz,8GB Ram, 256 SSD and it is one "sweet" machine and will meet all my computer needs for at least the next three(3) years when my AppleCare expires! The total cost including the AppleCare and Texas State Sales tax was around $1000.
on the PC side a good i5 and a good GPU is almost the same for gaming. As long as you don't saturate the CPU completely (movie transcoding, 3d rendering), I agree that it is a beautiful machine. I would personally debate the need for AppleCare since there is no mechanical part, but that's just me!
Enjoy your mini!
Thanx for the above comment and I plan on selling this MM at the 2 1/2 year point with six(6) months left on the Applecare which can be transferred to the new owner and then buy me the New and Improved 2018 MM!!!
Another point; "Call-Me-Lucky" as I have had some great experiences in purchasing from the On-line Apple Store Refurbished Apple Hardware, i.e.; two(2) MM's, Airport Time Capsule, Airport Express, two(2) Apple TV's, IPod Touch 5 and a Ipad2 over the last three(3) years.
Again, I purchased AppleCare for the two(2) MM's, two(2) Apple TV's, iPod Touch5 and the Ipad2. Why??; here in Costa Rica there are no Apple Stores but there are around eight(8) Apple Authorized Dealers which accept my AppleCare Plan(s). Replacement Parts and Service costs are much higher for Apple Hardware here in Costa Rica.
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