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The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

I would not rule out that. But rather unlikely at this point.
If we see no update until Christmas next year, we can put that up on the agenda again.
AFAIK, Apple still sells the 2012 non-Retina MacBook "Pro", with DVD-Drive and user-serviceable RAM+HD (and a resolution slightly above the one delivered by the 11" MBA).
I wish, one of the many interviewers had asked Tim Cook or Phil Schiller about that one ;-)
Who decided to leave this "thing" in the store?
 
Serban said:
you think guys that the mac mini will se the end of its life? like the ipod?
Click to expand...
Nope….. There are those who have been predicting the demise of the Mac Mini for almost the entire decade it has been in the Mac line up. There are those for whom it is not the computer they require, or desire, but for many it is all the computer they need.

Unobtrusive, efficient, easily transportable, cost effective access to OS X, new Mac Minis will almost certainly continue to come…… from time to somewhat unpredictable time.
 
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Micky Do said:
Nope….. There are those who have been predicting the demise of the Mac Mini for almost the entire decade it has been in the Mac line up. There are those for whom it is not the computer they require, or desire, but for many it is all the computer they need.

Unobtrusive, efficient, easily transportable, cost effective access to OS X, new Mac Minis will almost certainly continue to come…… from time to somewhat unpredictable time.
Click to expand...
so if it will come will come like the macbook with usb-c and in 3 colours
 
Serban said:
so if it will come will come like the macbook with usb-c and in 3 colours
Click to expand...

I think Apple would be onto a bit of a winner if they did this, but use 'fun' colours like they did with the iPod shuffle. Would it kill sales of the iMac? Maybe, maybe not. As the spec is already lower than the iMac and it simply can't be upgraded it's the perfect entry point for a lot of people who wouldn't have otherwise considered a Mac, which would then enable Apple to sell their other services which is really what it is all about.
 
Serban said:
so if it will come will come like the macbook with usb-c and in 3 colours
Click to expand...

Not at all……

The Mac Mini is an easily transportable desktop that can occasionally be disconnected in a minute or so, thrown in a backpack, and hooked up in a minute or so to whatever display you want to use at your destination. In my case a bicycle is my daily ride, and an LCD projector in a classroom is my usual display away from home.

Ease of transport was a major reason I got a Mac Mini when it first came out, and I guess I am not alone in that.

I didn't, and still don't want, to tote a relatively delicate little portable with a poky little screen, from home to office, to beach or park, to cheeky little cafe for use any where, any time.

The Mac Mini will almost certainly remain a desktop, albeit with some laptop components in the interest of energy efficiency and keeping the size down.
 
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Need some opinions.

I'm trying to decide between getting a Mac Mini or just putting a Crucial SSD (for around $100) in my Macbook Pro.

I got a mid 2010 Macbook Pro

Processor 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 288 MB

don't know for sure which Mini I would get (deciding between the 1.4 GHz and 2.6 ghz or maybe a refurb) but wondering if it'll be THAT much better than just throwing a SSD in my Pro.

Any opinions ?
 
Last edited:
the new mac mini is more portable without a screen
if you throw a ssd and more ram yes stick with the MBP otherwise if you plan or already have a monitor the new mac mini is the way to go
the igpu only is a big difference
 
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psylence2k said:
I'm trying to decide between getting a Mac Mini or just putting a Crucial SSD (for around $100) in my Macbook Pro.
Click to expand...

Well, the 2014 Mini isn't that big of a step up from the 2010 Macbook Pro. The 2014 Mini's integrated Intel graphics have a small advantage over even the Nvidia Geforce GT 330M (which your MBPro should have in addition to its own integrated graphics), and you'll get a thunderbolt port, but I'm not sure there's much more than that, really.

Also something to consider: the current Mini design is over a year old now. Hopefully, at some point, Apple will see fit to come out with a refresh. So, that might be another reason to hold on to your MBPro a little longer.

BTW, you might also consider upgrading the RAM on your MBPro; that might also give you a speedup for some tasks, if you're having trouble with the machine running slow. (And, that's something you can't do with the 2014 Minis; their RAM is soldered to the motherboard. :( )
 
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psylence2k said:
Need some opinions.

I'm trying to decide between getting a Mac Mini or just putting a Crucial SSD (for around $100) in my Macbook Pro.

I got a mid 2010 Macbook Pro

Processor 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 288 MB

don't know for sure which Mini I would get (deciding between the 1.4 GHz and 2.6 ghz or maybe a refurb) but wondering if it'll be THAT much better than just throwing a SSD in my Pro.

Any opinions ?
Click to expand...


For the price of a SSD I think that's the way to go until the next gen Mac Mini comes. The next Mac Mini may be a great improvement with Skylake and possible TB3 and Type C USB or it may suck worse than the 2014.

You always have the option of a referb at that point.
 
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Serban said:
the new mac mini is more portable without a screen
if you throw a ssd and more ram yes stick with the MBP otherwise if you plan or already have a monitor the new mac mini is the way to go
the igpu only is a big difference
Click to expand...

I do plan to get a new monitor, I want a 27 inch, I like bigger screens and the 15 inch on my pro just doesn't do it for me anymore. So I'm deciding whether just to get the SSD and then hook the new monitor up to the MBP. That plus clearing out my storage onto an external drive would probably help alot. I think the MBP only has SATA 2 instead of 3 though ? Would I still get a significant enough speed difference to make it comparable to a new Mac Mini ?

I dont think I run any REALLY intensive apps. Mostly just web browsers, itunes, media players like VLC, Spotify, etc. Mostly things to consume media. Would I really see much of a difference in ram upgrade ? I'm confused because most people say No, but every now and then I get a yes.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
jpietrzak8 said:
Well, the 2014 Mini isn't that big of a step up from the 2010 Macbook Pro. The 2014 Mini's integrated Intel graphics have a small advantage over even the Nvidia Geforce GT 330M (which your MBPro should have in addition to its own integrated graphics), and you'll get a thunderbolt port, but I'm not sure there's much more than that, really.

Also something to consider: the current Mini design is over a year old now. Hopefully, at some point, Apple will see fit to come out with a refresh. So, that might be another reason to hold on to your MBPro a little longer.

BTW, you might also consider upgrading the RAM on your MBPro; that might also give you a speedup for some tasks, if you're having trouble with the machine running slow. (And, that's something you can't do with the 2014 Minis; their RAM is soldered to the motherboard. :( )
Click to expand...



Yea the thunderbolt port is one of the few main things I would gain but also USB 3.0, Sata 3 from 2, and Bluetooth 4.0 I think right ?

Would the SSD still benefit a Sata 2 up to the speed of making it comparable to a Mac Mini ? Clearing out alotta storage onto a external HD would probably help as well.

I was thinking about upgrading the ram but I dont think I do any REALLY intensive apps that would make a difference ? Web browsers and media players mostly.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
Crosscreek said:
For the price of a SSD I think that's the way to go until the next gen Mac Mini comes. The next Mac Mini may be a great improvement with Skylake and possible TB3 and Type C USB or it may suck worse than the 2014.

You always have the option of a referb at that point.
Click to expand...

Yea that's what i was thinking.

Thanks for the feedback.
 
psylence2k said:
Yea the thunderbolt port is one of the few main things I would gain but also USB 3.0, Sata 3 from 2, and Bluetooth 4.0 I think right ?
Click to expand...

Yes, although whether you really benefit from these depends a lot on your usage; each of these are incremental improvements on their predecessors. I'm not sure I would base the choice of a new computer solely on these interfaces. :)

psylence2k said:
Would the SSD still benefit a Sata 2 up to the speed of making it comparable to a Mac Mini ?
Click to expand...

Hmm. Sata 3 can give you as much as twice the sustained throughput of Sata 2, so there is definitely a difference. However, the benefit I've seen most touted about SSDs (certainly by the folks on this board) is not the raw throughput, but the low latency compared to magnetic media drives. Where a magnetic disc drive will need to spend time seeking to tracks where data is stored on the disc (by moving the read/write head and waiting for the disc to rotate), an SSD can immediately fetch data as soon as it is requested. This advantage is independent of what interface is used to communicate with the SSD...

psylence2k said:
I was thinking about upgrading the ram but I dont think I do any REALLY intensive apps that would make a difference ? Web browsers and media players mostly.
Click to expand...

Well, this is fairly easy to check; you can use the Activity Monitor app (normally found under the Utilities folder in the Applications folder) to see how much memory your machine is using. If you click on the "Memory" tab, you'll see at the bottom of the window a graph of "Memory Pressure" and some statistics. If the "Compressed" value at the bottom right is greater than 0, you may see some improvements by adding more RAM. And, If the "Swap Used" value at the bottom left is greater than 0, you'll definitely see significant improvements by adding more RAM. (Or at least by avoiding activites that cause the machine to start swapping...)
 
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GabrieleR said:
Hi,

i work in an Apple Reseller and like many of you i'm waiting for the mini 2013 refresh.

From monday the two major Apple suppliers in Italy are suddenly and completely out of stock of minis. I know that this happen from time to time, but the timing is no coincidence.

Trust me, a new mini is coming next week, or at least we have solid evidence to believe it.
Click to expand...

The venerable GabrieleR started this thread on this very day two years ago…..
 
psylence2k said:
Need some opinions.

I'm trying to decide between getting a Mac Mini or just putting a Crucial SSD (for around $100) in my Macbook Pro.

I got a mid 2010 Macbook Pro

Processor 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 288 MB

don't know for sure which Mini I would get (deciding between the 1.4 GHz and 2.6 ghz or maybe a refurb) but wondering if it'll be THAT much better than just throwing a SSD in my Pro.

Any opinions ?
Click to expand...

I just went to 12 gb of RAM and a 240 gb SSD in my early 2011 Macbook Pro, and it's like having a new computer. And it's far less expensive than a new computer.
 
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I have 3 mac mini's and I kind of have surrendered to not caring about mac or apple. I use more and more windows and linux as time goes on. I can see that I will be departing from this world of Apple sadly but truly will happen. I was into Apple but their business has drifted to disposable mobile gear.
I would like the ipad a lot more with a simple second slot that would allow for a sd mini card,but Apple will continue to toss a crumpled piece of paper on the ground and sell it out with a long waiting list for more paper please.
They left the world of pc's a while ago. They don't make a real pc anymore just three high priced crippled pieces of gear that don't even allow for 2 drives for internal storage.(pcie ssds do not count) I am not bitter or angry at them mostly sad.

It would be nice to have a 2015 quad core mac mini with 2x 2tb samsung ssd's 16gb ram and a decent integrated gpu.
 
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Miat said:
It certainly would. But like you say, Apple don't seem to be listening. :(
Click to expand...

Have you ever heard about Intel NUCs? Until now they used 15W and 28W CPUs, but for the first time intel is releasing one "powerful" called Skull Canyon with Iris Pro 580... so it's likely using Skylake Quad Core + Iris Pro GT4e.

Maybe this could lead Apple to release a Mac Mini also with this CPU.

Intel-NUC-Kit-D54250WYK-vs-Mac-Mini-3-Test-Geeks-and-Com.jpg
 
AirdanMR said:
Have you ever heard about Intel NUCs? Until now they used 15W and 28W CPUs, but for the first time intel is releasing one "powerful" called Skull Canyon with Iris Pro 580... so it's likely using Skylake Quad Core + Iris Pro GT4e.

Maybe this could lead Apple to release a Mac Mini also with this CPU.

Intel-NUC-Kit-D54250WYK-vs-Mac-Mini-3-Test-Geeks-and-Com.jpg
Click to expand...

That would be very nice I think. Probably with a power brick.
 
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