The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

[Lankyman]

My 2009 machine is still working well enough so why wouldn't a 2012 machine be a good choice. Our 2012 MBP works well esp with SSD now added. A similar vintage iMac is a decent choice or a new 27" 5K. The current Mini's are in my view not worth the new price money. As my 2009 Mini won't run Sierra by late 2017 I'll be two OS behind

My mid-2011 iMac with 20 gigs of RAM and SSD HDD setup also runs very well indeed. However, I wouldn't go out and buy one of that vintage now as I would be buying old tech. Many of Apple's devices arrive new from the factory with 'old tech' so by the time they are a few years old the tech inside them is even older.

If you add the fact that by the time you purchase your 2012 Mini (2017 according to your statement) it will then be five years old so will not be supported much beyond that. None of this makes it a wise purchase.

 

[essiw]

Aha! While there isn't much we can do about Apple's growing disinterest in desktop PCs, there's certainly no reason for El Capitan to perform poorly on a 2009 Mini. Beachballs and slow loading can certainly be fixed! In particular, loading time is based almost purely on hardware, not software; loading times for El Capitan are actually about the same as for older versions of the OS. if you are currently using a spinning hard drive, you can switch to a solid-state drive (SSD), which has the ability to access data without waiting for a platter to spin up or a read head to move to and align itself with a track on that platter.

Beachballs are also easy to fix, using the correct tools. If you open up the Activity Monitor (located in the Utilities directory under the Applications directory), you can see how much CPU is being used, how much RAM is being used, how the disks are being used, and a variety of other information. There may be a specific application hogging the CPU, to the detriment of any other programs. It may be that the machine has used up all available RAM, and is spending time swapping to the drives. Once you know who the culprit is, you can take measures to fix the problem.

All I can say for certain is that I've set up a 2009 Mini with El Capitan, and it is currently running with no problems (and no beachballs).

Yes I know of all of that. But I am not going to invest in my 7-year-old mac mini when a want a new quad core mac mini. Indeed a SSD would speed up things a lot, the mac mini is packed with 4GB of RAM (which was the most you could buy, although it seems to allow 8GB as well). As to the beachball and slow loading programs, I have to disappoint you, the two apps giving the most problems are Safari (ad block installed), and mail. Both of which showed less problems in Yosemite, and which lots of others have complained about. Although it needs to be said that I have yet to upgrade to the latest version (busy with university stuff). Also it cannot handle autocorrect well (maybe I should turn that off), makes typing slow. I did a clean install a year ago, which should not be the problem.

Anyway, what I wanted to say with that, is that while I might upgrade my computer for it to run quicker, the computer how I bought it itself is struggling with the latest software, and of course I could also have bought less RAM. With the way that Apple makes it very difficult to put an old OS on your computer and that the early 2009 mac mini is horrible to open (to install more RAM for example), I found it not weird that these computers are no longer supported. And to think that I didn't even talk about the need to open the mac mini (thanks fixit) to replace the internal battery and a slot of RAM because they were dead/broken. But yes, it is sad for those that do still have a good working mac mini, which they upgraded with an SSD and more RAM.

 

[keysofanxiety]

I found it not weird that these computers are no longer supported. And to think that I didn't even talk about the need to open the mac mini (thanks fixit) to replace the internal battery and a slot of RAM because they were dead/broken. But yes, it is sad for those that do still have a good working mac mini, which they upgraded with an SSD and more RAM.

Apple's 'vintage' period for machines is between 5-7 years. If a system goes vintage, Apple will stop manufacturing parts for it, and they'll flat out refuse to even touch it at the Genius Bar. The exception to this rule is if you're in Turkey or California.

Adding an SSD can cost pennies, depending on how much storage you need. It will always make a massively positive difference. As your Mac Mini is 7 years old, it's likely that due to age/wear-and-tear alone, the hard-drive is failing or at least a lot slower than it used to be.

For the sake of warranty and economic value, throw in an SSD to ride it out, and wait to see what new Macs are released by the end of this year.

 

[jpietrzak8]

But I am not going to invest in my 7-year-old mac mini when a want a new quad core mac mini.

Well, OK, but I think complaints about the machine running slow are somewhat disingenuous when you (a) install an OS that demands more resources and (b) refuse to add more resources. The 2009 Mini _can_ run just fine under El Capitan.

As to the beachball and slow loading programs, I have to disappoint you, the two apps giving the most problems are Safari (ad block installed), and mail. Both of which showed less problems in Yosemite, and which lots of others have complained about.

Well, sure. This is exactly what will happen when you reduce the amount of RAM available for Safari and for mail. Which is what happens when you upgrade to a more recent version of OS X, because recent versions of OS X consume more RAM, sad to say. (Although Yosemite should have shown roughly the same beachball problems. In any case, a quick look at Activity Monitor can show you if you're running out of RAM.)

Also it cannot handle autocorrect well (maybe I should turn that off), makes typing slow.

Yup. Autocorrect is a classic database lookup task; and the bigger the database, the slower the lookup will be. You can use Activity Monitor to see whether the autocorrect mechanism is hitting the hard drive or not; if it is, an SSD will provide a _huge_ improvement.

 

[essiw]

Thank you for your detailed advice, but as I said I am not going to invest in my 7 year old computer. I was not complaining, I am merely stating my thoughts and I was talking about average users, which would not understand anything you said and would not even want to bother to look into those things. Many average users will upgrade to the newest os thinking it will support their computer without the need of their touch.

Lets turn back to the topic at hand, the almost certainly coming mac mini.

 

[10 Speed]

Thank you for your detailed advice, but as I said I am not going to invest in my 7 year old computer. I was not complaining, I am merely stating my thoughts and I was talking about average users, which would not understand anything you said and would not even want to bother to look into those things. Many average users will upgrade to the newest os thinking it will support their computer without the need of their touch.

Lets turn back to the topic at hand, the almost certainly coming mac mini.

Before putting an ssd in my 2010 mini (8GB RAM), I cloned and tested it in an external firewire case. Even over firewire the performance improvement would have justified running from the ext. ssd.

 

[Jambalaya]

My mid-2011 iMac with 20 gigs of RAM and SSD HDD setup also runs very well indeed. However, I wouldn't go out and buy one of that vintage now as I would be buying old tech. Many of Apple's devices arrive new from the factory with 'old tech' so by the time they are a few years old the tech inside them is even older.

If you add the fact that by the time you purchase your 2012 Mini (2017 according to your statement) it will then be five years old so will not be supported much beyond that. None of this makes it a wise purchase.

I appreciate the logic, lets hope for a Skylake Mini as otherwise it will be an old Mini or an iMac ideally new

 

[DesertSurfer]

Now that June 13 has come and gone, when do you think is the next most likely date for the new mac mini (almost certainly coming) announcement?

 

[Apple fanboy]

J

Now that June 13 has come and gone, when do you think is the next most likely date for the new mac mini (almost certainly coming) announcement?

17th of June. (Not June 17th!)

 

[BornAgainMac]

I like the fact that my Mac Mini 2012 Server is worth more today on eBay that what it cost.

 

[Crosscreek]

Now that June 13 has come and gone, when do you think is the next most likely date for the new mac mini (almost certainly coming) announcement?

Mid to end of November? Because it is most certainly coming

 

[essiw]

Now that June 13 has come and gone, when do you think is the next most likely date for the new mac mini (almost certainly coming) announcement?

Looking at previous years October has been a month for hardware releases. But we will probably see an iPhone event in September, a small chance of being announced then.

 

[Lankyman]

Mid to end of November? Because it is most certainly coming

Yes! mid to end of November comes every year, usually around mid to end of November.

 

[jpietrzak8]

Yes! mid to end of November comes every year, usually around mid to end of November.

Given the current political contest here in the States, I'm hoping that we'll still all be here mid to end of November.

 

[Crosscreek]

Given the current political contest here in the States, I'm hoping that we'll still all be here mid to end of November.

Yeah, it's going to be YUUUUUGE

Newegg will be shipping mine in pieces the end of November.

 

[tokyodan]

The churning of refab Mac Minis in the Japanese Apple Store has stopped. I guess now that WWDC is over Apple thinks that the window for conning people into buying their overpriced, outdated, and underpowered sh*t has closed.

 

[Lankyman]

The churning of refab Mac Minis in the Japanese Apple Store has stopped. I guess now that WWDC is over Apple thinks that the window for conning people into buying their overpriced, outdated, and underpowered sh*t has closed.

Not sure what WWDC has to do with it as Apple do this all year long.

 

[tokyodan]

Not sure what WWDC has to do with it as Apple do this all year long.

Because people think that a new Mini could possibly be announced. And the churning makes people think Apple is clearing stock of the current Mini (disguised as refurbs to justify a slight discount) and that they are selling like hotcakes to get people to buy them in a knee-jerk "hurry up, get em while they last!" reaction.

I don't know. But that was my twisted logic and I'm sure some other people may think along the same lines. I'm not a special unique snowflake.
[doublepost=1466205081][/doublepost]Anyway I am in pain here.

All 2014 and 2015 I was sick of my underpowered late-2009 27" iMac and was hoping for a more powerful one that matched current PC gaming hardware. After two years of waiting I gave up and in Oct. of 2015 I bought a kick-ass Windows 10 rig with two BIG monitors.

Now that 27" iMac (3 monitors) was blocking my sunlight so I had to sell it. But I still needed OS X since I had a pretty good investment in OS X apps required for game development and creation of art assets - I develop games for iOS and OSX. So with the money I got for the iMac ($400) I bought a used 2011 Mac Mini which I connected to one of the two monitors. I had a perfect setup for games and game development: my KickAss Windows 10 rig was dedicated for playing games and developing with Unity3D/Visual Studio, then on the Mini I could do email, build the Xcode projects that Unity makes, and run my art programs. Then a few weeks after the Mini's 1-month warranty expired, it died. To fix it would have cost as much as I paid for it. I replaced the power supply. That didn't help so it would have been a $400 mother board. No fu*kin' way! So to save my apps I took out the HD and junked the Mini.

So I've been on hold since late January and my game development has come to a stop while waiting for that new updated mini. (I can stop because I'm an retired hobbiest developer). I was really hoping for an updated Mini at WWDC. I thought if it wasn't what I needed I could hurry up and before they completely disappeared, buy a current generation Mini (or a 2014 refurb) at an even lower price before. Well that didn't happen and I just cannot wait any longer. I can't wait till Sep. or Oct. to see what happens.

I'm about to pull the plug and buy a new 2.6Ghz Mini. And I just fu*king know that the minute I do, that NEW and BETTER updated Mini will be announced.

What would you do? Please help me get rid of the pain. (I considered a hackintosh but at 67 years of age I don't need the irritation that is part of that experience.)

 

[jpietrzak8]

What would you do?

Honestly, I think I'd still go for another Mini. I realize that you just got burned, but I believe the Mini is, in general, still a very reliable machine. And the least expensive way to continue to have an authorized OS X box.

But personally, I'd stick with the 2012 Mini. Both for the fact that you can get a quad-core CPU, and that you can give it exactly the amount of RAM you need today, without worrying about being stuck with that amount forever.

My own guess on Mini updates: if we see an update in the next few months, it'll be a fairly limited speed update to the existing 2014 design, with no major changes to case, ports, or upgradeability. If Apple is (ever) planning on a significant overhaul of the Mini design, I suspect we'll hear rumors about it several months before it is announced; and I haven't heard a peep on this site or elsewhere about any major changes to their desktop machines. (And given Apple's heavy emphasis on mobile devices and new projects, I don't see that changing any time soon.)

 

[Crosscreek]

What would you do?

That's a terrible situation to be in. I would say if your rig is Hackintosh compatible, you could add a small SSD to your Windows rig and do a dual boot to OS X for the time being until a new Mini comes out.

See: http://www.tonymacx86.com/

I really wouldn't buy the present or past Mini if this is possible for you to do for a few months. This is just old hardware at premium prices on old Mini's.

 

[tokyodan]

Honestly, I think I'd still go for another Mini. I realize that you just got burned, but I believe the Mini is, in general, still a very reliable machine. And the least expensive way to continue to have an authorized OS X box.

But personally, I'd stick with the 2012 Mini. Both for the fact that you can get a quad-core CPU, and that you can give it exactly the amount of RAM you need today, without worrying about being stuck with that amount forever.

Thanks. I'd love a 2012 model if they weren't premium priced, but after that episode with my Mini that died I will never again buy a used computer. (I bought it from Softmap, a very reputable store in Japan, with a 1-month warranty). I never had luck with used stuff and always been lucky with new stuff - never got a lemon or a monitor with dead pixels.


That said. Do you think a current (2014?) Mini with 8GB of RAM will be enough to run the ever heavier versions of OS X for the next 4 to 5 years?
[doublepost=1466211144][/doublepost]

That's a terrible situation to be in. I would say if your rig is Hackintosh compatible, you could add a small SSD to your Windows rig and do a dual boot to OS X for the time being until a new Mini comes out.

Ha! I never though of that! I like your idea!

I was pricing components to build this but didn't want to spend around $700 to build a complete PC that would run OS X but not as well as a Mini. But trying with just an SSD and dual booting from my new PC is a great idea, and a cheap one. I might give it a try. My PC is a top-of-the-line HP Envy.

hmmm.

 

[Crosscreek]

Create an account at Tonymac then go to the forums and pose the question for your HP and see if someone can help you. It may not run perfectly but you should be able to run X Code for a couple of months until the New? Mac Mini comes. A lot of those people there are Mac Rumors people and there is also a Hackintosh thread in the Mac Pro forum.

 

[jpietrzak8]

That said. Do you think a current (2014?) Mini with 8GB of RAM will be enough to run the ever heavier versions of OS X for the next 4 to 5 years?

Yes, with qualifications. I have absolutely no doubt that OS X will be able to run in 8 GB of RAM, probably all the way until 2026 or later. I say that because even today, El Capitan itself can actually run in 2 GB of RAM. The question, however, is whether you will be able to do the work you need to do in the amount of RAM you have left -- I think 4 GB is the minimum to run both El Capitan and a couple of standard apps (web browser, email), and I've pushed my own machine up to 8 GB already as I found myself reaching the limit far too often with just 4. So, if you don't really need 8 GB today, I think you'll be safe for some time. If 8 GB is already a minimum for your apps right now, you may find it too constraining in 4-5 years...

I was pricing components to build this but didn't want to spend around $700 to build a complete PC that would run OS X but not as well as a Mini. But trying with just an SSD and dual booting from my new PC is a great idea, and a cheap one. I might give it a try.

Actually, didn't you just say that you salvaged the drive from your Mini? So you don't really need to purchase any other hardware (unless you need an adapter or an external enclosure to connect the drive to your machine).

BTW, HP seems to have all sorts of desktop and laptop machines (and even printers!) that have the "Envy" brand name, so I'm not entirely sure exactly what a "top-of-the-line" Envy actually is.

 

[Crosscreek]

Ha! I never though of that! I like your idea!

I was pricing components to build this but didn't want to spend around $700 to build a complete PC that would run OS X but not as well as a Mini. But trying with just an SSD and dual booting from my new PC is a great idea, and a cheap one. I might give it a try. My PC is a top-of-the-line HP Envy.

hmmm.

I just thought of a problem with the Hackintosh idea and that is you need a working Mac to download the El Capitan installer from the app store to use with MultiBeast to install on your HP.

Unless you know someone that can download it on a flash drive your out of luck.

 

[tokyodan]

Yes, with qualifications. I have absolutely no doubt that OS X will be able to run in 8 GB of RAM, probably all the way until 2026 or later. I say that because even today, El Capitan itself can actually run in 2 GB of RAM. The question, however, is whether you will be able to do the work you need to do in the amount of RAM you have left -- I think 4 GB is the minimum to run both El Capitan and a couple of standard apps (web browser, email), and I've pushed my own machine up to 8 GB already as I found myself reaching the limit far too often with just 4. So, if you don't really need 8 GB today, I think you'll be safe for some time. If 8 GB is already a minimum for your apps right now, you may find it too constraining in 4-5 years...



Actually, didn't you just say that you salvaged the drive from your Mini? So you don't really need to purchase any other hardware (unless you need an adapter or an external enclosure to connect the drive to your machine).

BTW, HP seems to have all sorts of desktop and laptop machines (and even printers!) that have the "Envy" brand name, so I'm not entirely sure exactly what a "top-of-the-line" Envy actually is.

I just want to run xcode and some graphics apps like Cheetah3D and Pixelmator.

Yes I salvaged my drive with OS X and all the apps on it but I don't think I can connect it to my Win10 PC and boot from it into OS X. And I sure don't want to overwrite it and lose all that data (email, apps, database, etc.)
[doublepost=1466214750][/doublepost]

I just thought of a problem with the Hackintosh idea and that is you need a working Mac to download the El Capitan installer from the app store to use with MultiBeast to install on your HP.

Unless you know someone that can download it on a flash drive your out of luck.

I have an installer USB with El Capitan (or Mavericks) on it. Problem is it is only 8GB and all the guides here say I need a 16GB. But I can easily get one and copy the installer file to it.