i love it. Darth's Oil Can (DOC for short)! Epic.
maybe they can make the one after that in the shape of Darth's snuff box...?
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The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming
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i love it. Darth's Oil Can (DOC for short)! Epic.
maybe they can make the one after that in the shape of Darth's snuff box...?
Mac Mini i7 supplies at Amazon Germany are also going down
only 20 of the i7 mini and 11 of the server minis in stock at Amazon Germany
http://www.amazon.de/s/ref=sr_nr_p_6_2?rh=n%3A340843031%2Ck%3Amac+mini+i7%2Cp_6%3AA3JWKAKR8XB7XF&keywords=mac+mini+i7&ie=UTF8&qid=1386540844&rnid=419115031
I had both in my amazon basket for some months now and stock was always FULL
could be a good sign
(base mini is still in FULL STOCK though)
only 20 of the i7 mini and 11 of the server minis in stock at Amazon Germany
http://www.amazon.de/s/ref=sr_nr_p_6_2?rh=n%3A340843031%2Ck%3Amac+mini+i7%2Cp_6%3AA3JWKAKR8XB7XF&keywords=mac+mini+i7&ie=UTF8&qid=1386540844&rnid=419115031
I had both in my amazon basket for some months now and stock was always FULL
could be a good sign
(base mini is still in FULL STOCK though)
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Curiously, the current Mac mini displaces about the same volume as the current AirPort Extreme/Time Capsule, which has a 2.5" HDD drive bay. Note that the AirPort Extreme/Time Capsule's footprint is identical with the AirPort Express and is nearly the same as the AppleTV.
Could Apple be designing a next-generation Mac mini on a similar form factor but with an aluminum case? Fun to speculate.
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OK then.
Well they could repurpose that tiny drive from the iPod Classic.
But if I were Jonny I'd be thinking two things.
1. The Mini shape is pretty close to perfection as it is.
2. I don't want to do anything to suggest that my $600 computer is like my $3000 computer.
3. I'm betting that extrusion process that makes the can would be a profit margin killer on the Mini. And making a plastic can would be cheap enough but it would also look it.
4. The Pro is designed to make a statement "This is special and powerful and like nothing else around."
5. The mini is designed to make the statement "We've stripped away everything you don't want or need but look - this is still as well built as our MacBooks."
And then I'd be thinking "Crap, that's five things." (I was originally going to stop at the first two)
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That's a lot of aluminum.
OK then.
Well they could repurpose that tiny drive from the iPod Classic.
But if I were Jonny I'd be thinking two things.
1. The Mini shape is pretty close to perfection as it is.
2. I don't want to do anything to suggest that my $600 computer is like my $3000 computer.
3. I'm betting that extrusion process that makes the can would be a profit margin killer on the Mini. And making a plastic can would be cheap enough but it would also look it.
4. The Pro is designed to make a statement "This is special and powerful and like nothing else around."
5. The mini is designed to make the statement "We've stripped away everything you don't want or need but look - this is still as well built as our MacBooks."
And then I'd be thinking "Crap, that's five things." (I was originally going to stop at the first two)
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That's a lot of aluminum.
Your logic is sound. Apple makes relatively little money on the mini as evidenced by the almost non-existent discount for education buyers, etc. The last thing Apple is going to do is spend a lot of money to redesign their low-margin computer when it's rather certain they know the price point at which they can generate good sales isn't any higher than they are charging now (otherwise they would to get a decent-for-Apple margin). Look for the next mini to be more of the same based on the basic architecture of the base rMBP.
No, the surface area of the AirPort Extreme less than that of an 11" MacBook Air.
But Apple really needs something on the low end and while Mac Mini many not light the world on fire with its sales it still sales.
Furthermore look at the Mac next up, the 21.5" iMac; at least with an Mac Mini you can upgrade the RAM youself...you can't even do that with the 21.5" iMac.
No, Apple is not going to get rid of the Mac Mini anytime soon as they still need a "cheap" entry level/ transition from PC Mac and the Mac Mini fits the bill.
Yet a 2600 to 3000 dollar MacBook Pro is?
I doubt there are many $2600+ Mac laptops sold as a percentage of the whole, certainly even a much lower percentage than that bought as Christmas gifts.
So what? The enclosure is not one of the most expensive components in any piece of Apple hardware.
Go look at the iSuppli BOM estimates for various Apple products. How much aluminum, glass or polycarbonate skin is present on any given device is largely irrelevant to the final price.
The primary drivers of COGS are display components (when present) and primary silicon (CPU, GPU, RAM, NAND flash storage, and wireless chips).
Don't know why you have fixated on how much aluminum coverings any Apple product has. The difference between aluminum and plastic as materials for consumer electronics coverings is pretty marginal (which is why less expensive Wintel PCs are also often made of aluminum).
Go look at the iSuppli BOM estimates for various Apple products. How much aluminum, glass or polycarbonate skin is present on any given device is largely irrelevant to the final price.
The primary drivers of COGS are display components (when present) and primary silicon (CPU, GPU, RAM, NAND flash storage, and wireless chips).
Don't know why you have fixated on how much aluminum coverings any Apple product has. The difference between aluminum and plastic as materials for consumer electronics coverings is pretty marginal (which is why less expensive Wintel PCs are also often made of aluminum).
I haven't fixated on it - YOU have. I mentioned it as one of many reasons.
My point, which seems to have entirely evaded you, is they're not going to do anything to increase the manufacturing cost, no matter how minimally, on such a low-margin item. Is THAT clear enough for you or would you like to continue your aluminum fixation further?
Apple has increased the price of the Mac mini before.
Apple will do what they want to the product design and if it warrants a price increase, they will do it. They have done this on all of their Mac product lines occasionally (and some of their iDevice products). There is nothing that stipulates that they must keep the entry level Mac mini (or any other device) at ___ dollars.
Note that the current Mac mini already has an aluminum case. Moving to a different form factor with the same approximate volumetric displacement isn't really going to change the amount of aluminum used in the case substantially, at least nothing that would merit a $100 change of the retail price. Nay, those type of price changes would be driven by internal component costs.
My point is that moving the Mac mini from the current mini pizza box form factor to something like an aluminum-clad AirPort Extreme is not so far fetched as the two products have nearly the same volumetric displacement. Apple has ample experience in aluminum case design for a wide range of products.
Anyhow, speculating on the next generation ____ from Apple is just mindless fun, unless you're in Samsung, LG or HP engineering.
Apple builds what they want to build, not some consensus product based on market research, focus groups, user surveys, etc. If there's one consumer electronics company on this planet who will release a new product with a radically different design, it's Apple. They certainly don't read the MacRumors forums for suggestions!
Apple will do what they want to the product design and if it warrants a price increase, they will do it. They have done this on all of their Mac product lines occasionally (and some of their iDevice products). There is nothing that stipulates that they must keep the entry level Mac mini (or any other device) at ___ dollars.
Note that the current Mac mini already has an aluminum case. Moving to a different form factor with the same approximate volumetric displacement isn't really going to change the amount of aluminum used in the case substantially, at least nothing that would merit a $100 change of the retail price. Nay, those type of price changes would be driven by internal component costs.
My point is that moving the Mac mini from the current mini pizza box form factor to something like an aluminum-clad AirPort Extreme is not so far fetched as the two products have nearly the same volumetric displacement. Apple has ample experience in aluminum case design for a wide range of products.
Anyhow, speculating on the next generation ____ from Apple is just mindless fun, unless you're in Samsung, LG or HP engineering.
Apple builds what they want to build, not some consensus product based on market research, focus groups, user surveys, etc. If there's one consumer electronics company on this planet who will release a new product with a radically different design, it's Apple. They certainly don't read the MacRumors forums for suggestions!
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Apple has increased the price of the Mac mini before.
Apple will do what they want to the product design and if it warrants a price increase, they will do it. They have done this on all of their Mac product lines occasionally (and some of their iDevice products). There is nothing that stipulates that they must keep the entry level Mac mini (or any other device) at ___ dollars.
Note that the current Mac mini already has an aluminum case. Moving to a different form factor with the same approximate volumetric displacement isn't really going to change the amount of aluminum used in the case substantially, at least nothing that would merit a $100 change of the retail price. Nay, those type of price changes would be driven by internal component costs.
My point is that moving the Mac mini from the current mini pizza box form factor to something like an aluminum-clad AirPort Extreme is not so far fetched as the two products have nearly the same volumetric displacement. Apple has ample experience in aluminum case design for a wide range of products.
Anyhow, speculating on the next generation ____ from Apple is just mindless fun, unless you're in Samsung, LG or HP engineering.
Apple builds what they want to build, not some consensus product based on market research, focus groups, user surveys, etc. If there's one consumer electronics company on this planet who will release a new product with a radically different design, it's Apple. They certainly don't read the MacRumors forums for suggestions!
Are you suggesting they change the form factor to resemble an Airport Extreme just because they can or you want them to? It doesn't make much sense to me considering most people who use the mini as a media player prefer the flat/short form factor. Please, give us a solid reason for why you think Apple would make this change.
We are due but to know for sure next week is hard to tell. I have two now, had an early incarnation, and could always use a new one, or at least every three or four years. It's not the hip thing as much so Apple could quietly put it out and it may take up the homepage banner for a week at most. The attention is still, and rightly so, on the lower cost iPhones. That's where the money is.
I have been here at Macrumors since its first month of inception (under different user name) and we always got the rumors correct whether it was common sense or a credible source.
We have moved beyond the complete secrecy as it's about keeping up, not making stuff nobody else has. We made our point against the PC worlds, cell phone makers, and the music industry and the public pretty much was inspired then but largely don't care anymore. What was once dominated by insane fanboys like me has been taken over by regular customers who want an iPhone, go into a store pretty much knowing what one is and what it does, and unceremoniously buys it.
Sure the secrecy and overbloated campaigns made sense in the late-90s and early-2000s when we put out iMac, iBook, and iPod and had to in order to show the big companies we meant business. But what we need to do is to keep stuff coming and have it be reliable. It's time to serve the customer being that we are now the BIG company and not try and be the upstart innovator.
Did you notice the last few new products since Jobs' death have been rather low key? It's not that Jobs isn't around but more that we have arrived and today we are the Microsoft or IBM, but at least we are a company with a conscience.
Because Apple has repeatedly made product design changes because they want to. They don't care what you or I think.
I covered this in the last paragraph of my previous post.
I did not say that I wanted them to make this change. It's just a guess based on the company's long history of making drastic product design changes regardless of the overall satisfaction of the existing user base of the current product.
Yet a 2600 to 3000 dollar MacBook Pro is?
Without exact numbers, I'm going to bet that 90% of the Xmas macbook pros sold are the 13" base MBP or 13" base rMBP. Not many kids are going to get a $3K computer especially when they are more likely to break said laptop. My parents bought my sister and I desktops in high school, but they were always budget computers. They were never power houses. They did what we needed them to do, and that was it.
The vertical AirPort Extreme design makes more sense for quad-core Mini's with higher TDP.
For a dual-core Mini, I'd prefer a smaller design using the MBA i5 and i7 processors - especially once Broadwell arrives. All that's needed is a slightly taller AirPort Express or Apple TV design to accommodate a thin HSF, PSU, and additional ports. RAM and flash storage could be soldered onto the motherboard (FAIC), and the enclosure made from high grade plastic instead of aluminum.
For a dual-core Mini, I'd prefer a smaller design using the MBA i5 and i7 processors - especially once Broadwell arrives. All that's needed is a slightly taller AirPort Express or Apple TV design to accommodate a thin HSF, PSU, and additional ports. RAM and flash storage could be soldered onto the motherboard (FAIC), and the enclosure made from high grade plastic instead of aluminum.
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The mini has been around for over seven years and underwent one relatively minor redesign. So when it comes to this product, there's no prior evidence that suggests Apple is planing any "drastic product design changes". That's not to say it won't happen but there's precious little suggesting it will.
The Mac mini's design has been constrained in the past because of the optical drive. Now that it's gone, there's nothing that ties Apple to the mini pizza box form factor.
Like I said, it's just mindless fun speculation anyhow. However, my money is on a significant product redesign. If they just wanted to shove Haswell into the current box, they could have done that months ago.
Like I said, it's just mindless fun speculation anyhow. However, my money is on a significant product redesign. If they just wanted to shove Haswell into the current box, they could have done that months ago.
it was a tremendous, beautiful redesign.
aluminium unibody, new surface and backside, built-in power supply, removable panel, (later) removal of the optical drive.
I agree. On the other hand, would they redesign for a new processor that does a slight upgrade? I lean on the idea of redesign when the Broadwells arrive in 2015, unless there is a surprise redesign around a new architecture which no one has foreseen.
There is no doubt they will redesign it SOMETIME in the future. It would make sense to do so and spice up a minimal and low-profile product, especially to match or complement the new MacPro design.
We have a DVSB design--Apple TV.
Very much agree -- an excellent and functional design. By contrast, the iMac has always been the "design statement" product from Apple and I don't think the next mini will change that.