The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

[Andres Cantu]

If we see a new Mac mini in early 2017, and that's a big IF, it'll probably have the same specs as the low-end MacBook Pro 13". The Core i5-6360U, which is the one in that MacBook Pro, was released in September 2015, so it's already a year old, which means that a "new" Mac mini would be 1.5 years old by the time it comes out (IF)

 

[Partron22]

MBP?
Tiny screen, icky keyboard.

 

[dogslobber]

MBP?
Tiny screen, icky keyboard.

There's no escape.

 

[Kaida]

The new Mac mini is certainly NOT coming plus the death of MBP 2012 (The last ram/hdd/ssd upgradable MBP)

 

[tokyodan]

Microsoft is the new Apple
How much things are changing. Microsoft's announcement of the Surface Studio impressed me. Apple's announcements yesterday depressed me. I am glad I am a fanboy of neither and can easily go with either as I have been doing since 1982 when I bought my first computer, a used 48K Apple II+.

Just my desktops over the years have been Apple->Amiga->Apple->Windows->Windows->Windows->Apple->Windows(+MacMini).
I'm not counting the various iOS devices. And I won't even mention the 3 or 4 laptops I've had (Well, one was a MacBook)

 

[Micky Do]

MBP?

Tiny screen, icky keyboard.

There's no escape.

Sooner or later there almost certainly will be, as Mac Mini almost certainly follows low end Mac Pro.
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The desktop is dying, that's all there is to it.

These are PCs, I don't know if Macs are included

View attachment 668488

At around 90 to 100 million, the desktop is hardly dying, and they are going to continue to have their place. Just that the way people use IT and how they use it is changing.

Seems to me "RIP Mac Mini" is more appropriate.

Still hoping for an update with an Intel quad-core i7 processor. My old 2009 Minis are slow.

Far from RIP, the new Mac Mini is almost certainly coming, but a new quad-core almost certainly won't be back.

 

[EnesM]

At around 90 to 100 million, the desktop is hardly dying, and they are going to continue to have their place. Just that the way people use IT and how they use it is changing.

Yes, but how many of those 100 million are Macs? 5 million? Apple sells 5 million iPhones per week. I can't blame them for prioritizing iGadgets, but of course I agree that they shouldn't abandon the pro market, no matter what.

 

[Partron22]

of course I agree that they shouldn't abandon the pro market, no matter what.

At the least, they need a Mac people can do development on. That does not involve a machine with a small display or a crummy keyboard.
I guess we could all get used to Apple only Apps, in a totally closed ecosystem.
Or not.

 

[Lankyman]

Even if you love someone, when they continue to disappoint there comes a time when you can no longer forgive them. So it is with products and brand loyalty. Apple's focus is now almost exclusively on their mobile division, no doubt due to the fact that's where they make most of their profits.

The Mac Mini thread has been going for what seems like ever. It does now appear with yesterdays non-announcement regarding new desktops that it really is time to consider other manufacturers products.

 

[masterbaron]

As a Mac user since 1991 I've always been committed to the Mac experience. However, after working in IT for over 20 years with PC's and living with Macs at home I've arrived at the point where irrespective of platform I would need a compelling reason to upgrade at this time and I do mean compelling because i'm starting to stray from technology and the calculated bondage that comes with it.

I can truly say I don't care at this time because I can do everything I need to do for at least a few years. Apple hasn't sold me on a technology, feature or capability that I didn't know I needed. I'm free until something breaks of course.

 

[Rigby]

Even if you love someone, when they continue to disappoint there comes a time when you can no longer forgive them. So it is with products and brand loyalty. Apple's focus is now almost exclusively on their mobile division, no doubt due to the fact that's where they make most of their profits.

This was never more obvious than yesterday. They can't even fill a keynote talking about the Mac anymore. That's why Cook regurgitated the iPhone marketing blurb (even though we heard most of it just a few weeks ago at the iPhone event) and spent a ridiculous amount of time for the Apple TV app. And even the Mac part felt streched, seemingly spending an eternity on the shiny blinky keyboard bar. It's just sad.

 

[Partron22]

Maybe they could sell off the Mac division, and just concentrate on phones, pads and watches?

 

[fischersd]

Can't agree more...10 minutes on iPhone marketing fluff....another 10 or 15 on saying how cool the new TV app is (when that's how the ATV4 should have worked out of the gate....) No-one wants to task-switch for different content. They gave the impression that using Siri was going to aggregate all of the content.

Can't help but think that not having the replacement for the magic keyboard ready couldn't be part of the reason for the iMac and hopefully Mac Mini silence. (having the WatchOS variant in the keyboard - guessing it'll act as a relay for the unlocking with Apple Watch feature) - as you only need to be within 4' of the keyboard...not the Mac itself.

Mind you...with touch ID on the keyboard, it makes that feature a little less sexy.

Macs are still a big enough component of Apple's revenue that they should be taking this more seriously. If they hand their segment of the market back to Microsoft on a platter, they'll have a hell of a time getting any of it back. (and tarnishing that once envied religion-level brand loyalty....)

 

[jedisaga]

I believe the only last words to say in this posting are, "we're done here"

J

 

[bse5150]

Even if you love someone, when they continue to disappoint there comes a time when you can no longer forgive them. So it is with products and brand loyalty. Apple's focus is now almost exclusively on their mobile division, no doubt due to the fact that's where they make most of their profits.

The Mac Mini thread has been going for what seems like ever. It does now appear with yesterdays non-announcement regarding new desktops that it really is time to consider other manufacturers products.

Way ahead of you. I'm typing this on a Dell laptop running Windows 10 and I have to say: I like it!

I've been playing with Linux a bit as well and I'm looking at checking out FreeBSD. Gotta tell ya, I really don't need Mac OS or a new MacBook Pro.
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Maybe they could sell off the Mac division, and just concentrate on phones, pads and watches?

A La IBM. Long live Lenovo. Maybe Tim Cook is right. Who really needs a Mac anymore?

 

[cypriot]

Next possible tagline for apple event should be "sorry!"

 

[masterbaron]

I guess I should be truly honest ... my heart was broken when the G5 Tower was superseded by the trashcan and the price was no longer justifiable ... as you can see everything was custom a few years ago. I subsequently downsized to Mini's only because i was able to place a Firewire mixing board to extend my studio which once complete offered redundancy and economy. Now at least, without the G5, the lights don't dim in the house when I turn on my system.

At this point if I can't improve on that concept I'll just sit right here doing what I do.

 

[Rigby]

Way ahead of you. I'm typing this on a Dell laptop running Windows 10 and I have to say: I like it!

I've been playing with Linux a bit as well and I'm looking at checking out FreeBSD. Gotta tell ya, I really don't need Mac OS or a new MacBook Pro.

I use both Windows and Linux computers in addition to my Macs, but unfortunately they can't replace MacOS for me. Windows isn't nearly as good as MacOS for the type of development work I'm doing, since it doesn't even have a proper Unix shell and the associated tools (the new "Ubuntu on Windows" thing in 1607 looks promising, but isn't ready for primetime). Linux is of course perfect for that, but it lacks support for commercial productivity software, many peripherals (such as my beloved ScanSnap document scanner) don't work with it, and it sometimes takes way too much fiddling to make even basic things work properly.

The beauty of MacOS for me is that it combines the advantages of a Unix-based OS, great usability, and good commercial software support. Unfortunately the hardware side of the Mac ecosystem is in real danger of dying with the direction Apple has been taking in recent years. I think they are fooling themselves if they think they can keep the Mac alive with just Macbooks. If they continue like this, they eventually won't have a computer ecosystem anymore (and all the integration benefits they are getting on the iOS side from things like Continuity, Handoff and iCloud will lose a lot of their value).

 

[Partron22]

If they continue like this, they eventually won't have a computer ecosystem anymore (and all the integration benefits they are getting on the iOS side from things like Continuity, Handoff and iCloud will lose a lot of their value).

Someone at Apple whose job it is to Think! long term is not thinking long term.

 

[Micky Do]

Unfortunately the hardware side of the Mac ecosystem is in real danger of dying with the direction Apple has been taking in recent years. I think they are fooling themselves if they think they can keep the Mac alive with just Macbooks. If they continue like this, they eventually won't have a computer ecosystem anymore (and all the integration benefits they are getting on the iOS side from things like Continuity, Handoff and iCloud will lose a lot of their value).

Methinks they don't think that, although they have been somewhat slow in brining out new hardware.

Time was, a couple of generations ago, that IT was mainframes. A generation ago desktops were where it was at, but mainframes still had (and still do have) a place. Nowadays IT involves a plethora of devices. Apple is involved in most, with developments coming most rapidly in the more potable end of the spectrum.

The new Mac Minis, along with other desktops, are almost certainly coming, albeit at longer intervals than in the past.

 

[majkom]

What Ive heard is that there will be no new mac mini, maybe some atv and mini mutant, but more probable is EOL...

 

[Micky Do]

What Ive heard is that there will be no new mac mini, maybe some atv and mini mutant, but more probable is EOL...

Last time I used an ATV it was for mustering sheep, something that Ive probably knows sweet eff all about.

 

[mojolicious]

Last time I used an ATV it was for mustering sheep, something that Ive probably knows sweet eff all about.

I don't know about that; Newcastle Poly (as was) is very handily situated for hill farms.

 

[Cape Dave]

Methinks they don't think that, although they have been somewhat slow in brining out new hardware.

Time was, a couple of generations ago, that IT was mainframes. A generation ago desktops were where it was at, but mainframes still had (and still do have) a place. Nowadays IT involves a plethora of devices. Apple is involved in most, with developments coming most rapidly in the more potable end of the spectrum.

The new Mac Minis, along with other desktops, are almost certainly coming, albeit at longer intervals than in the past.

As probably the most optimistic person on this forum, I think it is time to read the writing on the wall. Why would they wait so long? Why wouldn't they tell us something? Why not release before the biggest selling season of the year?

 

[Crosscreek]

As probably the most optimistic person on this forum, I think it is time to read the writing on the wall. Why would they wait so long? Why wouldn't they tell us something? Why not release before the biggest selling season of the year?

I think this time it is the end of the Mini and Mac Pro. It seems that Apple has set up the MacBook Pro to take over. The iMac will probably be the only desktop.