The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

[fredr500]

Financial

If Apple moves to ARM based systems the reason would be purely financial.

I know that when they were PowerPC based IBM made more profit on each Mac sold than Apple did. They would love to keep that money in their own pocket.

The question becomes capacity. How many ARM chips can they build? And how much will those that they procure from fab houses cost?

 

[Yvan256]

Dual CPUs?

With the A7/etc being more powerful every year, gaining cores, better GPUs, etc, would it make sense for Apple to add their Ax CPUs to every Mac in addition to the usual Intel CPU?

It solves the problem of iOS developers not having to slowly (?) emulate iOS hardware, lowers the cost of iOS development (buy a Mac mini and you can develop and test your code on "the real thing").

It solves the problem (I'm assuming there's a lot of people, maybe enough of a percentage of Apple technical support) of people asking to run their iOS apps on their Macs and at the same time it allows Apple to sell both OS X and iOS software to all Mac users.

Also, has anyone ever compared the Intel GPUs vs the A7 GPUs? Would it make sense to use the A7/A8/etc GPU instead of the Intel ones? I know the Iris and Iris Pro aren't bad, but they're not low-power either.

In any case, the new Mac mini is almost certainly coming. Someday.
If it's not, then the new Hackintosh mini is certainly coming.

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The question becomes capacity. How many ARM chips can they build? And how much will those that they procure from fab houses cost?

If they switch ALL their hardware to a single CPU, it means they'll order a boatload more of them. And the more you buy, the cheaper it gets.

 

[crsh1976]

Also, has anyone ever compared the Intel GPUs vs the A7 GPUs? Would it make sense to use the A7/A8/etc GPU instead of the Intel ones? I know the Iris and Iris Pro aren't bad, but they're not low-power either.

What's the need for an ultra low-power GPU in a desktop product, tho? I fear that would be crippling and limiting to rely on a smartphone/tablet-class GPU for desktop/laptop needs.

 

[Crosscreek]

With the A7/etc being more powerful every year, gaining cores, better GPUs, etc, would it make sense for Apple to add their Ax CPUs to every Mac in addition to the usual Intel CPU?

It solves the problem of iOS developers not having to slowly (?) emulate iOS hardware, lowers the cost of iOS development (buy a Mac mini and you can develop and test your code on "the real thing").

It solves the problem (I'm assuming there's a lot of people, maybe enough of a percentage of Apple technical support) of people asking to run their iOS apps on their Macs and at the same time it allows Apple to sell both OS X and iOS software to all Mac users.

Also, has anyone ever compared the Intel GPUs vs the A7 GPUs? Would it make sense to use the A7/A8/etc GPU instead of the Intel ones? I know the Iris and Iris Pro aren't bad, but they're not low-power either.

In any case, the new Mac mini is almost certainly coming. Someday.
If it's not, then the new Hackintosh mini is certainly coming.

----------





If they switch ALL their hardware to a single CPU, it means they'll order a boatload more of them. And the more you buy, the cheaper it gets.

and what would be the performance of 4 to 8 ARM chips be bridged to gather to act as a single processor?

 

[talmy]

I would think that if Apple would try the ARM on low end hardware first and they would still have Intel processors in the regular Macs.

Apple and "low end"?

An ARM mini would be a disaster for me, at least for my server which has a Windows virtual machine to run Quicken.

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and what would be the performance of 4 to 8 ARM chips be bridged to gather to act as a single processor?

Frequently worse than just a single chip would be!

Reminds me of an old riddle: "If it takes a ship seven days to cross the ocean, how long does it take seven ships to cross the ocean?"

Answer: seven days.

 

[Yvan256]

Apple and "low end"?
Reminds me of an old riddle: "If it takes a ship seven days to cross the ocean, how long does it take seven ships to cross the ocean?"

Answer: seven days.

That's without parallel processing.

If it takes one ship seven days to cross the ocean with 100 crates, how long does it take seven ships with 50 crates to cross the ocean?

Answer: one ship will take seven days to carry 100 crates or seven ships will take seven days to carry 350 crates.



Compatibility, emulation, power and OS X multi-threading issues aside, how many A7/A8/etc can Apple put inside a Mac before their cost is equal to an Intel i3/i5/i7? We already know the "MHz race" has been over for a long time, so if the future is multiple cores, wouldn't it make more sense for Apple to at least have testing units for such roadmaps? Remember that OS X was x86 compatible from day 1, we just never knew about it. I'm sure Apple also has OS X running on ARM, too.

 

[Crosscreek]

Apple and "low end"?

An ARM mini would be a disaster for me, at least for my server which has a Windows virtual machine to run Quicken.

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Frequently worse than just a single chip would be!

Reminds me of an old riddle: "If it takes a ship seven days to cross the ocean, how long does it take seven ships to cross the ocean?"

Answer: seven days.

Low end is the wrong terminology. Asian market is the correct terminology.

I have no knowledge of hardware design and how multiple processors could be utilized but dual CPU's are used all the time.
Does that boat take as long also?

 

[cypriot]

With the A7/etc being more powerful every year, gaining cores, better GPUs, etc, would it make sense for Apple to add their Ax CPUs to every Mac in addition to the usual Intel CPU?



It solves the problem of iOS developers not having to slowly (?) emulate iOS hardware, lowers the cost of iOS development (buy a Mac mini and you can develop and test your code on "the real thing").



It solves the problem (I'm assuming there's a lot of people, maybe enough of a percentage of Apple technical support) of people asking to run their iOS apps on their Macs and at the same time it allows Apple to sell both OS X and iOS software to all Mac users.

Too good to be true.

 

[Schnort]

With the A7/etc being more powerful every year, gaining cores, better GPUs, etc, would it make sense for Apple to add their Ax CPUs to every Mac in addition to the usual Intel CPU?

That would be a nightmare.

It solves the problem of iOS developers not having to slowly (?) emulate iOS hardware, lowers the cost of iOS development (buy a Mac mini and you can develop and test your code on "the real thing")

There's more to iOS hardware than the CPU.

Also, has anyone ever compared the Intel GPUs vs the A7 GPUs? Would it make sense to use the A7/A8/etc GPU instead of the Intel ones? I know the Iris and Iris Pro aren't bad, but they're not low-power either.

Iris Pro is 8x the FLOPs of the A7 GPU. Even the HD4000 is 2.5x. I couldn't find anything about the pixel rate.[/QUOTE]

 

[atlatnesiti]

"The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming"

I'm afraid not, if ever...

 

[apfelmann]

At Amazon.de and amazon.com Mac minis (i5 and i7) are still out of stock (since weeks).

I can't imagine another reason for this situation than this:
The new mini is coming soon! Or what else?

Mac mini (servers) are also popular among business users, so a WWDC announcement would fit, wouldn't it?

... And an announcement of new TB displays would fit too ... In this case June 2nd a bad day for my credit card it would be

 

[iMacFarlane]

Looks like this thread is finally losing steam, or perhaps everyone is just holding their breath until next week's WWDC. Hey, everybody remember when the current (??!!!) model was announced, at WWDC 2012? After the update was touted, Phil joked that everyone was right that something "mini" would be revealed at WWDC. Of course, the joke was for all the buzz surrounding the iPad Mini, but still. Not out of the question for a Mini to see the light of day at WWDC.

Everyone have a nice weekend, and make sure you come up with a believable excuse to miss work on Monday!

 

[apfelmann]

Looks like this thread is finally losing steam, or perhaps everyone is just holding their breath until next week's WWDC. Hey, everybody remember when the current (??!!!) model was announced, at WWDC 2012? After the update was touted, Phil joked that everyone was right that something "mini" would be revealed at WWDC. Of course, the joke was for all the buzz surrounding the iPad Mini, but still. Not out of the question for a Mini to see the light of day at WWDC.

Everyone have a nice weekend, and make sure you come up with a believable excuse to miss work on Monday!

no it was october 2012

 

[Micky Do]

Looks like this thread is finally losing steam, or perhaps everyone is just holding their breath until next week's WWDC. Hey, everybody remember when the current (??!!!) model was announced, at WWDC 2012? After the update was touted, Phil joked that everyone was right that something "mini" would be revealed at WWDC. Of course, the joke was for all the buzz surrounding the iPad Mini, but still. Not out of the question for a Mini to see the light of day at WWDC.

Everyone have a nice weekend, and make sure you come up with a believable excuse to miss work on Monday!

Running out of steam….? There have been about ten posts a day this week. There are threads that don't even make double figures. None the less, this one does does have its active moments an quieter moments. However, given next week's event, perhaps this is a lull.

However, whatever, it could still live on. If there is a new Mac Mini announced next week, another newer mac Mini is almost certain to be coming in another year or two.

 

[opeter]

Did you see it ...

The new iMac without the display aka, the new Mac mini:

 

[Crosscreek]

Did you see it ...

The new iMac without the display aka, the new Mac mini:

Image

That's a good one.

 

[apfelmann]

Did you see it ...

The new iMac without the display aka, the new Mac mini:

Image

Oh, Yes, with one single big magic trackpad included !!!!

 

[wlossw]

if we all close our eyes, cross our fingers and wish REALLY hard, maybe they will let us have a new mac mini at WWDC

 

[iMacFarlane]

Did you see it ...

The new iMac without the display aka, the new Mac mini:

Image

Mac Mini sir? It's wafer thin.

 

[deeddawg]

and what would be the performance of 4 to 8 ARM chips be bridged to gather to act as a single processor?

Still takes nine months to have a baby no matter how many women you put on the task.

 

[mojolicious]

Still takes nine months to have a baby no matter how many women you put on the task.

But what if it was twins, or quads?

 

[Cape Dave]

From new mac mini's to multipath babies. I think I heard the thunk of this thread hitting bedrock.

THUNK.

Nowhere to go but up now

 

[Kentuckienne]

What will break w/o Intel CPU?

So I admit to using a powerbook G4 from 2004. Did have to replace the internal hard drive. It's slow and doesn't play videos from the inter webs, but the major problem is not being able to install a current OS, or upgrade Rapidweaver 'cause not Intel. If Apple goes to a different processor, like ARM, what won't work? Will developers eek out separate versions of software or will the Intel requiring stuff go away?

 

[philipma1957]

yeah I think we will have to go up from that.

 

[opeter]

So I admit to using a powerbook G4 from 2004. Did have to replace the internal hard drive. It's slow and doesn't play videos from the inter webs, but the major problem is not being able to install a current OS, or upgrade Rapidweaver 'cause not Intel. If Apple goes to a different processor, like ARM, what won't work? Will developers eek out separate versions of software or will the Intel requiring stuff go away?

Yes, if Apple goes to ARM on their computers, than it can happen as it has happen with PPC code ... it goes slowly to Elysium.