The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

[Boyd01]

A maxed out mini is 2799 for that you can get a similar studio with built in front sd and usb ports

Actually it's $4,499 with 10gb ethernet, 32gb RAM and 8tb SSD.

These look pretty nice but 32gb is a deal-breaker for me. I have a maxxed out 2018 Mini (64gb/2tb/10gbe) which I got from the refurb store, but IIRC that model was selling for $2500 new. The new Mini with 32gb/2tb/10gbe is $2700, so for an extra $200, you get 32gb less memory.

Not in the market, but if I *had* to upgrade today it would be a Studio.

 

[EugW]

is HDMI port version 2.1 with VRR support?

Just a note that ALL new HDMI ports are HDMI 2.1, regardless if they support HDMI 2.1 features or not, because they have changed the HDMI naming scheme. In fact, HDMI 2.0 no longer even exists in the new naming scheme.

It's not clear from the website what HDMI 2.1 features the M2 Mac mini supports, if any. Apple just calls it HDMI.

 

[Macalway]

It's an ok deal. You can get a Mac with 24gb for less than a grand. Many of us need the extra ram. 32gb or more would be better, but 24 can often suffice. The desktop market has dwindled.

Still, to make these non-upgradable is simple being cheap. it's not like they can pretend it's a space issue. And now they are all excited about the headset that nobody will buy cuz it's just too expensive for the consumer. Well, companies have ups and downs just like people.

 

[Che Castro]

Just ordered m2 16gb/512gb Mac mini

Coming from 2012 i5 is going to be a big upgrade
I tried to trade the Mac mini to apple to get some money for it
They told me recycle it lol

I have 3 usb A external drives ,the m2 Mac only has 2 usb A ports
Should I get the official usb c to usb adapter from apple $20 or a third party one 2 for $10 Amazon ?

 

[leftroom]

It's ask ok deal. You can get a Mac with 24gb for less than a grand. Many of us need the extra ram. 32gb or more would be better, but 24 can often suffice.

Still, to make these non-upgradable is simple being cheap. it's not like they can pretend it's a space issue. This point it rather annoying to me.

Yeah, I was a bit displeased when I saw you need to pay for the more expensive Mac mini to get 32 GB RAM. Don't understand why really, there are 3 models of the Mac Mini but only one lets you chose 32 GB RAM. Not ok. But maybe it has been that since way back, I don't know.

 

[EugW]

Yeah, I was a bit displeased when I saw you need to pay for the more expensive Mac mini to get 32 GB RAM. Don't understand why really, there are 3 models of the Mac Mini but only one lets you chose 32 GB RAM. Not ok. But maybe it has been that since way back, I don't know.

None of the M2 machines support 32 GB RAM. Not the M2 MacBook Air, nor the M2 MacBook Pro.

 

[Macalway]

8 gig is nowhere, and so is USB-A (or at least 2 A ports). What year is this? I forget after events like this.

 

[Gudi]

Yeah, I was a bit displeased when I saw you need to pay for the more expensive Mac mini to get 32 GB RAM. Don't understand why really, there are 3 models of the Mac Mini but only one lets you chose 32 GB RAM. Not ok. But maybe it has been that since way back, I don't know.

Cause the RAM is packed to the CPU. Why would you want more than 24GB with an 8-core M2? It wouldn’t run any faster.

 

[Macalway]

Cause the RAM is packed to the CPU. Why would you want more than 24GB with an 8-core M2? It wouldn’t run any faster.

THere are apps that use huge amounts of ram, that's why. Single apps. And then to have soldered SSD for a swap?

Not good.

 

[Gudi]

8 gig is nowhere, and so is USB-A. What year is this? I forget after events like this.

USB-A is literally on all Macs thick enough to support it. Which means all desktop Macs except the iMac.

 

[EugW]

USB-A is literally on all Macs thick enough to support it. Which means all desktop Macs except the iMac.

I would have highly preferred 4 USB-C ports rather than 2 USB-C + 2 USB-A.

You can convert USB-C to run as USB-A with a $3 dongle, but the reverse is problematic.

 

[Macalway]

USB-A is literally on all Macs thick enough to support it. Which means all desktop Macs except the iMac.

Right, it's good it's there, but the ratio is not ideal perhaps. I don't care about that really. A minor point.

 

[Gudi]

THere are apps that use huge amounts of ram, that's why. Single apps. And then to have soldered SSD for a swap? Not good.

You shouldn’t run those apps on an M2. They need a faster processor, if they work on more than 24GB of data at the same time.

 

[Macalway]

You shouldn’t run those apps on an M2. They need a faster processor, if they work on more than 24GB of data at the same time.

I don't think so. I don't use video apps, these are something else, and not cpu-centric. They require large data files. They are so NON-cpu centric, a swap file works fine, but with the soldered drive, it's an issue.

Most people with video needs, I have no idea how that works.

But soldered? Why? Ask yourselves this. Is it perhaps something to do with the M series? Sort of looks that way.

 

[Kim Larni]

I don't think so. I don't use video apps, these are something else, and not cpu-centric. They require large data files. They are so NON-cpu centric, a swap file works fine, but with the soldered drive, it's an issue.

Most people with video needs, I have no idea how that works.

But soldered? Why? Ask yourselves this. Is it perhaps something to do with the M series? Sort of looks that way.

Mac Studio's SSD's are not soldered. I'm sure you can get them swapped if there is problems with the internal drive. Maybe not yourself but by an authorized service provider. That fact was also one point why I jumped to the Studio bandwagon.

 

[Gudi]

I would have highly preferred 4 USB-C ports rather than 2 USB-C + 2 USB-A.

You can convert USB-C to run as USB-A with a $3 dongle, but the reverse is problematic.

That’s a $1,299 feature. 🤣

M1 and M2 only support two thunderbolt connections. So you would end up with three kinds of different ports: 2× TB4 (USB-C), 2× USB3 (USB-C), 2× USB3 (USB-A).

Edit: If it even works. I see the USB-A ports are only 5Gbit/s.

 

[Macalway]

M1 and M2 only support two thunderbolt connections. So you would end up with three kinds of different ports: 2× TB4 (USB-C), 2× USB3 (USB-C), 2× USB3 (USB-A).

Edit: If it even works. I see the USB-A ports are only 5Gbit/s.

Thanks, that explains it.

 

[EugW]

M1 and M2 only support two thunderbolt connections. So you would end up with three kinds of different ports: 2× TB4 (USB-C), 2× USB3 (USB-C), 2× USB3 (USB-A).

Edit: If it even works. I see the USB-A ports are only 5Gbit/s.

I was talking about an M2 Mac mini with 2xTB4 and 2xUSB-C, and no USB-A.

The problem with having just 2 USB-C/TB4 ports is that if you are running 1 or 2 monitors, that's it. And even just for 4K monitors, USB-C is advantageous over HDMI, since for some strange reason, macOS offers more scaling options for USB-C than it does for HDMI (at least on M1). Dunno why.

Plus, Apple's non-TB USB-C ports are 10 Gbps, which makes a big difference for external SSDs.

 

[Gudi]

I was talking about an M2 Mac mini with 2×TB4 and 2×USB-C, and no USB-A.

Possible, they did exactly that with the 24" M1 iMac. But apparently USB-A ports are a staple of all headless desktop Macs. 🤷

 

[gusping]

Xmas has come 11 months early this year (or a month late). Decisions decisions.

1. M2 24GB RAM/1TB SSD - £1279; or
2. M2 Pro 16GB RAM/1TB SSD - £1469 (student pricing)

 

[robertosh]

Why the M2 Pro is not supporting 24G of RAM? Probably there is some technical limitation but offer 24G on the base model and not on the "Pro" model is weird!

 

[EugW]

Why the M2 Pro is not supporting 24G of RAM? Probably there is some technical limitation but offer 24G on the base model and not on the "Pro" model is weird!

Marketing. If you want more than 16 GB with more ports than the M2 Mac mini, then you're going to have to pay up for 32 GB RAM, whether that's in an M2 Pro Mac mini or an M1 Max Mac Studio. I suspect there is no technical limitation.

 

[Gudi]

Marketing. I suspect there is no technical limitation. …

Yes there is, the RAM comes in package with the CPU. The M2 has 8, 16 and 24 GB versions. The M2 Pro comes in 16 and 32 GB variants.

 

[Attirex]

Ordered M2/16GB RAM/512GB SSD. So very happy to finally retire my 2014 Mini....yesterday it took six seconds to open the Password & Security settings pane. I can't take it anymore lol.

 

[reallynotnick]

24GB/512GB M2 ordered to replace my 2012 Mini. Had enough gift cards saved up buying them during the holidays where they were on sale to help pay for the ridiculous RAM pricing at least the $100 price drop makes it easier.

I'd have loved some additional ports but I'll just buy a hub I suppose, getting the Pro with more than 16GB of RAM was prohibitive.