R.I.P. Mac Mini?

R

Rich Tate

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
5,955
Appleinsider is reporting that their sources believe that we are near the end of the line for the Mac Mini.

Since then, the Mac mini has been treated to a rather mundane life-cycle. It has seen just four updates since inception, one of which was so insignificant in Apple's own eyes that the company didn't even bother to draft a press release. Even now, the current minis' 1.66GHz and 1.83GHz Core Duo processors are a far cry from the silicon offered in the rest of Apple's PC offerings.
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Can't say I'm sad to see it go. Stupid thing was underpowered and overpriced, even more so than most Apple stuff.
 
Like everything from apple, underpowered and overpriced. I would have snatched one up in a hearbeat if it was introduced at $500, but its still double that. Well, Ill just wait for them to EOL and try to find one $300> for my car :)
 
It will be pretty sad to see the Mini go. If I ever got a Mac a Mini is what I would buy. Apple probally wasn't making their usual huge profit margin on it an in typical corporate America style killed.

Hopefully we are all wrong and they will revamp it.
 
jimmer411 said:
Like everything from apple, underpowered and overpriced. I would have snatched one up in a hearbeat if it was introduced at $500, but its still double that. Well, Ill just wait for them to EOL and try to find one $300> for my car :)
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Why do people make stupid comments like this? Base model is $599 and the top was $799. How is it overpriced? I've paid more for a Shuttle SFF barebones box and parts just for the form factor. Do your research before you comment.
 
Some peeps just like to hate on Apple.

I don't entirely hate Apple's software. I basically hate the hardware that comes bundled it.
 
Well, I don't know why they plan on killing it. Almost all the Mac owners I know (A lot BTW.) own one. I've seen a lot sold at the Eaton's Apple Store.
 
MrE said:
Why do people make stupid comments like this? Base model is $599 and the top was $799. How is it overpriced? I've paid more for a Shuttle SFF barebones box and parts just for the form factor. Do your research before you comment.
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You just made a great argument for it being overpriced.
 
MrE said:
Why do people make stupid comments like this? Base model is $599 and the top was $799. How is it overpriced?
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What the hell are you smoking dude?! $599 can get you a freaking sweet AMD64 Brisbane system with 2GB of RAM and onboard ATI graphics with DVI out, all in a slick microATX form factor. What did the Mini come with? I'll tell you: a Core (1) Duo with 512MB of system memory and an Intel IGP. There's not even any comparison.
 
InorganicMatter said:
What the hell are you smoking dude?! $599 can get you a freaking sweet AMD64 Brisbane system with 2GB of RAM and onboard ATI graphics with DVI out, all in a slick microATX form factor. What did the Mini come with? I'll tell you: a Core (1) Duo with 512MB of system memory and an Intel IGP. There's not even any comparison.
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Oh but wait there's OS X !!!!!

Oh but it will run like shit.

Overpriced.
 
InorganicMatter said:
What the hell are you smoking dude?! $599 can get you a freaking sweet AMD64 Brisbane system with 2GB of RAM and onboard ATI graphics with DVI out, all in a slick microATX form factor. What did the Mini come with? I'll tell you: a Core (1) Duo with 512MB of system memory and an Intel IGP. There's not even any comparison.
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Link to the Brisbane system? And again, this is a microATX system you are referring to. The mac mini is an ITX platform. Just check out what people paid for low end VIA ITX motherboard/CPU combos before everything else needed to build.

My comment was simple: When people say how its 2x the cost I don't get it. You've made it abundantly clear in your past posts that you don't like Apple products. I've made it abundantly clear in my past comments that I do like Apple products. So, I will agree to disagree with you on what you labeled as "underpowered and overpriced" and lets not forget that its "stupid" to boot.
 
The Mac Mini is very nice looking. However, it is overpriced. A Core Duo, 512mb RAM, Intel 950 IGP for $600. The 950 was slow 2 years ago, it is absolutely crap now. I have been interested in getting a Mac however I don't want to spend $600 on something already obsolete. So for me to get something I can upgrade I have to spend over $2,200! I don't want a damn iMac, I don't want to spend money on a monitor I don't need or a monitor that is worthless once the hardware is outdated. and come on, $1,500 for a system with an ATI x1600? That's a joke. Apparently Apple can care less what people want as long as they're making a profit. Then again maybe they know they can't compete with Windows based PC's as far as price/performance so they just release products Dell, etc aren't pushing out such as the iMac and Mini where there is no competition. If they do decide to release a faster Mini at a decent price or a cheap mini/mid tower I would definately look into it.
 
MrE said:
Link to the Brisbane system? And again, this is a microATX system you are referring to. The mac mini is an ITX platform. Just check out what people paid for low end VIA ITX motherboard/CPU combos before everything else needed to build.

My comment was simple: When people say how its 2x the cost I don't get it. You've made it abundantly clear in your past posts that you don't like Apple products. I've made it abundantly clear in my past comments that I do like Apple products. So, I will agree to disagree with you on what you labeled as "underpowered and overpriced" and lets not forget that its "stupid" to boot.
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Antec Minuet -$80
AM2 4400+ x2-$52
geforce 6100 motherboard -$50
2GB 667 -$60
320GB 16MB cache sata 2 drive-$75
Lite-on optical drive-$35

$352, granted it's a good bit bigger than a mac mini but regardless it's still more powerful and at $140 cheaper which kinda indicates the mini is a bit overpriced IDK
 
Appreciate the breakdown Saber. I'm aware I can build it cheaper than an OEM. You list requires a copy of Vista or XP to make it a bit more even. As far as the formfactor goes, I have a lot of experience in m-ATX systems, but ITX systems are very pricey. They always have been. And, they've never really been powerful in the hardware realm. My main argument was more of a like comparison. You'd have to compare Acer's ITX box which also uses an Intel CPU and similar chipset to get an approximate comparison.
 
To argue what power you're getting for your money with the mini, you really have to go somewhere like here instead. Even the mATX comparison is kinda ridiculous; they're simply different categories.

That said, the pathetic graphics and inexplicably outdated processor (Merom would've been nice, and a reallly simple upgrade...) prevented me from considering it. I love the little bugger, and if they sold it barebones I would've snapped one up long ago (I like having a PC gaming rig and a Mac for everything else), but I'm not willing to settle for that poor a level of performance, and nothing else from other itx manufacturers that I've seen is very aesthetically appealing (possible exception of this, which I'd not seen before, and yes, I just said I like the looks of the mini, beyond even the form factor).
 
MrE said:
Appreciate the breakdown Saber. I'm aware I can build it cheaper than an OEM. You list requires a copy of Vista or XP to make it a bit more even. As far as the formfactor goes, I have a lot of experience in m-ATX systems, but ITX systems are very pricey.
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There's more to computers than DIY or Apple. ;) Dell's Business sections sells some kickass workstations at dirt-cheap prices:

dell.jpg


Lightyears more horsepower and warranty than the Mini offered. Double the RAM for $84 if you want. :p
 
MrE said:
Appreciate the breakdown Saber. I'm aware I can build it cheaper than an OEM. You list requires a copy of Vista or XP to make it a bit more even. As far as the formfactor goes, I have a lot of experience in m-ATX systems, but ITX systems are very pricey. They always have been. And, they've never really been powerful in the hardware realm. My main argument was more of a like comparison. You'd have to compare Acer's ITX box which also uses an Intel CPU and similar chipset to get an approximate comparison.
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Agreed.
 
I was thinking on getting a mini just to try out a mac. Its not overpriced for its size and with an os. I do agree that most of Apples other products are. Laptops and towers cost a fortune compared to pc . Macs may have the same speed cpu but the video card is usually not the top of the line. If you look around you can always get a much more powerful pc for cheaper than a mac.
 
1/2 bent said:
Laptops and towers cost a fortune compared to pc
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The only tower at present is the Mac Pro, which at the time of release cost less than a comparable Dell workstation. Admittedly, I'd bet it's swung the other way now, but at release, the one tower was actually "cheap." Laptops though, yeah, I won't debate.
 
the mac minis maybe less powerful, but there cost less. is it not that a good reason to maintain them??
 
Not if it deleteriously impacts iMac sales, no. There is a possibility that Apple is figuring the mini may be costing them money; I don't know.
 
I think for a fair comparison, they should be compared to Cappuccino PC. They've been making small computers long before the Mac Mini came out.

In the end though, it doesn't really matter because most consumers didn't want them. Price and performance are the most important factors for the majority of computers. The Mac Mini doesn't fare to well with in those two categories.
 
BladeVenom said:
I think for a fair comparison, they should be compared to Cappuccino PC. They've been making small computers long before the Mac Mini came out.

In the end though, it doesn't really matter because most consumers didn't want them. Price and performance are the most important factors for the majority of computers. The Mac Mini doesn't fare to well with in those two categories.
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compared to those Cappuccino PCs, the mac mini is a steal, though...............
 
Dang, I thought that the Mini was selling well. But then again, most people are intrigued by the iMac's design when it comes to a desktop. I hate to see it leave the lineup but then again, Apple just needs to revamp it and reap the profits. :D

For those who haven't looked it up, check out some car mods including the Mac Mini. Yes, that means you'll have to Google it.
 
but you can run mac os x on them, most macs are slow, why stop this one because it is slow don't make sense. i was thinking about getting one so i could run it on my lcd. apple makes strange decisions sometimes maybe thats why they are not trully successful. make it capable and cheap like the pc.
 
I am a bit glad to see this techinically go, though we must remember that this is only a rumor from a website so the mini could still be around for yet under a different name. I would like to see the mini pass on, but replaced by something that is the AppleTV, but more powerful.

Basically have your AppleTV for 300 dollars (I think), but then for double that or a bit more have the same thing, but more power. Santa Rosa chipset, gig of ram, OSX pre-installed. That would be worth buying, and maybe under a new name.
 
First off if you want to talk cost you need to pit the mac mini against a mini-itx system or something like the aopen mini-pc. Saying how you can build something 3 or 4 times the size if it is a joke. The Dell SFF is a pretty good comparison though if it is the one I am thinking it is.

Anyway apple does need to do something with the mini. It is way past the normal upgrade they time frame they usualy have for it. I for one will miss it if they get rid of it. I know a lot of people that have bought them as they are quite and take up no room. Many of these people don't like the imac as they would rather have a seperate screen. The mac pro is out of their range. I think it would be a mistake to get rid of it.
 
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