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Mac Forum / General / Hardware / June 2007Mac mini discontinued
Hi all, how do you feel about the rumours that the Mac mini will be discontinued? It's the only computer which was not yet updated to Intel Dual Core 2, but I feel it's excellent to have a budget computer. Personally, I'd like to run such a device as home mobile center for the next ten years. However, I'm afraid that it's not supported well enough, concerning 3rd party hardware drivers (such as MPEG2 hardware, USB cameras etc.). I'd imagine to replace the hard disk by a flash disk, while higher amounts of data would be elsewhere within the home network. Is there any Linux suitable for the Mac mini, which supports suspend to RAM and wake-up via USB (keyboard)? Thanks, Martin > Hi all, > > how do you feel about the rumours that the Mac mini will be > discontinued? Awful. > It's the only computer which was not yet updated to Intel Dual Core 2, > but I feel it's excellent to have a budget computer. I was waiting for the Core 2 Duo version to replace my trusted 1999 iMac. Damn! _x. -- Only one "o" in my e-mail address > > Hi all, > > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Damn! You can replace the CPU with the T7400 Core 2 Duo CPU http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/mac_mini_core_2_duo_swaps.html and others.  SignatureImmunity is better than innoculation. Peter > how do you feel about the rumours that the Mac mini will be > discontinued? I feel that people who start and spread endless rumors are a.sholes. > It's the only computer which was not yet updated to Intel Dual Core 2, > but I feel it's excellent to have a budget computer. Then why not spread a rumor about the new Mac nano? Or do you really think that Apple is going to completely abandon the sub-$1k market? > Personally, I'd like to run such a device as home mobile center for the > next ten years. However, I'm afraid that it's not supported well enough, > concerning 3rd party hardware drivers (such as MPEG2 hardware, USB > cameras etc.). It's a Mac; what more "support" do you need? > Is there any Linux suitable for the Mac mini, which supports suspend to > RAM and wake-up via USB (keyboard)? Oh, yeah, because Linux is well known for it's vendor support . . . SignatureMy personal UDP list: 127.0.0.1, 4ax.com, buzzardnews.com, googlegroups.com, heapnode.com, localhost, x-privat.org > In article <slrnf5e0cg.ban.t-use@ID-685.user.individual.de>, > I feel that people who start and spread endless rumors are a.sholes. I judge people by their language and unbiased views. > Then why not spread a rumor about the new Mac nano? Or do you really > think that Apple is going to completely abandon the sub-$1k market? quiet possible - apart from the Apple TV > > Personally, I'd like to run such a device as home mobile center for the > > next ten years. However, I'm afraid that it's not supported well enough, > > concerning 3rd party hardware drivers (such as MPEG2 hardware, USB > > cameras etc.). > > It's a Mac; what more "support" do you need? support for current and upcoming 3rd party devices! Which USB cams do you know that work on 'standard' USB? Which TV sets work on the mac mini? Which DAB modules are available? Which hardware modules for control and measurement are around? Mac takes proprietary software. When you want to integrate a PC within a building (e.g. door bell and camera), it should have more flexibility. > > Is there any Linux suitable for the Mac mini, which supports suspend to > > RAM and wake-up via USB (keyboard)? > > Oh, yeah, because Linux is well known for it's vendor support . . . I guess it's at least better than for Macs. Unfortunately, many PCs don't offer a reasonable sleep mode. - Martin > > In article <slrnf5e0cg.ban.t-use@ID-685.user.individual.de>, > > > I feel that people who start and spread endless rumors are a.sholes. > > I judge people by their language and unbiased views. As a person who uses the full expanse of the English language and realizes that every view is biased, I would say you lack critical judgement skills. It's not surprising that you're part of the rumor mill. > > Then why not spread a rumor about the new Mac nano? Or do you really > > think that Apple is going to completely abandon the sub-$1k market? > > quiet possible - apart from the Apple TV Why is it quite possible, because of one wild rumor? The Mac mini has been fairly well received by all accounts, and Apple TV is not a Mac. There is just too much technology crossover between them and the MacBook to abandon it. The Mac mini might die off as the current product we know, but you haven't given one plausible reason to think the only Mac desktop without a monitor in the future is going to be a Mac Pro starting at $2500. > > > Personally, I'd like to run such a device as home mobile center for the > > > next ten years. However, I'm afraid that it's not supported well enough, [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Mac takes proprietary software. When you want to integrate a PC within a > building (e.g. door bell and camera), it should have more flexibility. Oh, now I see it; you're just trolling. Nothing you posted there has anything to do with the Mac mini, which I already noted was a Mac like any other. My current Mac mini functions fine as a media center PC and I expect it to do so in the future, regardless of how Apple changes the lineup. Your beef lies not with Mac hardware, but with proprietary *Windows* software that some manufacturers ship with their hardware. SignatureMy personal UDP list: 127.0.0.1, 4ax.com, buzzardnews.com, googlegroups.com, heapnode.com, localhost, x-privat.org > The Mac mini might die off as the current product we > know, but you haven't given one plausible reason to think the only Mac > desktop without a monitor in the future is going to be a Mac Pro > starting at $2500. I'm not the person to force Apple NOT to abandon any product - but I feel that the Mac mini fits nicely into a niche where I'd miss it when gone. It's both a nice entry level device for newcomers to the Mac, as well as an extra device for current Mac owners for special tasks. There might be any reason not to continue it: profits, warranty trouble, effort for updates etc. But mainly it's up to Apple (known as Apple Computer before)... - Martin > > The Mac mini might die off as the current product we > > know, but you haven't given one plausible reason to think the only Mac [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > effort for updates etc. But mainly it's up to Apple (known as Apple > Computer before)... That is essentially a non-statement that applies to any Mac or, indeed, any product produced by any company. As complimentary as you are to where it fits as an entry level machine, all your spreading of rumors serves to do is introduce FUD into the discussion ("Don't buy a mini because the rumors are it will be discontinued!"), which ultimately has a negative impact on the product you claim to like. That's what makes you a troll and that is why you need to stop investing in rumors as though they were information. SignatureMy personal UDP list: 127.0.0.1, 4ax.com, buzzardnews.com, googlegroups.com, heapnode.com, localhost, x-privat.org > As complimentary as you are to > where it fits as an entry level machine, all your spreading of rumors [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > you a troll and that is why you need to stop investing in rumors as > though they were information. If you feel I'm a troll, you should not feed me... However, I never claimed 'don't buy a mini'. Au contraire I'm with one of the other replies: Be aware to buy a mini quickly if you want one. Thanks for other comments which agreed that there's both a chance for an overdue upgrade as well as a full downgrade. - Martin > > As complimentary as you are to > > where it fits as an entry level machine, all your spreading of rumors [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > However, I never claimed 'don't buy a mini'. Au contraire I'm with one > of the other replies: Be aware to buy a mini quickly if you want one. It wouldn't surprise me if there's currently a surge in Mac Mini sales. SignatureImmunity is better than innoculation. Peter > It wouldn't surprise me if there's currently a surge in Mac Mini sales. I don't think so. This group and purchases based on rumors are not important enough to change sales numbers significantly. Whoever wanted a Mac mini had plenty of time to get one. Thus it would be an ongoing decrease by now: Version 1: G4 (1.25, 1.4 GHz) 2005-01 (updated 2005-06 and 2005-10) Version 2: Intel Core Solo (1.5 GHz), Duo (1.66 GHz) 2006-02 Version 3: Intel Core Duo (1.66, 1.83 GHz) 2006-09 Since the update of the MacBook (2006-11) the Mm is the only remaining Core Duo, 32-bit-CPU, instead of the other Intel Core Duo 2 or better. I guess most people feel that an update is overdue. Personally, I'd exchange the hard disk by flash - in a few years... > I guess most people feel that an update is overdue. > Personally, I'd exchange the hard disk by flash - in a few years... Personally, I've been expecting Apple to make good on the major "pod" promise of the iPod and put out a Mac that makes use of one as the repository of user data. The time is ripe now, not in a few years, for a Mac nano that ditches the hard drive (and possibly even the CD/DVD) for a truly small form factor, in favor of 4-8GB of local flash with expandability via connected iPods or any other external drive. I would love, love, LOVE to see a Mac sized like an Apple Drive Module. SignatureMy personal UDP list: 127.0.0.1, 4ax.com, buzzardnews.com, googlegroups.com, heapnode.com, localhost, x-privat.org >> In article <slrnf5e0cg.ban.t-use@ID-685.user.individual.de>, > >> I feel that people who start and spread endless rumors are a.sholes. > > I judge people by their language and unbiased views. Good luck with that. As soon as you find an "unbiased" view, I'll give you a cookie. > Good luck with that. As soon as you find an "unbiased" view, I'll give > you a cookie. Isn't a view biased by definition? Signature<http://designsbymike.biz/macconsultshop.shtml> Mac-themed T-shirts <http://designsbymike.biz/musings.shtml> Humorous/muckraking T-shirts <http://designsbymike.biz/prius.shtml> Prius shirts & bumper stickers <http://cafepress.com/comedancing> Ballroom dance-themed shirts & gift > Good luck with that. As soon as you find an "unbiased" view, I'll give > you a cookie. I'm not biased. Just ask me and I'll tell you so. SignatureWhile its true that "you can't fix stupid", apparently you can package it up and sell it. -- fnorgby on TMBO > > Good luck with that. As soon as you find an "unbiased" view, I'll give > > you a cookie. > > I'm not biased. Just ask me and I'll tell you so. I biased, but I wish I had a nap. > > Good luck with that. As soon as you find an "unbiased" view, I'll give > > you a cookie. > > I'm not biased. Just ask me and I'll tell you so. I'm biased, but I wish I had a nap. >> how do you feel about the rumours that the Mac mini will be >> discontinued? > > I feel that people who start and spread endless rumors are a.sholes. Unless they are true? >> It's the only computer which was not yet updated to Intel Dual Core 2, >> but I feel it's excellent to have a budget computer. > > Then why not spread a rumor about the new Mac nano? Or do you really > think that Apple is going to completely abandon the sub-$1k market? Apple has done that before. E.g. introducing the iMac and then abandoning the sub-$500/1000-market by upping the price so that it completely negates why it was introduced in the first place. >> Personally, I'd like to run such a device as home mobile center for the >> next ten years. However, I'm afraid that it's not supported well enough, >> concerning 3rd party hardware drivers (such as MPEG2 hardware, USB >> cameras etc.). > > It's a Mac; what more "support" do you need? untill OS and/or program updates require this or that particular mac (neglecting the mini in the process). Apple has done it in the past (Cube comes to mind). So he is right to be afraid that his potential new mac will be more than just phased out. >> Is there any Linux suitable for the Mac mini, which supports suspend to >> RAM and wake-up via USB (keyboard)? > > Oh, yeah, because Linux is well known for it's vendor support . . . Some linuxes are. Actually most Linux-es are. It's usually the unwillingness from many hardware-developpers to provide the necessary information that causes the "support" problems. Same goes for OSX. Just ask Logitech why they abandon support for OSX for e.g. the perfectly good and usable Logitech Webcam 4000pro and forcing present mac-users to buy the 5000pro. Cheers [spreading rumors] > Unless they are true? Rumors are rumors. Either it's just speculation, or someone's breaking a non-disclosure agreement. > Or do you > > really think that Apple is going to completely abandon the sub-$1k [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > abandoning the sub-$500/1000-market by upping the price so that it > completely negates why it was introduced in the first place. The current 17" iMac starts at $999. Admittedly, a tight squeeze to run it stock (ie. 512MB RAM) but otherwise, quite usable at that price point. SignaturePlain Bread alone for e-mail, thanks. The rest gets trashed. No HTML in E-Mail! -- http://www.expita.com/nomime.html Are you posting responses that are easy for others to follow? http://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/2000/06/14/quoting >> I feel that people who start and spread endless rumors are a.sholes. > >Unless they are true? How about companies that start rumors - to test the waters? Sometimes rumors are useful no matter who started them. A current rumor results in clues given by Apple - about the YouTube button on the iPhone. Apple hasn't committed to it, and is getting lots of feedback and free publicity. > >> It's the only computer which was not yet updated to Intel Dual Core 2, > >> but I feel it's excellent to have a budget computer. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > abandoning the sub-$500/1000-market by upping the price so that it > completely negates why it was introduced in the first place. It should be noted that the iMac was well over $1000 at introduction. The drop to below $1000 was later and relatively brief. Suggesting that they "abandoned" the sub-$1000 market implies that they had meaingfully embraced it at one time when the reality was more like dabbling and, apparently, finding it insufficiently profitable _at_the_time_. > >> Personally, I'd like to run such a device as home mobile center for the > >> next ten years. However, I'm afraid that it's not supported well enough, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > (neglecting the mini in the process). Apple has done it in the past > (Cube comes to mind). Apple's OS division doesn't appear to have actually desupported the Cube - just shy of the 6th anniversary of its discontinuation - yet. Certainly there's some application software that has system requirements unmet by early G4s, but that's a rather different matter. > So he is right to be afraid that his potential new mac will be more than > just phased out. Right? If he's _right_ to be afraid that suggests you have knowledge that what he fears is real. You probably mean he's justified in being afraid (implying only that you believe it's realistic), but I think even that's overstating it. The OP's hoping for long-term use of a mini as the center of a media setup and is concerned about 3rd-party driver support. I think his intended use and lifespan are realistic, and that history generally supports that. G >> It's a Mac; what more "support" do you need? > > untill OS and/or program updates require this or that particular mac > (neglecting the mini in the process). Apple has done it in the past > (Cube comes to mind). So he is right to be afraid that his potential > new mac will be more than just phased out. Huh? I just gave my Mother my 7 year old 400Mhz G4 cube running 10.4.9. I'd have upgraded it to 10.4.10 if I hadn't already taken it to her place (they only have dialup, I'm not going to even attempt it). The only thing that didn't work the same way on the cube a my new core 2 duo iMac is 'fast user switching'. It worked, just without the fancy spinning cube effect as the gfx card in the cube was a bit long in the tooth. Signaturethepixelfreak > how do you feel about the rumours that the Mac mini will be > discontinued? The "rumours" basically consist of a single article in AppleInsider [1] that seems to have been inspired mainly by a supposed lack of updates for the mini since its introduction in 2005. But MacRumors' Buyer's Guide [2] shows that the average time between updates for the mini has actually been shorter than for any other Mac model. Like the mini, the iMac was last updated in September 2006; but nobody thinks that means the iMac is being abandoned, only that a new form factor might be in the works. The AppleInsider article also mentions lower margins and lack of "sales traction" for the mini. Those are actually somewhat contradictory, as Apple would have suffered financially if the mini had stolen sales from higher-priced models. As it is, most minis represent a Mac that would not have been bought otherwise. And at a manufacturing cost of $300 or so [3], Apple isn't losing money on the mini. The article's best argument is that the Apple TV now serves as an alternative to the mini for those wanting a media server. The problem is that the Apple TV isn't a server, at least not yet. Other than the mini, Apple's only other options for a headless server are an Extreme base station with attached drive as a dumb server, or a Mac Pro (or Xserve) as a smart server. As a set-top box, a base station won't work because it has no video (or audio) output, while a Pro is too big, noisy, and expensive. What Apple has done with the iPod line undercuts AppleInsider's claim that the mini has always been "in direct contrast to Apple's fundamentals". The fundamentals have changed. Apple is now willing to go downscale, not with cheap crap but with modestly priced products carefully designed to appeal to a particular market. The mini does that, especially for those of us wanting a real Mac to use as a small, quiet media server. If Apple does kill the mini, expect the existing stock to sell out fast. I'll be buying. [1] <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/05/24/closing_the_book_on_apple s_mac_mini.html> [2] <http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/> [3] <http://news.com.com/Dissecting+the+core+of+Apples+Mac+Mini/2100-1042_3- 5837265.html> > > how do you feel about the rumours that the Mac mini will be > > discontinued? > > The "rumours" basically consist of a single article in AppleInsider [1] > that seems to have been inspired mainly by a supposed lack of updates > for the mini since its introduction in 2005. Yes, AI where the root. However, it's not only the lack of updates. However, I don't know about their sources, for whom they claim "utmost respect". > The article's best argument is that the Apple TV now serves as an > alternative to the mini for those wanting a media server. The problem is [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > it has no video (or audio) output, while a Pro is too big, noisy, and > expensive. Apple TV might be interesting, once it got more RAM options. > If Apple does kill the mini, expect the existing stock to > sell out fast. I'll be buying. Yeah, that's what I thought as well, Martin Were it not for the Mac mini, I would have never become a Mac user. I wanted to "test" the iLife waters without spending thousands of dollars.. Of course, had I not purchased the Mac mini, I would have never made the unplanned purchase of the top-of-the-line video iPod the next month. Now that I am a believer, I will keep the Mac mini as a media unit and also purchase a Mac Book Pro later this year. I think Apple is really making a mistake, but who am I? Just a consumer. >Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >Thanks, >Martin >Hi all, > >how do you feel about the rumours that the Mac mini will be >discontinued? I think it was underpowered. But I believe there should be a Mac available for people who want to use a separate monitor (possibly the one for the Windows machine they want to replace) for less than $1000. Is Apple going to fill this gap? > >how do you feel about the rumours that the Mac mini will be > >discontinued? > > I think it was underpowered. But I believe there should be a Mac When I was buying my most recent desktop machine, I seriously considered a mini, but it turned out to be cheaper buy an iMac than it was to buy a less-powerful mini + screen + upgrades to make it comparable. I haven't done the math lately, but I'd doubt that it's changed much. OTOH, a less powerful mini (ie. slower, small hard drive, no dvd burner, etc) might make for a fine living-room media server to plug into a large digital tv where using an iMac would be a waste or overkill - while being more useful, I think, than an AppleTV. SignaturePlain Bread alone for e-mail, thanks. The rest gets trashed. No HTML in E-Mail! -- http://www.expita.com/nomime.html Are you posting responses that are easy for others to follow? http://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/2000/06/14/quoting >When I was buying my most recent desktop machine, I seriously >considered a mini, but it turned out to be cheaper buy an iMac >than it was to buy a less-powerful mini + screen + upgrades to >make it comparable. I haven't done the math lately, but I'd >doubt that it's changed much. Yep. It's basic market is for people who don't want to buy a monitor right now. My wife loves her 24" iMac, mainly because it is beautiful and she can show it off. But I'd rather budget for either my computer or my monitor. So I'm saving up for a Mac pro, but my allowance doesn't build up quickly during golf season. The main thing wrong with her iMac is that she can't plug in her lap top to it's beautiful monitor. Any monitor I get will have at least two computer inputs. |
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