Apple’s Mac Mini: I Hope It’s Not Going Away

May 26th, 2007

AppleA few days ago a rumor appeared on Apple Insider that the Mac Mini might be on its way out. I’m not into that idea because I’d pretty much decided on a Mac Mini as my next Mac purchase to replace our long in the tooth G4 iMac.

Personally, there are several reasons why I like the Mac Mini. First, I have a 19 inch LCD monitor that I use with my MacBook that would be perfect for it, and an old keyboard an mouse lying around. I’m happy with the specs of the MacMini after using my MacBook. Lastly the small form factor sounds great - I could just have the monitor on the desk and that’s it.

I was also rather bummed to fire up the Apple Store and see that the cheapest new Mac Pro is over two grand.

But if one thinks about this a bit more, I am agreeing as ParisLemon have stated, that perhaps the Apple TV and the Mac Mini will merge. After all, the form factors of the devices are the same, and while the Apple TV is “crippled” it’s been shown that it’s just a stripped down Mac after all. You can install OS X on it.

It seems like all the hackers who are figuring out ways to soup up the Apple TV are basically trying to turn it into a Mac Mini. I still read blog posts from people saying they like the Mac Mini as a media center.

So I really hope this talk about the Apple Mac Mini is just the death of the product name, and the space in the product matrix is filled with something similarly headless like a souped up Apple TV.

In any case, I expect some announcements regarding the Mac Mini at the World Wide Developer’s Conference which at this juncture is right around the corner.

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Viewing 9 Comments

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    • v
    Yeah, I cannot see how Apple would leave the low-end range completely void of a product when they're gaining market share so rapidly now. Seems like it would shoot themselves in the foot.

    For this reason, I'm sure they're up to something...
    • ^
    • v
    Totally. It still seems to be a good switcher strategy.

    I can't believe WWDC and the Apple iPhone debut is so soon. Time sure flies by. So I think we'll have some new Apple product announcements soon.
    • ^
    • v
    I'm afraid this rumor might be true. If I had more money, I'd buy 2 or 3 Mac Minis to use with a Pluto system:
    http://plutohome.com

    From what I've understood the Apple TV is not as powerful as the Mac Mini, and has not as many features (bluetooth for example), so it wouldn't be an option to me.
    • ^
    • v
    Seriously. If I had a need for an Apple TV, and would already be buying one, it would be neat that it could run OS X. But I wouldn't buy an Apple TV, with the sole intention of using it as a computer.

    I was (am) awaiting the next upgrade of the Mini...hopefully using the new Santa Rosa chipset from Intel - which is basically the next step from Core 2 Duo, if I understand correctly. Big step up.

    If the Mini is killed off, I might settle for a Core 2 Duo...there's no way I can afford a Mac Pro, and I although I really don't want an iMac, I guess it would do the job.

    From Apple's perspective, I'm not sure how this is a good idea...it's basically a good intro Mac, for those Windows users impressed with their iPods. Maybe Apple's thinking the same people would be willing to shell out the cash for an iMac, instead?
    • ^
    • v
    Yeah mike, I haven't yet bought an Apple TV as I don't have a use for it. And likewise I'm looking forward to the next Mini iteration as well.

    Another thing that's kinda wrapped up in this is that for the past several years I've done just fine with an iMac but would rather not buy yet another keyboard, mouse, and built in monitor if I can avoid it.

    The only way I'd buy an Apple TV is if, as mentioned above, it was the next iteration of a Mac Mini but branded as an Apple TV.
    • ^
    • v
    Apple has a simple-to-understand product matrix: They have a consumer level laptop and a pro level laptop. They have a consumer level all-in-one, and a pro level all-in-one. They have a consumer level headless Mac, and a pro level headless Mac.

    Their consumer level is NOT entry level but rather low-midrange (though geeks would split hairs and declare a certain CPU or GPU to be "low end" due to age while ignoring performance of the total package); and their pro level is over-kill for anyone who isn't actually a professional.

    What they do not make is a geek level (aka "pro-sumer") machine. A mini-tower (or cube) headless Mac with 3.5" hard drive and a video card in a PCI-ish slot. A machine that a geek would feel was analogous to the do-it-yourself machine they've been frankensteining since the mid-90s. They call this mythical beast a "switcher machine" when it's just geek-bait.

    So the geeks grouse about the mini, declaring it a low seller (based on nothing more than the fact that it is not bragged on by Apple and it's over 200 days since it's last update. Read the original article, these were his reasons!) and destined for the chopping block - mostly because it's not a geek toy. (also, no FM tuner, and less space than a nomad... no wait that's the other non-geek toy that geeks declared dead)

    On the list of Apple-branded products, the mini is doing fine. If you are looking for Apple products due for chopping, think:
    iPod socks. iPod Hi-Fi. iPod Tubes.

    ...and leave the mini alone.
    • ^
    • v
    If you look in the Apple store, the product matrix is

    Professional: MacBook Pro, Mac Pro

    Consumer: MacBook, iMac, Mac mini.

    This could also be organized by portable vs. desktop (as it is in the Apple Store):

    MacBook, MacBook Pro

    Mac Mini, iMac, Mac Pro

    There isn't a specific professional all in one as you mention (that would be an iMac Pro which doesn't exist), and the Mac Mini is I suppose, an "entry level" desktop. iMacs are defined as midrange.

    So truth be told, the portable line is missing product, which is yet another realm of speculation that there may be some mythical "subnote book" to match the Mac Mini / iPod Shuffle.

    However, I must reiterate that I'm definitely in the market for the Mac Mini and as such, I don't believe the rumor on Apple Insider is true either.

    Thanks for visiting and leaving a well-thought out and interesting comment. Hope you start a blog or if you do, next time leave its URL so I can visit it.
    • ^
    • v
    I beg to differ on the opinion that the 24" iMac is a mid-range consumer-level machine, but disagreements is what makes democracy great. I know many photographic and video professionals that use iMacs (I'm a professional myself, but use a PowerMac), and it is well suited for their needs; the 24" is the machine of their professional dreams. (Anecdotal, I know.)

    I also beg to differ on the opinion that the mini is an "entry-level" machine. It's the lowest end Mac available, but it is a mid-range computing device. Apple just chooses to not participate in the race-to-the-bottom/no-profit-margin world of entry level. This confuses many people - because they classify the least-expensive available as low-end, and most expensive as high-end.

    Thanks for the compliment on my comment. As for blogging, I currently down to only my newest personal blog (neuroticnomad.com), but am in pre-production for a daily video/blog that I will begin casting in July. Until then, updates are infrequent.
    • ^
    • v
    Well, I'm referring to how Apple markets their computers, and without question the iMacs are advertised as the consumer machines and the Pros as professional. If the end user decides to use the consumer machine in a professional capacity, that's great (as I use an iMac and an iBook), but I don't think that changes Apple's product matrix.

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