“Even while at the top of its game, Apple Inc. can seemingly find faults with just about anything, including a bit of itself. The Mac maker is constantly evaluating the market segments in which it wishes to participate and those which it does not. It’s an application of love-hate methodology that inevitably produces its share of casualties,” Kasper Jade reports for AppleInsider.
“Take, for instance, the firm’s petite line of headless desktop computers known as Mac minis. They retail between $599 and $799, catering to the once critical sub-$800 PC market,” Jade reports.
Jade reports, “…It comes as little surprise that sources, for whom AppleInsider holds the utmost respect, are now pointing towards the mini’s impending demise. For it’s according to those people that the miniature Mac will soon follow in the wake of its similarly-proportioned counterparts of years past: the PowerBook 2400, the PowerMac G4 Cube, and, most recently, the 12-inch PowerBook.”
Full article here.
Anger rising… rising…
MDN “heavy,” as in “heart.”
What a joke
ALGORE SUCKS!!!
the Apple TV will fill its place
poor lil’ guy.
That would definitely be a mistake unless they plan on introducing an entry level iMac in the $799 range or something to replace the Mac mini. The mini would be selling much better than it is if Apple weren’t just letting it die on the vine like they have been. I personally know of several switchers that would still have Windows only PCs today if it were not for the Mac mini.
Mac mini….dead
17-inch iMac….dead.
Good, maybe Apple plans to release newer and better machines.
Hmm, I don’t think so.
Probably just a mole hunt®.
This sucks. I suspect it has more to do with Apple TV than the Mac mini. A lot of people would rather a Mac Mini as their media centre.
The Apple TV is closed though, so other companies cannot write software for it and use it as part of a solution for customers who don’t want a big box.
Good, perfect time to introduce the mini-tower Mac. More expandable but at the same time, less expensive… but still high-quality. Pleeease Apple!
Apple never understood the promise of the Mac mini, which is totally obvious by the outrageous prices they’re charging for the Mac mini for the next-to-nothingness that you get for them! People WANT to buy the mac mini in droves, but it’s too expensive & underpowered. Apple needs a low-cost machine and this is it, but Apple just doesn’t value it.
Apple NEEDS machines in the $500-$600 price range. I know MANY PEOPLE who would not have switched to the Mac if they had to shell out $1099 for a machine!
I don’t think that AlGore wields that much influence over Apple’s product line. He has too many other irons in the fire (like figuring out how to spin blowing scads of kilowatt hours on cooling his mansion and then lecturing us on our horrible energy-wasting habits).
I’m crunchy on the outside yet soft and chewy in the middle!
Oh, P.S. — Told you we’d eventually defeat the Mac mini. It’s just a silly little toy computer.
Okay, everyone, say it with ME —
I . . . . . . LOVE . . . . . . THIS . . . . . . COMPANY, YeaaahhhhhhhhhHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wonder if it’ll be like the nano replacing the iPod mini?
I think this is a shame
My boss purchased a Macbook Pro, and has fallen in love with Apple, he/we (he writes the checks) were planning on replacing out windoze towers with Mac Minis over the next year (30-40) keeping the 15″ moniters. I really think Apple will loose out here, just my 2 pesos
The reasons to dump the “low-end” Mac mini:
a) poor sales
b) poor profits
c) no need for the low-price segment
d) make room for a “mid-range Mac” at twice the price
The thought of an expandable headless Mac at twice the price is sweet to my ears – as I can no longer afford a Mac Pro – but I suspect b or c are the actual culprits. Apple introduced the mini to counter criticisms from the PC mavens that “Macs cost too much”, now they can show – head to head – that they cost less than comparable PCs … no more need for the minis. Oh course, they would live on in the form factor and in the AppleTV.
DLMeyer – the Voice of G.L.Horton’s Stage Page Pod Cast
Don´t get me down,but a like the mac mini,so in my opinion mac mini should exist by the next five years
It may be a bastard child to some but it is beloved by many, myself included. The retired couple looking to replace their OS9 machine, the university wanting to standardize on a durable, swappable, multi platform box, the small business upgrading in waves independent of peripherals.
Unfortunately, all the attention was garnered on home media PC applications which Apple can now do more profitably, selling movies to AppleTV buyers. Reminds me of Sony not embracing mp3 players so as to protect their CD profits. Don’t follow Sony!!
EVERYONE WHO CLAIMS TO CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT SHOULD LIVE IN A HUT MADE OUT OF DIRT AND STRAW! STUPID AL GORE, SPENDING HIS MONEY ON THINGS HE LIKES! HYPOCRITE! AND THIS RANT IS TOTALLY ON TOPIC!!
but seriously… apple letting the mac mini go would make me sad. i like the little guy. it is in serious need of a revision, though… throw in a core2, a DEDICATED GPU (even an x1300 would be fine!), and we’re in business!
Hope not, it’s still nice to have a cheap alternative to PeeCees
I am buying a Mac Mini next month for my son’s birthday. I’ve been holding out until after WWDC, hoping for a better model. This would not be a good thing.
Apple needs to reevaluate the market. At $599-799 the Mini does not compete in the low end. I suspect, because I know of 5 mini sales, that they will find that most of the mini sales are the $1,099 maxed out version. People are buying them because they like the size of the unit. I personally love it, but think they need a model with one PCI-X slot for video upgrade, and a 3.5 inch drive bay. They could increase every dimension by 0.5″ and still be plenty small, but have room for an upgraded system.
As it stands, the Mini is not cheap enough to compete in the low end, nor is it powerful enough for a mid to upper range system. They need to move to one side or the other.
If the mini is really going the way of the dodo, then it is probably because of slow sales of the Apple TV. It just seems that the Mac mini was much more adept as a media center PC than the Apple TV thus causing poor sales of it. In addition, you get a full Macintosh computer that can surf the web and so forth. I always thought that the Mac mini and Apple TV were competitors, which is why I was so adamantly opposed to purchasing an Apple TV. But now that the mini is supposedly being killed. I foresee that Apple probably will merge the products over time. It only makes sense. So then you have a lineup that features Apple TV/mini as the living room appliance that everyone has been waiting 15 years for, iMac as an entry level, Mac Pro as the professional computer. For some reason, I don’t think I will ever see a 1,500-2,000 expandable box from Apple. It does not mesh with Apple’s deisgn philosophy. But then again, I thought Apple would never go to Intel so what do I know.
Yeah, just discontinue everything except the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro and replace the lower end with iPhone and TV.
What needs to happen is that Apple needs to make broader line of products or just let Dell or somebody make them.
Boy did I call this one.
With the advent of AppleTV and it’s obvious future direction, the Mini will be lost in the shuffle.
Basically, an AppleTV will become the Mini with added features.
Apple TV isn’t a suitable replacement for the mini, even strictly as a media component – it doesn’t have a DVD player.
Dammit. I’m planning on getting a new Mac this year, but I love my Samsung LCD monitor and have no wish to buy a Mac with a built-in screen. With no Mac mini, that leaves as my only option the Mac Pro, which is WAAAAAY too much computer for my needs.
The Mac mini is the main reason I switched to Mac. I wanted a compact and capable machine within my means, and with an HDTV, I now only need one monitor/TV. It would be a shame if Apple abandoned the mini without introducing another affordable BYOKDM.
AL GORE,
did you guys see his desk?
And he is talking about env?
Look at all this waisted paper!!!!! Poor trees.
And he won’t even have time to go through it so it’s all waist.
And what a mess BTW, how can this guy run a country, when he cannot keep his office straight or delegate someone to do it for him.
Rumor, Speculaton, Gossip…any better terms?
Time to buy.
Here’s hoping their gonna come out with a “hobby box”, one in the price range of the mini but one that you can work on yourself.
Working in a public school system, we have been slowly moving to Macs for a few years. With the release of the Mini, we are completely replacing all PC’s, and using some various dual-boot methods. Whenever we need to purchase a new basic workstation computer in the district, it’s always a Mini. If they drop the Mini, we’ll be forced to go back to the cheap-o Dell boxes, sigh.
I think this just may be because the Mini is not so easy to make cheaply, keeping it cost-effective and competitive:
http://thesmallwave.blogspot.com/2007/05/rumor-has-it-mac-mini-is-soon-finished.html
Myself, two of my friends, and my sister, would not have switched to a Mac if it weren’t for the Mac mini. Killing it would be a huge mistake. Most young people on a budget don’t want an iMac with an integrated display and can’t afford a laptop.
so few facts – so many “journalists”
What is Apples lowest desktop offer if they kill Mac Mini?
an iMac, starting at 1029€, it’s a little steep isn’t it?
Mac Mini is the only damn reason why Apple got so F***ING MUCH press coverage in Finland for example. Every possible magazine wrote about it – and they did it for SIX MONTHS. Mini Still wins/tops in HTPC and mini computer tests. The only bad thing about it is the GPU.
I bought one last week. I and did it because I already have a display, so iMac is out of the question – no matter how crappy my LG flat panel is
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And Mac Pro is just _little_ too much for iWork.
bottom line: if Apple only wants rich people as their customers, then that’s bad.
Or if they wanna stay as a small player in the big game, that’s just crazy. I see Apple having 10 – 15 % marketshare five years from now, they CAN do it, but they can also screw up.
MW: think. Apple should really start thinking different, about itself.
STEVE JOBS:
PEOPLE ARE ON LIMITED BUDGETS! NOT EVERYBODY IS A MULTI-BILLIONAIRE LIKE YOU! KEEP THE FRICKIN’ MAC MINI AS PART OF YOUR PRODUCT LINE! YOU ARE A MORON FOR GETTING RID OF IT! IT IS ONE OF THE KEY INGREDIENTS IN GETTING SWITCHERS TO COME TO THE MAC PLATFORM!
Very dissapointing if true and if there is no replacment model planned. I purchased a 46″ LCD TV (Full 1080p) with the intention of buying a Mac Mini to function as a media center PC. Not to mention I’m just lazy and would love to check my email from the couch. Highly dissapointing, as my only other option would be a Mac Pro (total overkill/too costly/WAY too big for my media cabinet).
MW: least, as in “The Mac Mini is (was?) the least cost/best choice solution to my particular dilema.”
I would not know which Mac to buy at the moment. The Mac Pro is way too expensive and to much for my needs and my budget. I don’t want an iMac which comes with a built in monitor. The Mac Mini is quite alright except overpriced and had limited video memory. Ultimately, I would have to choose between a 20″ iMac and connect my 19″ monitor or move to a MacBook… The Mac Mini, if priced the way it was when it came out would be a good compromise but Apple has always been willing to sell expensive hardware… Darn
Just because I haven’t bought a Mac Mini does not mean I will never buy a Mac Mini.
Rob –
You go ahead the choose a president by how empty he keeps his desk. We’ve already seen what happens when we elect a President with an empty head.
Personally, I’m going to stick with choosing who has the best ideas to bring this country back to all that it stands for.
P.S. By the way, there’s a difference between “waist” and “waste.” You can look it up.
I think the reason why they would scalp the Mini is:
1. It canabalizes Apple TV and they don’t like it because they have big plans with it. The market for an Apple TV is bigger than the market for a Mac Mini. Apple TV will work together with iTunes and iPod for that matter. The Mac mini will only make a smaller contribution to those two.
2. Apple’s all in one approach doesn’t really work with the Mac mini. If they would add keyboard, mouse etc the price would go over a line they don’t want to cross.
3. Mac Mini is not a very strong name…it just doesn’t justify the hardware. Next to that I wonder if there will be a iMac for the pricetag of a Mac Mini.
just my thoughts..here from the Netherlands so forgive my english, once more.
MacB
very ill news. We used the mini with almost all our clients; if someone requests a presentation we simply purchase and configure a minimac with a basic toolset (cocktail, transmit, office etc.) and of course Keynote. The thing costs nothing to FedEx.When the thing arrives, all they need to do is just hit play. Everyone’s happy…plus no one’s going back to powerpoint. Oh and everyone loves to play with Apple’s remote in Keynote.
A few more weeks till 6-11 and the rumor mill has started ..
Killing the mini would turn it into an instant cult machine and send prices on eBay skyrocketing. And I’ll probably buy too.
Apple should ‘bait and switch’ like Dell et al:
Mac Mini (ex-tax) single processor 512M RAM 40 M drive, Combo.
Then Build-to-order WiFi, BlueTooth, RAM, more drive space, dedicated graphics processor, Core Duo, DVD-burning, motherboard upgrade, etc all user installable.
It should become the switcher’s tinkering Mac for the people who want to ‘pimp their ride’ on a budget.
what a bullshit rumor. they need to be upgraded but they wont be terminated.
I know it, they’re getting ready to bring the cube back!!
MacBill,
Get a grip, boy. Don’t be so friggin’ rude and obnoxious!
Makes sense for them to drop it – if it’s available, there’s less imperative to buy the TV…
Meanwhile, I wish there was a 12inch MacBook. My 12inch Powerbook was my favourite Apple ever…
i never liked the mac mini, it has ugly keyboards and ugly screens
The Mac Mini is one of the most disappointing products in the Apple lineup – it was a great idea, but Apple just hasn’t bothered keeping it competitive with the competition. If I have $800 to spend on a computer (without screen/keyboard), I can get something way more powerful from Dell. Sure, MacOS is a compelling reason to not do this, but why should I have the dilemma? Keep the hardware competitive with Dell and give me the OS. The Mac Mini could be a top selling line for Apple: instead, its anguishing. Poor show.
languishing even
As I remember, one of the previous MacRagloids said the 17″ iMac is getting deleted soon, so what is left for low end consumers?
Switchers are esp. squirrely about forking over larger sums for an unknown experience. The comfort zone is to stay with what you know, even if it totally sucks.
If Apple kills the Mini they should keep the 17″ iMac and slash the price so the people who want to either try switching or people who just can’t afford more have an option.
Sheer rumor…and everyone seems to have it in concrete already.
While I understand the business decision behind this (Apple only wants to pursue certain markets), I have to disagree with it. The mini is an excellent entry level machine, capable of nearly all tasks w/ the possible exception of gaming. I think it is important to pursue these types of markets in order to propel macintosh into its next era of significant market share.
As a matter of fact, I would like to see a machine of the power of the iMac but sans display, with better video than the mini. This would fit between the Mac Pro and the mini.
First off, even if this might be true, let me point out that it’s currently only a rumor.
Even if Apple dumps the Mac Mini, there’s no gaurantee they won’t replace it with some other form factor to take up the low end, or possibly create a mini/Apple TV hybrid that can serve as a higher end Apple TV and a Mini at the same time.
Many people have asked for Apple to release a low cost expandible tower, and if they do so and price it agressively it could replace much of what people use the Mini for, other than the nice factor of the mini’s size.
We don’t know what Apple plans to do with its hardware line up, I’m hopeful that YoYo is right and that with an expanding customer base Apple will consider opening up its line up to include more options.
Time will tell.
I agree with a previous poster, go with a regular hard drive, (cheaper, more options, only slightly larger) and give us more video card options. Gamers and entry level buyers don’t need 8 memory slots, PCI slots and four hard drive bays. Add a Firewire 800 and USB2 port and you’ve pretty much made a screenless iMac.
Really don’t understand why this option is so problematic for Apple.
I would miss the Mac mini. The original was my first Mac.
Albeit a rumour, this is a prime candidate for an online petition to Steve Jobs. Any one interested???
RIP Mac Mini, hello to Mac Nano?
Since when is having a more affordable, moritor less, Mac a bad idea? I just don’t get it. Arggg!! This is a good option for a lot of people. Apple why kill it??
I hope it truly is just a rumor.
A mole hunt – very good. It is getting close to release time for some major products. And the article/speculation touts the connections of the source. Could be Pink Slip time in Cupertino.
Haven’t we read articles about the Military and Industry using the Mac Mini due it’s size and power? Wonder if they buy those at a retail location? Like, how do the wholesale numbers become available?
Instead of an online petition, wouldn’t it be just as effective if everyone interested in Apple keeping the Mac mini in some upgraded configuration, just go to the Apple feedback site and voice their opinions for product enhancement?
http://www.apple.com/feedback/macmini.html
What a foolish move if this is true. The excellence of design in the core duo mac mini-s has helped me replace close to a hundred pc’s with superior mac mini’s. I could not have done so with anything else in the Apple product line. In fact, there really isn’t anything else out there that has the same form factor, performance, and ease of configurability as the mac mini.
I repeat, what a foolish move if this is true.
It’s a rumor, folks. Apple hasn’t actually canceled the Mac mini. But if it’s true, Apple no doubt has other plans for the low(er) end of the market. I wouldn’t be upset at this rumor. I’d be excited about Mac product line prospects for the future.
I think they will release a higher-spec Apple TV with an optical drive in place of the mini.
Apple will replace mini with something much better.
Just watch.
He never much cared for the Mini, and didn’t even make it a large deal on introduction. It seemed a necessary product at the time, but sales of the Mini are the lowest across the line, which reveals two things:
1. Mac users would rather purchase higher end systems.
2. Switchers are not moving in parallel to Mini’s for price point sake. Rather, when a Windoze user decides to change platforms from a beige box to a Mac, it is usually done with a bit of purchase flair. they are not looking to get a boring box with existing monitor and keyboard. These swithers are looking to make an impact with their switch, and find themselves in a MacBook or 20″ iMac.
Thus the Mac Mini is no longer necessary for switching as it has been proven out to not be needed for that crossover customer – which it was originally believed would be needed for such a move.
Steve is glad the box is gone.
NO WAY. I LOVE my Mac Mini! Please don’t drop it Apple! This thing has been running 24/7 for 2 years now. PLEASE don’t kill it!
It’s a GREAT little machine. Seriously. KEEP IT.
I still think they should bring back the 12″ Powerbook… or MacBook Pro now. still don’t like that name.
I think the Mini is a great machine, but I’d much rather Apple create a slightly larger mid-range system with better specs, discrete graphics and more desktop oriented internals to keep the price competitive. At possibly half the price of a Mac Pro, it would sell beautifully.
Not everyone wanting to try a Mac may be (able or) willing to pony up the cash for an iMac. Especially if they already have a monitor & USB KB around to use with a computer only design. An entry Mac should be kept in Apple lineup, IMHO…
Anyone ever wonder if Apple purposefully drops these rumors out there just to watch the boards and gauge reaction? If not, they should.
I don’t care about the Apple TV. If Apple would put a Core2Duo in the Mac mini, it would make an absolutely great system for live streaming. Run Quicktime Broadcaster on the machine and pipe it to a QTSS (QuickTime Streaming Server) and you’re set. I don’t need a display. If I’m using an iSight I can remote desktop into the mini and verify the picture from my MBP. If it is using a regular video camera, the camera itself can show the camera operator what’s going to be seen and I can remote desktop into it to get the broadcast running.
Bottom line: The Mac mini is the perfect Streaming front-end compressor. The iMac would suck as would the Mac Pro. And the Apple TV just plain can’t do this.
MW: Apple, please give us a “choice”
oh, c’mon, its not going anywhere…
we do however NEED A FREAKING MAINSTREAM DESKTOP MACHINE WITH A STANDARD HDD AND A PCIe x16 SLOT!!!
HELLO?!?!? APPLE?!?! EARTH TO APPLE?!?!? BUILD THE FREAKING COMPUTER MOST OF US WANT PLEASE.
tt above is a tad shrill, but I agree. I want that machine as well.
Apple is killing mini to make room for better AppleTV.
Yep, introduce a Half-MacPro.
The MacPro is a helluva lot of a machine, but WAY too much in terms of expandability and sheer SIZE. I need room for my LEGS under my desk!
I’d like at least 4 RAM slots, 2 PCI slots (a serious graphics card +1) and 2 hard drive slots… built-in RAID 0 anyone?!
While the mini was aimed at potential switchers and is an engineering marvel, it’s kind of a joke.
The two big killers?
ZERO expansion.
LAME graphics.
Keep the mini, but give the world a MacPro mini!
MDN Magic Word: I HOPE Apple releases a SERIOUS mid-range headless Mac.
The Mac Mini has gotten a bit long in the tooth… I don’t think that Apple killing off the “Mini” means that they are NOT going to come out with something to replace it. I imagine that something else will replace it that will be much better (even though I thought the Minis were great when first released).
Top Sellers for Apple at Amazon.com:
1. 20″ iMac
2. $599 Mac Mini
3. 17″ iMac 2.0ghz
…
7. 17″ iMac 1.83ghz
8. $799 Mac Mini
so, sure, Apple’s going to discontinue the #2 (and #3 as alleged a few days ago) top sellers…
at best, Apple will rev them, altho I wouldn’t be shocked if the Apple TV gets expanded to include an optical drive and full OS X, and the low end Mac Mini goes away.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=/002-0140734-6580006?keywords=Apple&rs=565098&page=1&rh=n:172282,n:541966,n:565098,k:Apple&sort=salesrank&x=9&y=13
And another thing….
I think people are so damned brainwashed, that they think they NEED a mini-tower. I mean a tower IS what a computer is SUPPOSED to look like, right? How could it be an actual computer unless it has a tower form-factor.
Look at PCs. Most are damned towers, whether or not any one EVER uses all or ANY of the extra slots.
If the mini had used 3 1/2″ hard drives, it would have gained choice, capacity, speed and price. If it had a decent or UPGRADABLE graphics card, it would have decent graphics performance.
Make the Mac mini a reincarnation of the Mac LC. OR, heaven forbid, the Cube II. Just use standard slots! They’ll sell. There will be a machine I can recommend without embarrassment.
It would be a major mistake. Apple is building market share and that’s because people are realizing that OSX is better. However, if Apple doesn’t have a presence in the lower end market that growth will stop. People will pay $600 – $700 to try out Apple but not much more.
Apple TV has nothing to do with the mini.
I’m tired of hearing that Apple isn’t making enough profit on items. Maybe they’re not selling as many units as they want, but they have the highest margins in the industry!
Their last quarterly said that their gross margin is 38%!! Sure, that’s across all products, but unprofitable from any of their products is an outright lie.
Nooooooooooooo!
I hope this is purely a rumor. That, or they at least replace it with an equivalent. The little pint sized Mac is cool…
Damn.
I’ve been waiting to upgrade until after Apple releases an update on the Mac Mini. I use a G4 Powerbook as my primary computer, but I have a lovely 23 inch Cinema screen attached to my G3/Blue & White (with a G4/1000 and upgraded video card in it) at the office … I want to replace that computer, and the Mini was the route I was going to go. But, now … I don’t know what to do. Perhaps step back to a G5 via Ebay? Or … do I shell out an arm and a leg for a Mac Pro? I don’t want to do that, don’t need to do that, and can’t afford it, either. 🙁 And, I’d like to take up less desk space than a great big metal tower.
If this turns out to be true, with no replacement and we’re only offered the Apple TV for Home Theater use – well, I think we know who Big Brother is. In another Orwell story, the pigs turned out to be as evil as their Human masters.
MDN word “death”- ironic. Like a “good guy” wearing black.
Maybe the Mini will be rebranded as the Apple TV+ with a DVD drive that could be upgraded to BD or HD-DVD, an integrated Digital TV tuner and a 3.5″ drive for recording television. It could be used solely as a media player or, with the optional keyboard and mouse, a normal Mac.
mac mini is apples best computer
low power small quiet fast
runs off 12volt
doubt they will kill it
mac mini replaced with
a mac mini mini
an imac shuffle
or iphone will replace the mac mini (its cheaper)
IMO Killing the Mini would be very foolish, if for no reason other than I know of at least two friends who have bought Minis “just to try it out ’cause they’re cheap enough”. Both are currently planning on buying a better Mac now that they know how good they are.
I have one of the original 12″ powerbook G4 and I love it!! perfect size travels well and just runs and runs, I would love to see an updated version macbook pro 12″ oh yea!!
Simple theory of ‘evolution’, the missing link…
Mac Pro (pro use tower) <– ??? missing link (consumer use tower) <– MacBook Pro (pro use notebook) <–MacBook (consumer use notebook) <– Mac mini (entry level PC) <– iPhone (mass communication) <– iPod (mass DRM breaker)
Ah, missed out the iMac…
mac mini will join the cube in apple hall of dumb moves.
remember, the mac mini was to be the computer that brought in the windows owners.lol.
joke.
Comment from: Steve Ballmer
I’m crunchy on the outside yet soft and chewy in the middle!
That’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever read at MDN.
@Mr. Reese:
No, actually, some of want mini-towers (or the equivalent) for practical reasons. The MacPro is too much computer for my needs (well, it’s not, but it’s also more money than I want to have to spend, but I had no choice), and the iMac/Mini aren’t expandable enough. I wanted a MacPro with half the memory slots, half the processors, and half the expansion slots. I want to be able to put in a solid (but not overpriced) graphics card for both gaming and for faster 3D/video rendering, a real sound card, and ONE additional internal hard drive. This would be to use with Windows (sorry, but unfortunately it’s still necessary for me sometimes, and for gaming).
None of that is possible with the iMac or the Mini. And don’t say the video cards on the iMac are good enough — they’re okay for the general home user, but otherwise, they’re a total joke.
I love both machines, for the right people they’re great, but neither is really right for me. Keep the mini, add something in between.
Apple — listen! You can dominate the planet. You’re so close!
Magic Word: “really” — as in, really!
Apple wont ditch the mac mini unless it has another better product in the pipeline that fills that product gap.
Lets face it, the majority of switchers have switched to the mac because of the mini.
It’s the only cheap priced mac that has no keyboard, mouse or monitor – so is the ideal machine for windows using switchers to try out.
If Apple are ditching it, then I hope they make another simiar mac as the market for ‘just a cpu’ is huge.
I myself are on the verge of buying a mac mini, but havent yet as I am waiting to see if they announce updated models at the keynote in june.
I love my Mac Mini. I would be very very sad if they ended the line.
Yeah Chris, I agree.
I want the same thing. MacPro class speed with HALF the slots and bays at less than HALF the size. Pizza box or mini-tower? I don’t care which. Just give it to us, Apple!
And YES, there’s room for the Mac mini, which IS a nice machine for some, just not for me.
My point was that some just can’t mentally get outside a-mini-tower-is-the-only-posible-form mindset and that those types might consider non-conventional form-factors if they used some imagination.
They could have waited a bit since they’re going to release a mac on a single chip at the end of 2009.
I swear, the mac mini is the best unit I’ve ever bought.
Sure the guts of it isn’t as good as those imacs.
For starters, if my LCD screen on my mac mini fails, I don’t need to bring the whole machine in.
If I had an iMac, I’d be out of business … until I get the thing repaired.
And if my mac-mini stuffs up, well I have all my stuff backed up and just use my ibook.
As much as I like iMacs as they are space saving, the cube and the minis are my choice for business.
I’m just being conservative here. My macs have never failed me, but I hate placing all my eggs in one basket.
Apple could simplify their manufacturing by having two machines: the iMac and a white “pizza box” a little thinner than the iMac. Same motherboard/CPU/inside configuration, just the iMac has an LCD, the iPizzaBox has DVI ports.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a headless iMac?
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The mac Mini is the perfect computer for me.
I don’t need any more power or graphics or whatever…
I love the size.
And I loved the price when I wanted to get a new computer.
It let me get back into owning an Apple after I had to junk my venerable LC, and had been obliged to buy a cheap PC to tide me over.
If the Mini is dead, then replace it with something that has a similar price-point and a similar footprint.