Mac mini update rumors flare as Apple sales dip
By Nilay Patel 
posted Dec 15th 2008 11:29PM
posted Dec 15th 2008 11:29PM
Although Apple just posted some ridiculous quarterly numbers, it doesn't seem like it's going to escape the current economic conditions in the US unscathed -- like pretty much everyone else, monthly sales are down in Cupertino, according to the NPD Group. The drop is only one percent total, but it's against a two percent rise in overall PC sales, which could indicate that Apple's premium pricing is hurting it as shoppers turn to netbooks and other bargain machines. That dovetails nicely with chatter we're hearing today about updated Mac minis making a debut at Macworld -- although Steve famously proclaimed that Apple doesn't "know how to make a $500 machine that's not a piece of junk" during the last earnings call, it sure sounds like he's going to try, with a $499 2.0GHz mini in a new MacBook-esque unibody enclosure rumored to arrive onstage in January. If you believe Wired, it'll be accompanied by a $700 2.3GHz version with NVIDIA graphics, and both models will feature mini DisplayPorts -- nothing shocking there. We'll see when we see -- we've been waiting for the mini to be updated forever, and while Apple did just uncharacteristically slam rumors of a new model, times like these could lead to drastic measures.Read - Mac mini rumors
Read - Apple monthly sales drop
I'd buy one
what's the point of a tiny computer designed for aesthetics? I get a small computer to put it out of the way, not to be able to hide it when I'm not getting off to how great it looks.
It's a bargain, plus it'll look great next to your $1,000 monitor.
You do realise all video players have some sort of basic DXVA video acceleration support?
While it doesnt fully offload the decoding from the CPU having a good GPU does help.
macbook mini ftw!!!
Who the hell cares anymore.
*Besides Engadget, Gizmodo, and iFans
God bless the mac mini fans. They prove there's a market for ANYthing. Hope springs eternal within the rotting corridors of capitalism.
I agree, whatever happened to pushing the device that was going to fuel the "Halo Effect?" I really did want a mac mini, I still do, but I'm not paying $499 for one with subpar intel graphics and a whopping 700 for one with probably a Nvidia 7400; that's absurd.
I thought the new unibody manufacturing process was supposed to make things cheaper and more efficient. Why then is the price going to stay the same for (now generation-old) Core 2 Duo hardware?
As someone looking for entry-point stuff, I'd much much rather get an MSI wind/Acer Aspire 1 and use OSX86 on it, especially considering the Realtek driver leak this morning. C'mon apple, if you made a cheap OS X running netbook, people would be all over it in a heartbeat. Don't spout the "piece of crap" "bag of hurt" nonsense. You're supposed to be the industry innovators here.
"and a whopping 700 for one with probably a Nvidia 7400; that's absurd"
Knowing how Apple uses the same parts in it's MacBooks and Mac Minis/iMacs, it will most likely be a 9400...
I do.
If they hold the price points, but throw in 9400M graphics, with an optional upgrade to 9600M, it's going to be my new home server/XBMC rig in the living room.
I really hope they update these, I've been waiting like forever.
@NoAndThen: You realise XBMC only relies on CPU power. I personally dont give a toss about the graphics card, i just want a faster CPU so i can 1080p files nicely on the mac mini through XBMC *drool drool*
It's about time they update this thing.....how many years has it been since this thing has been completely refreshed??
About the same as the Shuffle, which is the only other white/aluminum mix styled product they sell. Say! You don't think... ?
the silver 6g ipod is silver and white :-P
I wasn't counting buttons as styling, then I would include the external usb and wireless keyboard, along with the iPod nanos (excluding black and silver) as well.
*slight amendment to my earlier statement, the nano does have a white top and bottom.
I still think it would be very Apple-ish to redo their smallest cheapest, and oldest computer design and smallest, cheapest, and oldest iPod design in unison.
" which could indicate that Apple's premium pricing is hurting it as shoppers turn to netbooks and other bargain machines."
REALLY?
could the fact that every single Apple computer seems ridiculously overpriced have something to do with a rise in PC sales?
that's like comparing apples and oranges :P
People keep saying that but to the average consumer (ie not you or I or Engadget), they are no different, they are a computer, period. That means apples and apples...er PCs.
agreed. I am building an i7 PC for $1000 including Nvidia 9800 graphics. Sure, the ATX box is way bigger, but Apple pricing is unbelievable.
They'll drop the price, firewire, and make the white parts either aluminum or black. Maybe a bit smaller or, as in the case of the iPod Touch 2g, 'slimmer'.
I'm ready to be disappointed, so I win no matter which how this goes!
*how--->way
No matter the "refresh" they are still going to charge a premium for the name. That's the most expensive part of an Apple product
That's funny, I always thought I was paying for the pretty bag :D
I thought it was the huge glowing light that comes on to indicate it's off.
irrelevant: for some reason engadget is letting me post this using my password, but its not letting me "log in" from my profile page to change my picture and stuff using the same password. wtf^^
relevant: why would apple change the form factor of this thing? no one buys it for how it looks. they buy it because its the only legitimate way to use os x for well under a grand.
Did that to me too a few months back, i have no clue how to fix it but i made a new account and this one works fine.
You're asking why Apple would redesign something? Are you feeling ok?
lol. I got a macbook, printer, and iPod for 1100. sold the printer and ipod for a total of 250. So, in essence, I got a macbook for $850.
I had the same thing happen to me. Figured out that you have to submit a new comment, and get a temporary password to update your account info. I cant remember the exact steps, but I'll try it out after this post if nothing else :)
Ah yes, now I think I remember. Submit a comment as a 'new user', with your current username and email address. It will mail you a temporary password. Use that to change and update your profile pic. (I still haven't found a good one, though).
I hope this works...
I bet apple make this thinner to match the base station size, and of course add the wow factor
' Steve famously proclaimed that Apple doesn't "know how to make a $500 machine that's not a piece of junk" ' - Yeah, they only know how to make a $4000 machine piece of junk.
Steve was referring to a $500 notebook.
That's why it'll be $400! Suck on that!
I have a Mini in my living room. It's connected via GigE to the NAS in the office closet. Plays my little girl's Disney movies by day using VLC (easy enough to train the nanny), my wife's Desperate Housewives torrents (very high wifey approval factor) and my 720p torrents of True Blood and The Unit at night. Plays 1080p rips I get from my buddy with no probs. It's ripped me a nice 400+ movie library from Netflix using MacTheRipper & Handbrake.
It works, it's unobtrusive, it's not too much of a headache (although any true Mac fan out there who says OSX is more stable than either Vista or XP is friggin' SMOKING CRACK). So I spent $600 two years ago. If the new one is better, the old one will go into the playroom and forevermore be a FrontRow Disney movie engine and the new one will reside in the living room.
Don't hate until you try one.
You know, they used to go for $499. If they move back down that wouldn't be such a big deal...
@DorianGrey
Weird, my XBOX360 does all that for half the price. And it plays video games. The WAF is much higher, too, especially since NXE dropped. Also, Netflix HD streaming is fantastic.
Don't knock it 'till you've tried it.
@Brad
The mini doesn't scratch disks though :P EPIC _ _ _ _
The thing is, as apple has shown us in their keynotes, desktop sales are way down and the majority of consumer sales are laptops. Since the Mac Mini is not a laptop, and at $500 will not include a monitor, speakers, (keyboard and mouse?), I don't think there are really any big savings going on here for the consumer, or anything that is going to help apple pump up marketshare. Even if it's smaller and unibody, etc., It still doesn't compare well with a budget $500 desktop.
Apple will just try to sell their Cinema displays to the mini buyers, LOL!!
"Would you like a $1000 display with your $500 computer?"
"Yes please, and some $50 fries for good measure."
Mac mini + 19" display with built-in speakers + Apple keyboard + Logitech mouse ≈ £500 ≈ $750. That's my setup, and I love it.
iFries. They look good, are incredibly thin and are crafted from a solid block of potato. Best to leave them for a while to download any software updates. Then eat them. Any problems? http://bugreport.apple.com/
An HDMI port would be nice.
does that mean there will be a Psystar Mini?
If Pystar are smart they will make a $399 netbook
"If Pystar are smart they will make a $399 netbook"
and call it the "PSI Windy"
@ obo
And then be in court facing not one but TWO companies =).. "Oh the weather outside is frightful..."
Now we know what that new 24" Cine Display was really made for. Maybe this will have a magsafe power so no need for external power.
Magsafe on a desktop? No, no! No, nononononono!!
Maybe Apple will do the thing computer manufacturers should have done years ago and include a BATTERY in this machine. So you don't lose six hours of work just for a five second powercut.
@who?
Other then the inherent stupidity of MagSafe on a desktop it does sorta make sense.
It's all laptop internals, so they draw about the same power as a MacBook, not to mention the inclusion of DisplayPort would more or less set this thing up to use that monitor.
1% drop? Apple truly is dwindling according to engadget, as in http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/27/nokia-pulls-out-of-japan-nobody-notices/
Unibody Multi-touch Mac mini Tablet. You read it here first.
We've got the oldest, and slowest, Intel Mac mini in the living room. If they updated it, I would consider replacing it with the new one.
Glassy screens = epic fail. That's why sales are going down. It also doesn't help selling overpriced systems in a bad economy. A Mac mini update would be very welcome news in my household. Affordable, plus I can use a matte display.
$500? $700?
For something that doesn't come with a monitor/mouse/keyboard, it simply is too expensive.
Apple needs a netbook around $400-$600 and this mac mini around $500-$700 and include keyboard, mouse, and a 17in monitor or something.
I love Apple and would consider myself a fanboy but this is getting ridiculous. They are going to fail epically if they don't come out with something soon.
I forget the model number but there's an Asus net top (desktop, netbook but not a laptop) coming soon that will handle 1080p playback easily, and the nettop might come in at sub $400. I really want to buy a Mac Mini but not with its current set of specs, and probably not for >$250 more than 1 of these.
Steve famously proclaimed that Apple doesn't "know how to make a $500 machine that's not a piece of junk"
No...but he knows how to make $1000 dollar machines that are junk compared to their PC counters. Aesthetically pleasing, yes. High end computing, not even close to what you get in a comparable Dell, HP, IBM, Sony, etc at the same price point.
I'll buy it. We are turning off Directv after football season until next September. That's a savings of ~$765 on our TV bill. In the interim we'll have a solid DVD player, the ability to stream all our music/movies, internet access to things like hulu and cbs.com (nothing on cbs of course) and netflix watch instantly.
Eventually, I'd like to use the mini as an OTA HDTV recorder too but until then we'll probably just buy season passes to Dexter and 30 Rock. Nothing else is really worth watching...
You'd better get a display port to DVI converter if you hope to hook this thing up to your TV... and if your HDTV only does HDMI and Component, you're screwed.
not rly. You do know that DVI to HDMI cables are readily available, and cheap, don't you?
Give it an updated Montevina core 2 duo chip, 9400m graphics, 1GB DDR3, and unibody for 799 and Ill bite.
Would make sense if the cheap iPhone at WalMart news is also true. Apple going downscale during a recession, stock will like that.
Make it /efficient/, so it can be left on 24/7..
Then I must say I'd consider one as an irc/torrent seed/osx dev box of some kind.
..Although Leopard has been out for long enough that I'll probably wait 'till Snow Leopard to buy a mac mini.
They are relatively efficient (compared to a normal desktop) due to use of laptop parts - smaller, lower-speed HD, integrated graphics, etc.
The PSU is about 100W iirc which should indicate maximum possible load - I don't know what typical/average load is. Mine is a server (it's also my main computer - because OS X is basically Unix, there's no problem running light server tasks and a desktop on the same machine), so I do leave it on 24/7.
I think they're great computers, if you want a Mac. Desktops with integrated screens are crazy, end of. Laptops are a pointless way to cramp your hands with a shitty keyboard and screen too. (Unless they're really small enough to carry around, i.e. netbooks; there's some point to those, but Apple don't make 'em.) So with that settled, you want a desktop without a screen. If you want a (legit) Mac, then Apple offer two choices, this is the one that doesn't cost $3,000 and is still perfectly fast enough for all normal computing. (Assuming you don't play games on your computers.) And it fits nicely in a little corner of your desk, and it's not too noisy.
They certainly aren't cheap or 'good value' in terms of computing power per dollar - um, this is Apple - but it does look a bit better if you include the other main factors size, noise, power consumption etc. At the time I first bought one, the main competition was one of the small-format, low-powered 'fanless' PCs; and that was *way* more expensive for something even approaching similar processing power.
What I'd like to see from a new top-end $800 Mini? Screw the graphics, integrated graphics is fine, this is a Mac and gamers won't buy it anyway. I'd like to see a Blu-ray drive and player (a lot of people use these as HTPCs, I don't, but I'd like to watch Blu-ray discs kthx), 64GB+ SSD, and a fanless - note not 'supposedly quieter according to Apple's arbitrary claims', actually fanless - setup with reduced power consumption from the processor and other chips. Not sure the last point is feasible yet without taking a really big drop in processing power over the existing Core 2 Duo, though (or redesigning the box so it's mostly heatsink).
It's not time for me to upgrade yet as my current one is less than two years old (I previously had a first-generation model). If they did release one with my ridiculous feature list above, I'd be awfully tempted :) But since they won't, I don't expect to have any trouble resisting temptation when/if a new one is announced. Whatever it looks like.
Mac mini + Nvidia graphics + Boxee = win
why must apple get rid of dvi ports. I don't want to have to use a converter on every stupid apple machine just to plug in a monitor!
Shit! They're gonna take away its firewire ports, too! I'd better buy one now!
I don't care what Intel chip there putting on it - as long it's not Atom. :p
Hope they put an NVIDIA 9400-something for CUDA thingy (convert videos, etc)
About the efficiency, power compsumption isn't an issue because old G4 still below 30 W.
The important thing for me is the lifespan.
My dad's ol' G4 1.25Ghz Mac Mini crashed and can't boot this week, even after cracked open with a putty knife. Had a question mark upon booting. Rescue CD won't eject. Hard drive had a 'clicking' sound when spinning.
Maybe the motherboard controller jammed or something. Left it 24/7 for several months for 2 years (I guess) and occasionally restart it in between. :(.
Moreover, Mac Mini's Tiger's windowserver.app (the Mac OS X's windows) always take 100% or *more* then. Stupid kitty.
It's about time!!! My Mac Mini G4 needs to be replaced with a more powerful machine!
It's high time the thing got refreshed in terms of internals. Yet is there need to refresh the styling? Apple always has a surprise up their sleeve, but how much more can you take away from a Mac mini without compromising the machine? Regarding specs, Firewire400 has to stay for one thing, or be upped to 800. Apple is in dire trouble killing it from "consumer" notebooks already, but doing it to the mini does not seem possible as it simply is not a consumer computer. The mini is everywhere, and a lot of them are media servers hooked up to Firewire drive arrays.
What the HELL is Jobs talking about a $500 piece of junk? HELLO you rip off CEO liar. Your highly overprice laptops which come with half the features/ports of a regular pc which btw costs less have recently been ranked by Consumer Reports(their surveys) as having more problems/issues than any other manufacturer. High priced + high issues = JUNK!!!
I'm glad someone said it. These machines are junk. All Apple machines are. The fact is they are so fantastic to look at, and Apple's attention to making them thin is unmatched; at the cost of quality. Case in point:
Exhibit A - My 6 year old Gateway 200STM laptop. P3 1Ghz with 640MB. Dated sure, but it runs XP and many of my applications. It's not the fastest cat on the block, however it's .8" thick, and will get the job done. It's basically turned itself into a netbook. Only problem it's ever given me are the hinges. Back in 02, this thing was a complete stunner.
Exhibit B - My girlfriends 3 year old Powerbook G4. Burned through 3 AC adapters (and sparked!). Won't close all the way. Finish is worn away. CD's have trouble ejecting. Warped power port. Class action logic board issues (1 burnt out DIMM socket). In 05 this was a THREE THOUSAND DOLLAR machine.
Gateway sucks. They haven't been good since they dropped the "2000" out of their name. But they STILL can build a more durable notebook than Apple. At a MINIMAL thickness increase compared to the Air.
they dont put DVI for force you to buy their monitors. Money making gimmick. Never I will by a glossy cheap TN panel at the price of a real 8bit monitor. Apple are targeting the non-tech crowd with these new products.
Wow, PC users sure must be insecure. Don't like the price, don't buy it. You must either spend a lot of time in your mom's basement to clog up Engadget's comments with your hate whenever Apple stories come up (because there are a lot of them), and meanwhile Apple's laughing all the way to the bank, 1% drop notwithstanding. The NPD numbers aren't revenue numbers, but unit numbers. Apple is still making all of its usual margins, while everyone else is cutting prices left, right and centre. And October showed a 28% increase; one month's sales numbers mean nothing when considered in context.
And Apple is still 7th in the market in terms of shares, and is growing at a slower rate comparing year to year numbers than 5 other PC manufacturers.
Once Mac fans (affectionately dubbed iDiots) are perhaps starting to wise up to Apple overpriced and underperforming products.
@Hamid: Sorry, no 'wising up' here. Does anyone really give a damn about 'performance' of computers these days? The Mac Minis run a Core 2 Duo - that's not exactly the fastest processor money can buy, but it still is actually pretty fast. You want to load a big program? It probably loads well within five seconds. Look at a web site? You won't notice any pauses apart from your internet connection.
My guess would be that Apple are losing share mainly on price, not performance, and they're losing it to netbooks (which are slower than Apple's laptop range, but a lot smaller, a lot cheaper, and generally better in every respect except the OS despite a lack of 'performance').
I resound that this would make a great home server unit with OSX Server on it. I have a COMPAQ in the Attic suckin' insulation and it would be great to replace.
the tiny atom based barebone at newegg for $139.99 looks and feels a lot better to me than this
If they would have included firewire on the MacBook they would have sold at least one more. Didja hear me shareholders?
I use my mac mini in my living room for my music listening connecting it to a Bose speaker system, and I use a 52" HDTV as a screen, I LOVE IT.
BUT I would really like to see a HDMI output (for both audio and video). Other than that they can do whatever they want to it and I'll still buy it.
I think the biggest competitor the AppleTV has is the Mac Mini, since it does the same thing and more.
- iMacDaddy
"It works, it's unobtrusive, it's not too much of a headache (although any true Mac fan out there who says OSX is more stable than either Vista or XP is friggin' SMOKING CRACK)."
Hows that? We talking internet? or Word? J