New iMac, Mac mini looking more probable after minute discovery

Rumors of a new Mac mini or iMac have been floated (and denied) for a while now, but one ferocious investigator's feasted his eyes on a few pieces of rather telling evidence recently. A poster on the InsanelyMac forums found some code in his new MacBook which referred to "iMac9,1 and Macmini3,1" which would seem to indicate that a newer version -- current iMacs and Mac minis are marked iMac8,1 and Macmini2,1 -- if both products are on the horizon. The new identifiers also list both as having "CFG_MCP7" chipsets -- the same NIVIDIA set used in the new Macbooks (current minis have Intel GMA 950 chipsets while iMacs have NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS GPUs). So... we'll see you at Macworld, then?

[Via CNET]

[MickeyMoo Posted Dec 20th 2008 11:29PM]

Things might be different after the impending regime change (Steve not Barak) Phil Schiller is a little more business minded (if somewhat duller on stage) and might not be as obsessively hands-on as ElJobso. Cooling fans might not be elegant, but then again neither is overheating. Perhaps we will get our mini-towers eventually...

[Decoy Posted Dec 21st 2008 12:45AM]

Come on Engadget, give us something like Homeland Security to inform us when there is a SEVERE probability of an updated Apple product, or when there is only a MILD probability of an Apple product update.

You don't need to write all these articles. Just give us a widget or gadget to help us with the threat level.

[LogMonkey Posted Dec 21st 2008 1:26AM]

Maybe a unibody aluminum mac mini?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 21st 2008 3:28AM]

So we'll see you at Macworld then?

This statement is exactly why Apple is withdrawing from Macworld among the reasons. Don't get me wrong hype is has it time and place but honestly constant rumors that turn into nothing, there has to be more relevant gadget and technology news out there.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 21st 2008 3:31AM]

There are also new MacBooks revisions on the way without glossy display:
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=140774# (post number 11)

You see MacBook5.2 and MacBookPro5.2

The actual MacBooks are 5.1 ...

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 21st 2008 9:58AM]

If Apple releases a new Mac mini with the new 9400M Nvidia Chipset, I'll be in line to buy one... as will hundreds of my customers.

[crescentdavid Posted Dec 21st 2008 1:58PM]

Right ... hundreds upon hundreds of your customers are all clamoring for the mini. From what planet? The mini is the newton of "economy" computer boxes.

Back here on earth- literally twos and fours of my customers are mos def interested in the iMac, especially, as has already been posted, the i7 is used. Add a high end graphics card and it's all good.

[Augmented Insanity Posted Dec 21st 2008 10:28AM]

>Newer versions are *always* on the horizon.

Its all about when.
...And maybe how.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 23rd 2008 8:50AM]

I do not understand it. I bought a Mac mini two years ago thinking about "Apple is so great! I must have one!!!". I wasn't so deceived in my whole life. Mac OS X is just Linux with a makeup...

Now I'm writting this comment on my 5 times serviced Mac mini running Vista while waiting for my PC to be delivered from newegg.

Yes, Mac mini is small and it runs Mac OS X. But my 450$ intel quad core 4 gigs RAM & Ati 4830 will run circles around it! And for sure it will be much more silent! The small fan on my mac mini is hurting me!

I do not understand why Apple can sell awful computers... even ones without dvd burner!!!! and have lines of people on his doorstep.

[qwerty613 Posted Jan 4th 2009 8:52PM]

Maybe because the mac mini is crap, and to get a good Mac you need to spend >$1000?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 21st 2008 11:29AM]

There's not gonna be any new iMacs or any improvements to iMacs.

There better not be. I just bought the top of the line model.

[youfacethetick Posted Dec 21st 2008 12:33PM]

Where have you been? For 2 months there's been constant chatter that the new mac minis will be out after MacWorld.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 21st 2008 11:55AM]

If Apple wants to reign profitable w. good market share

They will have to pump up the specs on the mac mini. PC users want performance to go with the price you pay especially if they're switching to a Mac.

[youfacethetick Posted Dec 21st 2008 12:43PM]

Not exactly. The Mac Mini isn't a big seller to people looking for a PC. It seems the mini is used by people who want a HTPC or a small, discreet box to run signs, displays, kiosks.

I have 4 PCs in my home. I'm turning off Directv after football season and the MacMini is my #1 option to become our HTPC expressly because it's small, works with BT, works with remotes, has HDMI out ability, optical out ability, can get a TV tuner for OTA PVR, has a DVD player, can stream movies/music from my other devices and can cruise the web, use watch instantly, hulu, etc. and finally because the user interface/OS is lightyears beyond Vista.

There is not a HTPC with windows that compares on size, OS and built-in ability. I can waste my time building one but it won't be as small, it'll have a horrible OS (Vista) and it'll take a great deal of fine tuning to customize for my needs. Pretty close to out of the box the Mac Mini will do everything I want.

Price isn't the issue and really processing isn't that important either. Smooth/easy operation, compact size and elegant design are more important to me in this regard.

If someone knows of a pre-built Windows-based HTPC this small, this clean, this easy to use, built by a major company (ie not a fly-by-night) and it's $800 or less, I'm listening...

[eddib Posted Dec 21st 2008 12:20PM]

now with displayport and without firewire?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 21st 2008 2:40PM]

I'd like to just point out that MacRumors and Appleinsider both broke this story via their sites at 9:11 am and 11:11 am on Friday, respectively. Its disappointing that Engadget didn't credit them with the story, instead of powerhouse CNET.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 21st 2008 2:09PM]

The 8800 GS is still a very competent GPU. It can run most games at high settings (save for you know who) at higher resolutions. But in the 24" iMac Im thinking it would struggle because of it having to dish out at very high resolutions.

Either way, for basic tasks it is overkill.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 21st 2008 5:05PM]

"It seems the mini is used by people who want a HTPC or a small, discreet box to run signs, displays, kiosks. "

I agree. Most people who are buying the mini are using it as a HTPC or a music server. If Apple is truly listening to the public then they would make sure to keep the optical drive, use the Apple TV interface instead of Front Row and have the option of a 1 TB hard drive (make the internal HD a 3.5" that is easily user upgradeable). They should also add HDMI and Component outputs. Sell a "bare bones" version (80 GB HD, 1 GB memory, DVD-ROM) for $499 and I think sales would benefit.