What Apple Did Not Release: A certain technology threatens to make Apple's cash-cow obsolete.

American Thinker ^ | 09/14/2017 | Mike Konrad

[SeekAndFind]

I am not going to go over the new hardware being brought out by Apple.  Fanboys are already cooing over the new iPhones.  But something – something that flew under the radar to all but techies – is about to substantially alter the power and cost of computing.

To those following the Apple event, one item was missing: the Mac Mini.  The Mac Mini was and is Apple's desktop option for those who want to buy just the core computer and provide their own monitor, speakers, keyboard, et al.  In its heyday (the 2012 Server Model), the Mac Mini offered an option of a quad-core (eight-thread) model, which could be easily upgraded by the user in RAM and storage.  On top of that, it was an elegant, lightweight, small-form factor gem.

Though it used a laptop CPU, it was highly powerful with great specs and was much loved by techies, who tended to shy away from Apple products as a rule.  The 2012 quad-core Mac Mini attracted geeks – as it was the one Apple model that allowed users to tinker.

In 2014, Apple's new and "improved" model dropped the quad-core option, soldered in the RAM, and made storage upgrades more difficult.  Mac Mini aficionados were furious.  For the past three years, they have been waiting for Apple to undo the insult and to upgrade the Mac Mini back to its quad-core glory days.  Instead, Apple has let the Mac Mini rot – and still sells it with underpowered, out-of-date fourth-generation Haswell chip technology.

The usual explanation is that Apple does not want to offer a cheap alternative to people buying its highly profitable iMacs.  But there is more to it than that.

[PIF]

Nice to have the power etc, but I’d rather my next box be one that can run Snow Leopard (OS 10.68), but better than the mini I use now.

[Defiant]

Well, I got mine new in 2012 or 2013. It was new in box. I would buy one of those used ones with an i7 before buying a brand new Mac Mini any day. Actually, I am surprised they are so low on eBay, I would think they would still hold up at around $500. If I ever need another, I’ll have to pick one up.

(I just checked on eBay, and there were a couple in the $3-400 range, but most were in the $5-800 range. I bet the cheaper ones have some issues).

The only issue that this model has is that the bluetooth module can get difficult to deal with. A mouse or keyboard can sometimes get off kilter, won’t do what it’s told. The problem is that the bluetooth is in a spot that gets interference from electrical or wifi or something, I don’t recall. I solved it with an external 4.0 bluetooth dongle for about $10. There is a kit that is pretty cheap for a shield that you put around the bluetooth module to keep that from happening, but it is not worth the bother to me.

To have a machine that powerful in this tiny form factor is very nice. It is a great computer. Too bad Apple ruined it.

[Swordmaker]

Why of course you do. You make your living from Apple.

You've been told dozens of times before that I don't, so that makes you a liar for continually making that accusation. Why do you continually post trolling comments in Apple threads, you don't use Apple products and demonstrate you are ignorant of their qualities, and lie about them repeatedly.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

You don’t make money from Apple Products? I’ve seen your comments about repairing them. Stockholder?

[TheStickman]

“I’ve seen your comments about repairing them.”

Puleeze. I’ve owned Macs since 2008 & have done my own repairs on them rather than pay Apple to do the work. See fixit.com & your can work on your Macs too!

I own no stock in Apple nor am I an employee and I dearly love working in macOS just as much as I did in OS X.

Perhaps you’re just here to troll?

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

So swordmaker is getting his attack yorkies out...

[TheStickman]

Ah, trolling you are.

[af_vet_rr]

soldered-in memory. reminds me strongly that I don’t love Apple.

It's becoming the standard, because most companies, and not just Apple, but Microsoft, Dell,HP, etc, want to make thin and light laptops and convertibles and soldered memory is required. It's unfortunate, but makes sense from a technical point of view. Gone are the days where you needed a lot of room in the laptop for the CPU, battery, and cooling system.

I would love a modular Mac mini, but they went with using basically laptop guts, and wanting to keep it small.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Actually the earlier comment was not directed to you or about you. Just support your local SPLC chapter and be happy.

[TheStickman]

“Just support your local SPLC chapter and be happy.”

A) I’m already happy.
B) Why would I support a marxist organization?
C) Why is a Creeper suggesting someone support marxists?

[af_vet_rr]

I love the discussions about the Mac mini, because I'd love a more updated/modular Mac mini myself, but the problem with a lot of these articles that talk about it is that they ignore a couple of things:

It's not about computing power or one line cannibalizing another (the iMac Pro for instance would normally devastate the Mac Pro line). Apple has laptops that out-perform the lower-end iMacs, but they don't restrict those laptops outside of thermal issues. It's more about hitting that $499 price point, something they probably couldn't do if they were updating it every year.

The demand is not there. Just like with Mac Pros (the redesign could change this), If Mac minis were truly flying off the shelves, Apple would put more into it, but they aren't - in fact Apple laptops have outsold Apple desktops for over a decade, and for nearly 5 years, have been outselling Apple desktops nearly 3-to-1.

Another issue - if you ignore the baseline Mac mini and go with the 8GB/1TB Mac mini, you are at $700, and with an Apple mouse and keyboard, you're now at $880 - within $200 of the baseline 8GB/1TB iMac. Throw in a quality display and you are at the low-end iMac price point, in which case you should have just bought an iMac. Heck, for $930, you can get a refurbished iMac that easily beats an $880 Mac mini. For a little more, you can get a MacBook Air with nearly the same specs.

Honestly, I would love a new Mac mini (size of a hardback book?), but I'm surprised they've kept the mini around - I keep expecting them to announce an 11-inch MacBook Air in place of the mini.

[roadcat]

I'd agree with just about all of this except for the quip about the 'age of desktops looks to be over'.

I love my old Mac Mini server. Was my main go-to machine for videos and photos. However, I recently bought a MacBook Pro and was surprised at how much faster and better it is than the Mini. Glad I bought the laptop, is now my main machine for video work, very fast. I will probably get a new Mini next spring when they come out, but will certainly not be buying any more desktop towers. Smaller is better on the desktop.

[zeugma]

Smaller is better on the desktop

You'd hate my desktop then. It's an open design that takes up a lot of space. I like it though, as it's easy to blow the dust out while it is running. Also makes changing things really simple. I haven't decided if I'll be changing the case out when I finally do get around to upgrading it. I've seen some really nice modular designs that make hot-swapping drives and such pretty straightforward.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Here was your contribution...

Apple Donates $1 Million to SPLC, Claims Trump Equated ‘Nazis and Those Who Oppose Them’
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/gage-cohen/apple-donates-1-million-splc-claims-trump-equated-nazis-and-those-who-oppose

[usconservative]

Smaller is better on the desktop.

Which is why I keep my Full size tower w/RAID5 Array, 8 Core CPU w/Water Cooling Linux workstation on the floor. :-)

[TheStickman]

Not me. I buy my Macs used and refurbished by a business here in Florida. Huge savings to say the least.

Give you an “e” for your effort. Troll on!

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Keep up the good work.

[roadcat]

I've seen some really nice modular designs that make hot-swapping drives and such pretty straightforward.

I avoid swapping drives in the computer as much as possible. I have a Voyager external drive carrier, and keep hard drives in bins. The Voyager plugs in via USB, Firewire, or eSATA cabling to the computer. I just grab the drive I want, insert it into the Voyager and it mounts ready to go, both 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 drives. Plus makes it easier moving drives around to different computers (I have a lot). Last time I swapped drives in my Mini I damaged the board socket, the sockets and connectors are so minuscule and tiny; had to repair it with epoxy so I could continue having two internal drives. So now would rather just use external hookups. Still have older towers and am amazed at how things have gotten smaller and more powerful over last few decades.

[Swordmaker]

You don’t make money from Apple Products? I’ve seen your comments about repairing them. Stockholder?

I am a cross platform consultant, but I've also frequently said that when I switch clients over to using Apple Macs from using MS Windows, I stop making money from those clients because they stop having problems. The cash cow is always the problems Windows creates for business people, not Apple. IBM found that to be true in their business installations where before with Windows, it took one IT technician to keep 200 to 400 Windows computers running, but one Apple IT tech could keep 3000 to 5000 Apple Macs running. . . and installing Apple Macs cut their IT budget for just one year by $26,000,000 in tech call costs.

[Swordmaker]

Apple Donates $1 Million to SPLC, Claims Trump Equated ‘Nazis and Those Who Oppose Them’

But the actual facts refute Okie's link. It was NOT Apple, the corporation—which is prohibited by law from making such a contribution and cannot deduct it even if it did make it—that gave that $1 Million to SPLC, but Apple CEO Tim Cook, the private individual, who gave that $1 Million and who can deduct it from his Federal and California State income taxes. There's a big difference between Apple Inc and Tim Cook making that contribution.

If you go to the SPLC's website and look at their donor page and look up Apple Inc, you will find the total donations associated with Apple, but with an asterisk next to the listing. Down at the bottom of the page you find, next to the asterisk the explanation that it is NOT Apple Inc that has made the donations totaled in this amount but donations from the Apple Employees' PAC, other Apple affiliated PACs, Apple employees, their family members, friends, and organizations associated with Apple. Tim Cook's donation is listed there.

Okie's claim is based on distorted news from the same people who bring you FAKE NEWS. . . and has about the same value. While it is true that the SPLC did get $1 million, it did not come from Apple as a donation, it came from an employee of Apple, Tim Cook. He was not, and could not be, reimbursed by Apple for that donation as that would open both Cook and Apple to a stock holders' lawsuit for misappropriation of company funds. . . nor could he then deduct the donation.

Okie has been told these facts before, but of course he will only post them in the most unflattering light for Apple. . . because that is what he does in Apple threads, post negative posts.