Apple halting Mac mini shipments?
updated 01:55 pm EDT, Tue October 21, 2008
Mac mini Shipments Halt
Apple is currently telling at least some retailers not to expect further Mac mini shipments, according to reports sent to Gizmodo. At least two "major" European outlets say they have been told by Apple not to anticipate more units of the small desktop and get the impression from their Apple sources that the system has been discontinued outright and isn't just encountering a temporary interruption in supply.
It's unclear whether the news, if applicable to retailers on a wider level, is reflective of the end of the entire series, a refresh, or a supply change. The company is known to regularly issue End of Life (EOL) notices for products both just before they receive replacements as well as for necessary technical changes or complete phase-outs.
Apple has typically considered the Mac mini a low priority in its lineup since shortly after its introduction in January 2005. The computer has always been marketed as the company's primary sub-$1,000 offering and has received only sporadic updates since its release, with one minor PowerPC update and two updates since its switch to Intel in February 2006. Its last update was in August 2007 alongside the aluminum iMac and is now two generations behind Intel's latest processors.
Publicly, the company has never expressed an intention to remove the Mac mini from its lineup and is widely believed to have an incentive to keep the $599 computer as an inexpensive alternative in a poor US economy.
Tablet time?
10/21, 02:13pm reply
...a headless mac with discrete video that weighs less than 42lbs & maybe even a quad option would be most welcome in this camp...
bobolicious
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http://timbrazer.com
10/21, 02:14pm (1 reply) reply
I hope this is a supply change because I just bought a Mac Mini ($599) about 2 weeks ago.
Now that would be a waste if they redesigned it and released a new one in the near future. 8^)
timbrazer
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Joined: Oct 2008
mini en aTV
10/21, 03:06pm (1 reply) reply
if Apple brings us a small $400 tablet it would be as fast as the current Mini and smaller. Apple TV also, the iPod touch has almost exactly the same functionality so why keep it alive?
Peter Bonte
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wow
10/21, 04:28pm (1 reply) reply
I can't believe it took this long. Apple has tired of the mini and is finally signaling its death knell. Not a surprise, since Apple only made the computer basically to market to switchers (ergo the lack of keyboard and mouse).
And since they have enough switchers, they have no need to stay in the sub-1000 market for anything. Maybe this is going to lead to Apple making a real low-cost computer (you know, one that has a slot or two, can accept extra hard drives, is customizable)? Nah.
And Apple is NOT coming out with some cheap tablet. What do you think the iPod touch is for? And Apple doesn't do cheap.
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001
this would suck
10/21, 04:50pm reply
I had the original G4 mini and now an Intel and I love both. The G4 is now with my sister and she loves it too. Small and completely quiet. And for a media computer, it's better than the Apple TV. You can do all the same things, plus, access media from places like Hulu which you can't on an Apple TV which is the main reason I bought a mini. iMacs are nice and all, but I don't want my screen built into all my computers and a Mac Pro is too big and noisy.
simdude
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It would be tragic...
10/21, 05:58pm reply
...for Apple to abandon the mini. No way into the Mac platform for less than $900?
godrifle
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finally!
10/21, 08:05pm (1 reply) reply
I've been waiting for apple to upgrade their crappy mini. Wonder if someone finally kicked steve jobs in the balls! Good for them!
Guest
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Joined: Nov 1999
wow
10/21, 09:46pm (1 reply) reply
Well, if they updated their mini with no notice, then people would get pissed because they just bought the old model, and I could troll around and rip on them for that. But it doesn't look like they're doing that. They might just be letting vendors sell out their current supply before putting out a refreshed mac mini. But that doesn't sound negative enough, so I'll just assume they're going to cancel the model now - and act like that somehow hurts people who already own a mini. Maybe the Apple TV and Mac Mini are converging - but that doesn't sound negative enough either. Maybe Apple hates all its customers, and eventually will phase out all the models they currently make. That sounds more like the evil Apple I love to post negative comments about when I troll around on Apple fan sites.
testedoh
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Third world need minis...
10/21, 09:51pm reply
The mini was the best Trojan horse apple developed for win-tel users that really can't afford a total revamp in their system. Apple should really reconsider and instead push the minis to the third world. With global economic depression and the worsening digital divide in education the mini is ideal. If not linux and wintel will continue to dominate.
Mac-a-Bayan
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Third world need minis...
10/21, 09:53pm reply
The mini was the best Trojan horse apple developed for win-tel users that really can't afford a total revamp in their system. Apple should really reconsider and instead push the minis to the third world. With global economic depression and the worsening digital divide in education the mini is ideal.
Mac-a-Bayan
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Joined: Jul 2004