So when is the next event seeing as how the one today revealed nothing interesting?
Oh come on now, this was a very interesting reveal. Not so much because of iPhone which doesn't rock my boat but rather the new 64 bit ARM processor. If things go as in the past that means an enhanced version for the iPad later this year. I do care about the iPad so in this regard, this was the most interesting iPhone reveal in a long time.
Now I would agree it isn't Mac related but I use my iPad as much or more than the Mac these days.
Oh come on now, this was a very interesting reveal. Not so much because of iPhone which doesn't rock my boat but rather the new 64 bit ARM processor. If things go as in the past that means an enhanced version for the iPad later this year. I do care about the iPad so in this regard, this was the most interesting iPhone reveal in a long time.
Now I would agree it isn't Mac related but I use my iPad as much or more than the Mac these days.
I would have rather had a combined event. The majority of time could be used for the iPhones and then you have maybe 20 minutes to announce the specs of the mini, iMac, and a release date for the Mac Pro.
I would have rather had a combined event. The majority of time could be used for the iPhones and then you have maybe 20 minutes to announce the specs of the mini, iMac, and a release date for the Mac Pro.
There is little sense in announcing anything if it isn't ready to ship! My take is that TB 2 is still a few weeks away from volume shipments, at least in the volumes Apple needs for the Mac Pro, iMac, Mini and Mac Book Pros.
I look at to this way, the longer these machines remain un updated the more likely hood that each machine get a major update including things like TB2. Yeah the wait sucks but it would be more frustrating to have a new machine out last month and then see Intel release all the good stuff they are revealing right now. Since Intels timetable has been more or less been known for months now, I just use that knowledge to calm my nerves.
There is little sense in announcing anything if it isn't ready to ship! My take is that TB 2 is still a few weeks away from volume shipments, at least in the volumes Apple needs for the Mac Pro, iMac, Mini and Mac Book Pros.
I'm worried they won't put Thunderbolt 2 on the Mac Mini. I feel the only reason they're waiting to update it is to not have Haswell Mac Minis out alongside Ivy Bridge iMacs, just like they've always done…
They didn't wait for the MacBook Air, as it's a low-end consumer product; its user base doesn't really care. The same could be considered true of the Mac Mini.
There is little sense in announcing anything if it isn't ready to ship! My take is that TB 2 is still a few weeks away from volume shipments, at least in the volumes Apple needs for the Mac Pro, iMac, Mini and Mac Book Pros.
I look at to this way, the longer these machines remain un updated the more likely hood that each machine get a major update including things like TB2. Yeah the wait sucks but it would be more frustrating to have a new machine out last month and then see Intel release all the good stuff they are revealing right now. Since Intel's timetable has been more or less been known for months now, I just use that knowledge to calm my nerves.
Maybe it's just me though I feed on announcements. Hey we have this, it's coming out in x number of days or something provided supplies are ready.
Also I am not one to follow the crowd and whenever I go out to a bar, a restaurant, or a club I see people on their iPhones and it makes me not want one. I don't know of anyone besides me (outside of sites such as this) who has a Mac mini though I do know of people who have MacBook Pros.
Maybe it's just me though I feed on announcements. Hey we have this, it's coming out in x number of days or something provided supplies are ready.
Also I am not one to follow the crowd and whenever I go out to a bar, a restaurant, or a club I see people on their iPhones and it makes me not want one. I don't know of anyone besides me (outside of sites such as this) who has a Mac mini though I do know of people who have MacBook Pros.
So you tend to buy things because no one else has those things? That is down right weird. Do you avoid buying underwear because everybody else ( except for those really fun girls ) wears underwear? I really don't understand this mentality. I buy things that work well for me which is why I'm waiting on an iPad rev. Otherwise I don't really care what the rest of the world does, if everybody of the planet bought an Android tablet I'd still have an iPad. Vis versa if everyone had an iPad I'd still have one, it really makes no difference.
So you tend to buy things because no one else has those things? That is down right weird. Do you avoid buying underwear because everybody else ( except for those really fun girls ) wears underwear? I really don't understand this mentality. I buy things that work well for me which is why I'm waiting on an iPad rev. Otherwise I don't really care what the rest of the world does, if everybody of the planet bought an Android tablet I'd still have an iPad. Vice versa if everyone had an iPad I'd still have one, it really makes no difference.
lol. That's a strange argument. What I mean is I like to buy things that everyone else is buying because they're considered "cool" to use or to wear. I just need something to make calls on which is why I still have a simple flip phone. I don't need to have a monthly bill just for calls.
I'd be tempted to go for such a device even though I currently prefer the standard iPad. The reality is the big screen is just easier to deal with for us old folks.
However that isn't why I posted, because this is a Mac Mini thread I thought you where suggesting an A7 in the Mac Mini. Thar has a certain appeal if it can run Mac OS/X, it wouldn't pass as my primary computer but I could see getting a couple if they are significantly cheaper for other reasons. Apple TV is only $99 so obviously they can be very agressive price wise and still make a good profit.
In case you are wondering why an A7 mini would be appealing, it is its lower power potential that would make for an interesting server, a computer for the radio shack or a dedicated machine controller.
I'd be tempted to go for such a device even though I currently prefer the standard iPad. The reality is the big screen is just easier to deal with for us old folks.
However that isn't why I posted, because this is a Mac Mini thread I thought you where suggesting an A7 in the Mac Mini. Thar has a certain appeal if it can run Mac OS/X, it wouldn't pass as my primary computer but I could see getting a couple if they are significantly cheaper for other reasons. Apple TV is only $99 so obviously they can be very agressive price wise and still make a good profit.
In case you are wondering why an A7 mini would be appealing, it is its lower power potential that would make for an interesting server, a computer for the radio shack or a dedicated machine controller.
I think you need to get an Intel's new CPU like the new Haswell chip set. It suppose to be 50% faster and consume 50% less power too. That means less heat and that means further miniaturization. Wait and see what come in the next few months!
A7 is for mobile devices but not a computer like a Mac! Different architecture - Intel for Mac and A7 design by Apple for mobile devices.
I think you need to get an Intel's new CPU like the new Haswell chip set. It suppose to be 50% faster and consume 50% less power too.
Well it isn't that good but yeah it is a big improvement power wise. I'm in fact waiting to see what the Mini looks like when it comes out. I really have this feeling that we will get a major update to generate synergy with the new Mac Pro.
That means less heat and that means further miniaturization. Wait and see what come in the next few months!
Believe me I'm waiting.
A7 is for mobile devices but not a computer like a Mac!
That is thinking small honestly, A7 has huge potential not just in mobile devices. I could really get into a media server built around one.
Different architecture - Intel for Mac and A7 design by Apple for mobile devices.
An A7 design in a desktop really shouldn't be called a Mac even though ideally it would run Mac OS/X. Calling such a device a Mac would lead to compatibility confusion and marketing issues. However the point remains there are many use for which the A7 could be put to use in a "desktop" platform that doesn't require mainstream i86 performance. Media servers, small office file servers, dedicated controllers, an Apple TV / games console all come to mind. Yes even a Mini with an A7 would be appealing as an entry level device, just don't call it a Mac Mini.
Take the Apple TV for example. Upgrade the internals with an A7, add more RAM & flash, support an external storage device and you have a platform that can do everything Apple TV can do and at the same time support apps, in this case mostly downloadable games. Ideally this would be a beefed up A7X variant to improve the GPU even more. The point here is that Apple could have a games / AppleTV platform in practically the same form factor as the current Apple TV and probably at a similar cost.
In any event the whole point with all this rambling is that Apple has the ability to dramatically change the price equation for a number of these non mobile uses. They can do this while maintaining good profits. It isn't like the A7 in some of these products would be good enough for everybody, they would however be good enough for millions of people. You have to realize that many servers, disk arrays and the like already run on ARM hardware that is a lot slower than A7.
As for a low end Mini like platform, A7 already runs at Core Duo like performance levels with most likely better graphics performance. Graphics by the way that supports OpenCL so many apps have the potential to go beyond Core Duo levels of performance. So lets say Apple can offer up an A7 in a $250 box with OS/X and 4GB of RAM, offer support in the App Store so that A7 apps won't be a problem and otherwise offer a complete computer - do you think that wouldn't sell? Especially considering that this chip would be running faster that the current A7 due to better cooling options and power supply options. Think about it, the new AirPort Extreme is $199, they can recycle much of that into an A7 based computer and tack on $50. It would sell like hotcakes especially if they can hit Core 2 levels of performance and used flash as secondary storage. No maybe $250 is a little too agressive for Apple but even at $350 it is still a huge improvement over the current Mini cost wise. Honestly though I think $199 would be doable for the basic hardware, it is only the flash drive that cause a bump to +$250.
And Broadwell is supposed to consume 30% less power than Haswell, though I am not waiting for a Broadwell mini : p
That maybe so but I don't think Intel will ever catch up to ARM when absolute low power is important. I86 just has so much baggage that goes with it that they will always be at a power disadvantage (power in watts here). In many applications it is power in watts that is becoming the most important factor in processor selection. It is notable that Apple is going toe to toe with Intels latest Atom and this is on a process technology a step or two behind Intels. The low transistor count of ARM hardware directly nullifies any process advantage Intel has.
Honestly I'm amazed by what A7 is doing in an iPhone! It may not be a mainstream Mac chip but it certainly has the chops to make some very interesting desktop hardware. Most importantly it can do that extremely cheaply.
Still holding out hope for October 15th for the next Apple keynote with regards to the mini. I still am not sure if I will buy one right away though. I think what I will do is wait until Mavericks is stable with a few versions behind it (the 2011 Mac mini was released in July and I bought mine in October, so I believe it had 10.7.2 on it) before I make my final decision on my purchase.
I also hope that the $799 model has an SSD in it by default and good one at that. I do not expect the base model to include even a BTO for one though. Apple should at minimum go for a 750 GB HDD in the base model mini, perhaps even 1 TB. 500 GB is not acceptable in my view. Go with a 750 GB or 1 TB HDD with an option for a 1 TB Fusion drive perhaps. The $799 model also should have 8 GB of memory by default as well. Graphics remains to be seen.
Still holding out hope for October 15th for the next Apple keynote with regards to the mini. I still am not sure if I will buy one right away though. I think what I will do is wait until Mavericks is stable with a few versions behind it (the 2011 Mac mini was released in July and I bought mine in October, so I believe it had 10.7.2 on it) before I make my final decision on my purchase.
Be brave go all in the minute Mavericks comes out! Of course I'm the guy that just spent most of his night upgrading both his iPad 3 and iPhone 4 to iOS 7. Not too drag the thread off course but iOS 7 is very nice.
I also hope that the $799 model has an SSD in it by default and good one at that. I do not expect the base model to include even a BTO for one though. Apple should at minimum go for a 750 GB HDD in the base model mini, perhaps even 1 TB. 500 GB is not acceptable in my view. Go with a 750 GB or 1 TB HDD with an option for a 1 TB Fusion drive perhaps.
Fusion drive is too much of a gimmick for me. I still think the best way to leverage SSDs is to go big enough to put all your operating system and apps on the SSD and let bulky libraries and other data sit out on a rusty rotating drive.
The $799 model also should have 8 GB of memory by default as well. Graphics remains to be seen.
Graphics is a huge unknown here as there are so many ways for Apple to go with Intel hardware. We will have to wait and see on this one. I would like to see the best Iris Pro option offered in the upsell model though. That possibly might be the good enough many are looking for.
Comments
Oh come on now, this was a very interesting reveal. Not so much because of iPhone which doesn't rock my boat but rather the new 64 bit ARM processor. If things go as in the past that means an enhanced version for the iPad later this year. I do care about the iPad so in this regard, this was the most interesting iPhone reveal in a long time.
Now I would agree it isn't Mac related but I use my iPad as much or more than the Mac these days.
As of yesterday, I can't see the one he mentioned on Newegg but he said it would be on sale right away:
IDF is still going on and there's new TB2 products on show:
http://www.techpowerup.com/190552/promise-to-exhibit-thunderbolt-2-technology-with-pegasus2-series-at-idf-2013.html
Promise says their products will ship in the Fall:
http://www.promise.com/news_room/news.aspx?m=208®ion=en-US&rsn=1132
I would have rather had a combined event. The majority of time could be used for the iPhones and then you have maybe 20 minutes to announce the specs of the mini, iMac, and a release date for the Mac Pro.
There is little sense in announcing anything if it isn't ready to ship! My take is that TB 2 is still a few weeks away from volume shipments, at least in the volumes Apple needs for the Mac Pro, iMac, Mini and Mac Book Pros.
I look at to this way, the longer these machines remain un updated the more likely hood that each machine get a major update including things like TB2. Yeah the wait sucks but it would be more frustrating to have a new machine out last month and then see Intel release all the good stuff they are revealing right now. Since Intels timetable has been more or less been known for months now, I just use that knowledge to calm my nerves.
I'm worried they won't put Thunderbolt 2 on the Mac Mini. I feel the only reason they're waiting to update it is to not have Haswell Mac Minis out alongside Ivy Bridge iMacs, just like they've always done…
They didn't wait for the MacBook Air, as it's a low-end consumer product; its user base doesn't really care. The same could be considered true of the Mac Mini.
But if the Mac Pro is as expensive as it's rumoured to be, there's more than enough space between to put TB2 on the Mini.
It would be funny if the delay is not related to TB2, but putting the new Apple TV software back into Macs.
I mean really, shouldn't the $99 Apple TV be included with a $1699. MacBook Pro?
See, there, too; they have a server Mac Mini on which Thunderbolt 2 would be very desirable. We'll see.
That's obviously not going to happen. They want people to buy a TV device for a TV.
Maybe it's just me though I feed on announcements. Hey we have this, it's coming out in x number of days or something provided supplies are ready.
Also I am not one to follow the crowd and whenever I go out to a bar, a restaurant, or a club I see people on their iPhones and it makes me not want one. I don't know of anyone besides me (outside of sites such as this) who has a Mac mini though I do know of people who have MacBook Pros.
So you tend to buy things because no one else has those things? That is down right weird. Do you avoid buying underwear because everybody else ( except for those really fun girls ) wears underwear? I really don't understand this mentality. I buy things that work well for me which is why I'm waiting on an iPad rev. Otherwise I don't really care what the rest of the world does, if everybody of the planet bought an Android tablet I'd still have an iPad. Vis versa if everyone had an iPad I'd still have one, it really makes no difference.
lol. That's a strange argument. What I mean is I like to buy things that everyone else is buying because they're considered "cool" to use or to wear. I just need something to make calls on which is why I still have a simple flip phone. I don't need to have a monthly bill just for calls.
Just saying this because my current mini is getting pushed pretty hard rendering 3D animation. Haven't heard fans roar like this in years.
iPad Mini 2 should have the following:
802.11 ac
A7 with 4GB
IGZO display
Multiple colors like that of the iPhone 5S!
I'd be tempted to go for such a device even though I currently prefer the standard iPad. The reality is the big screen is just easier to deal with for us old folks.
However that isn't why I posted, because this is a Mac Mini thread I thought you where suggesting an A7 in the Mac Mini. Thar has a certain appeal if it can run Mac OS/X, it wouldn't pass as my primary computer but I could see getting a couple if they are significantly cheaper for other reasons. Apple TV is only $99 so obviously they can be very agressive price wise and still make a good profit.
In case you are wondering why an A7 mini would be appealing, it is its lower power potential that would make for an interesting server, a computer for the radio shack or a dedicated machine controller.
I'd be tempted to go for such a device even though I currently prefer the standard iPad. The reality is the big screen is just easier to deal with for us old folks.
However that isn't why I posted, because this is a Mac Mini thread I thought you where suggesting an A7 in the Mac Mini. Thar has a certain appeal if it can run Mac OS/X, it wouldn't pass as my primary computer but I could see getting a couple if they are significantly cheaper for other reasons. Apple TV is only $99 so obviously they can be very agressive price wise and still make a good profit.
In case you are wondering why an A7 mini would be appealing, it is its lower power potential that would make for an interesting server, a computer for the radio shack or a dedicated machine controller.
I think you need to get an Intel's new CPU like the new Haswell chip set. It suppose to be 50% faster and consume 50% less power too. That means less heat and that means further miniaturization. Wait and see what come in the next few months!
A7 is for mobile devices but not a computer like a Mac! Different architecture - Intel for Mac and A7 design by Apple for mobile devices.
Take the Apple TV for example. Upgrade the internals with an A7, add more RAM & flash, support an external storage device and you have a platform that can do everything Apple TV can do and at the same time support apps, in this case mostly downloadable games. Ideally this would be a beefed up A7X variant to improve the GPU even more. The point here is that Apple could have a games / AppleTV platform in practically the same form factor as the current Apple TV and probably at a similar cost.
In any event the whole point with all this rambling is that Apple has the ability to dramatically change the price equation for a number of these non mobile uses. They can do this while maintaining good profits. It isn't like the A7 in some of these products would be good enough for everybody, they would however be good enough for millions of people. You have to realize that many servers, disk arrays and the like already run on ARM hardware that is a lot slower than A7.
As for a low end Mini like platform, A7 already runs at Core Duo like performance levels with most likely better graphics performance. Graphics by the way that supports OpenCL so many apps have the potential to go beyond Core Duo levels of performance. So lets say Apple can offer up an A7 in a $250 box with OS/X and 4GB of RAM, offer support in the App Store so that A7 apps won't be a problem and otherwise offer a complete computer - do you think that wouldn't sell? Especially considering that this chip would be running faster that the current A7 due to better cooling options and power supply options. Think about it, the new AirPort Extreme is $199, they can recycle much of that into an A7 based computer and tack on $50. It would sell like hotcakes especially if they can hit Core 2 levels of performance and used flash as secondary storage. No maybe $250 is a little too agressive for Apple but even at $350 it is still a huge improvement over the current Mini cost wise. Honestly though I think $199 would be doable for the basic hardware, it is only the flash drive that cause a bump to +$250.
That maybe so but I don't think Intel will ever catch up to ARM when absolute low power is important. I86 just has so much baggage that goes with it that they will always be at a power disadvantage (power in watts here). In many applications it is power in watts that is becoming the most important factor in processor selection. It is notable that Apple is going toe to toe with Intels latest Atom and this is on a process technology a step or two behind Intels. The low transistor count of ARM hardware directly nullifies any process advantage Intel has.
Honestly I'm amazed by what A7 is doing in an iPhone! It may not be a mainstream Mac chip but it certainly has the chops to make some very interesting desktop hardware. Most importantly it can do that extremely cheaply.
I also hope that the $799 model has an SSD in it by default and good one at that. I do not expect the base model to include even a BTO for one though. Apple should at minimum go for a 750 GB HDD in the base model mini, perhaps even 1 TB. 500 GB is not acceptable in my view. Go with a 750 GB or 1 TB HDD with an option for a 1 TB Fusion drive perhaps. The $799 model also should have 8 GB of memory by default as well. Graphics remains to be seen.
Graphics is a huge unknown here as there are so many ways for Apple to go with Intel hardware. We will have to wait and see on this one. I would like to see the best Iris Pro option offered in the upsell model though. That possibly might be the good enough many are looking for.