Remember the good ole days when we'd be up to our necks in predictions by today, because the Macworld Expo keynote would be early next week? Good times.
Anyone care to venture a guess on how this year's announcements will pan out?
The Mini is overdue for an upgrade. Apple will remove the power supply to shrink the size, and add TB2 and HDMI 2.0. Apple will continue to restrict it to non-upgradable, integrated graphics to protect the similarly-non-upgradable 21" iMac.
February - MacBook Pro and iMac upgrade
Relatively small spec bump, allowing for TB2 on the iMac, and HDMI 2.0.
iMac gets a high-end 4K-display option.
March - iWork upgrade
Last year's released-too-soon upgrade to iWork gets back many of the key features lost in the move to iOS compatibility.
May - Mac Pro downgrade
The Mac Pro is now widely available and early adopter orders are satisfied, so a lower end (still not cheap) model with a single GPU card is introduced. USB 3.1 debuts on the Mac line.
September - iPad/iPhone upgrades
13" 'iPad Pro' supplements the iPad line and kills off the MacBook Air.
The Mini is overdue for an upgrade. Apple will remove the power supply to shrink the size, and add TB2 and HDMI 2.0. Apple will continue to restrict it to non-upgradable, integrated graphics to protect the similarly-non-upgradable 21" iMac.
That’s the opposite of what they’re doing with all of their products. They just put the PSU into it with the last redesign; you think they’re going to take it back out? They’re masters of the miniaturization of PSUs. I’d like to see what could be done with a circular Mini design, but if that’s impractical they shouldn’t copy the Mac Pro just to copy it.
February - MacBook Pro and iMac upgrade
Relatively small spec bump, allowing for TB2 on the iMac, and HDMI 2.0.
iMac gets a high-end 4K-display option.
Broadwell’s out in Februrary?
March - iWork upgrade
Last year's released-too-soon upgrade to iWork gets back many of the key features lost in the move to iOS compatibility.
iWork will receive updates whenever new features can be pushed out. There won’t be ’15, ’16, ’17, ‘xx releases ever again; it will get new features on whatever timetable they see fit. And haven’t they said they’d restore those features before March?
May - Mac Pro downgrade
The Mac Pro is now widely available and early adopter orders are satisfied, so a lower end (still not cheap) model with a single GPU card is introduced. USB 3.1 debuts on the Mac line.
They’re not doing an xMac. Unless you mean they’ll drop one GPU and have two CPUs, but that seems silly not to offer right now, too, right? Have a Mac Pro for those who want a train engine and a Mac Pro for those who want fireworks off the back of their truck.
Maybe they have big plans with GPGPU that will remove the necessity for two CPUs. Who knows? Do you mean to have them offer this just to get the price down? I don’t think they care, since the hardware’s already thousands of dollars cheaper than a PC equivalent.
September - iPad/iPhone upgrades
13" 'iPad Pro' supplements the iPad line and kills off the MacBook Air.
iPhone 6 released. iPod Nano goes down to $99.
I LOVE IT, except the MacBook Air won’t be taken away until 2017 at the earliest. It’s way too soon. Glad you’re on that boat, though. Toot toot; all aboard the laptops are dead train!
That’s the opposite of what they’re doing with all of their products. They just put the PSU into it with the last redesign; you think they’re going to take it back out? They’re masters of the miniaturization of PSUs. I’d like to see what could be done with a circular Mini design, but if that’s impractical they shouldn’t copy the Mac Pro just to copy it.
Admittingly, I'm just speculating. But the internal power supply is one of the complaints of using the Mini as a server, and now that the Pro is a bit more upmarket and the Xserve is dead, they might go for it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Broadwell’s out in Februrary?
No, not till the end of the year. Which is why I though they'd just bump up the ports and adjust HD capacities for now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
iWork will receive updates whenever new features can be pushed out. There won’t be ’15, ’16, ’17, ‘xx releases ever again; it will get new features on whatever timetable they see fit. And haven’t they said they’d restore those features before March?
Which for Apple means Feb 28. But I already had February predictions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
They’re not doing an xMac. Unless you mean they’ll drop one GPU and have two CPUs, but that seems silly not to offer right now, too, right? Have a Mac Pro for those who want a train engine and a Mac Pro for those who want fireworks off the back of their truck.
Maybe they have big plans with GPGPU that will remove the necessity for two CPUs. Who knows? Do you mean to have them offer this just to get the price down? I don’t think they care, since the hardware’s already thousands of dollars cheaper than a PC equivalent.
Yeah, I was just thinking that dropping one of the GPU cards might get the price closer to the traditional Mac Pro asking price.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
I LOVE IT, except the MacBook Air won’t be taken away until 2017 at the earliest. It’s way too soon. Glad you’re on that boat, though. Toot toot; all aboard the laptops are dead train!
Laptops aren't dead by any stretch, but the MBA is the low end mobile product for people who really just do light duty (surfing, email, writing).
That seems to me to be the target for the so-called iPad Pro device, and I think Apple will eat their own before the competition does.
But the internal power supply is one of the complaints of using the Mini as a server…
Really? I thought they’d love that. Would they rather run two PSUs out to the same line? Maybe the Mac Mini Server could have two tiny PSUs inside, like the Xserve.
No, not till the end of the year. Which is why I though they'd just bump up the ports and adjust HD capacities for now.
How long has it been for the laptops? October… hoo boy. May as well be dead.
Yeah, that makes sense, I guess. Though spring feels better to me. April or something, if Broadwell’s late.
Which for Apple means Feb 28. But I already had February predictions.
Yeah, I was just thinking that dropping one of the GPU cards might get the price closer to the traditional Mac Pro asking price.
Hmm. I think the days of a $1,999 pro Mac are dead, particularly since the “prosumer” community has grown and the iMac has fulfilled that.
Laptops aren’t dead by any stretch, but the MBA is the low end mobile product for people who really just do light duty (surfing, email, writing). That seems to me to be the target for the so-called iPad Pro device, and I think Apple will eat their own before the competition does.
Why? Smaller, faster, cheaper. That's the path of technology in a highly competitive market.
The tdp of the internals hasn't changed drastically during the last couple processor generations, so I don't know that the suggestion is feasible at this point. Also before anyone points it out, I understand the difference between tdp and typical power consumption.
iWork will receive updates whenever new features can be pushed out. There won’t be ’15, ’16, ’17, ‘xx releases ever again; it will get new features on whatever timetable they see fit. And haven’t they said they’d restore those features before March?
Missed this question. Apple said on November 11, 2013 that some of the missing features will be restored within six months.
<span style="line-height:1.4em;">Which gives them until May 11, 2014.</span>
<span style="line-height:1.4em;">But I think March is a good candidate for an iWork Service Pack. </span>
<span style="line-height:1.4em;">(You act recklessly like Microsoft in the 90's, you deserve the mocking...)</span>
The surprise wasn't the apple refactored iWork and lost capability. The surprise was that anyone was seriously using it. With over a thousand macs and around 30% usage as the primary platform here I can count on one hand the number of iWork users I know. And I used to be the Keynote fanatic that annoyed PPT users.
End of January - Redesigned Mac Mini
The Mini is overdue for an upgrade. Apple will remove the power supply to shrink the size, and add TB2 and HDMI 2.0. Apple will continue to restrict it to non-upgradable, integrated graphics to protect the similarly-non-upgradable 21" iMac.
My fear is they are going to let the mini languish this year and update to haswell when the iMacs go broadwell.
Perhaps the delta between the HD4600 and Iris Pro is large enough for them. I dunno. But the chips have been available since q3 of 2013. Why a jan refresh?
I haven't seen many of those used. The i7 chips have been available for a while but they couldn't leave the entry i5 out of the update. There were a couple of laptops using the 5200M reviewed in December:
I only care about a Broadwell Mac mini. Everything else means nil to me.
It still tends to be the last thing out the door with a given hardware generation. It could be in a different year. I hope you get some longevity from whichever one you eventually purchase.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nht
My fear is they are going to let the mini languish this year and update to haswell when the iMacs go broadwell.
Perhaps the delta between the HD4600 and Iris Pro is large enough for them. I dunno. But the chips have been available since q3 of 2013. Why a jan refresh?
I really doubt it will go that way. There was some speculation that desktop cpus would
As far as Apple is concerned, the Mac Mini IS their xMac - wishful thinking doesn't help here, unfortunately...and this is the main reason the Mini is here to stay - just revamped chipsets, more RAM etc...nothing else.
Comments
My guesses:
End of January - Redesigned Mac Mini
The Mini is overdue for an upgrade. Apple will remove the power supply to shrink the size, and add TB2 and HDMI 2.0. Apple will continue to restrict it to non-upgradable, integrated graphics to protect the similarly-non-upgradable 21" iMac.
February - MacBook Pro and iMac upgrade
Relatively small spec bump, allowing for TB2 on the iMac, and HDMI 2.0.
iMac gets a high-end 4K-display option.
March - iWork upgrade
Last year's released-too-soon upgrade to iWork gets back many of the key features lost in the move to iOS compatibility.
May - Mac Pro downgrade
The Mac Pro is now widely available and early adopter orders are satisfied, so a lower end (still not cheap) model with a single GPU card is introduced. USB 3.1 debuts on the Mac line.
September - iPad/iPhone upgrades
13" 'iPad Pro' supplements the iPad line and kills off the MacBook Air.
iPhone 6 released. iPod Nano goes down to $99.
Would be nice to see the Mac mini shrunk to the same size as the AppleTV puck.
That would likely cause significant thermal issues, no?
End of January - Redesigned Mac Mini
The Mini is overdue for an upgrade. Apple will remove the power supply to shrink the size, and add TB2 and HDMI 2.0. Apple will continue to restrict it to non-upgradable, integrated graphics to protect the similarly-non-upgradable 21" iMac.
That’s the opposite of what they’re doing with all of their products. They just put the PSU into it with the last redesign; you think they’re going to take it back out? They’re masters of the miniaturization of PSUs. I’d like to see what could be done with a circular Mini design, but if that’s impractical they shouldn’t copy the Mac Pro just to copy it.
Relatively small spec bump, allowing for TB2 on the iMac, and HDMI 2.0.
iMac gets a high-end 4K-display option.
Broadwell’s out in Februrary?
Last year's released-too-soon upgrade to iWork gets back many of the key features lost in the move to iOS compatibility.
iWork will receive updates whenever new features can be pushed out. There won’t be ’15, ’16, ’17, ‘xx releases ever again; it will get new features on whatever timetable they see fit. And haven’t they said they’d restore those features before March?
The Mac Pro is now widely available and early adopter orders are satisfied, so a lower end (still not cheap) model with a single GPU card is introduced. USB 3.1 debuts on the Mac line.
They’re not doing an xMac. Unless you mean they’ll drop one GPU and have two CPUs, but that seems silly not to offer right now, too, right? Have a Mac Pro for those who want a train engine and a Mac Pro for those who want fireworks off the back of their truck.
Maybe they have big plans with GPGPU that will remove the necessity for two CPUs. Who knows? Do you mean to have them offer this just to get the price down? I don’t think they care, since the hardware’s already thousands of dollars cheaper than a PC equivalent.
13" 'iPad Pro' supplements the iPad line and kills off the MacBook Air.
iPhone 6 released. iPod Nano goes down to $99.
I LOVE IT, except the MacBook Air won’t be taken away until 2017 at the earliest. It’s way too soon. Glad you’re on that boat, though. Toot toot; all aboard the laptops are dead train!
That’s the opposite of what they’re doing with all of their products. They just put the PSU into it with the last redesign; you think they’re going to take it back out? They’re masters of the miniaturization of PSUs. I’d like to see what could be done with a circular Mini design, but if that’s impractical they shouldn’t copy the Mac Pro just to copy it.
Admittingly, I'm just speculating. But the internal power supply is one of the complaints of using the Mini as a server, and now that the Pro is a bit more upmarket and the Xserve is dead, they might go for it.
Broadwell’s out in Februrary?
No, not till the end of the year. Which is why I though they'd just bump up the ports and adjust HD capacities for now.
iWork will receive updates whenever new features can be pushed out. There won’t be ’15, ’16, ’17, ‘xx releases ever again; it will get new features on whatever timetable they see fit. And haven’t they said they’d restore those features before March?
Which for Apple means Feb 28. But I already had February predictions.
They’re not doing an xMac. Unless you mean they’ll drop one GPU and have two CPUs, but that seems silly not to offer right now, too, right? Have a Mac Pro for those who want a train engine and a Mac Pro for those who want fireworks off the back of their truck.
Maybe they have big plans with GPGPU that will remove the necessity for two CPUs. Who knows? Do you mean to have them offer this just to get the price down? I don’t think they care, since the hardware’s already thousands of dollars cheaper than a PC equivalent.
Yeah, I was just thinking that dropping one of the GPU cards might get the price closer to the traditional Mac Pro asking price.
I LOVE IT, except the MacBook Air won’t be taken away until 2017 at the earliest. It’s way too soon. Glad you’re on that boat, though. Toot toot; all aboard the laptops are dead train!
Laptops aren't dead by any stretch, but the MBA is the low end mobile product for people who really just do light duty (surfing, email, writing).
That seems to me to be the target for the so-called iPad Pro device, and I think Apple will eat their own before the competition does.
But the internal power supply is one of the complaints of using the Mini as a server…
Really? I thought they’d love that. Would they rather run two PSUs out to the same line? Maybe the Mac Mini Server could have two tiny PSUs inside, like the Xserve.
How long has it been for the laptops? October… hoo boy. May as well be dead.
Yeah, that makes sense, I guess. Though spring feels better to me. April or something, if Broadwell’s late.
Hmm. I think the days of a $1,999 pro Mac are dead, particularly since the “prosumer” community has grown and the iMac has fulfilled that.
Agreed and agreed, but I still think it’s early.
Why? Smaller, faster, cheaper. That's the path of technology in a highly competitive market.
Why? Smaller, faster, cheaper. That's the path of technology in a highly competitive market.
The tdp of the internals hasn't changed drastically during the last couple processor generations, so I don't know that the suggestion is feasible at this point. Also before anyone points it out, I understand the difference between tdp and typical power consumption.
iWork will receive updates whenever new features can be pushed out. There won’t be ’15, ’16, ’17, ‘xx releases ever again; it will get new features on whatever timetable they see fit. And haven’t they said they’d restore those features before March?
Missed this question. Apple said on November 11, 2013 that some of the missing features will be restored within six months.
Which gives them until May 11, 2014.
But I think March is a good candidate for an iWork Service Pack. (You act recklessly like Microsoft in the 90's, you deserve the mocking...)
…six months.
Ah, you’re right. Thought it was three…
The surprise wasn't the apple refactored iWork and lost capability. The surprise was that anyone was seriously using it. With over a thousand macs and around 30% usage as the primary platform here I can count on one hand the number of iWork users I know. And I used to be the Keynote fanatic that annoyed PPT users.
My fear is they are going to let the mini languish this year and update to haswell when the iMacs go broadwell.
Perhaps the delta between the HD4600 and Iris Pro is large enough for them. I dunno. But the chips have been available since q3 of 2013. Why a jan refresh?
It was Q4 for the dual-core chips:
http://ark.intel.com/products/76348/Intel-Core-i5-4200M-Processor-3M-Cache-up-to-3_10-GHz
I haven't seen many of those used. The i7 chips have been available for a while but they couldn't leave the entry i5 out of the update. There were a couple of laptops using the 5200M reviewed in December:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Toshiba-Satellite-C75-A-13P.107132.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/MSI-CR61-i5U45FHDW7.107948.0.html
Why a jan refresh?
I'm assuming that they wanted the much more profitable desktop line (Mac Pro) out the door and reviewed on the web before updating the Mini.
Yes, I know they don't directly compete. But it's good business sense not to bring the lower profit line out first.
I only care about a Broadwell Mac mini. Everything else means nil to me.
It still tends to be the last thing out the door with a given hardware generation. It could be in a different year. I hope you get some longevity from whichever one you eventually purchase.
My fear is they are going to let the mini languish this year and update to haswell when the iMacs go broadwell.
Perhaps the delta between the HD4600 and Iris Pro is large enough for them. I dunno. But the chips have been available since q3 of 2013. Why a jan refresh?
I really doubt it will go that way. There was some speculation that desktop cpus would
As far as Apple is concerned, the Mac Mini IS their xMac - wishful thinking doesn't help here, unfortunately...and this is the main reason the Mini is here to stay - just revamped chipsets, more RAM etc...nothing else.
I simply refuse to believe that Apple will wait for June to update the Mini.
One would think that they would at least bring Thunderbolt 2 and 802.11ac to the Mini in a hurry, if not HDMI 2.0.
But Apple just got done shipping an outdated Mac Pro for years without a redesign, so anything's possible I guess.
Well this is beyond sad.
We're at the end of February and we've had absolutely no hardware updates. And software-wise, we've gotten an iWork update. And 10.9.2.
I don't really care about 4K, but why isn't TB2 on the iMac yet? And where's the new Mini?