Apple's $799 Mac mini debuts with double the storage

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited March 2020
Apple has issued a minor update to the Mac mini, with it now including double the storage as the previous entry-level model for the same price.

The Mac mini is Apple's cheapest desktop option
The Mac mini is Apple's cheapest desktop option


Nothing else appears to have changed in the Mac mini other than the default flash storage. But, Apple's latest update means that you can get a new Mac mini at the same price with twice the storage.

For the standard $799 model, you'll get 256GB of storage with an Intel i3 processor, and the $1,099 model now has 512GB of storage with an Intel i5 processor. Additional configurations include higher storage and better processors. A model with an Intel i7 processor, maxed out storage at 2TB, and 64GB of RAM retails for $2,899.

Pickup options are unavailable due to Apple Store closures, but orders placed immediately will ship by Friday the 20th.
razorpit
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26
    jorjitopjorjitop Posts: 11member
    Sad there isn’t a new Mac Mini Pro.
    n2itivguypulseimagesGG1dysamoriaElCapitantoysandmemichelb76mitchelljdwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 26
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    jorjitop said:
    Sad there isn’t a new Mac Mini Pro.
    I was hoping for a Mac Pro Lite...
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 26
    FlytrapFlytrap Posts: 60member
    jorjitop said:
    Sad there isn’t a new Mac Mini Pro.
    Isn't that an oxymoron... a Mac Mini Pro. What would be the point of a non-pro Mac Mini that is pro in name only. What I would like to see is a lowering of the entry point of the Mac Pro to an Intel i5 or i7 perhaps - maybe we could call it the Mac Pro Mini (LOL). But it would still have the ugradability and configurability pro goodness that some of us poorer professional crave.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 26
    bageljoeybageljoey Posts: 2,004member
    Flytrap said:
    jorjitop said:
    Sad there isn’t a new Mac Mini Pro.
    Isn't that an oxymoron... a Mac Mini Pro.


    I’m waiting for the Deluxe Mac Mini Pro Lite Super—Student Edition. Refurbished. 
    llamaBeatsdavenwatto_cobraFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 5 of 26
    davgregdavgreg Posts: 1,037member
    The only thing the Mac Mini needs is a BTO option for a discrete GPU or at least Intel Iris Pro.

    Some of us are not gamers and do not need bleeding edge GPUs but need more than the lame options currently offered.

    razorpitcat52toysandmelarrya
  • Reply 6 of 26
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Flytrap said:
    jorjitop said:
    Sad there isn’t a new Mac Mini Pro.
    Isn't that an oxymoron... a Mac Mini Pro. What would be the point of a non-pro Mac Mini that is pro in name only. What I would like to see is a lowering of the entry point of the Mac Pro to an Intel i5 or i7 perhaps - maybe we could call it the Mac Pro Mini (LOL). But it would still have the ugradability and configurability pro goodness that some of us poorer professional crave.
    How is that term contradictory? Are you assuming that being small means that it can't be used by professionals?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 26
    slow n easyslow n easy Posts: 323member
    Flytrap said:
    jorjitop said:
    Sad there isn’t a new Mac Mini Pro.
    Isn't that an oxymoron... a Mac Mini Pro. What would be the point of a non-pro Mac Mini that is pro in name only. What I would like to see is a lowering of the entry point of the Mac Pro to an Intel i5 or i7 perhaps - maybe we could call it the Mac Pro Mini (LOL). But it would still have the ugradability and configurability pro goodness that some of us poorer professional crave.
    No, it would not be an oxymoron. The Mac Mini absolutely can be a Pro machine. Is a 2TB SSD not Pro? Is 64GB of RAM not Pro? Is the ability of having the most kick-ass discrete video card not pro? The Mac Mini can be at least as Pro if not more Pro than a MacBook Pro.
    razorpitwatto_cobracgWerks
  • Reply 8 of 26
    Eric_WVGGEric_WVGG Posts: 968member
    jorjitop said:
    Sad there isn’t a new Mac Mini Pro.
    Wasn't it already? It benchmarks faster than the iMac Pro. https://marco.org/2018/11/06/mac-mini-2018-review
    StrangeDayscat52watto_cobracgWerks
  • Reply 9 of 26
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Flytrap said:
    jorjitop said:
    Sad there isn’t a new Mac Mini Pro.
    Isn't that an oxymoron... a Mac Mini Pro. What would be the point of a non-pro Mac Mini that is pro in name only. What I would like to see is a lowering of the entry point of the Mac Pro to an Intel i5 or i7 perhaps - maybe we could call it the Mac Pro Mini (LOL). But it would still have the ugradability and configurability pro goodness that some of us poorer professional crave.
    At least in my case the answer is pretty simple, a Mini pro needs a decent external GPU and free M2 storage slots.   It doesn’t have to be big and it doesn’t have multiple slots.   It just needs to be useful to Engineers and such that need good graphical performance and deal with large files.   
    boboliciousGG1watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 26
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    davgreg said:
    The only thing the Mac Mini needs is a BTO option for a discrete GPU or at least Intel Iris Pro.

    Some of us are not gamers and do not need bleeding edge GPUs but need more than the lame options currently offered.

    Man do I wish for upvoting capability here.   In an ideal world that GPU would do compute really well.   
    boboliciousrazorpit
  • Reply 11 of 26
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,146member
    wizard69 said:
    Flytrap said:
    jorjitop said:
    Sad there isn’t a new Mac Mini Pro.
    Isn't that an oxymoron... a Mac Mini Pro. What would be the point of a non-pro Mac Mini that is pro in name only. What I would like to see is a lowering of the entry point of the Mac Pro to an Intel i5 or i7 perhaps - maybe we could call it the Mac Pro Mini (LOL). But it would still have the ugradability and configurability pro goodness that some of us poorer professional crave.
    At least in my case the answer is pretty simple, a Mini pro needs a decent external GPU and free M2 storage slots.   It doesn’t have to be big and it doesn’t have multiple slots.   It just needs to be useful to Engineers and such that need good graphical performance and deal with large files.   
    As I've long been hoping too, aka the features of the 2011 mini simply spec upgraded across the board, including a discrete GPU, dual storage and user upgradable RAM, to serve their customers... I would be curious if there are deemed technical limitations, or if Apple is simply holding back for some other reason...?
  • Reply 12 of 26
    dblanch369dblanch369 Posts: 47member
    This is actually kind of disappointing. Why no CPU bump? Even the new Airs went from 8th gen to 10th processors. This new price config is what the mini should have had when it was introduced 1.5 years ago. 
  • Reply 13 of 26
    YP101YP101 Posts: 160member
    dblanch369 said:
    This is actually kind of disappointing. Why no CPU bump? Even the new Airs went from 8th gen to 10th processors. This new price config is what the mini should have had when it was introduced 1.5 years ago. 

    Due to soldered CPU does not make easy to upgrade even Apple themselves.
    Until all left over in warehouse close to sold out, no new model introduce.

    This is why Apple product CPU replace cycle took so long. This time Apple just sold out 128GB model and no longer manufacturing.
    Since Mac mini still use 8th gen CPU, so they need price cut as well.
    If Apple either use PCI slot or M.2 slot with socket CPU then pretty much already lunched 10th gen Intel CPU.

    Slim, thin design cause all flexible upgrade gone. Apple have to make each SSD with CPU combination. For laptop, even worse.. RAM+SSD+CPU combination.
    Instead single board with slot CPU, RAM and SSD will provide much easier manufacturing. Just little thicker made easier cooling as well and battery capacity no longer issue.

    Even windows PC OEM also going to make all thin and light stuff cause any of RAM, SSD and CPU goes bad then you have to throw away and make more electronic waste..
    How ironic, Apple keep saying how much they use recycle stuff but they make more e-waste first place.
  • Reply 14 of 26
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    YP101 said:
    This is actually kind of disappointing. Why no CPU bump? Even the new Airs went from 8th gen to 10th processors. This new price config is what the mini should have had when it was introduced 1.5 years ago. 

    Due to soldered CPU does not make easy to upgrade even Apple themselves.
    Until all left over in warehouse close to sold out, no new model introduce.

    This is why Apple product CPU replace cycle took so long. This time Apple just sold out 128GB model and no longer manufacturing.
    Since Mac mini still use 8th gen CPU, so they need price cut as well.
    If Apple either use PCI slot or M.2 slot with socket CPU then pretty much already lunched 10th gen Intel CPU.

    Slim, thin design cause all flexible upgrade gone. Apple have to make each SSD with CPU combination. For laptop, even worse.. RAM+SSD+CPU combination.
    Instead single board with slot CPU, RAM and SSD will provide much easier manufacturing. Just little thicker made easier cooling as well and battery capacity no longer issue.

    Even windows PC OEM also going to make all thin and light stuff cause any of RAM, SSD and CPU goes bad then you have to throw away and make more electronic waste..
    How ironic, Apple keep saying how much they use recycle stuff but they make more e-waste first place.
    You have some valid points, but the bolded part is inaccurate. While I like socketed and soldered personally, the far larger PC market has not for 15 years. Apple's move to soldered has cut service percentages by more than half in the Mac line versus the socketed days. I only have estimates of MTBF, but the time has gone way, way up in the last decade.
    edited March 2020 razorpitcat52watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 26
    mytdavemytdave Posts: 447member
    Still extremely disappointed with Apple in regards to Mac mini. It is supposed to be the low cost option, the switchers paradise, the Mac for "the rest of us." Now the price is soooo inflated, I have no desire to upgrade from my ancient Core2Duo Mac mini ($499!!). Really Apple, a $799 starting price for an Intel i3 POS and no upgradeability? What the hell has gone wrong over there in Cupertino?  The last decent mini was the Quad Core i7 Mac mini server.
  • Reply 16 of 26
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    mytdave said:
    Still extremely disappointed with Apple in regards to Mac mini. It is supposed to be the low cost option, the switchers paradise, the Mac for "the rest of us." Now the price is soooo inflated, I have no desire to upgrade from my ancient Core2Duo Mac mini ($499!!). Really Apple, a $799 starting price for an Intel i3 POS and no upgradeability? What the hell has gone wrong over there in Cupertino?  The last decent mini was the Quad Core i7 Mac mini server.
    It looks like the core buyers aren't for "switchers" who are looking to dip their toes in the Mac waters, but are those that are using them as servers. I know I am in the latter camp. I'd think that since personal desktops are so few compared to personal notebooks that it's the notebooks that would be main the avenue into Macs, if you exclude iDevice users. How long has it been since Apple had a Switcher ad?
    edited March 2020 watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 26
    bala1234bala1234 Posts: 144member
    the $ 1099 model with 512 GB hard disk and Intel i5 seems like a sweet spot ...
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 26
    michelb76michelb76 Posts: 618member
    Does anyone here have the previous Mac mini? What do you use it for? I currently run a decent hackintosh, but would like to return to the Mac at some point, I just can't justify the price point for the older hardware and lack of GPU options.
  • Reply 19 of 26
    mitchelljdmitchelljd Posts: 167member
    Some 1 1/2 years down the road, Apple ought to have upgraded chipset options too.  They continue to half ass updates like the old days.  

    Yes, a boost in CPU with improved graphics that come with that from intel is more than warranted.  

    It’s either that the accountants at Apple are in charge or they are lazy.    This is the most modest “update” possible,  it’s the equivalent of another SKU offering of the same thing.   Mac users need better updates instead of repackaging the same darned model and pretending it is an update.
    edited March 2020
  • Reply 20 of 26
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    mitchelljd said:
    Some 1 1/2 years down the road, Apple ought to have upgraded chipset options too.  They continue to half ass updates like the old days.  

    Yes, a boost in CPU with improved graphics that come with that from intel is more than warranted.  

    It’s either that the accountants at Apple are in charge or they are lazy.    This is the most modest “update” possible,  it’s the equivalent of another SKU offering of the same thing.   Mac users need better updates instead of repackaging the same darned model and pretending it is an update.
    It's an update to a better CPU and GPU with double the capacity at the same price point. Stop complaining!
    watto_cobra
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