Gizmodo is rumoring that at least two European retailers have been told by Apple that the company is no longer shipping the Mac mini and won’t be taking anymore orders. This isn’t official confirmation that the Mac mini is being phased out, but it sure doesn’t look good for Apple’s only low-end computer entry.
The Mac mini may be pronounced dead as soon as today’s Apple earnings conference call, as two major retailers in Europe have confirmed to me that they can’t order any more of the little computers. While this could signal an updated model coming in, they have been told by Apple to expect no more of it. Their impression is that—once again—the Mac Mini may be dead dead DEAD for real, even while you can still order it at the Apple Store.
As Gizmodo points out, it’d be an odd choice for Apple to eliminate their cheapest computer option during a financial crisis, but the mini is Apple’s worst selling computer. Off the top of my head, I can only think of two people who own one (one of whom is my mom), and many people who come to me for Mac purchase advice aren’t even aware the mini exists. That’s not to say there’s no room for it in Apple’s line-up; Appletell writer Adam Fisher-Cox turned his Mac mini into a home entertainment set-up. But, in the end, a computer is a computer, and the mini is starting to lag behind the times in power and features.
So, it’s possible the mini is being phased out now to prepare for a new, improved mini come Macworld Expo in January. Maybe we’ll finally see a combination of the mini and AppleTV. Or, maybe the mini will somehow be built around the mythical iTablet. Regardless, if you’ve been considering a mini, I’d wait a bit to see how this plays out. You can either wait for its potential replacement, or get the current model at a reduced price.
Read [Gizmodo]
Apple discontinued shipments of the old MacBook family 3-4 weeks before the latest models came out. Now we get word shipments of the Mini are being discontinued. Add to that, Intel has stopped making the parts Apple needs for the current Mini. I think, in 3-4 weeks (Nov 14th to be precise) we should have some very exciting news. A fantastic One More Thing…
P.S. If anyone releases an mini-ITX mobo having the 9400 mGPU, then it’s definitely do-able.
There is no doubt in my mind that a new Mac mini is comming.
It will have the new Nvidia cipset (the one in the macbooks) and finally a low cost entry level with decent graphics, great for those with less cash or 'switchers' who already have a screen and keyboard/mouse.
Long live the mini!!!