Mac lovers will rejoice to learn that 2022 will bring an end to the Mac craze. no new Mac announcementsIt was disappointing. But what was even more of a letdown is that we’ll have to continue waiting–probably until March 2023–to see the rumored update to Apple’s most affordable Mac, the Mac mini.
Even before the news, I was prepared for more frustration. This delay only confirms that Apple doesn’t respect the Mac mini. It’s a shame because Apple’s smallest computer was once its most exciting Mac—and it doesn’t deserve to be so neglected.
The BYODKM-Mac
The Mac mini was Born in 2005Apple was more aggressive at that time in expanding its market share for the PC market. The Mac mini was intended to be an affordable Mac that users could use when switching from Windows. To convince skeptics that the switch could be easily made, Steve Jobs christened the Mac mini as Apple’s new BYODKM Mac: Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse from your old PC and hook it up to the Mac mini.
Apple’s second anniversary brought the release of the iPhoneThis became the tool to convince Windows PC users to switch to Macs (not necessarily as a marketing point but as a subtle one). The Mac mini, and all Macs in general, had almost lost the switcher angle. Apple paid close attention to its smallest Macs, offering updates on a 12-to-18-month basis (2006 to 2007, 2009) that led to a redesign of the Mac mini in 2010. This resulted in a design in 2010 that was identical to the current form factor (minus the optical drives), followed by updates for 2011 and 2012.
The current design of the Mac mini hasn’t changed since 2010.
IDG
That’s when Apple’s attention started to wane. After an October 2014 that brought fourth-generation Intel Core processors and a lower price tag–it would then be Four yearsUntil the October 2018 update
Where is the love?
The Apple sign that the Mac mini was an important part of its lineup in 2020 came as a surprise. The first Apple silicon M1 processor was delivered to the Mac mini, one of only three Macs. This was a significant change in the industry and the fact the Mac mini was instrumental to it made it feel like a viable Mac once again. It also offered the chance to show off the new Mac mini. Mac mini in the spotlightBy highlighting its small footprint and outstanding performance at a reasonable priceÂ
The M1 Mac mini is still a minor detail, however, as Apple sells more desktops than laptops. It didn’t get a redesign or any new features, and it actually lost two Thunderbolt ports. Then there’s the unexplained move where Apple didn’t update the high-end $1,099 Mac mini–to this day it has the same 3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 Intel processor that arrived In 2018, making it the oldest processor in Apple’s Mac lineup.
So, what’s another five or six months for a Mac that turned four years old last month? It is absurd that a company, let alone Apple, would sell a computer four years ago at the original price. Maybe Apple’s reasoning is that virtually no one is buying the $1,099 Mac mini, so there’s no harm in keeping it around. But there is harm–it’s taking advantage of people who might not know better by selling them extremely outdated tech. It’s a bad look for the Mac mini and for Apple.
The Intel-based Space Gray Mac mini hasn’t been updated in over four years, and Apple still sells it for its original $1,099 price.
IDG
A fan favorite
Apple barely puts any effort into the Mac mini, whether it’s with hardware developments or with marketing. In the rich lineup of Apple’s Mac, the mini seems to be the model that is often neglected. That’s unfortunate because it plays a vital role in Apple’s Mac lineup.
At $699, the Mac mini is Apple’s most affordable Mac, although it does have the caveat that the price doesn’t include a display, keyboard, or mouse/trackpad. You can find these components for a Mac mini setup at prices well below $1,000. This makes it more affordable than the entry-level iMac.
The Mac mini’s form factor makes it suitable for a variety of uses.
Foundry
Its diminutive size means you don’t have to think twice about where it goes on a desk. In my house, we have a workplace setup that’s really tight and there’s no place for a tower computer, and even the 24-inch iMac’s display is too big. The Mac mini works perfectly with a 19 inch display.Â
What’s also overlooked is that the Mac mini’s size lends it to some creative uses. My Mac mini is connected to my TV in the entertainment center. It houses my digital DVD/Bluray collection. The Mac mini can be used in cars and robots as a network server by mobile DJs and kiosk operators, as well in art installations. It’s not as small as a Raspberry Pi, but because it runs macOS it’s more accessible to users who are hesitant about programming a Pi.
Why can’t Apple take these aspects of the Mac mini and play them up? Apple doesn’t have to go on an all-out marketing blitz–it would be nice to see AnyIt was a great effort from the company to acknowledge the importance of the Mac mini in its desktop lineup.
Maybe that’ll change next year when the Rumours of a new Mac mini (TwoIt finally came out. But an unveiling isn’t enough–I hope there will be a sustained effort to promote the Mac mini for a good period of time, to go along with regular hardware updates. Even the slightest of attention would go a long way toward showing the Mac mini some love–before it’s too late. We’ve seen plenty of Apple products wither until they’re unceremoniously killed and it would be a shame to see it happen to the Mac mini, too.
