Adam Kos If I had to bet on anything before Apple's Peek Performance event, it would be to introduce a more powerful Mac mini and cut the version with an Intel processor. But if I did, I would lose. Instead, we got the super-powerful Mac Studio, but that is intended for a narrower group of users. So what does the future look like for Apple's cheapest computer?
The first Mac mini saw the light of day in 2005. Even then, it was supposed to be an affordable variant of the Apple computer suitable for everyone who wants to enter the world of Apple desktops with the utmost possible caution. The iMac was, and for many still is, a very specific device, while the Mac mini is a desktop computer with macOS that you add your peripherals to. The Mac Pro was and is in a very different league.
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The first Mac mini was equipped with a 32-bit PowerPC processor, ATI Radeon 9200 graphics and 32 MB DDR SDRAM, currently we have an M1 chip with an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU and basically 8GB of RAM. But this machine was already launched in 2020, so it was to be expected that Apple would update it this year. After all, he has enough chips with which to equip it (M1 Pro, M1 Max) and they would certainly fit into the "airless" chassis.
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Amaya Toman Just basic chips
But information has recently started to leak out that Apple does not intend to present its new version even in the autumn of this year. According to many sources so the year 2023 is more likely to be considered. This would probably mean that we would not see the M2 chip until the spring of next year, while no Pro, Max or Ultra specifications of the M1 chip would make it to the Mac mini. Apple will probably want to keep these only for professional machines - MacBook Pro and Mac Studio.
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It's true that if the Mac mini got a more powerful chip, it's a question of where its price would have to shoot up. The base with 256GB storage is sold for CZK 21, 990GB will cost you CZK 512, the 27GHz 990-core Intel Core i3,0 processor with Intel UHD Graphics 6 and 5GB storage costs CZK 630, and it is quite surprising that the last we can still find the one mentioned in the company's portfolio as we approach the two-year plan to end sales of Macs with Intel processors. In addition, this configuration would probably not be missed by anyone.
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It is a desktop computer after all
I personally use a Mac mini with an M1 chip as my primary work machine and can't say a bad word about it. That is with regard to my work. The M1 is fully sufficient for me and I know it will be for a long time. The device is small, attractive in design and reliable. It has only one flaw, which is due to its purpose of use. So it's fine as a workstation, but as soon as you need to travel outside the office, you can't do without a laptop/MacBook anyway.
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And this is where the Mac mini hits the spot. You can buy an M30 MacBook Air for CZK 1, which can do the same job, but you can take it anywhere with you, and you have a monitor, keyboard and trackpad with it. In the office, you only need to have a reducer/hub/adapter for the monitor and you can happily snort on it too. So, if the Mac mini is designed as an entry-level Apple computer, it runs into this very limitation, and the MacBook Air would rather deserve such a designation.
The Mac mini has been with us for a long time, but even with regard to the Mac Studio, it is a rather serious question whether it makes sense for Apple to maintain it. It certainly makes sense in the offer of its portfolio, but whether it is an article that Apple will continue to pay attention to in the future remains to be assessed.
I think the mac mini is popular and in my opinion apple is not planning to get rid of it, intel is being sold because, among other things, it supports native windows and eGPU, which the M1 version does not. Maybe in the future they will cancel the 8GB Ram version and for the same price there will only be a 16GB version. M