Will We Ever See a New Mac Mini?


This weekend there have been images and video of a new Mac Mini online (neither of which I can post from my iPhone…which I am blogging from at the moment).

From what little I’ve seen from it, this looks fake to me. The design is too close to the original Mini’s to be real. Apple has changed the look and feel of their products since the introduction of the Mac Mini, and I seriously doubt that Apple is going to re-design a product that does not reflect those changes.

These things surfacing online do bring up the question, though…will we ever see a new Mac Mini?

No one seems to know the answer. Even “Insider” Apple Rumor sites have mized feelings on it…declaring the device dead one month, then claiming that a new unit is coming the next.

Frankly, I’m beginning to think the answer is no…which is sad. The Mini was my entry point into the world of Apple products because it was the first one I could afford.

I think if Apple chooses to let it die, they will be giving up a gateway drug that has helped convince many users to make the leap from Windows to Mac.

What do you think? Will Apple let the Mini die, or is a new day for the device on the horizon?


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

12 Comments

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  1. I honestly don’t think it is dead. Too popular and easy to fix up to kill. Also it’s so practical for Apple to make it. Peasy Easy for Apple and awaited by so many people. I already know a few people who are waiting for the next one to come out.

  2. The Mac Mini was the “gateway drug” for me too. I had been a long time windows user and it was the right price to “try” the Mac world. Now, I am looking to upgrade to a 17″ MBP. Yep, I am hooked. Also, I convinced my wife and several family members to convert to Mac because of my experience on the Mac Mini.

    I am not in the market for another Mac Mini, but I have seen that the Mac Mini is platform for “switchers” as it lowers the bar from a price point. I hope that Apple does refresh the Mac Mini.

    I wonder if the whole Nvidia vs Intel licensing dispute might be holding up the redesign?

  3. It is too bad, the Mini was the perfect way to steal Windows users. Bring your own keyboard, mouse, and monitor. It’s perfect. All you have to do is drop it in where your PC was. I can’t believe Apple doesn’t want to push the Mini. Maybe there are hoping that the $999 MacBook is the new gateway drug.

  4. I hope it isn’t dead… The Mac Mini is my ammunition against people who say Macs are too expensive. Although I wouldn’t mind if the NAME Mac Mini died. I don’t think it fits in well with the rest of their brands. As long as we still have a $599 entry point.

  5. I think that the mini is caught in the middle of the fight between Intel and Nvidia as are the rest of the desktops. If it ends with an Intel victory then expect the mini to be EOLed.

  6. Ever since Asus came out with the ultra-thin EeePC the writing was on the wall for the Mac Mini. How do you compete with something that is as thin as the AppleTV but yet is a fully functioning computer? So it doesn’t run OS X, but when it comes to media centres Windows still has the edge, anyway.

    RIP Mac Mini. Maybe then Apple will finally build us that danked headless xMac the market is really crying out for.

  7. I even if the “Mini” name goes away, I would imagine the form factor will continue as the new Apple TV or as a higher price point version of the Apple TV. Many — though not everyone — have been clamoring for an optical drive in the ATV for a while. I don’t completely understand the lack of HDMI, but maybe Apple will finally start supporting audio through the DisplayPort.

    I also think such a machine would make a terrific CarPuter.

  8. I bought the Mac Mini after my Compaq Presario got infected and became a zombie. A blessing in disguise, it turned out to be, so I left the PC world and entered the Reality Distortion Field. Now, I can’t imagine going back to the Windows environment. I won’t be one of those harsh critics about anything Microsoft, but you don’t hear a lot of stories about people who switch to a Mac, and then switch back to the PC world.

    That doesn’t mean I’m waiting for the next version of my Mac mini. All these stories over the last year have simply delayed my buying the next computer. The Mac mini is a great machine for what I paid, but I’d rather spend a little more and get a Mac Book. Never had a notebook computer. It’s a crying shame, though, that the screens are glossy. Maybe that’s supposed to let me see behind me, spies are everywhere, you know.

    Finally, a speculation. Maybe Apple telegraphed us their plans long ago in the way they name their computers. There’s the MacBook and the MacBook Pro and the Mac Pro, for example, but they spelled Mac Mini as mini on their Mac page. If mini doesn’t merit a capital letter….

  9. Why does the Mac Mini need redesigning? Everyone seems to think that Apple is going to completely redesign the Mac Mini but they seem to forget how long it has been since the Mac Pro had a redesign, and regarding the idea that the Mac Mini needs to be redesigned just because all of the other Macs has is ridiculous, the Mac Mini is very similar to the current iMac, MacBook, and MacBook Pro designs, it fits in with the family just perfectly.

    I’m not going to say that the most recent video and images are real but I am willing to say that you shouldn’t hold your breath waiting for a Mac Mini redesign. But, I also don’t think that Apple is going to let the Mac Mini die. It is their only computer that they make that is truly sub-$1,000 (the white MacBook doesn’t count because $999 is essentially $1,000). Although Apple doesn’t think the low end computer market is all that important to them it is still vital in terms of switching users from PC to Macs.

  10. The Mac Mini is not dead. There will be new Mac Minis along with new iMacs and MacPros. The only questions is when, and what will be the exact specs.

    The notion that Netbooks have somehow killed the Mini are absurd.