Now that the June 2010 Mini is here... what do we reckon will be in the new one?!

[dh2005]

What exactly are you waiting for?

I thought that was pretty clear from the above.

I'm waiting to see what becomes of the 13" MBP, because that seems to be a likely trend-setter for the next-generation Mini. If the spec changes to something that excites me, I'll wait for the next update on the Mini - I don't need to buy another computer for at least three or four months in any case, and if something worth waiting for is due for the beginning of 2011, I don't mind waiting a little longer.

 

[dh2005]

Okay... let's be a little controversial for a moment, here.

Suppose I don't wait for the newnew Mini. Suppose I take the £650 that I would've spent on that Mini and spent it on a PC...

... can anyone propose a solid-performing PC in that price-range than can offer me a superior experience from the HTPC/gaming point-of-view?


I really, really like the design of the Mini... but if 'that fuzzy feeling' over the design is all that I'm gonna get from the transaction, maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree...?


(Devil's advocate, anyone...?!?!)

 

[Jawnathin]

I thought that was pretty clear from the above.

I'm waiting to see what becomes of the 13" MBP, because that seems to be a likely trend-setter for the next-generation Mini. If the spec changes to something that excites me, I'll wait for the next update on the Mini

Heh, that was was a rhetorical question since there is nothing in the next 6 months worth waiting for.

I wouldn't expect too much from the next refresh. I predict the next refresh will have two non-Server SKUs instead of the single 2.4GHz model they have now.

Model 1.) Sticking with the feature set and specs of the current 2.4Ghz model. Still uses 2GB of RAM, dropping it to $599, maybe a small bump in CPU speed to 2.53GHz

Model 2.) Adding a new Model @ $799 that has the same specs as the Server (2.66Ghz, 4GB), but only 1 500GB HDD.


This would bring just about the same lineup we saw with the previous Mini before the refresh.

 

[reebzor]

I wouldn't hold my breath for a dedicated GPU on the Macbook/Mini anytime soon. They've never had one, ever. Additionally, there is no room to put it either.

I hate to split hairs like this but- Never say never. The G4 Mini had dedicated graphics.

Either way I agree with you. Integrated graphics such as the 9400m and 320m are prefect for the mini. Discrete graphics would need more room and cost more money for a minor difference that the majority of the Mini/macbook buyer base doesn't care about.

The mini isnt designed to be a Final Cut machine or a hardcore gaming box, therefore a discrete GPU isn't necessary. If you require a bit more performance, GPU wise, than I'm sorry but a Mini is not for you.

For the record, the 9400m has been more than sufficient for anything I've thrown at it. Though that mostly includes 1080p video.

 

[Hellhammer]

Okay... let's be a little controversial for a moment, here.

Suppose I don't wait for the newnew Mini. Suppose I take the £650 that I would've spent on that Mini and spent it on a PC...

... can anyone propose a solid-performing PC in that price-range than can offer me a superior experience from the HTPC/gaming point-of-view?

Build one yourself. 650£ should get you a decent one for gaming and stuff. Stick in AMD Phenom x4 965, 4GB RAM and ATI 5770 for example. You can even build mini-ITX if you're looking at something small but powerful.

 

[DesmoPilot]

Okay... let's be a little controversial for a moment, here.

Suppose I don't wait for the newnew Mini. Suppose I take the £650 that I would've spent on that Mini and spent it on a PC...

... can anyone propose a solid-performing PC in that price-range than can offer me a superior experience from the HTPC/gaming point-of-view?


I really, really like the design of the Mini... but if 'that fuzzy feeling' over the design is all that I'm gonna get from the transaction, maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree...?


(Devil's advocate, anyone...?!?!)

For the price of a Mini you could build a great HTPC; also a very capable gaming system.

 

[dh2005]

Sure... but, the thing is, I really like the Mini.

Damnit. This indecision isn't going to resolve itself...!

 

[DesmoPilot]

Sure... but, the thing is, I really like the Mini.

Damnit. This indecision isn't going to resolve itself...!

Why do you really like the mini?

 

[dh2005]

The mini isnt designed to be a... hardcore gaming box, therefore a discrete GPU isn't necessary. If you require a bit more performance, GPU wise, than I'm sorry but a Mini is not for you.

For the record, the 9400m has been more than sufficient for anything I've thrown at it. Though that mostly includes 1080p video.

Throw a Blu-ray dump at it. I think you'll find it less than sufficient. I certainly have done. And who said anything about "hardcore gaming"...?

The Mini is 'for me' in all sorts of ways. I love the design and the versatility of it, already. On the other hand, I become less and less interested in the narrow-minded attitude of certain members around here.

Before the 9400M was introduced, Mac people would say, "d'uh...!!! why would Apple improve the GPU? It's not a gaming rig. If that's what you want, go somewhere else...".

Bulls**t. Apple have now improved the GPU twice in fifteen months, and they've been promoting this new Mini with screenshots from Team Fortress 2. Steam just came to the Mac, for Christ's sake - d'ya think this is all a coincidence...?! Video performance is clearly becoming an increasing priority.

All this, "if it doesn't do what you want, buy something else" talk smacks of people being unable and/or unwilling to debate the development opportunities of this great little computer. Mac gaming is on the march. A year from now, we'll see who was wrong.

I suppose I have to wrestle with my conscience in the meantime, and decide whether or not I can wait. There'll be nothing as pretty and near-silent running as the Mini, but maybe I can forgive that...

 

[dh2005]

Heh, that was was a rhetorical question...

Well, that wasn't clear from your writing. Your delivery needs some work.

That said, I agree with what else you've written. The next 'Mini'-bump within the Mini range is likely to be, "so f**king what?" - but what I, here, am talking about is what will become of the 13" MBP, and what this might mean for the Mini that follows it.

 

[Jawnathin]

Well, that wasn't clear from your writing. Your delivery needs some work.

That said, I agree with what else you've written. The next 'Mini'-bump within the Mini range is likely to be, "so f**king what?" - but what I, here, am talking about is what will become of the 13" MBP, and what this might mean for the Mini that follows it.

Well, I thought our 'conversation' regarding the unlikely upgrade of a Core i3 with a decent GPU was clear enough that there wasn't really anything was worth waiting for, especially given your timeframe of 'until the end of the year'.

What I wrote above was also in regards to your statement of 'until the end of the year'. If you're talking about a major refresh, you have a long time to wait. The MBP was just upgraded to 320M in April 2010. It took 18 months to go from the 9400m introduction (October 08) to the 320M introduction in the MBPs.

 

[dh2005]

I've already suggested that I'd be willing to wait until early 2011 if I saw something worthwhile coming down the line. I've also proposed the reasoning that, because the 13" MBP is the only machine in that line still using the C2D/320M, that it might be on its way out before the next major up-spec.

And no, it wasn't clear. The written word is much harder to interpret than the spoken word - you need to colour it a little. How else would I have known that such a question was rhetorical...?



EDIT: Let's not get into a pissing contest, here. Suffice it to say that I didn't understand you to begin with - but now, I do.

 

[CWallace]

Throw a Blu-ray dump at it. I think you'll find it less than sufficient. I certainly have done.

To be fair, the jury is still out if the issue is the GPU can't render a raw Blu-ray bitstream or if the CPU chokes trying to decode the HD audio and that impacts the video playback, as well.

 

[dh2005]

I take your point, but the jury's not out as far as I'm concerned. Within the context of the 2009 Mini, such as the one I'm using right now, that's an accurate statement.

Maybe, with the improved GPU and HDMI audio passthrough, the new Mini can do it. I sincerely hope so. I think that'd be a great breakthrough for the product line.

 

[CWallace]

I take your point, but the jury's not out as far as I'm concerned. Within the context of the 2009 Mini, such as the one I'm using right now, that's an accurate statement.

Maybe, with the improved GPU and HDMI audio passthrough, the new Mini can do it. I sincerely hope so. I think that'd be a great breakthrough for the product line.

On the Plex forum, someone noted they have not been able to output Dolby TrueHD nor DTS-HD with the new Mini over HDMI.

 

[dh2005]

Okay. That's a disappointment... but still, if it passes-through the core track (AC3 or DTS), and in doing so lifts a decoding burden from the shoulders of the Mini, Blu-ray dumps might run without transcoding. Not with HD audio, okay. But they'd run, and they wouldn't need re-processing.

That would be an improvement.

 

[CWallace]

Okay. That's a disappointment... but still, if it passes-through the core track (AC3 or DTS)...

The same thread noted it does send the non-HD digital audio tracks fine.

 

[dh2005]

Well, then. Things could be looking up.

My father's ordered a 2010 Mini. I'll be able to faff without it during the Summer without having to spend my own money. Score...