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My Next Mac Mini

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Re: My Next Mac Mini

#251

Post by simonh »

I just don't think Apple is trying to cover the whole computer market anymore, and in fact really haven't done for the whole post-NEXT era. They do basic and pro desktops and a few basic and pro laptops and that's it.

There will always be some pros and some consumers that want or need something a bit different and for them there's Linux and Windows, and from Apple's point of view that's fine.

Apple are long past trying to occupy every ecological niche that computers can fill. The level of fit and finish they put into their products means they just don't have the bandwidth to cover all the market, or update every product on every cycle. The NUC us a great little device and Windows 10 is the least worst version for years, so go for it. Enjoy.

Re: My Next Mac Mini

#252

Post by cbsmith »

fowlerpower wrote: post #157

Someone here needs to explain it to me because I just don't understand. We have the largest computer company in the world, a shit load of people work there, supposedly smart people. Yet they can't put together a refresh of many of their desktop machines. Why the fuck not? What do all those people getting paid all that money do all day? I can only imagine the conversations, "it takes years it has to be super innovativ…

I think this post itself a pretty good explainer as to why.

Customers aren't even aware of the lack of competitiveness.

Re: My Next Mac Mini

#253

Post by cbsmith »

tinus_hn wrote: post #156
OverThere wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm still disappointed by no Cinema Display and Apple leaving the display business. I'm baffled by this. Touchbar is innovative to some degree, but I usually connect my Macbook Pro to a bigger display and close it—making touchbar useless. So disappointed by Apple lately...

The touchbar also increases security so it's not useless even if you close the laptop.

You mean the way my VPN software needs to have a backdoor in it just so that the touchbar keeps working while I'm connected? ;-)

Re: My Next Mac Mini

#254

Post by remir »

cesarb wrote: post #97
coldtea wrote: post #10

> Well, perfect except that six years in this machine is very creaky. It needs a reboot every week or so (otherwise it will refuse to launch anything). That sounds totally unrelated to the age of the machine, and totally related to what's installed, the mini running out of disk, etc. Maybe do a clean install of the OS? Aside from the mechanical parts (CD ROMS, Hard Disks, etc), the "digital" parts of a PC do not age…

There's one mechanical part which affects the execution speed: the fans. When they fail (or when the heatsink gets completely filled with compact dust), the CPU can overheat and throttle its speed.

In that case, replace the fan, put in a SSD and you're good to go!

Re: My Next Mac Mini

#255

Post by unusximmortalis »

tim333 wrote: post #241
mattnewton wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an apple alumnus, I believe it has to do with a culture of "laser focus" There is an internal course called "what makes apple apple" that you can take, but it's not necessary to pick up one of the key pieces of culture: the importance of saying No to most things. Apple has built their reputation on high quality. To continue to deliver takes immense effort, even for incremental programs, and often almost if the tal…

I see what you are saying but you'd think you could update some of the chips in the mini without needing much company attention?

Exactly.

Re: My Next Mac Mini

#256

Post by unusximmortalis »

spydum wrote: post #171
fowlerpower wrote: post #157

Someone here needs to explain it to me because I just don't understand. We have the largest computer company in the world, a shit load of people work there, supposedly smart people. Yet they can't put together a refresh of many of their desktop machines. Why the fuck not? What do all those people getting paid all that money do all day? I can only imagine the conversations, "it takes years it has to be super innovativ…

It's waaaay more profitable to sell the same device for three years without updates: it costs nothing in r&d. This wholy explains the mind boggling profit margins doesn't it?

Exactly. Which saying what about this company?

Re: My Next Mac Mini

#257

Post by verisimilidude »

OverThere wrote: post #141
finstell wrote: post #34

Nowadays, I kind of enjoy seeing posts about people abandoning Apple ecosystem. Although it's painful, I myself have been yet another avid fan of pretty much Apple offered, it feels like this is not going to last forever. When they do the math, iPhone might seem the most lucrative (they seem not to care about anything else) but since they are killing the ecosystem with no Mac Pro, no Mac Mini and with so called pro M…

I'm still disappointed by no Cinema Display and Apple leaving the display business. I'm baffled by this. Touchbar is innovative to some degree, but I usually connect my Macbook Pro to a bigger display and close it—making touchbar useless. So disappointed by Apple lately...

I hear you, but it's been so long since Apple made a decent Cinema Display, and we're so rich with better alternatives, that I don't really miss it. On the cheaper end, the Dell Ultrasharp is a fine replacement at a great price. For more premium needs, you can get something like an Eizo ColorEdge, which leaves the Cinema Display in the dust. And there are all sorts of other options in between.

The Cinema Display is not so much different from the Mac Mini in that sense. You feel bad that you don't have a new one, until you realize just how much better the alternatives have become.

Re: My Next Mac Mini

#258

Post by remir »

rsync wrote: post #207
srj wrote: post #76

I had the same experience when I went to create a small recording studio for my wife. I figured I'd use garage band on a Mac Mini and connect the mixer to that. I changed my plans after going to Apple's website - I don't want to buy old tech and especially not at full price. It's bizarre to see a company with the wealth and resources of Apple not even putting out spec upgrades for their machines. I could say the same…

"It's bizarre to see a company with the wealth and resources of Apple not even putting out spec upgrades for their machines." What's so bizarre is that the things that people want are actually the easiest and cheapest things for apple to do. All anyone wants is a macbook air with a retina screen. Not a new 12" one, not a new form factor, not design and engineer some new razor thin design ... just take the same old ca…

What Apple lacks is humility. Jobs even said people don't know what they want until "you showed it to them".

So, I highly doubt that Apple will listen to what people want. I mean, Apple would make a killing with a new Mac Mini with better spec, a Macbook Air with better screen res, couple of USB-C ports, a 24" iMac instead of 21, etc...

But Apple won't do it because that would be listening to people, and this is something they're too proud to do.

Re: My Next Mac Mini

#259

Post by AnthonyMouse »

importantbrian wrote: post #246
TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the share holders didn't like it could they vote him out of that position?

Of course, but Apple is enormously profitable. That's what shareholders care about, so why would they?

Because it's short-sighted. If you let your products stagnate, the current profits are higher because people who are tied into your ecosystems still have to buy something, so they buy the low-cost obsolete product for the high price, and you are very profitable right now.

But doing that burns goodwill with your customers.

Re: My Next Mac Mini

#260

Post by ScottBurson »

mattnewton wrote: post #216
fowlerpower wrote: post #157

Someone here needs to explain it to me because I just don't understand. We have the largest computer company in the world, a shit load of people work there, supposedly smart people. Yet they can't put together a refresh of many of their desktop machines. Why the fuck not? What do all those people getting paid all that money do all day? I can only imagine the conversations, "it takes years it has to be super innovativ…

As an apple alumnus, I believe it has to do with a culture of "laser focus" There is an internal course called "what makes apple apple" that you can take, but it's not necessary to pick up one of the key pieces of culture: the importance of saying No to most things. Apple has built their reputation on high quality. To continue to deliver takes immense effort, even for incremental programs, and often almost if the tal…

Total laser focus on one thing seems like a great mantra for building a company (or turning around a failing one). But for sustaining a company that's already successful, I'm not so sure. If you really believe there's a Next Big Thing that you can bet the company on and win, like the iPhone, then maybe it makes sense to let other product lines languish. But, now that most of the world's population carry a computer in their pocket at all times, what if there is nothing else that big that remains to be done?

There's still lots of room for Apple to grow their existing Mac business. They've started to make inroads into the enterprise market, traditionally dominated by Windows. They could really press that. They could stay competitive in more markets than just the thin-and-light laptop market -- the Mini is one example, the high-end laptop market is another, and the workstation market is a third.

Instead, they're apparently conceding these battles, and turning their massive resources toward finding another Next Big Thing, which may not even exist.

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