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Mac Mini Receives First Overhaul in Four Years; New iPad Pro With No Home Button Announced (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the shiny-new-objects dept.

Apple is turning its attention to a range of devices it has not upgraded in recent years. Alongside the new MacBook Air that the company unveiled on Tuesday, it is also upgrading the Mac Mini for the first time in four years, and also has a new iPad Pro in the offering. Regarding the new Mac Mini: It has Intel's 8th generation processors -- in four- and six-core i7, i5, and i3 flavors -- and 60 percent faster graphics. The processor's paired with up to 64GB of RAM (8GB comes on standard) at 2666MHz and up to 2TB of SSD storage -- double the capacity of previous Mac Minis. Overall, it's up to 5 times faster than the previous-gen models, Apple claims, and can drive 4K and 5K Thunderbolt displays and output in three formats. In terms of ports, there's plenty to go around: two USB-A, HDMI 2.0 video, four Thunderbolt USB-C, an audio out port, and a Gigbabit Ethernet port (you can add up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet, if you so choose). Also onboard is Apple's T2 chip. It's a 64-bit ARMv8 chip -- a variant of Apple's A10 -- that runs Apple's custom BridgeOS 2.0 operating system (an Apple watch derivative). The new Mac Mini starts at $799. Regarding the new iPad Pro: After months of rumors, Apple has today announced a completely redesigned iPad Pro with slimmed-down bezels, Face ID, a USB-C port, and far more powerful specs than its predecessor. Just like prior years, the new iPad Pro comes in two screen sizes: 11-inch and 12.9-inch. The 11-inch model has essentially the same proportions as the prior 10.5-inch model. And the 12.9-inch model puts the same-sized display into a much smaller form factor. The new iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 11-inch and $999 for the 12.9-inch. Preorders begin today and it ships November 7th. The new Pro is the company's first iPad not to include a home button, which allowed Apple to extend the screen vertically for a much more immersive experience. The bezels have been downsized on all four sides. [...] But something else has been removed, too: the headphone jack. There's no 3.5mm port visible on any of the device's sides, meaning that buyers will need a USB-C-to-headphone dongle to listen to music through wired headphones. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799. The 12.9-inch version starts at $999. It goes on sale today and ships on November 7.

31 of 257 comments (clear)

  1. "32GB Comes Standard" by willaien · · Score: 5, Informative

    What? No. 8GB is standard. 32GB is $600 more - almost the full price of the base model.

    1. Re:"32GB Comes Standard" by alvinrod · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Apparently the RAM is user upgradable, so why you'd want to pay Apple's obscene markup to install a few DIMMs for you is beyond me.

    2. Re:"32GB Comes Standard" by alvinrod · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Fair point, but still doesn't change the fact that if you can upgrade the memory yourself there's no point at all to pay the Apple tax. I haven't checked recently, but you should be able to get 32 GB for well under $300.

      Apple always makes the entry tier for their products crappy so push people into the next product wrung where they charge an extra $200+ for components that cost them maybe $20, so that it's pretty much pure profit. Then they've got the high-end model that's even more expensive, but isn't that much better so you feel like you're still getting a hell of a deal. It's a pretty well known marketing gimmick to get people to upgrade.

      However, here there's no need since the user can just buy their own memory if they want it.

    3. Re:"32GB Comes Standard" by singularity · · Score: 4, Informative

      I worked Apple retail before going on to work at two different Apple Specialists (the highest level of AASP - Apple Authorized Service Provider). I now work for a another company and one of my tasks is the occasional job of taking Apple machines in for repair.

      At this point, the number of Apple machines I have dealt with that were going through the AppleCare repair process number in the tens of thousands, I would guess. In all of that time, I have not once seen an AppleCare coverage denied because of third-party RAM installed by the end user. Not a single time.

      Your statement is verifiably incorrect by the thousands of other people who have had the same experience as mine.

      --
      - (c) 2018 Hank Zimmerman
    4. Re:"32GB Comes Standard" by hawk · · Score: 4, Interesting

      > there's no point at all to pay the Apple tax.

      The reason that you *consider* paying apple memory prices is that apple's specs for memory are something like a half a standard deviation higher than other good memory.

      I don't find it worth it, but the reality is that meeting apple's specs is more expensive.

      Then again, a few years ago when I brought my iMac in the third time for crashes, they returned it with my bank of aftermarket memory in a bag--with the offending stick labeled . . .

      hawk

    5. Re:"32GB Comes Standard" by Megane · · Score: 2

      It's the same push-and-turn lid that they've been using since the Unibody era. It looks like they've even gone with standard SSD modules, since they say "all-flash PCIe-based storage". And now that external GPUs are finally a thing, you could (theoretically) even play actual games on it.

      --
      #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
    6. Re:"32GB Comes Standard" by Megane · · Score: 2

      "Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act"?

      --
      #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
    7. Re:"32GB Comes Standard" by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

      I worked Apple retail before going on to work at two different Apple Specialists (the highest level of AASP - Apple Authorized Service Provider). I now work for a another company and one of my tasks is the occasional job of taking Apple machines in for repair.

      At this point, the number of Apple machines I have dealt with that were going through the AppleCare repair process number in the tens of thousands, I would guess. In all of that time, I have not once seen an AppleCare coverage denied because of third-party RAM installed by the end user. Not a single time.

      Your statement is verifiably incorrect by the thousands of other people who have had the same experience as mine.

      Exactly.

      I hate LYING Apple-Haters. If you're gonna hate on Apple, at least don't LIE to do it.

    8. Re:"32GB Comes Standard" by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      It's not about performance, but failure rate.

      Then I will double down on that it is horseshit. Go buy the cheapest shittiest RAM available. If it works out of the box the odds of failure are down the same as every other component in your PC.

      If the machine crashing brings your entire business to a halt for hours

      Then you likely wouldn't be using MacMinis and instead something with ECC memory and massive forms of redundancy rendering the entire discussion moot.

      Sorry but I disagree that there's any value at all in "premium RAM" unless you're getting paid for the instruction and need the absolute tightest timings, or are paying for buffered ECC, neither of which applies to the Mac Mini.

  2. Re:will changing the ram void the warranty? by willaien · · Score: 2, Informative

    Legally, no. https://www.ftc.gov/news-event...

    Will apple claim it will? Probably.

  3. Glad to see Apple is making new things again by TimMD909 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sadly, though, I'll be waiting for next year's model due out in 2023.

    1. Re:Glad to see Apple is making new things again by alvinrod · · Score: 2

      I suppose there's two sides to that. If you buy now, you don't have to feel like something better will just come out next year, at least not if you're just going to stick with Apple no matter what and not consider getting a PC. And to be fair, given how little Intel has progressed with their CPUs until very recently, there hasn't been a lot of reason to upgrade.

      What I'm most interested in is the SoC in the new iPad. It's probably more powerful than what they put in the new Air, so I'm wondering how much longer until Apple ditches Intel entirely. You have to think that they've been planning for it for some time now.

    2. Re:Glad to see Apple is making new things again by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      That is the real problem with Apples Macintosh lineup. Where we use to have a yearly upgrade they seem to fall every 4 years. And their price doesn't seem to go down the next year. There really isn't a good time to buy one. The Air and the Mini, are already under-powered new (About a year old tech). Which isn't bad, but if you are going to keep it for 4 years or 8 years then these will be miserably out of date during your next upgrade. And you can't wait a year or two to get it on the cheap.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    3. Re:Glad to see Apple is making new things again by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

      get the new mac mini, just a touch over 4000$ after you load it up

      Yes, but you can save on the RAM by buying aftermarket.

      And that gives you :

      3.2GHz 6core 8thgeneration Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 4.6GHz)

      64GB 2666MHz DDR4

      2TB SSD storage

      10 Gigabit Ethernet (Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb Ethernet using RJ45 connector)

      Not bad for a computer the size of a ham sandwich.

  4. Re:be nice to have 10-gig swtichs come down in pri by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 2

    At those prices you're almost better off just building your own router/switch.

    You can pick up off lease 10GB 2 port cards for $20.

  5. Re:will changing the ram void the warranty? by alvinrod · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why would they bother making it user upgradable if they were going to lock it down like that?

    If they were going to do that, they'd just solder the RAM to the board so they could shave an extra .5 mm off the height of the product.

  6. iPad Pro update is what I hoping for by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I really liked the Mac mini refresh, but what I really loved was the iPad Pro update.

    I had the first larger 12.9" iPad Pro before, which I liked quite a lot for photo editing.

    Now though, the newer one has FaceID - was nicer with a device you can hold in any direction than trying to find the home button. And the power seems really impressive, the demo they gave showing editing a 3GB PSD was the most impressive thing I saw at the Apple event.

    The USB-C connection also is great for connection to external monitors and other things I already have accessories for... and the redesign of the pencil to simultaneously clamp onto an edge (I think any edge?) and charge at the same time is a great touch.

    Also if you look at it from a pure travel standpoint, the new MacBook Air is 2.75 lbs - but the largest iPad Pro is just 1.25lbs or so!! That is a huge difference in what you have to lug around, as long as what you need to do can be done on the iPad Pro. For photo editing when traveling this device is pretty much perfect now.

    Perhaps finally Apple will bring Xcode to the iPad Pro...

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  7. Re: An i3 with 8 gigs and 128 gig SSD for $800 by AvitarX · · Score: 2

    Your analysis makes $800 for a system with a nice case and non FOSS OS seem like a reasonable deal.

    Not great, but reasonable. Add $100 for the OS and you have a 33% margin for assembly.

    --
    Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
  8. They are repairable by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Insightful

    SSDs do go bad. Now, with Moore's law gone, those machines could have lasted longer than they will now. If Apple cared about the environment more than their money, they would make them repairable.

    What makes you think they are not repairable?

    At least by Apple they will be. But on the iMac Pro the SSD chips are removable so I don't see why that would change on the Mac mini.

    Also the systems are fully recycled by Apple, no it's meaningless to complain about caring for the environment because the system might die.

    I create content, and 10% of my Samsung 850 SSD life is used up.

    That's kind of an older SSD drive (I have one as well). At this point I would say lots of other system components are going to go before the SSD chips do.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  9. Re:Non-Removable SSD = Disposable Product by TXJD · · Score: 2

    Have you tried Samsung's own SSD Magician software? it gives a lifetime estimate. https://www.samsung.com/semico...

  10. Adding RAM does not void warranty by sjbe · · Score: 4, Informative

    Because if you don't, then you forgo your extended warranty.

    Yeah that's not true. If someone told you that then they were either lying or misinformed.

  11. Apple craps on education and music again... by greenwow · · Score: 2

    They're forgetting that education made the company originally and music saved it later. Dropping headphone jacks will be a huge pain and expense for education. I teach a high school comp sci class twice a week, and it's already a huge pain to keep the iPads charged. There's no way the school will be able to afford BT headphones and deal with the hassle of keeping them charged. Also, the best headphones are all wired.

  12. Re:Mini vs. Hackintosh by ilsaloving · · Score: 2

    Maybe a lower monetary cost, but you've already pointed out the other factor: you're time and stress. How much is that worth to you?

    For me, if I wanted to be afraid that my whole computer would be bricked because of an update, I may as well just use Windows 10. Then I'd at least be able to play the latest games on it too.

  13. Re: be nice to have 10-gig swtichs come down in pr by saloomy · · Score: 2

    Wait, what?

    You think a gp-cpu will switch as fast as an switches ASIC? Do you know how many interrupts you need to switch at 10g?

  14. Consumer vs. producer by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Sorry Apple, I've already switched to a Samsung Tab A 10.1, and I'm not going back.

    Great idea if you are just going to watch movies.

    Not so great if you want to actually do anything serious with a tablet - like run Photoshop. Are you going to be editing a 3GB PSD on that Samsung? I think not.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  15. Re:will changing the ram void the warranty? by Anubis+IV · · Score: 2

    Upgrading the RAM in my 2011 Mac mini was as simple as rotating the bottom plate to unlock it, swapping the RAM, then replacing the bottom plate. A novice user could do the whole operation in less than a minute. Likewise with the PowerBook G4 I had when I started college, which only required that I press two release switches at the top of the keyboard in order to gain access to the RAM. Likewise with the iMac my mother had on her desk for years, which hid the RAM behind a small plate that could be removed using a standard screwdriver. Likewise for the MacBook Pro my father currently uses, which hides the RAM behind the laptop's bottom plate, which can be removed in about a minute using a standard screwdriver.

    When Apple says components are user serviceable, they've always been genuinely user serviceable. I sincerely doubt they'll start requiring people to come into the store to upgrade such components.

    This stands in contrast to parts that they don't advertise as being user serviceable. They'll oftentimes solder them in or engage in otherwise user-hostile designs that make replacing those parts an exercise in frustration. For instance, that Mac mini I mentioned earlier? It had space and hookups for two 2.5" drives since some of their build-to-order options offered multiple drives, but I opted to purchase a version with just one HDD. Upgrading it later with the addition of an SSD in the empty bay was a sub-millimeter precision operation that probably took me the better part of two or three hours and involved basically tearing the entire thing apart.

  16. Re:IPad 4x3 looks 90's by qzzpjs · · Score: 2

    Now, the iPad stands alone, rockin' 4x3, like it's 1999

    The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, S3, and S4 are all 4x3 as well. It really is the best aspect for reading web pages and doing work. 16x9 was only good for video and nothing else.

  17. iOS app devs, for one by tepples · · Score: 2

    I just can't see any reason why I would pay close to $1000 for the Apple device.

    Let me guess the most probable reason: Someone is paying you to port an Android application to iOS to take advantage of the App Store's far greater revenue per user for paid applications and in-app purchases compared to Google Play. For this, you need to buy a Mac on which to run Xcode and an iOS device on which to test.

    1. Re:iOS app devs, for one by tepples · · Score: 2

      Since when can a non-Mac sign apps for testing on a physical device or for submission to the App Store? The free provisioning instructions require Xcode, which is Mac-only.

  18. Re:will changing the ram void the warranty? by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

    will changing the ram void the warranty?

    it does have so-dimms

    No. Never has. Never will.

    And for all the Haters that have posted hand-wringing bullshit about Apple "not listening": Well, witness the result of Apple listening!

    (MUCH!) Better CPU (up to a SIX core i7)? Check!

    Upgradeable RAM? Check!

    Up to 64 GB RAM? Check!

    Upgradeable SSD? Possibly (PCI-e Based)

    Up to 2 TB SSD? Check!

    10gigE Option? Check!

    USB-A AND HDMI (plus FOUR USB-C/TB3 Ports)? Check!

    And it STILL has a 3.5mm Headphone Jack...

    This is one FANTASTIC Upgrade!

    But I'm sure the Haters will STILL find SOMETHING to bitch about...

  19. Re:An i3 with 8 gigs and 128 gig SSD for $800 by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

    seems a bit high even for Apple. And it's probably a laptop chip version of the i3 based on the form factor...

    Nope. They spefically said the CPUs are NOT Mobile versions!