Poll: does the AppleTV spell the end for the Mac mini?

Mac miniAppleInsider caused a few ripples in the Mac blogosphere when they recently claimed that Cupertino will soon discontinue the Mac mini (Apple’s sub-$800 entry level Macintosh.). The reasoning is that Apple was never 100% behind the device, which, AppleInsider suggests, was only released to appease shareholder wishes.

Since then, the Mac mini has been treated to a rather mundane life-cycle. It has seen just four updates since inception, one of which was so insignificant in Apple’s own eyes that the company didn’t even bother to draft a press release.

However, one of those updates was a switch to an Intel processor, and perhaps more importantly, the addition of Apple’s Front Row software. For many Mac fans (including myself), this confirmed the device’s potential as a media center. When I bought my Intel-based Mac mini, I plugged it straight into my television, where it’s remained ever since.

Then along came the AppleTV

Not coincidentally, Apple TV turned out a lot like a next-generation mini, with the stripping-out of the optical disc drive representing the essence of Apple’s long-term digital media strategy.

… with the advent of Apple TV, Apple seems to have shoved the diminutive device into the far corner of what had already been a niche audience.

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last100 is edited by Steve O'Hear. Aside from founding last100, Steve is co-founder and CEO of Beepl and a freelance journalist who has written for numerous publications, including TechCrunch, The Guardian, ZDNet, ReadWriteWeb and Macworld, and also wrote and directed the Silicon Valley documentary, In Search of the Valley. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.

5 Responses to “Poll: does the AppleTV spell the end for the Mac mini?”

  1. appletvbbs says:

    No I don’t think it spells the end for the Mac mini!
    http://www.appletvbbs.com

  2. […] Source:last100 AppleInsider caused a few ripples in the Mac blogosphere, when they recently claimed that Cupertino will soon discontinue the Mac mini (Apple’s sub-$800 entry level Macintosh.). The reasoning is that Apple was never 100% behind the device, which, AppleInsider suggests, was only released to appease shareholder wishes. Since then, the Mac mini has been treated to […] Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. […]

  3. […] it straight into my television, where it’s remained ever since. Then along came the AppleTV…read more | digg […]

  4. Kit Lemmonds says:

    Overlapping functionality does not mean that one product is redundant and destined for the junkyard. The mac mini can make a passable media center in the absence of a better option. Unfortunately, I’m not sure AppleTV is even a better option compared to the mini, much less other products such as the Xbox 360 and (soon) the ps3. Unless apple is simply thinking about hedging their bets and pulling the mini for marketing reasons – I believe the mini is more marketable than AppleTV will ever be.

  5. Namun, salah satu pembaruan itu adalah beralih ke prosesor Intel, dan mungkin yang lebih penting, penambahan perangkat lunak Barisan Depan Apple. Bagi banyak penggemar slot deposit pulsa