Mac Mini Shipments Being Scaled Back, Signals Refresh Or Demise

Scaled back production of any Apple product usually indicates and upcoming update but in the case of the Mac Mini, could signal its imminent end. While an upgrade could come as hinted by various rumor sites, this could go either way considering the Mini’s upgrade track record. The last update to Apple’s lunchbox sized Mac was mid 2007 and has aged considerably without any worthwhile upgrades.

Gizmodo interprets Apple’s notification to retailers regarding an immediate cut to Mac Mini shipments as the worst case scenario. While there is no solid ground whether or not the Mini will receive a much, much needed update, its demise wouldn’t be surprising. Out of all Apple’s Macs, the Mini lacks 802.11N support and still utilizes the older Intel Merom CPU with a 667 MHz Front Side Bus and GMA950 Graphics Processor.

The high price point for such a configuration and lack of expandability beyond the RAM, Hard Drive and Optical Drive leave much to be desired. The Mac Mini was positioned as an entry into the Mac family with an attractive $500 price point but was soon raised when the transition to Intel CPUs was made during early 2006. Ironically, it would share the same fate as the PowerMac Cube which was the unofficial successor to the failed product.

However, rumors point towards a possible refresh occurring before the holiday shopping season or Macworld 2009. This would give reason to a halt on Mac Mini shipments to European retailers as its customary for Apple to do so before massive upgrades to their products. Early July Apple notified Best Buy of limited MacBook shipments which indicated a revamp to the MacBook line. This did not come to fruition until October when Apple introduced a new MacBook and MacBook Pro in refined Aluminum enclosures sporting all new Nvidia GPUs at a lower price point than previous Mac Notebooks.

Via: TUAW