Constrained Supplies Suggest Mac Mini Server and Mac Pro Server Headed for Refresh

apple mini pro servers
According to 9 to 5 Mac, trusted source Mr. X has indicated that supplies of the server models of Apple's Mac mini and Mac Pro lines are officially listed as constrained, suggesting that Apple may be drawing down supplies ahead of a refresh.

In addition to OS X Lion, our sources are already expecting new MacBook Airs and Time Capsules fairly soon - due to supply shortages and now Mr. X tells 9to5Mac that Apple's Mac mini Server and Mac Pro Server are constrained with no shipment date yet in place for new models.

Apple introduced the Mac mini server option, which substitutes a second hard drive for the usual optical drive, in late 2009. The Mac Pro server configuration debuted last November as the company announced the pending discontinuation of its Xserve rackmountable server. A report earlier this year indicated that Apple was developing a smaller, narrower Mac Pro that could be rackmounted, although much larger than the previous Xserve.

It seems reasonable to assume that the all models of the Mac mini and Mac Pro could see updates alongside refreshes of the server models, as the machines share the vast majority of their specs.

Related Roundups: Mac mini, Mac Pro
Tags: 9to5Mac, Mr. X
Related Forums: Mac mini, Mac Pro

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
ipad blue prime day

iPad 12 Rumored to Get iPhone 17's A19 Chip, Breaking Apple Tradition

Wednesday December 10, 2025 12:22 pm PST by
The next-generation low-cost iPad will use Apple's A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. Macworld claims to have seen an "internal Apple code document" with information about the 2026 iPad lineup. Prior documentation discovered by MacRumors suggested that the iPad 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...

Top Rated Comments

makkystyle Avatar
189 months ago
Hardware 'Servers' Being Discontinued

Anyone who has read Apple's own press materials on OSX Lion Server will notice that they are heavy on the "any mac can be a server" language. I think the server models are being discontinued as Apple tries to position the 'server' as less of a hardware implementation and more of a software implementation. This is why only the server versions of the more-or-less same hardware is constrained.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nuckinfutz Avatar
189 months ago
Quad Core i5 for the Mac mini please Apple.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LarryC Avatar
189 months ago
I'm hoping we see Apple embrace the concept of the Mini as a home media system. With the Mac App Store, all they need to do is tweak up the graphics and develop an awesome looking game controller and the Mac opens up a whole new platform. There are so many possibilities with that machine.

I think that the Mac Mini has a lot of potential. I used to look down on them until I started reading a lot of the posts here at MR by owners. One of the things that I don't understand (and there are a bunch) is why does Apple limit the potential of these machines by using laptop components? Yeah, I do realize that it is small, but why is it that small. This is a desktop computer. Why not make something the size of the G4 Cube and use some real and less expensive components? I read a comment recently where someone was talking about the current iMac and making suggestions on how they could make the iMac 50% thinner! I don't know why it is as thin as it is now. These are desktop computers, they do not need to be so small that they can fit into a woman's purse! These are desktop computers and desktop computer buyers want as much performance as possible. So stop hobbling these computers for the sake of style over substance.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dkouts Avatar
189 months ago
Thrilled when see the word "Pro" at all any more from Apple.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
snebes Avatar
189 months ago
Interested to see if there will be a rackable version of the MacPro now.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rquick Avatar
189 months ago
It's such a crying shame Apple deliberately cripples the mini so badly. I think they desperately need a desktop alternative, but they just don't want to make a box to compete with the higher profit iMac. Everyone who wants an Apple desktop is forced to buy a new display, whether they need it or not, or a full workstation class machine, whether they need it or not. They also constrain the cases so that fewer people are tempted to buy and install non-Apple parts where Apple doesn't get their enormous markup. I like to upgrade often as tech improves, but I am not willing to junk the display or prevent myself from installing the parts I want. Displays don't improve as fast as other hardware so it makes no sense for me to tie them together. Otherwise I would be fine with buying a Mac desktop every year or so and pass them down to my family. As it is, I just assemble my own with non-Apple hardware with Windows 7 and it works fine. I guess Apple loses and I win. And before everyone thinks I am an Apple hater, I'm working in OSX on a 2010 MBP 17" right now. But I'm going upstairs to play Metro 2033 on my windows rig. Just kinda silly there is no real Mac alternative for that.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)