Apple Stops Selling Mac Mini With OS X Server, No Longer Offers 2TB Storage Option

Apple today updated the Mac mini, introducing significant upgrades including Haswell processors, Intel HD 5000/Iris graphics, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and PCIe-based flash storage options for the higher-end models.

Though Apple continues to offer three separate Mac mini options priced at $499, $699, and $999, it does not offer an OS X Server option as it has done in the past. Previously, the high-end Mac mini came with OS X Server and offered two 1TB hard drives for a total of 2TB of storage space.

Apple's new Mac minis max out at 1TB of storage space, with the high end model coming equipped with a 1TB Fusion Drive or up to 1TB of PCIe-based flash storage.

macminiconfigurations

The Mac mini with Server configuration initially shipped with an OS X Server version of OS X, but later models came with the standard version of OS X and a separate OS X Server package. Later, Apple went on to release OS X Server in the App Store, essentially making the Mac mini with OS X Server obsolete.

While the new Mac minis can't be expanded to 2TB of storage space, they have two Thunderbolt two ports and four USB 3.0 ports, allowing for plenty of external storage options.

Apple's new Mac minis are available today from the company's online store, with prices starting at $499.

Related Roundup: Mac mini

Buyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Buy Now)

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

longofest

59 months ago

I'm not sure I'd call all of these updates "upgrades" - namely, the processor update and lack of quad core option just sucks.

Rating: 27 Votes

centauratlas

59 months ago

The upgrade was nice, but a BTO quad-core option would have been even nicer.

Rating: 18 Votes

cronin1024

59 months ago

The biggest disappointment for me is that there is no longer a quad-core option. They're all dual-cores now. :mad:

Rating: 17 Votes

cfedu

59 months ago

Not from me. I bought a base 2012 Mac Mini as my first Apple computer and am looking forward to getting a vastly improved machine in the next week or two.

Vastly superior !! That's funny!!

Rating: 17 Votes

Crosscreek

59 months ago

The Mini is no longer a hobbyist upgrade and fixit your self machine. Made up now of leftover laptop parts and locked in Apple components and it was the last hold out of old school Macs.
I will continue to use my 2012 until it dies but next year when Broadwell is available I will go the Hackintosh rout.
I may return when Skylake makes the Mini or X-Mac appears with it.
But HD5000 is not going to cut it.

Rating: 16 Votes

zedsdead

59 months ago

The bigger problem is the lack of a Quad-Core option.

I have a Mac Mini at my church office and use it for video/photo/document editing for them.

I have been waiting for a Quad-Core w/ Iris 5200 for a while, but there is no point to upgrade from my 2.5 Dual-Core i5 with the ATI card.

Very disappointing.

Rating: 10 Votes

shaunp

59 months ago

I bought a nMP mainly because I need loads of RAM for VMware, but if I didn't need that I would be saying bye bye to Apple right now. I've said this for a while, but there is simply too much of a gap between the mini and the nMP and sorry Apple but I don't want an iMac, even the one with the 5K screen. And while we are on about that screen why didn't you make an external one that I can plug into the nMP, it's not like you boasted about the graphics capabilities at all? Guess I'll be buying a 4K Dell monitor then.

And while I'm at it I've just replaced my Macbook Pro with a Dell M4800. Yep, it's ugly and heavy, but guess what? I can have 32GB RAM, that I can upgrade myself, I can have up to 3 SSD's in there, I can have an optical drive if I want one and it still has an ethernet port - wireless isn't always available, especially if you work in a datacenter and instead of Starbucks. And finally, it has a matt screen option if I like. Yes i have to run Windows or Linux, but if that's the price I have to pay to get a 'professional laptop' that's not so bad.

Apple, yes you are making a load of money out of consumer, but don't forget who got you there in the first place - the enthusiast. Forgetting that market will cost you a lot in the long run.

Rating: 9 Votes

ZMacintosh

59 months ago

this really makes no sense. 999 is waaaaaay over priced compared to what it replaced.

499 is a good price, but not for that 1.4Ghz, even the educational 1.4Ghz iMac is overpriced.

lack of dedicate graphics. this update is very confusing....

Rating: 7 Votes

Tankmaze

59 months ago

Soldered ram. It uses LPDDR3, damn Apple why can't you make this one proudct right. Was planning to buy the entry level and upgrade the ram myself, but nope can't do that :mad:

Rating: 7 Votes

Spectrum

59 months ago

This blog completely misses the point that quad-core options have been lost across the board. Why?

Whilst it is great to offer a cheap-as-chips 1.4Ghz option, why has Apple needed to cut the top-end dual drive, Quad i7 version? In 2012, this model used to match the MacBook Pro 15inch (minus discrete graphics). They could have easily asked for $1500 for a Quad i7 with Iris Pro and dual drives and those that wanted it would pay for it.

I am running a 2.0Ghz (turbo to 2,9Ghz) Quad core i7 from 2011. The only tangible benefit the 2014 machine offers is the HD5000 iris (and a turbo that is only 0.6Ghz/20% greater!), but at the expense of two cores! Given that these offer hyperthreading, I'd be going from 8 cores to 4. A huge loss in CPU ability for multitasking/VM etc.

The difference between the 2012 and 2014 models is even less: For a 2 year wait!

All they needed to do was drop in the MBPro 15inch chip into the old set-up and everyone would have been ecstatic!

Totally confused and disappointed.

Instead of trying to paint a happy picture, MacRumors should be calling out Apple for unnecessarily killing off an entire sub-line of this product.

Rating: 6 Votes

[ Read All Comments ]