Mac Mini Upgrade on the horizon?

Question

I am considering the purchase of a Mac-Mini to use as an HTPC device, but I wanted to know if anyone knew how long the current'top-of-the-line' Mac-Mini has been available to the public, and/or if anyone has gotten wind up an upgraded model that may be released sometime soon?
I know it's not possible to keep pace with the latest/greatest hardware that's available, and I am also aware of Apple's secrecy regarding any new hardware releases...but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask, as perhaps someone might be able to +(for example)+ tell me that it's been six months since the initial release of the current 'top-of-the-line' Mac-Mini, and in the past Apple has released new Mac-Mini models every 6-8 months or so...
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated... Thanks!

Answer 1

It really isn't possible to give you an credible idea of when (or if) apple will update or replace the current minis. Policy is not to reveal such plans in advance, and thus anyone who does know will be under a non-disclosure agreement and be unable to repeat what they know.
It's also against the terms of use here to discuss such things, but one can make a reasoned assumption that since the current chipset in the mini is being phased out my Intel, the mini will have to be replaced or updated at some point to accommodate the newer CPU - this was what happened with the iMac recently, along with relatively small speed bumps. The mini, however, as the entry level system really serves a different sort of market, so Apple have not so far seen the need to update it regularly, nor with particularly significant improvements.
As such, I wouldn't be inclined to expect anything major in terms of what will happen to the mini. The last update was around August last year, so one might argue that Apple are due to release another. Typically though that hasn't been the way the mini has gone so far. It is reasonable to think it will be updated or replaced at some point, but the only reliable way to approach this is to work on the basis of what is available now. For media center use, the original mini, G4 processor and all, was quite sufficient for many, so it's not as if this sort of use has particularly heavy hardware demands. There are some thiongs one might expect in a media center device (Blu-Ray player for example) that it can be certain will not be in the next generation of mini (such would appear in other models higher up the range first, and there's no sign of them yet), but short of that, the mini is pretty credible as it is.
Another thing to consider is that with the AppleTV device on the market, Apple are not likely to push the mini toward media center use, thus whatever they plan seems likely to be aimed at more traditional computing in order not to seriously cannibalize AppleTV sales.
My advice would be that if you don't need to buy a system at this point, or find the current models insufficient, then wait. That way you get to see what may (or may not be) on the horizon before making a purchase. If you need something now, then unless you have distinct needs outside the mainstream, a current mini is likely to be very effective. Certainly a minor speed bump and slightly faster processor isn't likely to help much, even if that's what Apple deliver.