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Apple Cook's half-baked defense of the Mac Mini: This kit ain't a leftover

We're not going to fry it, and we're not going to tell you anything more right now

It has been three years since Apple released any major update to the Mac Mini family, but CEO Tim Cook says that doesn't mean the minimalist systems are dead.

Answering a loyalist's email, the supply-chain-man-turned-Steve-Jobs-corporate-heir said the iPhone giant still has plans to remake the Mac Mini, just don't expected to hear them any time soon.

"Our customers have found so many creative and interesting uses for Mac Mini," Cook wrote in his reply to the fan's query, in a conversation El Reg has verified as legit.

"While it is not the time to share any details, we do plan for the Mac Mini to be an important part of our product line going forward."

As the emailed question suggests, Apple has not made public any timeline for a refresh to the Mac Mini. This year, we saw Cook and Co. unveil updates to the iPad line in March, with a Mac refresh unveiled in June at WWDC, and the usual iPhone refresh, as it has in most recent years, coming in a September special event.

The Mac Mini, along with the Mac Pro, have not had a major overhaul in years, leading to speculation that Apple had more or less given up on those lines in favor of its more lucrative and better-selling iMac desktops and MacBook laptop lineup.

Additionally, Cupertino engineers and Apple's factories alike have been occupied with meeting demand for the iOS line of smartphones and tablets that are increasingly taking over tasks that had traditionally been done on desktops.

Though it hasn't sold in the same numbers as the iMac, the Mac Mini carved out a niche for itself as an option for those who wanted a cheap but capable box that ran macOS. ®

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