Apple has big plans for the Mac Mini, at least according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. While the company isn't ready to share those plans with the world, things are happening behind the scenes. And we know all of this because Cook casually revealed all to a nosey Apple fan.

It has now been over three years since Apple updated the Mac Mini. This lengthy gap between releases has caused frustration amongst the Apple faithful, and led to us recommending other mini PCs over the Mac Mini. However, you can rest assured that the Mac Mini isn't dead after all...

Tim Cook Loves the Mac Mini

According to MacRumors, an Apple fan by the name of Krar emailed Apple CEO Tim Cook with a direct question about the future of the Mac Mini, bluntly asking, "I love the Mac Mini but it’s been over 3 years now without an update. Are we going to see anything in the pipeline anytime soon?"

Cook promptly replied, saying, "I’m glad you love the Mac mini. We love it too. Our customers have found so many creative and interesting uses for Mac mini. While it is not time to share any details, we do plan for Mac mini to be an important part of our product line going forward."

This backs up Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller, who was asked why the Mac Mini was a no-show when Apple last spoke about the Mac Pro. He responded, "The Mac mini is an important product in our lineup and we weren't bringing it up because it's more of a mix of consumer with some pro use."

This all strongly suggests that Apple is working on updating the Mac Mini. Tim Cook and co. just aren't ready to share it with us proles. The Mac Mini clearly still has its fans, but it's also hard to see where it fits in Apple's current hardware lineup. So perhaps we should expect the unexpected.

2018... The Year of the Mac Mini

The problem is that the current Mac Mini is woefully outdated and getting more outdated with every passing day. Featuring, as it does, a Haswell processor, Intel HD 5000 integrated graphics, and just 4GB of RAM. So an updated version really cannot come quickly enough. Is 2018 too much to ask?

Do you own the 2014 Mac Mini? Is it starting to show its age? Or is it still a more than capable machine? If Apple unveiled a new Mac Mini, would you buy one? And if so, what would you like to see Apple do with the form factor? Please let us know in the comments below!