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Mac mini speeds up, adds server edition

updated 12:45 pm EDT, Tue October 20, 2009

Apple speeds Mac mini to 2.53GHz


Apple today brought out its second update in a year for the Mac mini and changed its focus significantly at the high end. The new line scales up to a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo and, in a special configuration, comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server pre-installed as well as with a second hard drive in place of the optical drive; the option gives those running clusters a much more capable computer. All versions have more RAM and hard drive storage than their predecessors.

The series still starts at $599 but now comes with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, GeForce 9400M video and a 160GB hard drive. A $799 version brings the 2.53GHz chip, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive, while $999 builds on this with both Mac OS X Server and two 500GB hard drives.

All configurations should be available today through the Apple Store.


By Electronista Staff

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TAGS :  

Intel, computers, Core 2, Mac mini, Apple

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  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -12
    10/20, 12:56pm | report spam | (4 replies) | reply

    So

    How does one install OS X on it if there's no DVD drive?

    And are there people who would run a server using the laptop drives the mini requires?


  1. JTh

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2007

    +3
    10/20, 01:13pm | report spam | reply

    Testudo, do you read before posting?

    Read the article before asking the first question. And if you needed access to a DVD drive, it undoubtedly supports the Remote DVD tech.

    Google "mac mini server farm" to answer your second question.


  1. Feathers

    Grizzled Veteran

    Joined: Oct 1999

    +4
    10/20, 01:20pm | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    Higher price

    Don't know what the previous base price was in the U.S. but the Euro price has gone up by ten percent even as the dollar has fallen in value. Thanks Steve. My b*tt had almost healed from the last Apple product I bought!


    Comment buried. Show
  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -12
    10/20, 01:59pm | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    Re: Testudo

    Read the article before asking the first question. And if you needed access to a DVD drive, it undoubtedly supports the Remote DVD tech.

    JTh, I'm glad you find that the pre-installed version of OSes are all you ever need, and you have never needed to ever re-install OS X onto your computer. But there are some people who do this.

    And maybe you just trust it would support the Remote DVD tech. I would actually like to see some statement to that affect.

    Google "mac mini server farm" to answer your second question.

    A server farm is completely different than an office server. Apple is advertising the mini as a perfect office server. And I just can't see using a laptop for a server in an office to handle daily serving tasks.


  1. kschwab

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2008

    +5
    10/20, 03:09pm | report spam | reply

    Mini Server

    2.5 inch drives are becoming common on lots of server hardware from other vendors these days, on blade cards, as a way to dramatically increase storage density per rack unit etc. There are enterprise class drives in the 2.5 inch form factor. There is not really that much difference between a local server and a remote server - both can be driven hard enough to make the hardware break a sweat. However I believe the point of researching the use of Mac Minis as server was to illustrate that they have been put in harness all over the place and have performed well doing that job. I've put numerous Mac Mini's running OS-X Server 10.4 and 10.5 as well as Kerio Mail Server as a nice little collaboration server for small offices - they perform well and reliably.


  1. xenith1

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 2009

    +1
    10/20, 03:24pm | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    Mac Mini DVD drive in Server Config

    Testudo,

    Regarding the lack of DVD drive in the mini's with pre-installed OS X Server, is there any reason why you couldn't simply purchase the optional external USB SuperDriver for $99 which would let you re-install OS X Server 10.6 from the DVD media? Or if you wanted something faster, you could purchase an external FireWire DVD/CD drive and attach it to the mini's firewire 800 port.


    The slow disk drives in the mini is a stupid decision, again by Apple. No way would I configure a server or any but the lamest home/soho computers with those 5400 RPM drives. But you could probably replace them with a pair of 7200 RPM drives (or perhaps the 10,000 Raptors), right?


  1. xenith1

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 2009

    +1
    10/20, 03:34pm | report spam | reply

    How come the 2.66 GHz isn't on the server mini?

    So, how come the 2.66 GHz (fastest) mini is not available for the OS X Server mini configuration?? I don't think it would be cheaper to buy the unlimited OS X server separately from the 2.66 GHz mini???

    confused.


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