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Apple unveils redesigned Mac mini with HDMI

updated 07:20 am EDT, Tue June 15, 2010

 

Mac mini rises in price for speed, expansion


Apple in a surprise early morning update unveiled a completely redesigned Mac mini. The new version is shorter but wider and is targeted at home theaters: an HDMI output next to the Mini DisplayPort jack provides a single cable for audio and video to a TV. Upgrades are also easier, as a panel on the bottom lets owners swap memory without having to tear open the entire system.

The design is now fully integrated and doesn't even need an external power brick.

Apple has made some concessions to expansion with an SD card slot for photos. Four USB ports, gigabit Ethernet, a FireWire 800 port, and separate analog/digital combo inputs and outputs make up the expansion outside of video. An HDMI to DVI adapter is always bundled in the box for legacy displays.

The base system rises in price from $599 to $699, but in return is promised to be much faster with a GeForce 320M providing graphics up to twice as fast as on its predecessor. The base system still has 2GB of DDR3 memory but boasts a faster 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo and a minimum 320GB hard drive along with typical 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 for wireless.

Custom-ordering the Mac Mini brings it up to as much as 8GB of RAM across two memory slots and a 500GB hard drive. The server edition returns and at $999 still has Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server, scrapping the optical drive in favor of a second 500GB hard drive for a total 1TB of space. It speeds up slightly with a 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo and 4GB of RAM as the base.

The system should be available to order today from the online Apple Store.


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By Electronista Staff

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Intel, computers, NVIDIA, GeForce, Core 2, Mac mini, Apple, Snow Leopard Server

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Previous Comments

  1. IxOsX

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Feb 2009

    +1
    06/15, 08:50am | report spam | reply

    Are you crazy???

    Are you crazy?

    The price base for Mac Mini is 799,00 € with Dual 2 Duo 2.4GHz/ 2Gb RAM /320Gb HD.

    If we forget the overpriced hardware, the HDMI is very welcome and is a great addon. I liked very much the new design, is great.

    But I only pay 800€ for a MacMini with the base specs more 4GB RAM, 500HD and at least a more powerful Dual 2 Core... Apple is increasing to very high is margin of profit for Europe. And by do it, will lost a lot of potential costumers in Europe. Just lost me...

    For the the fans just be a little critic about Apple. I love Apple but its just to expensive for me, if I continue to recommend an to buy Apple with this prices. I cant have other stuff for less money and with the some quality. Sorry but its true! I will just miss the design and the OS that I love so much.


    Comment buried. Show
  1. TheBum

    Mac Enthusiast

    Joined: Sep 2001

    -13
    06/15, 08:59am | report spam | (4 replies) | reply

    Underpowered for today's media

    This is being touted as a home theater PC, but it likely won't handle 1080/60p video. With the advent of consumer camcorders capable of recording 1080/60p (e.g. the Panasonic HDC-TM700), I consider that a major deficiency.


  1. danledingham

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2007

    +9
    06/15, 09:15am | report spam | (2 replies) | reply

    Blu-Ray?

    I know Blu-Ray would cut into the iTunes Store, but with the addition of HDMI and the promotion of the MacMini as a HTPC a Blu-Ray drive seems like a no brainer.


  1. Mr. Strat

    Junior Member

    Joined: Jan 2002

    +10
    06/15, 10:30am | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    Well...

    At least they made it easier to upgrade memory. It's not difficult to take these things apart, but I still cringe every time I do it.


  1. umbertoaqualung

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2010

    -1
    06/15, 10:43am | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    2.5" or 3.5"

    can the new mini fit a 1 or 2 TB drive now? i reckon it wont as they put the power supply inside. so even though, it's wider than the older mini it has no more room for storage : (

    will it at least run the apple tv store natively?


  1. pairof9s

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Jan 2008

    -4
    06/15, 11:28am | report spam | reply

    Ugly stepchild

    Talk about wanting to bury a product! Not only was this not introduced or even mentioned at the WWDC only a week ago but it's quietly introduced on the same day the new Cupertino darling iPhone 4 goes on sale.

    I'd imagine the Apple TV will now disappear even more covertly.

    /


  1. JTh

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2007

    -4
    06/15, 12:16pm | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    Bluray

    I'm a little surprised myself about the lack of blu-ray, but for my purposes, it's not a deal-killer. I don't have Blu-ray today, and don't plan to get it; I'm banking on better and better "cloud services" over the next few years.

    I'm a little surprised that they couldn't figure out a way to put the SD card slot in the *front*? Hardly convenient if this is sitting in a HT cabinet.


  1. Jonathan-Tanya

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 2004

    -4
    06/15, 12:18pm | report spam | reply

    raising the price eh

    it's normal for technology to advance, so lets call this what it is, a price increase for the base model.

    For the server stuff, the somewhat faster but still slow shared-memory graphics has no meaning....the base server did get bumped from 2.53ghz to 2.66ghz, which again, for all practical purposes does nothing.

    From the perspective of doing server work, this is basically nothing at all except a form factor change, which is an added headache for no benefit.

    OK, most people don't do server work, but even the base model, is more expensive, and a slight speed bump.

    As this thing ages, those slight speed bumps keep it behind much faster pc's...if you really, really, need a computer as-squat-as-possible - I guess you found your machine.

    But this is Job's fantasy land only, and not backed by any real demand...the reason I buy a mac mini, is because Apple doesn't sell a low-cost tower...it's basically the only choice with a bring-your-own-display, whether that be your own monitor or to use with a TV as a display.






  1. lamewing

    Dedicated MacNNer

    Joined: Aug 2004

    +3
    06/15, 12:46pm | report spam | reply

    @Jonathan-Tanya

    Agreed. I also only bought our Mac Mini because it was the most inexpensive, monitor-free option Apple had. IF only Apple would produce Mac Mini "XL" that was about as wide and deep as the new Mini, but as tall as the old Mac IIci.

    At least they are still selling a small-footprint computer. The day they drop the Mini is the day I go back to my abacus.


  1. macnixer

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2006

    +2
    06/15, 12:56pm | report spam | reply

    Stupid location for the SD Card slot

    I was planning to get a Mini but the location of the SD Card slot put me off. I do not care about the optical drive as I hardly use one barring installing OS or some stupid software. I am more dependent on the Internet for everything. Do not care about blu-Ray either, use Netflix and iTunes.

    For all purposes the price is high too. I don't think I will buy this machine. I am going for a box and will try to go hackintosh now.


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