Apple today introduced Mac mini, the most affordable and compact Mac ever. Starting at just $499, Mac mini is the ideal desktop computer for anyone looking to get started with Mac O X and features iLife ’05, the latest version of Apple’s innovative suite of software for managing digital photo and music collections, editing movies and creating music. Just two-inches tall and weighing only 2.9 pounds, Mac mini redefines design for the sub-$1,000 desktop.
“Starting at just $499, Mac mini is the most affordable way to enjoy Mac OS X and iLife,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO in the press release. “Just plug in your display, keyboard and mouse and you’ve got an incredibly compact Mac for a price that almost anyone can afford.”
Every Mac mini includes iLife ’05, which was introduced today, and is the must-have upgrade to Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications with major new versions of iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and GarageBand. iLife ’05 also features the latest version of iTunes, the world’s best digital music jukebox software which includes the iTunes Music Store, the world’s number one online music store.
Mac mini offers the processing and graphics performance to take advantage of demanding consumer applications with either a 1.25 GHz or 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 processor and ATI Radeon 9200 graphics with 32MB of dedicated DDR memory. Both models come with a slot-load Combo drive for watching DVD movies and burning CDs, and up to an 80GB hard drive for storing digital media creations.
Mac mini includes one FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports for easy plug- and-play connections to popular peripherals such as Apple’s market-leading iPod digital music player, digital still cameras, digital video camcorders and printers. Mac mini offers a DVI interface that also supports VGA so customers can easily connect to a variety of LCD or CRT displays. The new Mac mini includes built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet and a 56K V.92 modem for easy Internet access, and offers optional support for an AirPort Extreme Card for 54 Mbps 802.11g fast wireless networking* along with an internal Bluetooth module for the latest in wireless communications.
Mac OS X version 10.3 “Panther” is pre-installed on every Mac mini and delivers breakthrough features including iChat AV desktop video conferencing, Mail, Safari web browser, Sherlock, Address Book, QuickTime, iSync, iCal, DVD Player and the Classic environment. Mac mini also comes with a collection of outstanding productivity and entertainment titles designed to meet the needs of the entire family, including Quicken 2005 for Mac, Nanosaur 2 and MarbleBlast Gold.
Mac mini will be available in the US on Saturday, January 22 and worldwide on Saturday, January 29 through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers in two standard configurations.
The 1.25 GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $499 (US), includes:
– 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processor
– 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable to 1GB
– 40GB Ultra ATA hard drive
– Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive
– ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with 32MB video memory
– One FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports
– 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet networking and 56K V.92 modem
– Internal support for AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth
– DVI or VGA out (adapter included), composite/S-video out with optional adapter
– Built-in speaker and headphone/line out.
The 1.42 GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $599 (US), includes:
– 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 processor
– 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable to 1GB
– 80GB Ultra ATA hard drive
– Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive
– ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with 32MB video memory
– One FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports
– 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet networking and 56K V.92 modem
– Internal support for AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth
– DVI or VGA out (adapter included), composite/S-video out with optional adapter
– Built-in speaker and headphone/line out
Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 1GB of RAM, SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW), AirPort Extreme Card, internal Bluetooth module, wired or wireless Apple Keyboard and Apple Mouse and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Mac mini is also available to education customers in the US and Canada through the Apple Store for Education at http://www.apple.com/education/store or by calling an Apple education sales representative at 800-800-APPL.
See Apple’s new Mac mini here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
‘$500 Headless Mac’ might lure Windows users to the superior Mac OS X – January 11, 2005
Apple vs. Microsoft rivalry heats up again – January 10, 2005
Bill Palmer: ‘Headless Mac’ a phony rumor that doesn’t exist – January 08, 2005
Tastes great! Less filling!
YES!!!!!!!
“Two headless Macs to go, please! Micro-size ’em!”
Hell Yeah!! Finally, an inexpensive (‘but not cheap’) Mac that PC users can see themselves buying.
Apple is going to sell a $h!_load of these!
The new Mac mini, along with the new iPod shuffle, iLife ’05 and iWork, is going to help Apple have a great 2005!
Magic Word: ‘volume’. As in, ‘Apple should sell a huge ‘volume’ of these things! Woo Hoo!
It’s hard to believe that EVERYTHING that was rumored (just about) came to pass. I have never seen such a feature-packed MWSF.
Mac fans, of course will find nits to pick on. BUT
* The Mac mini at $499.
* The iPod shuffle at $99.
* Keynote and Pages at $79.
WOW!
No wonder my magic word is VERY.
Hot, hot, hot. An “expensive” replacement for my DVD player on my TV. A perfect replacement for my dead iMac, which was used for a server previously for tunes and photos and my DVD player, to be connected to my TV.
i wonder how if there are one or two memory slots? Usually Apple rip you off for extra RAM. I’m wondering how easy it is to expand the memory to 1GB yourself. Anyone likely to know? I couldn’t see anything on apple.com about it
It’s like the Cube, revisited!
The only thing I dislike is the external Power supply. why? I have so many of those behinf my desk its not funny.
But great for media server plus its the same price as upgrading my cube with a new processor and graphics card. Of course I would have liked 64mg of grafx memory, but hey, its $500
I should be ashamed that I’m so happy about this product. But I’m not, so there! I’m ordering three asap!!!!
THANK YOU APPLE!!!
(magic word: addition
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Can’t wait to see what Bill Palmer($499 mac is a hoax) says about his being completely and utterly WRONG. Hehehe
Hee hee! I know it’s immature of me, but I can’t help but imagine the looks on the faces of certain individuals. You know the ones. The ones that said that the cheap headless Mac WOULD NOT HAPPEN!! That it DID NOT EXIST!!
This thing is brilliant.
Anybody else notice you can buy an adapter to hook it up to a regular television? Can anybody say “Media Center” in disguise?
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!
This is what the Mac was SUPPOSED to be.. AFFORDABLE
Everybody got what they wanted. Stock should go back up again. Mac mini looks good. iPod shuffle looks great. iWorks not so impressive. I have to see more.
OT
What’s with the Napster ad, MDN?
I know ads pay the bills and I’m as appreciative of irony as the next guy, but WTF?
it will be a flop.
no keyboard. no monitor. no mouse. too expensive. no one will want one. except for bill palmer. dude, I almost feel sorry for the guy
The Mac mini is so small, it could fit snugly atop my 20″ iMac G5 base. Wow.
can you chain these things for a Mini super computer?
Friggin! *&^$% Apple! I just bought a 1.0 G4 tower for 900 bucks. Good luck selling that one now!!
You’d think they would call a brotha before dropping news like this!!
magic word: “Genius”.
wazzup with the stock price today though? Definitely a “buy on the rumor, sell on the news” kinda day.
Won’t take long for these to put up some big numbers….prepare to laugh at the ugly responses from Dull, HP and E-machines…hahahahahaha.
Hope Apple can make them fast enough…
Apple is brilliant once again with an even harder hitting stab at those virus-filled Wintel boxes. The Mac mini’s tiny size is very non-threatening, and people aren’t stuck with extra peripherals. It is very easy for people to imagine themselves unplugging the old beast and plugging a Mac in its place; not much more difficult than replacing the toaster.
Apple doesn’t need cool marketing, they have cool products.
A decent speced machine at a decent price. Apple will sell a tonne of them. Now I dont want to hear any bitching about what it hasn’t got.
Right, wheres Bill Palmer at?
What I like is their description on the Apple site…finally taking direct pot shots at Dell and Windows (without using their names of course).
eaxit– I was not aware that Apple sold 1 Ghz G4 towers anymore.
Hooray for Apple!
I’m getting Mac mini with an iPod shuffel as soon as I can cash my check!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> ( And once the Apple Store webpage is useable again) 😀
Re:Robot
As soon as Users can get their hands on them, they’ll figure out how to upgrade the mini. MacWorld Magazine usually provides info on upgrades and modifications. Stay Tuned! 😀
“i wonder how if there are one or two memory slots? Usually Apple rip you off for extra RAM. I’m wondering how easy it is to expand the memory to 1GB yourself. Anyone likely to know? I couldn’t see anything on apple.com about it”