Apple today unveiled the new Mac mini with the Intel Core Duo processor, delivering performance up to four times faster than its predecessor and providing even greater expansion in the same innovative and incredibly compact design.* Starting at just $599, the Mac mini is the most affordable way to enjoy iLife ’06, the next generation of Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, and features the Apple Remote and Front Row so you can play your music, enjoy your photo slideshows, watch your DVDs, iMovies, music videos and television shows from across the room.
“With the new Mac mini, Apple has now moved 50 percent of its entire product line to Intel within 60 days—a record transition,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing in the press release. “The new Mac mini is now up to four times faster with the Intel Core Duo, includes even greater expansion in the same incredibly compact design, and is the most affordable way to enjoy Front Row and iLife ‘06.”
Featuring the next generation of Apple’s breakthrough Front Row media experience, the new Mac mini gives customers a simple way to enjoy their digital lifestyle content on the Mac mini including music, photos and videos from across the room using the Apple Remote. With the latest version of Front Row, customers can now effortlessly access shared iTunes playlists, iPhoto libraries and video throughout their home via Bonjour, Apple’s zero configuration wireless networking built into Mac OS X.
The new Mac mini offers a completely new system architecture for performance up to four times as fast as the previous Mac mini, including a 667 MHz front-side bus and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable to 2GB. With the latest high-performance connectivity options, every new Mac mini now includes built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11g WiFi for fast 54 Mbps wireless networking, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) and a total of four USB 2.0 ports, twice as many as the previous generation. Mac mini includes a DVI interface and a VGA-out adapter to easily connect to a variety of displays, including many of today’s most popular flat panel televisions, and now features both analog and digital audio outputs to easily connect to a home stereo.
The new Mac mini includes iLife ‘06, the next generation of Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring major new versions of iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand and introducing iWeb, a new iLife application that makes it super-easy to create amazing websites with photos, blogs and Podcasts and publish them on .Mac for viewing by anyone on the Internet with just a single click. All the iLife ‘06 applications are Universal applications that run natively on the new Intel-based Mac mini for maximum performance.
Every new Mac mini comes with the latest release of the world’s most advanced operating system, Mac OS X version 10.4 “Tiger” including Safari, Mail, iCal, iChat AV and Front Row, running natively. Mac OS X Tiger includes an innovative software translation technology called Rosetta that lets customers run most Mac OS X PowerPC applications seamlessly.
The new Mac mini is shipping today and will be available through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The new 1.5 GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $599 (US), includes:
• 1.5 GHz Intel Core Solo processor
• 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable up to 2GB
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) drive
• 60GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• Intel GMA950 graphics processor
• built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 BASE-T)
• four USB 2.0 ports
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog
• DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately)
• Infrared Apple Remote.
The new 1.66 GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $799 (US), includes:
• 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo processor
• 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable up to 2GB
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive™ with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• 80GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• Intel GMA950 graphics processor
• built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 BASE-T)
• four USB 2.0 ports
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog
• DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately)
• Infrared Apple Remote.
Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, 80GB, 100GB and 120GB Serial ATA hard drives, iWork ’06 (pre-installed), AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme Base Station, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Apple Wireless Mouse, Apple USB Modem and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
See the new Mac mini here.
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Related MacDailyNews article:
Old Apple Mac mini G4 vs. new Mac mini’s graphics and video specs – February 28, 2006
realist:
what step backwards did they make? name one?
the video is better so that doesnt count…
Remember all the whining and complaining about the orignal iPod, the iMac G5, the iPod mini, the iPod nano…
Of course not! We’re all Kool-aid-drinking Mac zealots who never have the slightest criticism for Apple! All the complaining above is just joking around!
(Sorry, but a recent spate of “If Apple did [some stupid crap their competitors did], you zealots would all support it” posts has rubbed me the wrong way. Todays comments have disproved that about a million times over!)
I don’t think gamers should, in general, be using Macs.
this sucks! i wanted to buy a cheap mac for people who have no use for bluetooth, no use for airport and no use what so ever for anything faster than 1.25Ghz, guess i’ll have to hurry and pick one of the old ones up.
This is really dissapointing apple!
John and Mike,
In the technology world, everything moves forward. It is always getting better, faster, and cheaper. It’s quite obvious this machine would have technologically better parts than its predecessor, but that’s not the question. The debate is about whether the parts in the mini have improved at the same rate as the rest of technology. Comparing technology in one system to an older system is not that useful if you’re going to completely ignore how technology in general has changed.
Nick:
You obviously did NOT read my post becasue I didnt provide any lame excuses… it comes down to this…
The video in the new mini is better than the old one.
Any other stupid remarks you want to make?
“When someone came on this board and said that the price Apple pays for powerPC processors is/was cheaper, sometimes half the price of equivalent intel processors, most people laughed. I haven’t been able to find out how much Apple pays for the PPC’s because neither IBM not Apple has released anything, but seeing how the machines aren’t getting any cheaper, haven’t added any features, have lost some features, and the only change has been the processor, I’m tempted to think he was right.”
I’ve read many times before that the PowerPC was cheaper to produce. It’s cheaper, because the PowerPC is less complex to manufacture, I believe. It was the people from the PC camp who thought that going Intel meant going cheaper, because everything PC is cheap, right? PowerPC was a very cost effective chip. Those damn PC journalists!
thanks for answering my question before I asked it guys!
the new mini supports core image! yay!
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that was the only thing preventing me from buying the G4 mini!.
good god, all this bitching about integrated video is pissing me off. AFAIAC, integrated video is good for 420p, 720p, and even 1080p, as the ram required for throughput can be leveraged up to 224megs! If you’re bitching about losing that to system memory, I wonder how you run photoshop while you’re running a 720p mpeg-2 stream. Maybe you’re just too cool for the mini.
going to the apple store right now!… wait is it there yet?
“(Sorry, but a recent spate of “If Apple did [some stupid crap their competitors did], you zealots would all support it” posts has rubbed me the wrong way. Todays comments have disproved that about a million times over!)”
That is because these critical comments are not being made by the zealots. Once these rational minds get bored with this site and leave, the zealots come back in full force.
Additionally, you’re also kind of implicating yourself as a zealot by once again defending all things Apple.
I wonder if this chipset allows for hardware accelerated H.264???? Also, could this box run a Plazma at 1080P? If it can, there are some compeling uses for this little box. (altho it feels like an interim product to be sure)
$600 – $800 isn’t bad for the computer, not great either, but Apple seems to be really pushing this for the living room. For there it’s too expensive. I was hoping I could put this next to my TV, and just use it for media viewing and streaming. But it’s too expensive just for that. People don’t want a full fledged computer for their living room. I’m not going to edit movies, surf the web, shop, email, quicken, garage band, iphoto (editing), ichat, write letters, write exams, solve complex math problems, etc., on the TV.
I agree with others, that for a computer, the imac is a much better deal.
There is a logical explanation for the integrated video…
Apple is obviously trying to market the mini as a media center… Using integrated video is the only way to keep costs at $600 yet still allow the graphics engine to use as much Ram as needed for HD video content…
Movies are the next step for Apple folks.. And hi-def movies require alot of RAM.. Apple is certainly not going to include a 256 mb graphics card and still keep the price at $600… Integrated video with shared Ram was the solution…
How can anyone in their right mind think that this is not a worthy upgrade over yesterday’s G4 MacMini??
For the same reason the same people screamed and bitched when the original Mac mini was introduced!
“Oh, it’s sooooo slow!”
“I can’t play games with this!”
“Photoshop won’t run worth crap!”
Get it through your thick skulls, people! This is an ENTRY LEVEL MAC. If you care about speed, this is not for you! If you care about graphics power, this is not for you! Sure, people come up with all kinds of innovative uses for this tiny computer, but that’s all beyond Apple original target market: beginning non-techie Mac users.
I bought an original Mac mini for my terrified-of-computers aunt. I could never use it — it’s too slow for me. But she loves it! For her needs, it’s perfect! She doesn’t need speed, it’s easy to use, and it doesn’t take up much space on her office table!
My only worry here is the $100 bump in price. That could scare off part of their target market, which often looks for the cheapest deal. But if the $500 model wasn’t selling well anyway, there’s little to lose — plus we might see a price drop later.
b says “People don’t want a full fledged computer for their living room. I’m not going to edit movies, surf the web, shop, email, quicken, garage band, iphoto (editing), ichat, write letters, write exams, solve complex math problems, etc., on the TV.”
Why not? If you’ve got a hi-def tv.. I think a Mac Mini would be ideal.. Especially with a wireless bluetooth keyboard on the coffee table..
Imagine going to the iTMS to buy a movie or a tv show, switch on front row and begin viewing immediately on a 42″ hi-def LCD tv.. Brilliant
Additionally, you’re also kind of implicating yourself as a zealot by once again defending all things Apple.
Heh? How am I “defending all things” Apple by pointing out that, yes indeed, Apple fans will criticize the company?
I’m not completely satisfied with this new mini. I think it’s $100 too expensive. There, am I cool now?
Mike,
That would be nice, but only if I had two living rooms, each with it’s own 42″ hi def TV and so my wife could watch TV in the other living room. She definitely isn’t interested in watching me surf the mac web.
The pricing on the mini is all psychological..
Nothing is more expensive.. In fact you are getting a heck of alot more today than you did yesterday for the same price point of $599..
The only thing that has changed is Apple took away the $499 entry level model which did not include bluetooth and airport… Partly because Apple is now targeting the mini as a media center and partly because the $499 model did not sell well.. The best selling g4 mini was the $599 model..
B,
I’m not talking about surfing the web although it certainly is an option, I’m talking about shopping the iTMS for a movie or tv show from your sofa and then bam…. switch to front row and begin watching..
There are so many possibilities with the mac mini and front row hooked up to your living room hi-def tv!
b:
Sounds like a personal problem.
really what in the world does you not being able to afford or have space for or whatever 2 tvs have to do with ANYTHING that relates to the mini?? wtf is wrong with peoples heads?
TT,
It’s no problem for me, I’m not going to buy one.
Mike,
my point is that it’s expensive for doing that. Not that you wouldn’t want to do that. And you can do that if you like.
Sheesh. No wonder Apple stock is dropping.
—
Huh? Typical for an event like this. You must be joking.. they just announced a billion songs sold and a 78% share for iPods..
MAYBE THATS THE REASON THE STOCK IS DROPPING!
See? See how easy it is to spout nonsense?
Buy on hype, sell on arrival, remember? You should have sold shares just before the event. How many times have you had to learn this?
The 1.5Ghz Core Solo model actually slower than the old 1.25Ghz G4 at running non-universal binaries. Apple could have gone with the Core Duo, since it costs $32 more.
The graphics performance is the worst you can get in a new computer, and causes the Mac mini to have less memory than it used to. TT’s mother even told me so.
Hardly anyone is going to need the wireless that they are paying $100 for. It’s a desktop computer.
Once you add a display, keyboard and mouse, you might as well spend a few hundred more for the WAY better iMac.
1. Smoking processor twice as fast
2. Faster Ram
3. iLife 06
4. Front Row
5. Bluetooth 2.0 (standard)
6. Airport wireless (standard)
7. Gigabit ethernet
8. Digital audio in and out
9. DVI out for HDTV (media center)
10. Apple Remote
—
THANK YOU!
Seriously you geeks are so bitter and negative. Look what Thurrott says: “Intel-based Mac mini comes with $100 price hike” .. That’s the headline. As if there’s no actual NEW FEATURES. The things like 4 times faster and you cheap bastards are whining about $100? A HUNDRED BUCKS?! Amazing.
Look.. no one worrying about HDTV is allowed to bitch about A HUNDRED BUCKS.. LOOK AT ALL THE FEATURES!