Apple today unveiled a completely redesigned Mac mini, featuring up to twice the graphics performance, a new HDMI port and a new SD card slot, all in an amazingly compact aluminum enclosure. Mac mini is the world’s most energy efficient desktop and starting at $699, is the most affordable way to enjoy Mac OS, iLife or Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server.
“The sleek, aluminum Mac mini packs great features, versatility and value into an elegant, amazingly compact design,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, in the press release. “With twice the graphics performance, HDMI support and industry-leading energy efficiency, customers are going to love the new Mac mini.”
Created with the unibody construction process pioneered by Apple, the new Mac mini features a compact aluminum enclosure just 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches thin. A new integrated power supply eliminates the need for an external power adapter, reducing overall system volume by 20 percent and keeping cable clutter to a minimum. A removable panel underneath provides quick access for memory expansion. Mac mini is incredibly versatile, effortlessly connecting to existing peripherals such as mice, keyboards and digital displays, while the new HDMI output connects Mac mini to an HDTV and the new SD card slot enables easy transfer of photos and videos from a digital camera.
Inside its sleek, compact enclosure, the new Mac mini includes the fastest integrated graphics processor on the market today. With 48 processing cores, the NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor delivers up to twice the graphics performance of its predecessor, making Mac mini ideal for graphics intensive applications or visually rich games. Mac mini comes standard with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 320GB hard and 2GB of RAM for $699.
With twice the graphics performance, the new Mac mini is still the world’s most energy efficient desktop. The new Mac mini reduces power consumption by an incredible 25 percent to less than 10W at idle, less than half the power required by competing systems. Mac mini meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status.** The new aluminum enclosure is highly recyclable and Mac mini uses PVC-free components and cables, contains no brominated flame retardants and features material-efficient system and packaging designs.
Mac mini comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand® which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.
Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server fulfills all the server needs of a workgroup or small business including email, calendar, file serving, Time Machine® backup, Wiki Server, Podcast Producer and more. Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server uses less than 11W of power at idle, a fraction of the power consumed in comparison to typical entry-level tower servers. Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server is faster than before with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, two 500GB hard drives now running at 7200 rpm, 4GB of RAM and supports unlimited clients for $999.
The new Mac mini is shipping today and will be available through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of US$699, includes:
• 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB of shared L2 cache
• 2GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable up to 8GB
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive
• 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet
• four USB 2.0 ports
• SD card slot
• one FireWire 800 port
• one HDMI port and one Mini DisplayPort
• HDMI to DVI video adapter
• combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack)
• combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack)
Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 8GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 500GB hard drive running at 5400 rpm, Apple Remote, Aperture 3, Final Cut Express 4, Logic Express, iWork (pre-installed), Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Apple 24 inch LED Cinema Display and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
The Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server, for a suggested retail price of $999, includes:
• 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB of shared L2 cache
• 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable up to 8GB
• two 500GB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics
• AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• Gigabit Ethernet
• four USB 2.0 ports
• SD card slot
• one FireWire 800 port
• one HDMI port and one Mini DisplayPort
• HDMI to DVI video adapter
• combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack)
• combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack)
Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 8GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, External SuperDrive, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Apple 24 inch LED Cinema Display and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Find out more about Apple’s all new unibody Mac mini here.
I really don’t like the $100 increase. It will just reinforce the thinking in the general public that Macs are overpriced.
Tisk tisk, $100 more? Wrong direction. If you are going to charge $100 more – then we need to get 4GB RAM, and maybe to the 500GB hard drive. Well at least one of those.
And I’m stuck with 2 on my MBP.
SD slot in the back = Fail
$100 price jump = Fail
Removable bottom = About Time!!
@KevinOpp:
While Apple displays are very nice, they are also quite expensive. If you are planning to get a Mac mini and don’t want to end up spending as much as on a new iMac, newegg.com has a very highly acclaimed 23″ LCD, the Acer P235Hbmid, for just $200. Smaller monitors (20″) go for as low as $110. Throw in an Apple KB/mouse (for another $100… sheesh, I would find an old white Apple KB/mouse combo on eBay), and you have a nice Mac mini setup for $1000.
eBay might have monitors under $100 but you always have to be careful buying used (buy from sellers with good feedback!). If I were to suggest a used monitor (PLEASE DON’T HATE ME), I would try to find a Dell 2005FPW. They use the same panel as the older Apple 20″ LCD and are real workhorses.
Incidentally, springing for a refurb iMac wouldn’t make a ton of sense because they use the older 9400M GPU, whereas the mini has the much faster 320M, and is only a bit slower in terms of CPU.
(Also, to mr. reeee above – what kind of dedicated GPU do you think they could fit in such a tiny enclosure?? For its size/power consumption, the mini has a VERY capable GPU.)
Glad to see some love for the Mac Mini line, but $699 is overpriced for this upgrade – they have kept the same price but improved the specs in the past – from the looks of it, $599 would have been more appropriate. Hard Drives and memory getting cheaper every day. 100 bucks for the new case, integrated power supply and sd card reader… Nothing there that would make me upset that I just bought a new Mac Mini back in March. Big psychological difference between the 5 and 6…
The Unibody may be more expensive to build than we think. It does give more interior room and that is a plus, but not one people think about. The new bottom access is great. I wonder if a Blu-Ray slot loading drive is made? If so is it thin and affordable? This may be a reason Apple does not use them. The server looks like the the truck SJ was talking about. I think they could have picked a better day to release it, at least a week after the iPhone launch.
@matt—
thanks! that’s exactly the type of info i’m looking for. i definitely respect newegg.
if anyone else feels like chiming in/adding on/subtracting from this thread, i welcome the input!
thank you, MDN readers!
Seriously feeble specs for the price.
We’re in 2010 for crying out loud. A 320Gb HD and 2Gb RAM are NOT impressive.
This new Mac mini is a JEWEL. <3 <3 <3
It’s well worth the added $100.
But if I were Apple I’d keep the old bottom line model around and drop its price to please those who worship Cheap.
“Macs are overpriced.”
Sincerely,
General Public
Why no BluRay?
(;_;) boohoo
1) Blu-Ray drives are still over-priced, needlessly adding to the cost of a Mac.
2) Blu-Ray is still not-much-of-a hit technology. DIY if you want it.
3) Apple are not in the business of perpetrating DRM crap into Mac OS X. If you read about the Blu-Ray DRM crap in Vista and 7ista it makes your hair stand on end! Thank you Apple for NOT getting involved. Let Sony take the heat.
Here in Germany the Mac mini had a steep price increase form €549 to €809 which is +47% (!).
This sure would be nice mounted in-dash in a vehicle with an iPad screen.
Not cheap, but nice. Video to the rear seats, screen sharing on iPad in the dash.
Pull up to your house and sync with your home Wi-Fi, iPad always mounted….would be cool if its 3G could tether!
For that money, I guess you could go Verizon 3G USB.
My mind wanders when I’m hungry….
Really Apple? $699?!?!?! REALLY?!?!?! I mean its not bad considering what you get, but the mini came out at $499!!, it should be $399!!!!!!!
if you want the hoards to line up and finally forsake windows completely, you need to drop the price about $300
$699 its pure INSANITY!
Looks very nice, however I’m disappointed that the entry price went up by $100. What happened to the affordable Mac mini?
Nice… but where is that 12 core Mac Pro? It is long overdue!
Fsck! I just bought a Mac Mini on Thursday!!! I’m seriously annoyed – the new one is a major leap forward. I hope they offer some of us folks ‘something’!
Nice update. You can still connect two displays… great! Too bad the low end price went up by $100, but I have a feeling the old low-end model will be available as an Apple Certified Refurb for $499 (when available), and then Apple will hopefully cut the price of the basic model back down to $599 after the holidays.
However, the server model looks like a bargain $999, even if you don’t use it as a “server.” TWO faster 500GB hard drives. Double the RAM. Faster CPU. And for those who can make use of the server features, a full copy of Snow Leopard Server (which costs $499 by itself). Well, as long as have an external optical drive you can connect to it, when needed.
I hope the HDMI port carries audio, since it is actually an HDMI port and not a converted Mini DisplayPort. Since the newest MacBooks support audio even on Mini DisplayPort converted to HDMI, I’m sure these actual HDMI port will have audio.
The SD card slot is an interesting addition. If you put an 16GB or larger card in there and installed a minimal Snow Leopard on it, would it be bootable? That would make for a convenient emergency and maintenance startup volume.
I wonder if OWC and the rest will now make new wider versions of their stackable “zero foot print” hard drive enclosures. The old case was barely wide enough for a 3.5-inch hard drive, so this new wider 7.7-inch size should make it easier.
@ Synthmeister:
HDMI is indeed in the autumn of its short reign, because it sucks by any objective technical measure. HDMI 1.4 does not bring it up to the capability of DisplayPort 1.2.
Remember, HDMI = DVI plus a kludge of add-ons, wrapped in a cable with crappy terminals. Think Microsoft-style “engineering”.
DisplayPort is a complete packet transfer technology that was designed from day one to handle extremely high definition video as well as control signals, etc. with a cable termination that actually works well. It is the future. For the Mac Mini to offer HDMI is an abomination.
In Europe is a NONSENSE. With 4 gb of ram and 500 gb of Hard disk is more expensive than the iMac witch bring the 21 inch screen, the keyboard, the mouse and one faster processor…
I dont understand this!!
The only way this makes sence is if they either come out with a cheaper one, or drop the price in a week. soak the first adopters.
my guess is this will be the poorest selling mini EVAR!
I do like the server mini with 2 hdds wish they shipped with a standard OS as an option, and no one needs optical drives anymore..
in a world of $199 mini PCs
APPLE YOU NEED #TO WAKEUP!
I understand you want to sell more mobile devices, and you are afraid of stealing market share from yourself which makes 0 sense.
maintaining your premium brand look and appeal can be done while selling a $399 desktop… dont worry at three ninety nine you are still double the cheaper PCs.
Help me help you. the $699 is too much money. mini should come with 4GB and a 500GB, and/or an even better VGA card. or again unless you have a mac nano up your sleeve… something is WRONG! – I like and want the mini, but i will not pay that price. PERIOD… I will just buy a used machine.. too rich for my blood..
you HAVE to consider the hundreds of millions of people that are unemployed, or poor. remember the middle class… ?? its gone. if you care SOOOOOOO much about making the best tech and getting it into peeps hands then lower the freakin price….
STEVE!
If you folks want $300 computers, why not build a Linux box? You can ALWAYS find less expensive computer options — it doesn’t matter what brand you buy, its hardware spec will be superseded in less than a year anyway.
I rather like the fact that Apple refuses to produce disposable junk. No, this isn’t a high-power graphics workstation, but it appears to be a solidly built and attractive unit that could win spousal approval for a living room location. Unlike big plastic cheapie PCs, a Mac Mini could live as a home media server for a very long time with little or no maintenance or headache. $700 isn’t cheap, but it’s a durable investment, vastly better than any windows box.
Be happy that Apple hasn’t completely pulled out of the consumer market, because Dell demonstrates how elusive profits are at the low end.
@ tt: VGA??? you have to be kidding.
WHERE’S THE NEW MAC PRO?