Stop the Presses: MAC MINI UPDATED!! Only 1.4" Tall!!

[Kaido]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/15/apple-updates-mac-mini/



Specs:

* Starts at $699
* 1.4" tall
* Aluminum unibody
* HDMI & Mini DisplayPort jacks
* NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics
* 2.4ghz Core 2 Duo CPU
* Up to 8GB RAM
* SD reader
* 802.11n WIFI
* Optional 2nd HDD (in place of DVD burner)
* Snow Leopard Server optionally available
* 25% reduced power consumption - less than 10 watts at idle

 

[umrigar]

stupid price increase.

should be LESS, not MORE.

 

[Phobic9]

stupid price increase.

should be LESS, not MORE.

Agreed. I could use the increased power though. Guess I need to look into selling my current mini.

 

[Kaido]

This would be pimp with the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and Apple Magic Trackpad (whenever they officially release it).

 

[Kaido]

stupid price increase.

should be LESS, not MORE.

Seriously...$100 more for what, a low-end video card instead of an integrated one? Bleh. Guess they gotta hike up the price so as not to compete with the iPad

 

[Kaido]

Agreed. I could use the increased power though. Guess I need to look into selling my current mini.

Yeah...it's actually a viable computer now. I wish it had at least an i3 if not an i5 for $699, but a 2.4ghz C2D chip in a form factor that small is nothing to sneer at. I'll start recommending Mac Minis again...pair this with 4 or 8gb RAM and one of those 500gb Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drives, and you've got a pretty mean little machine!

Although, I just built my in-laws an 8-core Hackintosh for around $700 (X58 board, i7-920 chip, 4GB DDR3, 1TB HDD, DVD burner, 7200GS), so if you don't need the small form factor, you can get a lot more power for around the same price. But now the form factor is even more appealing...no noise, no space requirements, looks uber cool on your desk...even though it's more pricey for what you get, the sex appeal is hard to ignore. Curse you, Apple product designers!

 

[Emulex]

yeah now you must build better clones to make them as small! go!

 

[Kaido]

yeah now you must build better clones to make them as small! go!

Haha...my last CPU cooler was bigger than the Mini:

http://www.clunk.org.uk/images/articles/dfi/lanparty-cooler/RIMG0115-sm.jpg

 

[Emulex]

yeah i'm waiting for a google-tv device - maybe they'll port xbmc to that and all will be good.

 

[jalaram]

The refurb store should be getting some models soon hopefully.

 

[Bl0cks]

Damn, that thing is as big as my dvd drive

 

[Kaido]

that thing is as big as my dvd drive

It really does look like an AppleTV with a DVD drive. I can't believe they made it so small! Although, I'm still holding out for a Boxee Box in November...I don't need a $699 computer just to play movies on

 

[Phobic9]

It really does look like an AppleTV with a DVD drive. I can't believe they made it so small! Although, I'm still holding out for a Boxee Box in November...I don't need a $699 computer just to play movies on

Any word if the Boxee Box will be able to play 1080p MKVs without stuttering unlike my current Mac Mini?

 

[KeithP]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/15/apple-updates-mac-mini/



Specs:

* Starts at $699
* 1.4" tall
* Aluminum unibody
* HDMI & Mini DisplayPort jacks
* NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics
* 2.4ghz Core 2 Duo CPU
* Up to 8GB RAM
* SD reader
* 802.11n WIFI
* Optional 2nd HDD (in place of DVD burner)
* Snow Leopard Server optionally available
* 25% reduced power consumption - less than 10 watts at idle

That is not correct from what I can see. You can order the server version for $999 which deletes the optical in favor of a second HD, among other things, but you can't BTO the base mini in that way.

I don't understand how making this thing smaller than it already was adds any practical value. In fact, it would make more sense to make to make the mini somewhat larger to allow for a larger, less expensive 3.5" hard drive and better video options.

This just screams "it looks cool, just buy it and please ignore the actual computing hardware that you are getting for the price."

No doubt, the typical Apple buyer will snap it up in droves.

-KeithP

 

[Kaido]

That is not correct from what I can see. You can order the server version for $999 which deletes the optical in favor of a second HD, among other things, but you can't BTO the base mini in that way.

That's what I meant by optional - you can optionally get the dual-HDD model. Semantics ftw

I think that makes a pretty mean little server...I mean...that'd be killer for small businesses. Just throw a PBX for VOIP on there and all of your communications are covered!

I don't understand how making this thing smaller than it already was adds any practical value. In fact, it would make more sense to make to make the mini somewhat larger to allow for a larger, less expensive 3.5" hard drive and better video options.

The Mini isn't about value, it's about neato. So it's adding more neato to the device :awe:

 

[Kaido]

Any word if the Boxee Box will be able to play 1080p MKVs without stuttering unlike my current Mac Mini?

Yup. It has the Tegra 2 chip - handles 1080p like a champ. Just not available until November

 

[Patranus]

Images FTW

Looks smaller than an external optical drive.

 

[mmntech]

So I guess Apple considers the iPad it's new entry level system. At that price, you might as well splurge and spend the extra $200 on a Macbook.

 

[Patranus]

I don't know how my next HTPC wont be this.

Oh wait, it doesn't have blu-ray.

 

[PricklyPete]

maybe not the best deal...but a quality form factor...don't have a need for this right now...but I like it.

 

[Zaap]

Meh. $700 for 2008 vintage specs?

Are people becoming midgets or something? Is space such a premium for people that smaller size is all that matters for 'desktop' systems? So Apple just uses smaller and smaller sizes to disguise how lagging behing their specs are? Come on, it's long past time this was at least an i3 or an i5.

The thing could be twice as tall -still be more svelte than the original-and not really take up any more space. Then maybe they'd have room for more modern specs.

The HDMI port is a welcome addition.

 

[Kadarin]

I already have a mini that's about 8 months old and is working well, so I don't have a compelling reason to upgrade. The HDMI is nice, but right now like everyone else I'm working with an adapter + optical audio out.

 

[mugs]

I'd really rather have the old size, maybe even a little bigger, and a door on the bottom for RAM upgrades.

 

[dawks]

What does "Support for Apple iPhone headset with microphone" on the specs page mean?

 

[Patranus]

What does "Support for Apple iPhone headset with microphone" on the specs page mean?

Apple once made a bluetooth headset.