June 16, 2010 – Apple announced a completely redesigned Mac Mini that features a sleek aluminum unibody in an even more compact size at just 7.7″ square and 1.4″ thin. It has a new integrated power supply that eliminates the need for the large external power adaptor which helps to reduce cable clutter. The bottom panel is removable for quick and easy access to expand memory and comes with either a 2.4GHz or 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
What’s really impressive about the new Mac Mini is its graphics capabilities. It features an NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics processor that delivers up to twice the graphics performance of its predecessor, making it ideal for graphics intensive applications or visually rich games. In addition to its Mini DisplayPort connection, the Mac Mini features an HDMI port for connection to your HDTV and supports resolutions up to 1920 x 1200. In the past if you wanted to connect your Mac to the HDMI port of your TV you needed a video adaptor and a set of audio cables for sound. Well this HDMI port also supports multichannel audio which eliminates the need for the audio cables making for a cleaner home theater PC install. Throw in a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and you’re ready to surf the web, send email, play games or watch HD movies from the comfort of your couch.
The Mac Mini has an 8x slot-loading SuperDrive that will read and write DVDs and CDs as well as play movie DVDs but unfortunately it does not support Blu-ray discs. Blu-ray support would have been an awesome feature to add, but I think Apple really sees the future being downloadable or streaming HD content that isn’t reliant on proprietary hardware players.
As with all new Macs, the Mini comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife ’09 which includes GarageBand, iMovie, iWeb and iPhoto. To make it a little easier to manage you photos and videos, Apple added a built-in SD card reader to the Mac Mini that is located on the back panel.
The new Mac Mini is available now through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 2.4GHz model with 2GB or RAM (expandable to 8GB) and 320GB hard drive starts at $699. The 2.66GHz model with 4GB of RAM (expandable to 8GB), 2 – 500GB 7200 rpm hard drives and Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server is available for $999. There are many build-to-order options available so check out the Apple Store to customize your Mini.
Images courtesy of Apple.
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Founder of Current Photographer, co-host of The Digital Photography Cafe Show, Designer, Photographer, and overall tech geek.