AppleInsider Staff![](\"https://photos2.insidercdn.com/imac-core-duo-shot.jpg\")
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 compact design.
"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. “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 Front Row media experience, the new Mac mini gives customers a simple way to enjoy their digital lifestyle content on the computer, 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 also 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. The compact computers also pack 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. The system also features both analog and digital audio outputs to easily connect to a home stereo.
Each 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 the new 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, Apple said.
Pricing & Availability
?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:
The new 1.66 GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $799 (US), includes:
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.
The new Mac mini line is also available to education customers in the US and Canada through the Apple Store for Education.
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781 Comments
It looks like the chipset reserves 64MB of main memory for use with the Intel built-in graphics hardware. This is probably not going to be a World of Warcraft speed demon by any stretch of the imagination.
GMA950 Graphics albeit with some dedicated memory, no included consumer word processor, and its more expensive. It has a lot of cool new features, but it's not something I'd want to buy.
BAD.
People buying the mini don't want 4x the speed for almost twice the price. They want maybe 2x the speed for the same price.
PC users are looking for shitbox bargains.
This is a problem I have with the mini. It solved a problem no one had. Why artificially constrain it to using laptop parts which are slower and more expensive just so it looks "cool" because it's so small?
IDIOTS. Make it a little bigger and cheaper. And perhaps a third model that is slower, or something, anything, to get the cost back to the magic $499.
No wonder stock went down. They just don't get it. Same with the iPod Hi Fi. Good idea perhaps, but that's a kind of pricey boombox.
I'll be buying when they are back to under that magic $499. Remember $479 edu pricing everyone? Can't wait till it gets back to that. Well I hope it does.
GMA950 Graphics albeit with some dedicated memory
The GMA does not have any dedicated memory. It uses a minimum of 80 MB of system RAM, according to Apple's spec. page.
BAD.
People buying the mini don't want 4x the speed for almost twice the price. They want maybe 2x the speed for the same price.
PC users are looking for shitbox bargains.
This is a problem I have with the mini. It solved a problem no one had. Why artificially constrain it to using laptop parts which are slower and more expensive just so it looks "cool" because it's so small?
IDIOTS. Make it a little bigger and cheaper. And perhaps a third model that is slower, or something, anything, to get the cost back to the magic $499.
No wonder stock went down. They just don't get it. Same with the iPod Hi Fi. Good idea perhaps, but that's a kind of pricey boombox.
I'll be buying when they are back to under that magic $499. Remember $479 edu pricing everyone? Can't wait till it gets back to that. Well I hope it does.
Apple is all about coolness and innovation. Unfortunately that also causes them to miss the big picture sometimes. Apple really needs two brand names: The innovative and Stylish Apple and something a little more conservative and practical that still delivers what Apple as a company has to offer.