Daniel Eran Dilger
The new Mac mini ships in a box that's about the same size around as the previous model, but much thinner. In fact, the new box is smaller than the box a lot of software media used to ship in.
Despite being a little more than an inch wider and deeper, Apple fits the new Mac mini into the same profile as the previous box by using a snug fit that packs the computer and its single AC power cable, documents, and an HDMI to DVI adapter with little room for dead air.
As detailed in Friday's first look new Mac mini is the same size around as Apple TV and Time Capsule, and like both of those earlier products, packs its power supply inside the case for a brick-free design.
Aimed at easy to use, appliance-like convenience
Also like Apple TV, the new mini trades away a custom mini-DVI port for HDMI, which supplies the same video output with additional support for audio, making the new Mac mini as living room-savvy as Apple TV (although it's considerably more expensive for such an application).
The new design also gives up one of the USB ports the former Mac mini offered, but provides a convenient SD Card slot in its place.
The new aluminum shell of the Mac mini creates a strong, precision design similar to the company's MacBook Pro lineup. It leaves previous Mac mini models feeling and looking plastic and cheap.
Easy to open
Functionally, the new design makes parts easier to access. Rather than having to peel way the rubber backing to access screws (like Apple TV) or use a putty knife to pop off the top case (like earlier minis), the new design uses a twist off plastic lid to expose access to RAM. Full access requires tools, but is still much easier to disassemble than previous minis.
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53 Comments
God, the new Mac mini is such a gorgeous piece of engineering. It's a shame Apple's steep profit margins have the whole thing priced nearly $200 higher than it really ought to be.
I think the new mini looks nice. The price increase this time is probably strategic. That gives them two opportunities to drop the price by $50 instead of adding new features at the next upgrade cycle. Apple needs that space in case CPU/hard disk bumps are not cost effective for them around the time of the next upgrade cycle.
they're nice, yes. but you still have a full OSX Mac to maintain (and tweak). so the Mini remains a hobbyist's media center, not a consumer product.
just about everyone has figured out by now that what consumers really need is instead AppleTV running the iOS, plus putting iTunes in the cloud. but being stubborn, Jobs is just not going to unveil this until the annual September iPod refresh.
They could have made this tiny machine with out a milled shel for the case. Or simply made the top case milled with the bottom being a separate piece. That fact that they went this route convinces that they are planning to use this basic footprint design for other products. it's just seems too cost prohibitive not to.
God, the new Mac mini is such a gorgeous piece of engineering. It's a shame Apple's steep profit margins have the whole thing priced nearly $200 higher than it really ought to be.
Do you think that Apple has increased its net profit by $100 over the last model and $200 since the first model or that the "gorgeous [...] engineering" may be somewhat responsible for the price increase?
I like this new Mini, probably won't buy one. I think it needs some more specialized software before you can call it an Apple TV replacement unless they want to count Boxee, but Apple really ought to do their own thing, and I hope they do soon - then a lot more people will be interested, myself included.
What I'd really like to see is HDMI on Mac laptops. All my friends will show videos they find on the internet to each other on the TV in the living room on their Windows Laptops with HDMI. That's BS, Macs should have that, too. Now that they've started releasing computers with HDMI I hope they spread the love.
Also, I know Apple doesn't want to compete on features since OS X is their main feature (and it's a big one), but HDMI, Blu ray and flash on the iPhone are useful and in demand. I hope they begin to move in this direction. My next laptop or computer wishlist is: Blu ray, HDMI, Open CL video card, Quad Core, and USB3 or light peak.