New Mac Mini Announced! [MERGED]

[Serif]

The new Mac Mini Server looks like a bargain relative to the client version, at least here in the UK. If you spec both with the 2.66 GHz processor, select 8 GB of memory and increase the base model disc size to 500 GB you're actually paying slightly more for a machine with a superdrive in place of a second 7200 RPM 500 GB drive. Plus the ungraded 500 GB drive on the base model would still only be 5400 RPM.

Given that I already have an external superdrive (which can be ordered as an option for £65) and a spare copy of Snow Leopard client, I'm very tempted to buy one of the server models for desktop use and maybe striping the drives for improved performance (yes, I have a NAS for backups )

 

[icecone]

So it is $100 more expensive then the prior cheaper model. But notice something.

1. Only one base model now with higher specs, instead of 2 (I am not including the server here). you just choose the components.
2. HDMI, card slot (although being on the back may be a litte awkward if you were to use it heavily), faster graphics, larger processor, larger hard drive as standard.
3. Includes the HDMI to DVI adapter, instead of having to buy one.
4. you can now upgrade your own memory up to 8gb
5. They kept firewire (something people on this site complain about heavily)
6. Someone on this post said they cut out one of the USB ports? Picture on Apple's site shows 4 and my wife's 2008 mac mini has 4.


Can't wait for the store to be back up (if you click on anything to order, it still says we will be back soon) so I can see what it will be BTO.

Of course the only thing I worry about with a device that small is everything being crammed in, thus cutting the air flow. Would be worried about heat. Of course if it had SSD drives then the heat would be lower. I guess you can always get a netbook cooling bad and stick it on top of one. I keep my macbook (now a desktop thanks to my ipad) on top of a cooling bad and it never feels warm. Just make sure your fans blow upward. I had one that sucked downward and it did nothing for keeping the machine cool...

The previous gen Mac mini has 5 USB

 

[dave61]

Correct me if my calculations are wrong in this table, but it's a drastic step to move from ~7% to nearer 17%.

That's a really good illustration. 10% is a big change and I don't think the factors that I quoted account for the whole difference. It will be interesting to see whether the higher differential is maintained on more product refreshes.

 

[laclists]

About no FullHD

You're right. I missed it when first read the techspecs:

HDMI port with support for up to 1920-by-1200 resolution

FullHD is 1980x1080, so probably it does 1080p.

 

[icecone]

Store went back down again....

To lower the price after Steve read our comments?

 

[MacEmu]

Deleted

 

[Queso]

Considering the UK pound has dropped double it's value in the last 2 years, I guess it's pretty fair.

That sentence doesn't even make sense. If the UK Pound had dropped double its value it would now be -£1 to $2

25-30% drop against most currencies since 2007, but with the British economy growing again and the BoE no longer diluting the currency via quantitative easing the Pound is more likely to rise against Euro and Dollar than to fall. I have a feeling here that Apple are treating the Pound as symbiotic to the Euro in the same way the Danish Kroner is, when this simply isn't the case.

If Apple reflect this pricing structure across the Mac range as they update models they'll have to start closing UK Apple Stores. Brits have woken up to being ripped off over the years. We no longer put up with it.

 

[Kebabselector]

I'm in the US, I get the post it note

You right, I do now!

Maybe they're correcting the obviously bad pricing mistakes

 

[TheAshMan]

Agreed.

Apple have lost my attention until they include blu ray drives in their machines.

If this thing had Blu-Ray I would buy it in a minute. I bet a lot of people would.

 

[TallManNY]

To make it clear:
700 USD = 570 Euro

809 Euro = 990 USD

Please, all Europeans keep in mind that you have a VAT which goes into the price of your stuff before you buy. In the U.S. we have a much smaller sales tax which goes on after the quoted price.

So the Mini is really $700 + 8.5% sales tax (for those of us in NY) = $760. Use that number to compare "apples to apples". Then take into account that Apple has to charge you the VAT. That money goes to your government and you "get it back". So take Apple's price and drop it by your VAT (about 20% in most countries, right?) Of course, doing both adjustments doesn't quite make sense, but you have to take them into account. No one is buying a Mini in the U.S. for $700. And Apple is never going to get 809 Euros from selling a Mini in Europe.

I think Apple always quotes high over seas by a bit to make sure they don't get screwed by an adverse currency change.

 

[solipsism]

Can you still install Windows (bootcamp, none of this virtualization crap) with the Mac Mini Server? Either through usb stick/cd drive.

Also where is the IR port?

It's not listed on any of the pages but there is one pic with a CD sticking out that shows the IR port is on the right side of the ODD.

They want to sell you the IR remote control so it seemed odd not to include an IR port.

 

[Hattig]

So a small form factor is worth almost double its value a few years ago?

It's $499 to $699, so it's only 40% more expensive, not 100%, and that's over five years - inflation has been a total of ~9% in total since 2005 (http://inflationdata.com/inflation/inflation_rate/CurrentInflation.asp), so it would be priced at $549 these days anyway, i.e., inflation adjusted the new Mac Mini is around 28% more expensive than the original Mac Mini.

Can't blame Apple for the drop in relative value of Sterling or the Euro.

You can blame them for not pricing it at the fairer £599 instead of £649. £599 - VAT in US$ is $750, a far fairer markup.

 

[Anuba]

The previous gen Mac mini has 5 USB

Right, which was the oddest thing ever. Apart from being an odd number, too. The smallest Mac had more USB ports than any other Mac, including the Mac Pro. Removing one of them = A) mathematical coherence, and B) justice.

 

[Jelite]

£649, How about **** off.

 

[alent1234]

on second thought if you compare this with WinTel it's a nice price. At Best Buy the cheapest PC with a decent graphics chip other than integrated Intel is like $650. on HP.com it's $689 for a Pavilion PC with a 512MB graphics. Add in Windows 7 Ultimate to make the software easier to compare and it's $879.

same as always. PC you get more power, but with Apple its a smaller footprint and more power efficient which will cost the same in the long run

 

[wizzerandchips]

One of the best industrial designs out of Apple in years.

agreed, I think the concept behind the mac mini was great, such a lovely little thing, just a bit over priced if you ask me, always thought this would convert PC users over to mac, utilising there existing screens, but never really did, did it ?

 

[CFreymarc]

That's a beautiful case.

And I bet was taken out of the WWDC keynote last week since it already ran two hours.

This is a sleek new design that I'm sure will move a lot of units. The SD card in the back reminds me of a low access storage unit to hold DRM keys.

 

[Wolffie]

What is this?

IN the tech specs it reads

Support for Apple iPhone headset with microphone

Is this the old bluetooth or something yet to come?

 

[Anghammarad]

If this thing had Blu-Ray I would buy it in a minute. I bet a lot of people would.

I would in fact get two.

 

[boomish]

I don't get all the goodbye ATV posts , if all I want is to stream movies and pictures why would I buy the new !ac mini which is 6 times more than I paid for my ATV? I have an iMac and an iPad so just use the ATV to show my movies which it does nicely streaming from my iMac whilst backing up all my photo's on to the ATV. Sure I'd like it to be faster but that's about it..

What's the advantage of this to replace the ATV? I don't stream films bigger than 7GB and everything works fine. I've no need for MKV as I want all my films in iTunes. besides if I want I can buy an inexpensive MKV player or just use my PS3.
Looks nice tho as a replacement desktop I'd love to replace my daughters ageing G5 I gave her some time ago when I got my Mac Pro..but a Macbook looks better value.

 

[Poll Smoker]

And I bet was taken out of the WWDC keynote last week since it already ran four hours.

Yeah, that's why it wasn't included.

 

[wizzerandchips]

£649, How about **** off.

LOL, you have to love the british sense of humour. Shall we invade scotland again, im bored.

 

[Atkins]

First the price has gone up, so it isn't the same price.

Yes, but this can be due to a lot of stuff - the smaller enclosure, the economy etc.

Pretty much all their models have gone up in price from what they once were.

What I was talking about was that overall the prices are going down. Instead of G4 you know get a Core2Duo.

Second, with everyone else you get better specs for less.

Good for them. But for me there is a reason to buy Apple - reliability, best support out there, great design and MacOSX. Also depends on the computers - IMO the iMac is not expensive at all compared to other all-in-ones out there. The Mac Pro too - when you take in account the server grade stuff in it.

Just pointing out the facts, not criticizing. Apple's business model is working great for them.

No problem at all, just discussing

 

[iSamurai]

To lower the price after Steve read our comments?

no, to jack up the prices in the US so other countries' stores won't look so bad The Australian store went back online awhile ago while the US store is still down. No price change.

 

[galstaph]

nice, looks good as always,

the store in Canada is still down... wonder if the mac pro will be updated too.....

btw does this mean apple tv is going... this mini looks like the perfect remote access home theatre pc.....