Apple Computer's CEO Steve Jobs introduced a range of new products at yesterday's MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. The most interesting was the Mac mini, a small form factor Apple desktop computer that can be balanced on the palm of your hand and which costs less than an iPod Photo. The system is available in two base configurations but comes without a display, keyboard or mouse, so it's useless out of the box. Regardless of which model you opt for, you'll get an entry-level ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with just 32MB of SDRAM, slot-loading CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive, one FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports, a DVI interface that also supports VGA so you can connect to a variety of LCD or CRT displays as well as a television with the right connection cables, 10/100Base-T Ethernet (Gigabit Ethernet not supported), V.92 modem for Internet access, and a built-in mono speaker. Unfortunately, Bluetooth, 802.11b Wi-Fi and a DVD recorder are optional extras, and there's no built-in TV tuner, but compromises had to be made in order to achieve such a tempting price.
Pros: Low price; small, compact and attractive design
Cons: No display, keyboard, mouse, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or DVD recorder
Edited Release: Apple has introduced Mac mini, the most affordable and compact Mac ever. Starting at just $499, Mac mini is the ideal desktop computer for anyone looking to get started with Mac OS X and features iLife '05, the latest version of Apple's innovative suite of software for managing digital photo and music collections, editing movies and creating music. Just two-inches tall and weighing only 2.9 pounds, Mac mini redefines design for the sub-$1,000 desktop.
'Starting at just $499, Mac mini is the most affordable way to enjoy Mac OS X and iLife,' said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. 'Just plug in your display, keyboard and mouse and you've got an incredibly compact Mac for a price that almost anyone can afford.'
Every Mac mini includes iLife '05, which was introduced today, and is the must-have upgrade to Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications with major new versions of iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and GarageBand. iLife '05 also features the latest version of iTunes, the world's best digital music jukebox software which includes the iTunes Music Store, the world's number one online music store.
Mac mini offers the processing and graphics performance to take advantage of demanding consumer applications with either a 1.25GHz or 1.42GHz PowerPC G4 processor and ATI Radeon 9200 graphics with 32MB of dedicated DDR memory. Both models come with a slot-load Combo drive for watching DVD movies and burning CDs, and up to an 80GB hard drive for storing digital media creations.
Mac mini includes one FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports for easy plug-and-play connections to popular peripherals such as Apple's market-leading iPod digital music player, digital still cameras, digital video camcorders and printers. Mac mini offers a DVI interface that also supports VGA so customers can easily connect to a variety of LCD or CRT displays. The new Mac mini includes built-in 10/100Base-T Ethernet and a 56K V.92 modem for easy Internet access, and offers optional support for an AirPort Extreme Card for 54Mbit/s 802.11g fast wireless networking along with an internal Bluetooth module for the latest in wireless communications.
Mac OS X version 10.3 'Panther' is pre-installed on every Mac mini and delivers breakthrough features including iChat AV desktop video conferencing, Mail, Safari Web browser, Sherlock, Address Book, QuickTime, iSync, iCal, DVD Player and the Classic environment. Mac mini also comes with a collection of outstanding productivity and entertainment titles designed to meet the needs of the entire family, including Quicken 2005 for Mac, Nanosaur 2 and MarbleBlast Gold.
Mac mini will be available in the US on Saturday, January 22 and worldwide on Saturday, January 29 through the
Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers in two standard configurations.
The 1.25GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $499 (US), includes:
* 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processor;
* 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable to 1GB;
* 40GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
* Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
* ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with 32MB video memory;
* One FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports;
* 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet networking and 56K V.92 modem;
* Internal support for AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth;
* DVI or VGA out (adapter included), composite/S-video out with optional adapter; and
* Built-in speaker and headphone/line out.
The 1.42GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $599 (US), includes:
* 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 processor;
* 256MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable to 1GB;
* 80GB Ultra ATA hard drive;
* Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
* ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with 32MB video memory;
* One FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports;
* 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet networking and 56K V.92 modem;
* Internal support for AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth;
* DVI or VGA out (adapter included), composite/S-video out with optional adapter; and
* Built-in speaker and headphone/line out.
Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 1GB of RAM, SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW), AirPort Extreme Card, internal Bluetooth module, wired or wireless Apple Keyboard and Apple Mouse and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Mac mini is also available to education customers in the US and Canada through the Apple Store for Education at
www.apple.com/education/store or by calling an Apple education sales representative at 800-800-APPL.
