On Tuesday, Apple introduced the Mac mini, a diminutively sized and fully capable desktop computer that starts at only $499. The Mac mini is available with either a 1.25 GHz or 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 processor and comes with 256MB of DDR SDRAM (upgradeable to 1GB), a 40GB or 80GB Ultra ATA hard drive and an ATI Radeon 9200 processor with 32MB of dedicated DDR video memory. Both configurations also include a slot-load Combo drive, One FireWire 400 port, two USB 2.0 ports, 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet networking and a 56K modem. Additional options include, up to 1GB of RAM, SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme Card, and internal Bluetooth module.
The new Mac mini is also BYODKM (bring your own display, keyboard and mouse) and will work with most USB keyboards and mice (including three-button mice). The Mac mini supports any display that has a DVI or VGA connector at resolutions up to 1920 by 1200 for DVI and 1920 by 1080 VGA. Users can simply use their existing Mac or PC peripherals with the Mac mini.
The Mac mini comes loaded with the latest version of OS X and the newly introduced iLife suite of digital media applications. It’s 1.25GHz or 1.42GHz G4 processor makes it a very respectable machine capable of running the thousands of available OS X software titles.
While Apple touts the new Mac as being ideal for anyone looking to get started with Mac OS X, the small size and capabilities of the Mini make it a perfect solution for a Mac based home or mobile media center. The physical size of the Mac mini is 6.5″ deep by 6.5″ wide by 2″ tall, a perfect size for in-car installation – stay tuned!
