Mac mini gets Intel makeover

28 February 2006 20:24 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Apple has made the Mac mini the third computer in its offering to include the new Intel Core Duo processor.

The new model, starting at £449 will retain the same shape as before and come bundled with iLife 06, Front Row and an Apple remote.

“The new Mac mini is now up to four times faster with the Intel Core Duo”, said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

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 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 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable to 2GB.

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 Wi-Fi for 54 Mbps wireless networking, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) and a total of four USB2.0 ports, twice as many as the previous generation.

Mac mini includes 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, and now features both analogue and digital audio outputs to easily connect to a home stereo.

The new Mac mini is shipping today.

The new 1.5GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of £449 (inc. VAT), includes:

- 1.5GHz Intel Core Solo processor;
- 512MB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable up to 2GB;
- a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) drive;
- 60GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm;
- Intel GMA950 graphics processor;
- built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
- Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 BASE-T);
- four USB2.0 ports;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both
optical digital and analogue;
- DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included,
Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately); and
- the infrared Apple Remote.

The new 1.66GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of £599 (inc. VAT),
includes:

- 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
- 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable up to 2GB;
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive™ with double-layer support (DVD+R
DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
- 80GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm;
- Intel GMA950 graphics processor;
- built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
- Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 BASE-T);
- four USB2.0 ports;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both
optical digital and analogue;
- DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included,
Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately); and
- the infrared Apple Remote.

Full tags

Hardware, Desktop PCs, Apple