Apple has released the new Mac mini with Intel Core Duo processor which delivers 4 times more performance than the old IBM chips. The Mac mini starts at $599 and comes in two flavours that we’ll look into more closely.

The Mac mini comes with the Mac OS X platform that includes the Safari browser, Mail, iCal®, iChat AV and Front Row. It also comes with the iLife ‘06, a bundle of digital lifestyle applications.

Together with Front Row and the included Apple Remote one can enjoy movies, slideshows, photos and television from any location in the room.

The new Mac mini has a redesigned system which makes it 4 times as fast. The mini has a 667 MHz front side bus and 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM which is expandable up to 2GB. Apple has also included built in connectivity features such as AirPort® Extreme 802.11g WiFi for 54 mbps wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0, 4 USB ports, a DVI interface and a VGA-out adapter allowing you to connect the Mac mini to both analog and digital displays such as a television screen.

The amount of RAM is double on the new Mac mini and the problem lies in the fact that the
Graphics Accelerator’s (GMA 950) processor doesn’t have any separate video memory, which means that it literally shares its RAM with the system’s RAM. At it’s minimum it uses 64MB of memory.

Another problem is that the Mac mini has no built in modem. That will ding you another $49 for a USB version. And that’s not all. You also need to buy a keyboard, mouse, and monitor to form a complete computer.

Now the two versions of the new Mac mini are the 1.5 Ghz (Core Solo) and the 1.66 Ghz (Core Duo).

The 1.5Ghz version contains a Core Solo processor which means there is only one processor in the computer. The 1.66 Ghz Core Duo Mac mini contains two processors.

Below are the technical specifications for both versions of the new Mac mini.

1.5 Ghz Mac mini - $599

1.5 GHz Intel Core Solo processor
512MB RAM (expandable to 2GB)
DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive
60GB Serial ATA hard drive
Intel GMA950 graphics processor

1.66 Ghz Mac mini - $799

1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo processor
512 MB RAM (expandable to 2GB)
DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW all in one 8x SuperDrive
80GB Serial ATA hard drive
Intel GMA950 graphics processor

The Mac mini is definitely faster with the addition of the Intel chips. Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior VP of Worldwide Product Marketing said on the switch: “With the new Mac mini, Apple has now moved 50 percent of its entire product line to Intel within 60 days—a record transition.” But the Mac mini does end up costing $100 to $200 more than the older Mac mini.

For more information on the new Mac mini visit macworld.com and apple.com.

Technorati Tags: Gazotto, Apple, Mac, mini, Intel.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, March 5th, 2006 at 9:47 pm and is filed under Apple, Computers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.