Apple refreshes Mac mini, now with Core 2 Duo

While we certainly had a fairly solid idea that Apple would be unveiling a new breed of iMacs and a snazzy new set of keys, you can color us mildly surprised to see a Mac mini refresh thrown in for good measure. Available today, the newly revamped minis arrive in two basic configurations, the first of which includes a 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo, 1GB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive for $599, while $200 more will buy you a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, the same 1GB of RAM, and a 120GB hard drive. Both units come with Front Row and an Apple Remote, iLife '08, OS X 10.4, a DVI-to-VGA adapter, and the same cute box we've come to know and love. Those looking to CTO can toss in an extra gigabyte of RAM, bump the HDD to 160GB, and throw in one of those oh-so-sexy keyboards while you're at it. Best of all, they're slated to ship within 24 hours.

[FuturePastNow Posted Aug 7th 2007 4:39PM]

I think the mini would have been better served by a price drop than a weak update.

[digitizedsociety Posted Aug 7th 2007 4:58PM]

if the iMac is now metal and black.. the iPhone is metal and black.. and they just refreshed the mac mini why isnt the mac mini metal and black?!?! odd.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 7th 2007 6:17PM]

What is the time cutoff for being able to return a just purchased (superceded) mac, is it 2 weeks?

[teradome Posted Aug 7th 2007 8:21PM]

How is it with 1080p downloads? The early Intel minis would skip even with the 720p trailers.

[Olivier Posted Aug 8th 2007 4:11AM]

If my MacBook Core2Duo 2Ghz can play TWO 1080p videos at the same time without maxing out the CPUs.
I don't think this Mac mini will even break a sweat.
My old G4 1.4 Ghz mini can barely handle 480p h264. Computing has come a long way in just a couple of years.
Too bad Macs don't have proper keyboard navigation like Windows and Linux. I'm moving away from Mac OS slowly but surely

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 8th 2007 11:04AM]

"If my MacBook Core2Duo 2Ghz can play TWO 1080p videos at the same time without maxing out the CPUs. "

Sure, "if" it could. Trouble is it can't. Playing "some" 1080p video doesn't mean it can play all 1080p, and if yours is playing 2 concurrently, which I seriously doubt, it must be very easy source material.

Mac minis couldn't play 720p for me, but after I upgraded the processors to 2.33 Core 2's they could. Trouble is that the fan noise is now obtrusive. The MB 2.16 I just set up appears to play the same 720p video OK but I didn't require it to upscale. I would question the 2.0 version's ability.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 7th 2007 6:31PM]

You think that the GMA950 isn't impressive? How about that shitty combo drive?? DIE ALREADY.

Nobody needs combo drives... that is so 2001.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 8th 2007 3:13PM]

Yeah, no kidding.

iLife '08 comes with every Mac! "Quickly create a Hollywood style disc with iDVD"

wait...

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 7th 2007 6:47PM]

The refreshed Mini comes with free iLife '08, correct?

The new $599 model would be a great deal if they upgraded the integrated graphics and it came with a free upgrade to Leopard.

I've been trying to talk to Apple reps, but some were unaware of the new iMacs and refreshed Mini's. Does anyone know- and have proof- if the new systems released today will come with a free upgrade to Leopard?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 7th 2007 7:24PM]

What does "CTO" mean in the original post?

"...Those looking to CTO can toss in an extra gigabyte of RAM..."

Please pardon my ignorance.

[iPadKing of Tablets Posted Aug 7th 2007 8:59PM]

CTO = Custom-built To Order

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 7th 2007 7:41PM]

So...Napa, not Santa Rosa? :(

[Foo Bar Posted Aug 7th 2007 11:42PM]

The robots are getting smarter.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 8th 2007 1:32AM]

So it looks like we found the source of the worlds spam filled emails.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 21st 2007 10:23PM]

That HP is about twice the size of the Mac Mini in every direction (making it 8 times the size). If your really looking for something in that size range there are a handful of Mini-PCs out there.

Here's a couple of examples:

No O/S: http://www.globalcomputer.com/applications/searchtools/configdetails.asp?Base=3142891

WinXP: http://www.targacomputers.com/config.asp?config_id=CHINOOK

When I configure them comparable to the Mac Mini, the Mac looks like a better deal (and I don't know if they're as quiet).

[jackg058 Posted Aug 8th 2007 12:37PM]

I am an owner of a Mac Mini, spec'd with the 1.66Ghz Core Duo, upgraded with 2GB memory, 80GB HDD, all else standard. Let me just say to those who are dissing the Intel GMA 950 graphics, and the device itself, that I personally love the system. It is quiet, and believe it or not, capable of playing World of Warcraft without any noticeable lag. I just purchased a Toshiba laptop with an AMD Turion 64, 2GB of memory, and onboard ATI X1200 graphics which comes with Vista Home Premium, and I was told right off the bat that this won't run in a useable fashion anyway, WOW. Better specs on my laptop yet because of the pig OS it won't run the game. The Mini has served me well and I have never regretted its purchase. Just my two cents, and this comes from an OS X and Vista user. Oh, and with Parallels running I also use XP Pro on the Mini. Sweet!

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 9th 2007 1:57AM]

what is the functional difference between the video card in the new mac mini (intel core 2 duo) and the new iMac ? the function i'm concerned about is video editing.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 14th 2007 4:53AM]

Oh dear! This is a pathetic update for a dead system. Only Apple can get away with selling laptop technology of years gone by (11g, GMA 950?????) as a "desktop" computer and expect people to applaud. Better luck next time!