Mac Mini
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Intel-powered Mac Minis are cheaper than ever on Amazon
Apple launched a lineup of M1 machines last month, but Intel-powered Macs are still out there and remain good options if you’re looking to upgrade immediately. Amazon has a great discount on the Intel-powered Mac Mini right now that brings it down to the lowest price we’ve seen: $800 for a model with a 3GHz 8th-gen Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. This is the higher-end model of the Mac Mini, but you can also snag the base version (with a Core i3 processor and a 256GB SSD) for $550 if you prefer to spend even less.
Amazon adds Mac Minis to its cloud to assist Apple developers
Amazon is bringing the Mac Mini to the cloud for developers who want cloud-based build and test machines for any Apple device app.
Chrome for M1 Macs is available again after being pulled last night
On Tuesday, you could briefly download it before Google pulled the release later in the day. It's now available again.
The latest Mac Mini with Apple's M1 chip is discounted by $30 on Amazon
Yes, another one of Apple’s latest computers with the new M1 chip is already cheaper on Amazon. The M1-powered Mac Mini is down to $670 on Amazon, which is $30 off its normal price. While you’re able to buy one of these computers now, according to Amazon’s website, you won’t receive it until early December.
macOS Big Sur is out now
Expect a new look, along with changes to Safari, Messages and Maps.
Apple's new M1 Macs won't work with external GPUs
The spec pages for Apple's new Macs with M1 CPUs reveals something is missing -- support for eGPUs favored by some gamers and creative professionals.
Here's everything Apple announced at its M1 Mac event
The M1 chip powers the new MacBook Air, Pro and Mac mini.
Apple’s new Mac Mini with M1 starts at $699
Apple is refreshing its smallest desktop, the Mac Mini.
Apple's latest Mac Mini drops to its lowest price ever on Amazon
The Mac Mini remains the most affordable way to get a new macOS machine and now Amazon lets you get your foot in the door for even less. The entry-level Mac Mini is on sale for $669 at the online retailer, which is $100 off its normal price and a total of $130 off its launch price.
Apple's Sidecar feature only works on newer Macs
On Monday, Apple released macOS Catalina, the latest major update to its desktop operating system. Going into the update, a lot of Mac owners were excited for a feature called Sidecar. If you haven't following the development of Catalina, Sidecar allows you to use a newer iPad as a secondary display with your Mac. It's a feature that's been available on macOS through a variety of third-party apps for a couple of years now, but, as usual, Apple's ability to deeply integrate Sidecar into macOS made the feature all the more compelling. There's just one issue with Sidecar: you'll need a relatively new Mac and iPad.
What makes the Mac Mini a great computer?
When Apple released a refreshed Mac Mini last year, it had been four years since the last iteration. The 2018 update kept the same sleek unibody but included significant spec boots like an eighth-gen Intel processor and a variety of ports (ethernet, 3.5mm headphone jack, full-size HDMI, four USB-C and two USB-3.0 Type-A). The Mac Mini performs tasks quickly and is easy to customize, but also expensive to upgrade and it also lacks a dedicated GPU. Reviewer Christopher Schodt "liked the machine" but admitted that its drawbacks make it useful for only a limited number of people. He handed the 2018 model a respectable score of 80; users gave it an average score of 76.
Is the latest Mac Mini a worthy challenger?
When Engadget video producer Chris Schodt reviewed the new Mac Mini back in November, it had been four years since the previous model was released. The 2018 upgrade includes an eighth-generation Intel processor and a plethora of ports in a space gray recycled aluminum body, all of which make for a polished and flexible machine. However, Chris thought the lack of a dedicated GPU was a big miss here, particularly for the sort of pro users Apple was trying to court.
Apple dropped the price on several expensive Mac upgrades
Apple's iMac updates weren't the only changes the company made today. With less fanfare, it also lowered the cost of SSD upgrades for the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini. It lowered the cost to upgrade the 2013 Mac Pro RAM, too. These changes were first spotted by MacRumors. While they make the priciest SSD upgrades less expensive, the more reasonable upgrades -- the ones most people might actually buy -- haven't changed.
Apple makes the new Mac mini suck a little less
Apple made a lot of mistakes with the newest iteration of the Mac mini. Soldered RAM, a unimpressive lineup of processors, and the removal of some of great options that have graced previous versions like ability to configure it with as much as 2TB of storage. That last injustice has unceremoniously been corrected, albeit in a slightly different manner. Unlike the previous mini that allowed for a pair of 1TB drives to be configured, the new version has added a 2TB Fusion Drive option which brings the total price of the computer up US$100. In order to actually choose this option you'll need to select the most capable mini, which comes with a 2.8GHz i5 by default, and -- with the 2TB drive equipped -- will hit your wallet for $1,099. [via MacRumors]
Apple really doesn't want you to upgrade the Mac Mini
After the new-but-not-very-fresh iPad mini 3, the most disappointing part of Apple's recent show-and-tell was the $499 Mac mini -- the RAM is now soldered in, making it impossible to upgrade. iFixit has just revealed that the model has other user-unfriendly features as well. While access to the RAM used to be dead simple, it's now guarded by a metal cover held in place by Torx TR6 Security screws, which require an exotic tool. Adding a second hard drive is also, er, harder, since unlike past models, there's just a single SATA port (though you may be able to install a PCIe SSD). Finally, as mentioned, both the RAM and Intel Core-i5 CPU are soldered in permanently. That's not very cricket on Apple's part, considering that past Mac minis were a breeze to access and update. Still, thanks to a lack of glue and easy disassembly with the right tools, the iMac eked a passing repairability grade of 6 out of 10.
Apple updates the Mac mini line with improved hardware, $499 starting price tag
Apple today announced it was refreshing its Mac mini desktops, the first update the product line has seen in two years. The new Mac minis will include a 4th-generation Intel Core processor, Intel Iris and HD Graphics 5000, PCIe flash storage, 802.11ac WiFi, and two Thunderbolt 2 ports. Apple is billing the Mac mini as the world's most energy efficient desktop. The Mac mini is available today with a starting price tag of $499, which is $100 off the price of previous entry-level model.
Apple finally updates the Mac mini, lowers the price to $499
It wasn't too long ago that we were seeing Apple unveil its new set of iPhones, but now the Cupertino company is back for another round. Just now, at its routine iPad event, Apple has taken the time to introduce new Mac minis too, which it hadn't done since late 2012. The starting price has dropped to $499/£399 on the base model, compared to $599/£499 from previous years. Internally, Apple will be offering customization options that include fourth-generation Intel Core processors, also known as Haswell, and Intel Iris and HD Graphics 5000. In addition to that, the 2014 Mac mini is set to offer PCle-based solid-state drive options, support for 802.11ac WiFi connectivity and a pair of Thunderbolt 2 ports. Those are all the details Apple was willing to share during the presentation, but we'll be adding any additional info to this post as soon as we have it. The new Mac minis will begin shipping today -- and yes, that means you'll have OS X Yosemite to boot.
The Mac Mega
"I love my Mac mini, but it just isn't big enough" said nobody, ever. Still, this hilarious stackable Mac concept shows how crazy Apple could get if the company really wanted to. [Image credit: Jay Robinson]
I would absolutely devour this Mac mini
A delicious Apple pie made to look like a Mac mini is a culinary geek's dream come true. Add to that the fact that the lattice work on the Apple logo was done with a laser cutter, and it's something beyond fantastic. [Photo credit: Lenore Edman]
Design synergy
Not only does the original Mac mini fit perfectly inside the bottom of the G4 cube, but all the cords and rear fan are perfectly accessible from the gap in the rear. It's almost like it was planned. [Photo credit: Djenan Kozic]
