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Apple unveils Mac mini with Intel

Written by Philip Roy

Wednesday, 01 March 2006

Apple today unveiled the new Mac mini with the Intel Core Duo processor, delivering performance up to four times faster than its predecessor and providing even greater expansion in the same innovative and incredibly compact design.*

Starting at just $1,199 (incl GST), the Mac mini features the Apple Remote and Front Row so you can play your music, enjoy your photo slideshows, watch your DVDs, iMovies, music videos and television shows from across the room.

"With the new Mac mini, Apple has now moved 50 percent of its entire product line to Intel within 60 days--a record transition," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "The new Mac mini is now up to four times faster with the Intel Core Duo, includes even greater expansion in the same incredibly compact design, and is the most affordable way to enjoy Front Row and iLife '06."

Featuring the next generation of Apple's breakthrough Front Row media experience, the new Mac mini gives customers a simple way to enjoy their digital lifestyle content on the Mac mini including music, photos and videos from across the room using the Apple Remote. With the latest version of Front Row, customers can now effortlessly access shared iTunes® playlists, iPhoto® libraries and video throughout their home via Bonjour(TM), 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 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable to 2GB. With the latest high-performance connectivity options, 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 WiFi for fast 54 Mbps wireless networking**, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) and a total of four USB 2.0 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 analog and digital audio outputs to easily connect to a home stereo.

The new Mac mini includes iLife '06, the next generation of Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring major new versions of iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD®, GarageBand(TM) and introducing iWeb(TM), a new iLife application that makes it super-easy to create amazing websites with photos, blogs and Podcasts and publish them on .Mac for viewing by anyone on the Internet with just a single click. All the iLife '06 applications are Universal applications that run natively on the new Intel-based Mac mini for maximum performance.

Every new Mac mini comes with the latest release of the world's most advanced operating system, Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger" including Safari(TM), Mail, iCal®, iChat AV and Front Row, running natively. Mac OS X Tiger includes an innovative software translation technology called Rosetta(TM) that lets customers run most Mac OS X PowerPC applications seamlessly.***

Pricing & Availability

The new Mac mini is available to order today and will be available through Apple Authorised Resellers.

The new 1.5 GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $1,199 (incl GST), includes:

• 1.5 GHz Intel Core Solo processor;
• 512MB of 667 MHz 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 USB 2.0 ports;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately); and the infrared Apple Remote.

The new 1.66 GHz Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $1,579 (incl GST), includes:

• 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
• 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable up to 2GB;
• a slot-load 8x SuperDrive(TM) 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 USB 2.0 ports;
• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
• DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately); and the infrared Apple Remote.

Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, 80GB, 100GB and 120GB Serial ATA hard drives, iWork '06 (pre-installed), AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme Base Station, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Apple Wireless Mouse, Apple USB Modem and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

* Based on estimated results of industry-standard SPECint and SPECfp rate tests. SPEC is a registered trademark of Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC); see http://www.apple.com/macmini for more information. ** Actual speed will vary based on range from the base station, environmental conditions and other factors. *** See http://www.apple.com/rosetta/ for information on Rosetta supported Apple software. Contact the manufacturer directly for 3rd party software.

[Update 1]NZ pricing and image added