Today Apple (s aapl) revealed an updated and more powerful version of its compact desktop computer, the Mac mini.
The improved device, which prior to today’s new iteration saw an update back in October of last year, now boasts a unibody aluminium case. The new casing is said to be 20 percent smaller than the previous Mac mini, yet despite this new model being more compact, the refreshed computer also manages to house the power supply internally. Apple also revealed that the new Mac mini is 25 percent more power efficient than previous models, with the device now using less than 10W while idle — a feat which, according to Apple, now makes the Mac mini the world’s most energy-efficient desktop computer.
A basic new Mac mini now starts from a base price of $699, with the standard configuration getting you a 320GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics chip, and an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz processor. If you are in need of a more powerful machine, Apple also has a higher spec configuration on offer: The $999 model will get you a 500GB hard drive, 4GB of RAM, and a 2.66GHZ chip.
Both $699 and $999 models have an integrated SD card reader, four USB ports and an HDMI-out port, a Mini DisplayPort jack and 802.11n Wi-Fi. Both of the new models can also be upgraded due to an easy access panel on the bottom of the device.
The updated Mac Mini is available now from the Apple Online Store.
