14 DAY TRIAL // Some very anticipated hardware upgrades are still expected to come out of Cupertino, with Apple’s WWDC10 being entirely focused on iPhone 4 and iOS 4. Although it will do little to ease the pain for those eagerly waiting to see beefed-up Mac mini configurations, Apple’s Special Deals section is featuring a powerful version of the low-end desktop computer for $849.
It shouldn’t be too big of a surprise if Apple leaves the mini aside for yet another six months, in order to focus on beefing up systems that haven’t seen any upgrades for well over a year now, such as the MacBook Air. Last time Apple gave the mini a revision was in October 2009, when the company threw in more memory, NVIDIA 9400M graphics, bigger hard drives, as well as a new version lacking the optical drive in favor of an additional, 500GB hard drive. This computer was named “Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server” and it was priced at $999.
Apple’s Deals section is now featuring a Refurbished Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo for $849, saving you $150 on the purchase of a computer that is specifically designed to be a server. It boasts 4GB of standard memory, dual 500GB hard drives, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics with 256MB of memory and comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server preinstalled. Also worth mentioning as key features are the built-in 802.11n wireless and the ports: five USB 2.0 (up to 480 Mbps) ports; one mini-DVI output; one VGA output (using optional adapter); one Mini DisplayPort.
A Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo priced at $929 is also available now from Apple’s Deals area. It features a 13.3-inch, LED-backlit, glossy widescreen display, 2GB of memory, a 160GB hard drive, the 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW), an SD card slot, Apple’s built-in seven-hour battery, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, an illuminated keyboard and built-in iSight camera.
About Apple refurbished products
Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process, prior to being offered for sale. They are returned under Apple's Return and Refund Policies. While only some units are brought back because of technical issues, all of them undergo the company's rigorous quality-refurbishment process. Service and support include 90 days of telephone support and a one-year warranty. You have the option of purchasing an AppleCare Protection Plan for your refurb, while shipping is free in the US.