14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is now selling its most affordable Mac ever at $499 / €519, the lowest price point ever on a brand new (non-refurbished) Mac. At least in the United States, the price is identical to that of the iPad Air 2.
Announced yesterday at the Town Hall media gathering for the unveiling of the iPad Air 2, a new version of the Mac mini is now available for general consumption at just $499 in the US and €519 in the EU. While EU customers are forced to pay premium for the system, US buyers will pay as little as they would if they opted for the iPad Air 2.
4th-gen Intel Core, 90% faster graphics, Thunderbolt 2
Mac mini now ships with fourth-generation Intel Core processors and 90% faster integrated graphics, according to the Cupertino company. Wi-Fi now sits at 802.11ac (5G) and the mini desktop computer sports Thunderbolt 2 connectors.
“Intel HD Graphics 5000 and Intel Iris Graphics deliver up to 90 percent faster graphics performance than the previous generation,” according to Apple’s press release. The system ships with OS X Yosemite pre-installed.
“People love Mac mini. It’s a great first Mac or addition to your home network, and the new Mac mini is a nice upgrade packed into an incredibly compact design,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With the latest CPU and graphics, faster Wi-Fi, two Thunderbolt 2 ports, OS X Yosemite, and starting at just $499, the new Mac mini is the best value ever.”
Starting recently, Apple has been bundling iLife and iWork apps with every new Mac. Buyers of the new Mac mini will be getting iMovie, GarageBand, and the suite of iWork apps (Pages, Keynote, Numbers) free of charge. All these apps have been redesigned to fit the new flat style of Yosemite.
Server axed
In updating the Mac mini, Apple discontinued the Server configuration that used to sell at a similar price point but offered more storage capacity. However, with the new specs on the Mac mini and just $19.99 / €17.99 to pay for OS X Server, there’s no reason not to opt for the new one.
Configurations and pricing
Mac mini is available starting today and comes in three standard configurations. According to Apple, these are:
1.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz, 4GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 5000 and a 500GB hard drive
2.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz, 8GB of RAM, Intel Iris Graphics and a 1TB hard drive
2.8 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz, 8GB of RAM, Intel Iris Graphics and a 1TB Fusion Drive