14 DAY TRIAL // MacMiniColo is an Internet hosting company that has shown quite a significant amount interest in Apple's low-end desktop Mac, the mini. It is now suggesting that a new Mac mini is on the way, in a piece called "State of the Mac mini," which also offers some interesting details on the alleged technical specifications.
More specifically, Apple's Mac mini would include the company's new, standard-issue Mini DisplayPort, an increase in RAM memory up to 4GB, and a SATA Optical drive instead of ATA/IDE. MacRumors chimes in, noting that Apple's mini hasn't seen any hardware upgrades in almost a year and a half. This would indicate it is high time Apple did something about its low-end desktop computer, be it a move to discontinue the little bugger.
The source of the rumor claims that “the Mac mini will use the new Mini DisplayPort that was recently showcased on the MacBook line. This will save considerable port real estate on the back of the Mac mini,” MacMiniColo notes as a reason. Next up, RAM. While all of Apple's computers are now able to support large amounts of memory, the mini is the only one left able to go up to 3GB of maximum memory. This lacking feature is also said to be addressed with the arrival of new Mac minis.
Finally, on the optical side, Apple's new Mac mini will use a drive that supports a SATA connection, leaving the current ATA/IDE standard cable behind. “This will obviously increase performance,” says the source, “but this change offers even more benefit for those who use the Mac mini as a server.”
Apple is also said to offer customers enhanced customizability options when the new mini is out, with two SATA HDDs, eliminating the optical drive. MacRumors points out that MacMiniColo “certainly has a financial interest in the continuation of the Mac mini,” therefore it could indeed have had access to this kind of information.
What do you think, is the Mac mini being reinvented? Is this all Apple can do for the small desktop computer?