Introducing a Server Mac mini Was a Smart Move, NPD Analyst Says

Market research firm NPD Group has been looking closely at Apple’s recent desktop sales and has come to the conclusion that introducing a $999 Mac mini Server alongside new iMac models is a very smart thing to do.

The Vice President of Industry Analysis with market research firm NPD Group, Stephen Baker, has had a chat with AppleInsider, which, based on its conversation with Baker, reveals that the new Mac mini is doing extremely well since the introduction of a Server-optimized version. Baker has reportedly told the site he is surprised by the strong performance of the Mac mini, saying that, previously, the low-end desktop was "dead in the water" in terms of sales.

Softpedia readers may remember that, in October, last year, Apple launched not only two superb, new iMac models, but also a new version of the Mac mini – the Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server. Unceremoniously introduced by the Cupertino-based electronics maker, the Server mini came alongside two other new Mac minis:

· a $599 model with a 2.26 GHz processor, a 160GB hard drive, and 2GB of RAM;
· and a $799 model with a 2.53GHz processor, a 320GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM.

On the Server side, Apple raised the price to $999, but equipped the tiny Mac mini with two 500GB hard drives (thus eliminating the optical drive), a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 4GB of RAM. The new hardware is optimized for Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server, which, not surprisingly, comes bundled with the computer at no extra charge. Prior to the release of Snow Leopard, the software alone cost a pocket-burning $999 (for the unlimited user version). The Mac mini is now the ideal solution for small businesses, NPD suggests.

"The new mini has done very well compared to what we received previously," Baker said. "I think (it was due to) Apple giving it a little bit of support and talking about it a little more. They went back and kind of reminded people it was there again."

NPD claims that desktop sales for Apple increased 74 percent year-over-year in October and November, combined with the success of the new iMacs. Baker said the new Mac mini line clearly influenced these new figures. "We definitely saw some uptick on that as well," he explained, "and it was probably a surprise for me too. " "[...] I think it's going to help it in the long term," Baker said of the Server mini. "It probably broadens the audience a little bit."