Apple did not spend a lot of time on the Mac mini, but its fans must be really glad that the mini is finally getting some upgrade love from Apple. The new model gets Intel’s 4th generation processor (including faster integrated graphics), WiFi AC and a price cut to $499.
The PCIe flash-based drive mention during the keynote probably had some users raise an eyebrow because while it is fast, it’s not really the stuff that gets you the best storage per dollar, which is important for DYI home-theater boxes etc.
But looking at the details, the base configuration comes with a regular 500GB 5400rpm drive, but can be upgraded to a 1TB Fusion drive. The more expensive models can be configured with up to 1TB of flash storage, but for an extra… $800. 256GB and 512GB of SSD storage are also available options, so the storage cost can be tweaked somewhat, although picky users are probably better off with upgrading a base version with a 3rd party drive.
Apple also mentioned adding Thunderbolt ports (2), which is nice for folks who want to use the mini as a small Desktop computer. In terms of compute power, the base version comes with a Dual-Core Intel i5 (1.4GHz), which is great for home theater use, but more muscles can be added with a Core i7 at 2.7GHz. There are a wide array of possible combinations to pick from.
Overall, the processor remains the main highlight of the upgrade. Since Intel’s 4th generation Core processor is much more power-efficient in stand-by mode, this should make a big difference to those to have a computer ON at all times.
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