Apple has announced a very small update to the Mac mini. It will be available with 4th-gen Intel Core processors (Haswell) for the first time and come with Intel Iris and HD Graphics 5000. The minor change to the Mac mini came towards the end of Apple's iPad Air 2 launch event, where the company also announced the first Retina iMac.
The updated Mac mini will also use PCIe-based flash storage and comes with 802.11ac Wi-Fi. There are also two Thunderbolt ports for better connectivity. Apple said it was the world's most "energy efficient desktop". The new Mac mini the design of the previous Mac mini, launched in 2012.
Apple has also shaved £100 off the price. The new Mac mini starts at £399, with the base-price for the previous Mac mini set at £499. As with all new Macs the Mac mini comes with OS X Yosemite.
The Mac mini is available starting today and comes in three models. The cheapest model costs £399 and comes with a 1.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.7 GHz, 4GB of memory, Intel HD Graphics 5000 and a 500GB hard drive.
Next up is the 2.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 8GB of memory, Intel Iris Graphics and a 1TB hard drive, which costs £569. The final version has a 2.8 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 8GB of memory, Intel Iris Graphics and a 1TB Fusion Drive for £799.
"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 £399, the new Mac mini is the best value ever."
