Apple rolls new iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro
Lots of changes under the hoods of Apple’s pro, prosumer and entry-level desktops, while the visual aspects of these products have changed very little at all. Perhaps the biggest change in the Mac mini’s five USB ports—on the back of the unit.
As of today, all of Apple’s Mac product lines are powered by nVidia graphics solutions exclusively. As expected, the Mac mini is now built around the well regarded 9400M one-chip solution that also powers the plastic and unibody MacBooks. According to Apple COO Tim Cook:
Our flagship 24-inch iMac with twice the memory and twice the storage is now available for just $1,499. The Mac mini is not only our most affordable Mac, it’s also the world’s most energy efficient desktop computer.
Vice President of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller said:
The new Mac Pro is a significant upgrade and starts at $300 less than before. The Mac Pro features an advanced system architecture, new faster processors and our best-ever graphics options to deliver a faster, more powerful system that our professional customers are going to love.
See also:
— Apple Updates Consumer Desktop Line
— Apple Introduces New Mac Pro
— Apple cuts refurbished iMac, Mac mini prices
Likewise, the $1,199 (20″) and $1,499 (24″) iMacs are also 9400M based, though the better and best configuration still ship with discreet graphics solutions—the GT120 and GT130—while Apple’s top end prosumer desktop still tops out at 3.0.6GHz.
That said, a few things about today’s updates surprise me: 1.) the Mac Pro update is largely just the addition of Intel’s Nehalem process 2.) the iMac has gained a fourth model, but surprisingly the base price has not gone down even though Apple’s desktop sales have been in a downward spiral since at least last Fall 3.) the revised Mac mini is the most exciting thing today?!?
Further, aside the $999 plastic MacBook, which retains an original 400Mbps port, Apple has moved its entire product to FireWire 800 ports. Perhaps this move will quash rumors and innuendo that the mothership plans to phase out the connection standard it created.
What grabs you about today’s announcements?
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