Wired.com brings word that Apple will be upgrading the Mac mini this January at Macworld 2009. They have been contacted by a corporate employee who wishes to remain anonymous.
This rumor leads us into the final weeks leading up to Macworld 2009. Wired explains that this will most likely not be Apple’s big product launch during the event, and based on the alleged announcement date, it may be used to kickoff Macworld.
Apple will launch an upgrade to its low-end desktop, the Mac Mini, at January’s Macworld Expo in San Francisco, according to an Apple corporate employee who contacted Wired.com.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous (to keep his job), could not disclose details about the Mac Mini other than its announcement date: Jan. 5, 2009. That’s the first day of Macworld Expo, where CEO Steve Jobs traditionally launches major products.
Wired believes the new Mac mini will consist of the following:
• Similar to the MacBooks, the Mac Mini will sport a silver enclosure composed of a block of aluminum.
• Some internal parts will be PVC-free, and combined with its size and low power requirements, Apple will tout this as the “greenest Mac ever.”
• For video output, the Mac Mini will use the DRM-crippled DisplayPort for connectivity, which Apple is offering to manufacturers for a no-fee license.
• It’ll have a CD-DVD slot loader (i.e. Super Drive). There will be no Blu-ray player, because Steve Jobs believes the format is a “bag of hurt.”
• It’ll ship with 2 GB of RAM, expandable to 4 GB — up from the current 1 GB, expandable to 2 GB. (The aluminum case should make expanding RAM easier than in the original Mini.)
• It’ll ship with at least a 160-GB hard drive.
• The Mac Mini will come in two options with different processor speeds: a 2.0-GHz Core 2 Duo and a 2.3-GHz Core 2 Duo (up from 1.83 GHz and 2.0 GHz).
• Like the higher-end MacBook and MacBook Pro, the 2.3-GHz Mac Mini will ship with an Nvidia video card, making this higher-end model a decent gaming device.
• The 2.0G-Hz Mac Mini will ship with an Intel video card, perhaps the GMA X3100 graphics card found in the low-end, white MacBook.
• The slower model will cost $500, and the faster model will cost $700 ($100 less than the current Mac Minis), in light of the recession.
Whether or not we agree with Wired’s speculation regarding the Mac mini’s possible specs, the rumor should be taken with a higher level of confidence as Wired is an authoritative publication with a credible track record.
Our previous reports regarding Macworld remain clear and concise. No new products or product categories are expected, more so Apple is likely to address Snow Leopard and possibly upgrade the iPhone’s storage capacities. Rumblings of the new unibody 17″ Macbook Pro have been heard, as well as new Cinema Displays making an appearance. Additionally, Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ keynote speech is reportedly scheduled and planned as usual.
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4 Comments to “New Mac Mini to be Announced on January 5th, 2009, Kick-Off Macworld?”
I’m taking this one lightly. Even if it is from Wired, I’m still taking it lightly. not saying I wouldn’t like it, or love it… just taking it lightly is all.
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Apple TV is not the same thing as Mac Mini
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oops — typo. fixed, thank you.
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It will be a Mac Nano (mac mini) with a TV connection (like Apple Tv) with a Blu Ray player for the new Full HD 1080 Apple Displays 30″ and 42″.
Macworld 09 will see the first steps of Apple into the Blu Ray era.
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