New Mac Mini released

[jonmarsh]

A significant evolution, but will not make the tweekers happy. It's about half the height of the old one, uses unibody construction, has a removable bottom cover for memory upgrades.

 

No brick anymore, power supply built in, 90% efficient. Idle operating power consumption is 10 watts. 2.44 or 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo, with 1066 MHz front side bus. No cheesy Atom processor.

 

Both Display Port and HDMI out (with audio and video), comes with a HDMI to DVI converter (including dual link); new nVidia 320M graphics (2x the last gen in performance), and easier to upgrade- removable bottom panel for memory access. Support up to 8GB.

 

Still has Firewire 800! Like the last, available in standard version with optical drive or server version with 2 HDD.

 

And I never finished installing the upgrade parts for my current one that I bought last Christmas!!

 

Wonder how hard it will be to take apart to slap a SSD in?

 

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Thanks for the info Jon!

 

[almaatakz]

I think it looks good. Better than the previous one anyway.

 

I also wonder would it take an SSD well and would it be completely silent then (or is there a fan involved soemwhere?).

 

 

 

[jonmarsh]

I expect this new model is as quiet or quieter than the old, probably like the unibody laptops they'll use the case for some aspects of cooling, which was not possible with a plastic top on the old one. I never notice fan noise from my Mac mini, but I don't play movies with it, and it's over on the side fo the room with the amps and speakers. Not six inches from my head, which is where I presume those bothered by fan noise from their mini's must keep them! ;^)

 

I'd suggest strolling into your local Apple store or Micro center and giving one a whirl.

 

For me, I think I'm putting new phone plans on hold and getting one of these instead. ;^)

 

[Phil Townsend]

They have removed the power brick and now there is live AC right into the Mac. So much for regulated DC Power Supplies...

Rats

 

[wgscott]

This is really tempting. Mine is over a year old now.

 

Two things that interest me are the HDMI and the power consumption.

 

Anyone know what the power specs are on the current (as of yesterday) mini?

(edit: 14 W vs. 10 W: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3468 )

 

Anyone know if I can use optical out to my DAC and HDMI out to my TV?

 

Currently I have to turn on my sound-system just to let the kids watch the flintstones or play spore. If I could get say Front Row to automatically put sound out via HDMI to the TV and say iTunes to use the audio toslink out without me or a 7 year old having to toggle anything, I will buy this.

 

[bottlerocket]

I'd be very surprised if you cannot get optical out to your DAC and HDMI to your TV. My Apple TV does this. Just turn the volume down on your TV and you should still have sound through your DAC. (note sure though)

 

Adding HDMI to the Mini pretty much kills the ATV I think. That's all good. The Mini is now a good platform for renting movies, viewing video, pictures, web browsing and audio playback.

 

[earflappin]

My Mini predates this new Mini by 1 month. I use a display port to HDMI connector to go to my HD plasma - works great...so now there is no need for the adaptor. To get optical out you need a special cable that plugs into the audio port and has toslink on the other end. It also works great. Personally, I'm happy I got one with an external PSU so I can experiment with a linear PSU.

 

[audiozorro]

HDMI is a nice addition

Too bad no built-in Blu-ray drive

$100 more than the previous Mac Mini

Nowadays 4GB should be the minimum standard RAM for all computers except netbooks

$500 for 8GB RAM? Yikes, that’s really taking advantage of those intimidated of doing it themselves.

There should be an option for SSD supported and warranted by Apple

Lower power consumption is great, built-in power supply perhaps a negative for sonic performance

I assume it’s very quiet and it would be great if it’s fanless or could use the heat sink designed for the Fit2-PCi

Probably a better choice than the Fit2-PCi

Glad it still has firewire

 

Now if the reliable reviews state that this is the best sounding Mac ever I may have to sing a different tune.

 

[RankStranger]

of the new mini.

looks like a bit of work to get to the HDD to swap it out. I was thinking of getting one to use as an itunes server but with the price hike and such i'm now thinking of the server version. Faster, more ram, internal storage (I need more than 500GB). Anyone got any thoughts?

 

RS

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi RS - Thanks for the iFixit link. I was wondering when that would be available.

 

[Audio_ELF]

Looking at the pictures, I would imagine it's maybe more work to get to the HDD, but the work is easier (no pallet knife needed). Just the impression I get. Easy that way to slip in a SSD and use external HDD or via Network.

 

Eloise

 

[jonmarsh]

And not that expensive from suppliers like OWC Mac sales (they carry Enterprise grade HD's and SSD's, too, I use them for all my Mac upgrade work.

 

In fact, I've still got a memory upgrade for my 2009 Mini sitting around unused that would be compatible with this one.

 

You know, I think I might want a new Mini more than a new iPhone.... ;^)

 

Be easier to get, too!

 

[audiozorro]

iPod Touch?

iPhone?

iPad?

 

best accessories?

best apps?

 

It will be interesting to read users feedback over the next few months.

 

[wgscott]

About 4 hours from now I have to drive past an Apple store. I've already concocted several independent sets of justifications for why I NEED to get one of these immediately.

 

The HDMI would allow me to get sound to my TV without having to turn on all the stereo equipment, so this alone makes me wanna get it.

 

My only concern is that the sound quality will somehow be inferior. How much should I worry about the power supply being internal, and from noise introduced via the HDMI connection to a TV?

 

[Audio_ELF]

@wgscott...

 

Just to NOT help you avoid buying the MacMini ... you could set the HDMI as the default audio output, install Pure Music and set this to HogMode via optical or USB.

 

iTunes will play via HDMI and the TV for the unconcerned listeners and for those with disserning ears you can turn the HiFi on and use Pure Music.

 

Eloise

 

[wgscott]

I thought you had already established that I lack discerning ears.

 

Instead of PureMusic, I could spend a day writing and debugging a launchd script to do the same switching...

 

[jonmarsh]

Otherwise, you should wait for others to try out the new Mini and report on their experience.

 

But unless their overall system configuration and expectations are similar, it may not be possible to really know how it will work for you until you try it.

 

Differences in DACs (both input and output), differences in video setup (cable or not, due to typical ground loop issues with cable TV providers), all these things influence the results you'll experience.

 

As I mostly use external USB or network drives, and a Firewire DAC, and bluetooth keyboard and mouse, but with the IR remote also, I have to some degree segregated systems that may conflict for I/O activity. And I use DACs with balanced outputs, and for non Firewire use an Antelope DA as a digital buffer. With a different mix of components, results might vary.

 

Still, this new Mac Mini is intriguing, worst case I relegate it to a secondary system, like in the bedroom, where with the HDMI connection and 2x graphics power, I have no concerns about it playing back full HD MKV files using PLEX (an open source media player with IR remote support and support for multiple codecs). I use PLEX on my Mac Pro, it should be fine on this newer Mac Mini, I expect. Certainly I expect a nice full range media player setup this way.

 

Would be very tempting to pick one up this weekend and pop in the memory upgrade I have sitting in a box.

 

For a high end music server, perhaps more of a crap shoot, so to speak- with the right configuration and DAC, it might work well, and I can get rid of the Display port to HDMI adapter I've used at times.

 

[wgscott]

Right now I have a 1.2 year old mini attached to my tv via miniDVI-to-DVI/HDMI cable, and to my NOVA DAC via optical toslink (which has an analog pre-amp out to the TV via RCA), so the only difference in connectivity should be that sound flows through the direct HDMI cable.

 

I just "chatted" with an Apple rep who said that having both the toslink and HDMI plugged in simultaneously should work. If plugging in the toslink killed the HDMI sound output, this would be a deal-breaker for me.

 

[DanRubin]

I have to wonder, though. Won't you need to go into Audio Midi and tell it which of the output devices (i.e., the device connected to HDMI or the device connected to Toslink) to send audio to? I think you can chose only one at a time.

 

 

 

[jonmarsh]

"It carries a number of enhancements over the existing design including a unibody design, HDMI port, and easily accessible RAM. iFixit's teardown also highlights all-new rubber dampers for isolating the fan screws, helping the Mac mini achieve significant gains toward lowering noise and vibration. Along with a brushless fan, the dampers and other features help the new Mac mini achieve reported sound levels as low as 14 dB at idle, making the diminuitive machine an unobtrusive addition to both computing setups and home theater systems."

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

"I just "chatted" with an Apple rep who said that having both the toslink and HDMI plugged in simultaneously should work. If plugging in the toslink killed the HDMI sound output, this would be a deal-breaker for me"

 

Hi wgscott - I share Dan's concern. Plus, you are likely way more qualified than the person you chatted with. I don't see how audio will be sent out to more than one device at the same time in OS X unless routing through Airtunes.

 

I hope I am wrong.

 

[wgscott]

@Chris

 

Hi wgscott - I share Dan's concern. Plus, you are likely way more qualified than the person you chatted with.

 

Yeah, it kind of reminds me of dealing with the IRS. You call 3 times and you get 3 different, mutually exclusive answers.

 

I don't see how audio will be sent out to more than one device at the same time in OS X unless routing through Airtunes.

 

I don't either, but toggling won't be the end of the world. I am more worried that plugging in the optical toslinik would prevent sound from coming through the HDMI. Toggling Audio Midi is ok. Manually unplugging an optical cable would be baaad.

 

 

 

 

 

[efstro]

Chris,

 

What is the reason the Mac Mini is not on your CASH List? Is it a technical reason or something that I missed in previous writings. It seems that all the other Apple / Mac computers are on the list.

 

Thanks,

Ed

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Ed - In the past I've aways preferred to have the keyboard and mouse built-in like a MacBook. This allows me to remove the monitor from my listening room. The Mac Pro does require a monitor but it also enables use of a Lynx or RMA sound card.

 

The Mac Mini is certainly a very good choice as well.