The Mac mini is an oddball. Some people view it as the “ Starter Mac,” (fueled by Apple’s BYODKM concept) while others use the tiny desktops as servers. The unit has fans all over the place (myself included), but Apple hasn’t updated the machine since August 2007. It is the only Mac left with 802.11g instead of 802.11n. This has lead to many people claiming the Mac mini was dead or dying.
However, in the last few weeks, rumors have been popping up across the Internet that the Mac mini is about to get a refresh. Macenstein has posted two images of the next-generation Mac mini. Fake or not, I think they’re close. Apple’s new “unibody” construction system would work well on the Mac mini, which is now comprised of two major parts- the outer case, and the guts, which are built on the foot. Having everything built into the case would not only allow for a smaller Mac mini, it would be far stronger- right now, the top can flex with weight on top of the unit.
Apple has already claimed their products are all going to get the new Mini Display Port in the future. And since the Mac mini is basically a Macbook under the hood, one can hope the new desktops will receive the new graphics subsystem powering the new family of notebooks.
I guess we’ll find out when Steve Phil Schiller takes the stage in a few weeks at Macworld.