AppleInsider can also confirm that a similarly-timed makeover to the Mac mini will see the diminutive desktop adopt chipsets from NVIDIA’s MCP79 platform, as was previously implied by discoveries within the resource files a Mac OS X build train that shipped on the latest MacBooks and MacBook Pros.
In addition to sporting both a Mini DisplayPort and a Mini DVI connector, it’s now also rumored that the new Mac mini will see the addition of a FireWire 800 port and a fifth USB port, with the legacy FireWire 400 port going away. The Mini DVI connector will allow the mini to continue to cater to users who already own a display, while the Mini DisplayPort will offer support for customers of Apple’s latest LED-backlit Cinema Display.
I do think that the Mac mini will get an update, but I’m not sure I buy the bit about Apple catering “to users who already own a display.” The Mac mini itself is a compromise designed to draw Windows users to OS X. When it comes to new standards, Apple blazes forward without concern for past standards. The most recent (and the standard in question) example is the Mini DisplayPort Apple unveiled on the side of the new notebooks. While backwards-compatible with the use of adaptors, Apple limited their new shiny 24-inch display in that they can only be used with the new MacBook family. If they are marching forward with Mini DisplayPort, why the Mini DVI port on the back of the new Mini? Just toss some adaptors in the box, or have them hanging at Apple Stores and Best Buys for purchase.
Then there’s the question of how effective the Mac mini is as switching users. In my years of working with Macs, I have seen Minis used in conjunction with PCs- usually sitting atop a tower, used with a KVM switch. But far more often, I’ve seen Minis used as servers, media centers, and in computer labs- uses that Apple may not have foreseen.
The biggest draw back to the current Mini is power. The dated Intel chipset in the Mini holds it back from being a useful machines in some situations. This problem isn’t new. When the Mini was announced, it came with a low-end G4 and 256 MB of RAM. Which was really sad, even then.
Will Apple continue to market the Mac mini to people wanting to try a Mac without spending more than $1,000? Or is the Mini finally going to be the replacement for the G4 Cube– a powerful machine that will find uses all over the place and that can fit on a desk? We’ll find out Tuesday, I suppose.