Apple updates iMac, Mac Pro and Mac Mini

Robert Hallock 3 Mar, 2009 at 10:10am ET Article published in Tech

The rumors were true, and Apple was indeed planning to refresh their complete line of desktop models! Here’s a cut straight from the PR:

Apple® today announced updates to its iMac® and Mac® mini desktop lines, including a 24-inch iMac that is priced more affordably than ever before and a Mac mini with powerful new integrated graphics. For the same $1,499 price as the previous generation 20-inch iMac, the new 24-inch iMac delivers a 30 percent larger display, twice the memory and twice the storage.

Apple® today introduced the new Mac® Pro using Intel “Nehalem” Xeon processors and a next-generation system architecture to deliver up to twice the performance of the previous generation system.* The new Mac Pro starts at $2,499 and features the latest graphics technology and an updated interior that makes expansion even easier than before.

Still interested? Hit the jump for itemized lists of the eight new entries to Apple’s product lineup.

Mac Pro

The new octo-core Mac Pro, with a $3,299 USD MSRP, includes:

Two 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500
6GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120
640GB 7200RPM SATA-II HDD
18x SuperDrive (DL DVD±R/W)
Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link)
Four PCI Express 2.0 slots
Five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire 800 ports
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR

The new quad-core Mac Pro, with a $2,499 USD MSRP, includes:

One 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 3500
3GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120
640GB 7200RPM SATA-II HDD
18x SuperDrive (DL DVD±R/W)
Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link)
Four PCI Express 2.0 slots
Five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire® 800 ports
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR

iMac

The new 24-inch 3.06 GHz iMac, with a $2,199 USD MSRP, includes:

24-inch widescreen LCD display
3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 130
1TB 7200RPM SATA HDD
Slot-load 8x SuperDrive (DL DVD±R/W)
Mini DisplayPort
802.11n & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Built-in iSight video camera
Gigabit Ethernet port
Four USB 2.0 ports
One FireWire 800 port
Built-in stereo speakers and microphone

The new 24-inch 2.93 GHz iMac, with a $1,799 USD MSRP, includes:

24-inch widescreen LCD display
2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120
640GB 7200RPM SATA HDD
Slot-load 8x SuperDrive (DL DVD±R/W)
Mini DisplayPort for video output
802.11n & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Built-in iSight video camera
Gigabit Ethernet port
Four USB 2.0 ports
One FireWire 800 port
Built-in stereo speakers and microphone

The new 24-inch 2.66 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:

24-inch widescreen LCD display
2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
640GB 7200RPM SATA HDD
Slot-load 8x SuperDrive (DL DVD±R/W)
Mini DisplayPort for video output
802.11n & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Built-in iSight video camera
Gigabit Ethernet port
Four USB 2.0 ports
One FireWire 800 port
Built-in stereo speakers and microphone

The new 20-inch 2.66 GHz iMac, with a $1,199 USD MSRP, includes:

20-inch widescreen LCD display
2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
320GB 7200RPM SATA HDD
Slot-load 8x SuperDrive (DL DVD±R/W)
Mini DisplayPort for video output
802.11n & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Built-in iSight video camera
Gigabit Ethernet port
Four USB 2.0 ports
One FireWire 800 port
Built-in stereo speakers and microphone

Mac Mini

The new 2.0 GHz Mac mini, with a $599 USD MSRP, includes:

2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
1GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
120GB 5400RPM SATA HDD
Slot-load 8x SuperDrive (DL DVD±R/W)
Mini DisplayPort and mini-DVI for video output
AirPort Extreme WiFi & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Gigabit Ethernet
five USB 2.0 ports
one FireWire 800 port
Audio I/O with optical digital or analog

The new 2.0 GHz Mac mini, with a $799 USD MSRP, includes:

2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
2GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
320GB 5400RPM SATA HDD
Slot-load 8x SuperDrive (DL DVD±R/W)
Mini DisplayPort and mini-DVI for video output
AirPort Extreme WiFi & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Gigabit Ethernet
Five USB 2.0 ports
One FireWire 800 port
Audio I/O with optical digital or analog

Comments

3 Mar 2009 ~ 10:33am MiracleManS So, what exactly changed about the Mac Mini?
3 Mar 2009 ~ 10:59am Thrax Added.
3 Mar 2009 ~ 11:49am MiracleManS Thanks, for that price they're not a bad media pc type deal.
3 Mar 2009 ~ 12:43pm BuddyJ I've got a buddy who uses them just for that. The best part is the size. It's hard to build a comparable SFF system that's the same size for the price.
3 Mar 2009 ~ 1:37pm jared I would of liked the Minis to have received a better spec update. Like BuddyJ said, I suppose you are paying for the size. But seriously, only 1gb of ram? Give me a break.

I knew this wasn't going to happen, but I would of loved the iMacs to get the new i7 procs.

Oh well. Much needed updates either way.
3 Mar 2009 ~ 1:46pm Snarkasm Anybody know why, other than to run OSX, you'd get a $600 or $800 Mac Mini when you can get essentially the same specs in a $600 notebook and get a monitor in the package as well?

Is the 9400 solid enough to run HD video? Real question, since media center possibilities were brought up.

They're cool little machines (friend of mine just got one he's going to use for a carputer), but the specs don't really match the price. IC's $600 PC smokes it, albeit in a significantly larger package.
3 Mar 2009 ~ 1:48pm MiracleManS From what I've read, they're capable of running HD video (looked it up on Tom's Hardware).
3 Mar 2009 ~ 2:11pm Thrax The 9400M can do 1080p without issue. It's the same chip married to the ION platform.
3 Mar 2009 ~ 2:18pm Linc I don't understand a fifth USB port when it still has only 1 Firewire port. Makes it difficult to hook up both your LaCie external drive and a video camera.

They highlight the new video capability, but I question who they're targeting with that when the hard drive is still only 5400prm.

Overall, a "just fine" brush up to the product lines, like a cost-of-living raise to match inflation.
3 Mar 2009 ~ 2:26pm Linc Snark, I think running OSX is precisely the reason to get it, and a good one. If I get the $600 Mini with iLife, my parents can be movie editors. If I drop Logic Studio on it, the kids can be composers. If I drop Final Cut on it, I'm a videographer. Don't underestimate what that little box can do with Apple's software.
3 Mar 2009 ~ 2:29pm Linc Wait, Firewire question (for the triple post!) - I know I can daisy-chain hard drives, but can I plug my video camera into the hard drive's second Firewire port and import video that way?
3 Mar 2009 ~ 2:32pm Thrax It's possible. Depends on the nature of the hard drive's firewire controller.
3 Mar 2009 ~ 3:04pm Linc For the lulz @ "analysts" regarding the timing of this line upgrade: http://daringfireball.net/linked/2009/02/24/shaw-wu
3 Mar 2009 ~ 3:53pm BuddyJ I'd rather put in my own RAM and upgraded hard drive (SSD wut!) than pay Apple's premium for it.
3 Mar 2009 ~ 4:21pm Linc

Buddy J wrote:

I'd rather put in my own RAM and upgraded hard drive (SSD wut!) than pay Apple's premium for it.

Very true, and I've done precisely that. We bought a dozen iMacs for a lab at Juniata and bought the RAM upgrade separately. Saved us hundreds of dollars for an hour of memory-swapping (with a dozen spare 512mb sticks to boot).
3 Mar 2009 ~ 4:32pm Snarkasm Hackintosh!
3 Mar 2009 ~ 10:28pm Komete I just don't get the whole mac/osx thing. I've tried them out in the store, and it seemed completely bare and a lot of the icons just seemed cheezy.

Also what's the deal with video editing on them? I've made little movies use aftereffects and other aps. What is so great about a mac and video editing? Seems like they are all over the entertainment industry for video.
4 Mar 2009 ~ 7:11am MiracleManS From what I can gather its the ease of use in editing simple videos.

You can plop a person down in front of the machine with little to no video editing experience and in a few hours come out with a somewhat decent looking creation.
4 Mar 2009 ~ 8:39am kryyst For the computer illiterate OSX is nice to use because it presents a homogeneous interface to all the application. It's often easier for them to find the application they want as well. Plus out of the box user experience is sublime.

As for media editing. It just comes with really nice and very friendly software simple as that. iDVD and iMovie and iPhoto are very easy to use at their basics, but are also very full featured programs. Windows comes with Movie Maker which is terrible. Any other media software windows comes with is some 3rd party app and I have yet to see a computer that came with any bundled software that was good.