New Apple Mac Mini’s to use Nvidia’s “Ion” platform…Performance takes a backseat?

Leading up to Macworld practically every inch of Apple’s lineup was touched with a rumor.  One hard hit area that was sadly left out of the updates (so far) was the Mac Mini.  It is long overdue for a refresh.  Tom’s Hardware and Crunchgear shed some light on the subject today.  The new Mac Mini’s will be sporting Nvidia’s 9400M graphics with Intel’s Atom 330, a low power, dual-core processor that should clock in around 1.6GHz with a FSB reportedly at 533MHz.  Not blazing, but the Mini isn’t about raw speed and power.  Because the Ion platform is incredibly small, one can expect the Mac Mini to lose a little size in it’s next appearance.  According to Tom’s Hardware, March is the time in which the new Mini’s will be announced/released.  Obviously pricing hasn’t been anounced, but according to what the first gen Mini’s came in at, and by Nvidia’s suggestion that Ion toting products start at around $400, we could guess between $500-$700.  I for one am not particularly interested in the Mini, however I know many people use them as little mini servers.  Besides that, they  make great little machines for light computer users who just want internet access, iTunes, and other basic applications as it will easily run Leopard.  As March gets nearer, I’m sure the rumors will build.  We’ll see!

Source: Tom’s Hardware, CrunchGear