Intel-based Mac mini launched!!!

Apple has done it again!

The Intel-based Mac mini has just been launched today by Apple. Here’s what you get for $799 (Rs 24,700) :

• 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo processor
• 2MB on-chip L2 cache
• 667MHz frontside bus
• 512MB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
• 80GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA
• Slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• Intel GMA950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory
• One FireWire 400 port
• Four USB 2.0 ports
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video output
• Built-in speakers
• Analog & Digital audio in/out
• Built-in 10/100/Gigabit Ethernet
• Built-in 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi (802.11g)
• built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
• Apple Remote
• Mac OS X v10.4
• iLife ’06

Wow! This is what I call a perfect media center!!! It even has a remote control to drive the Front Row software. Only thing missing is a hardware video encoder. The networking capabilities are simply fantastic. I’m not too sure about the graphics card but this is not supposed to be a gaming machine after all…

There is a less expensive ($599) version with a single core processor.

And, in parallel, Apple has also launched the iPod Hi-fi :

It’s easy to guess its purpose. It sells at $349 which seems somewhat expensive but the sound quality must be top-notch.