Apple Mac Mini Getting Mini DisplayPort, SATA And RAM Bump Claims Expert

Reports of the Mac mini's death have been wildly over-stated, according to the latest rumors coming out of macminicolo.  While many believed Apple had quietly dropped development of the compact desktop PC, with shipments recently being curtailed, report author Brian Stucki suggests that in actual fact consistent and stable commercial sales of the mini have in effect dissuaded the Cupertino company from updating it.  However he predicts that the Mac mini will soon see Mini DisplayPort, 4GB RAM and SATA updates.

The Mac mini has not seen a hardware change since August 2007, but sales are still strong (and commercial buyers outnumber consumers 2-to-1).  That, Stucki claims, means Apple can use parts that only get cheaper while maintaining a high sticker price.  News that Apple was slowing shipments is, then, a reaction to reduced parts availability and the current mini will be reworked to bring it in line with the latest MacBook and MacBook Pro update.

Three of those updates - two of which Stucki claims are 100-percent confirmed (the other 99-percent) – will be the replacement of the Mini DVI with a Mini DisplayPort, saving space on the mini's rear panel and keeping it compatible with the new 24-inch Cinema Display, the addition of 4GB memory support (compared to the current 2GB official or 3GB unofficial support), and the optical drive using a SATA connection.  Currently the mini's drive connects via ATA/IDE.  Stucki also suggests that Apple will offer a non-optical, dual SATA configuration, ideal for the many customers who use the mini as a compact server or, in multiples, as a server farm.

[via AppleInsider]