Despite it being the lowest-cost Mac in Apple’s lineup, one analyst is disappointed today’s refresh of the Mac mini came with a $100 price increase.
“The only disappointment we have is the price point of $699 vs. the previous price of $599,” Kaufman Bros.’ Shaw Wu told investors Tuesday morning. The Mac mini had a $499 price tag when introduced in January 2005.
However, “for the new form factor, faster processor, faster graphics, HDMI port, and more HDD storage, (Apple) believes the $100 premium is justified,” Wu wrote. Since its introduction five and a half years ago, the Mac mini’s technology “has gotten significantly better” with only a $200 price increase over that time, We admits.
Of particular note, Apple decided to include the mini in its line of computers using the 320M embedded graphics chip. This change brings the mini’s graphics in line with the 13-inch MacBook Pro and $999 MacBook, already using the chip. The move also smooth Apple’s supply chain, Wu said.
Although the Mac mini refresh is just hours old, the analyst is already looking for what the Cupertino, Calif. company has next in its bag of tricks – particularly in the way of upgraded Mac Pro desktops of the MacBook Air notebook. Apple reportedly will introduce an upgraded Mac Pro this month, along with a larger LED Cinema display.
Component delays may have postponed an update of the MacBook Air. Apple could provide the MacBook Air with Intel’s Core i5 processor, capable of 1.86GHz processing speed. In 2009, Apple upgraded the MacBook Air with a lower $1,499 price for a 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
[via AppleInsider]
