Apple brings Mac mini up to par

Apple has started shipping a new version of its Mac mini desktop computer and upgraded its line of iBook laptops.

The stripped down Mac minis have had a memory upgrade from 256MB to 512MB. While all other features and pricing remains the same for the 1.25GHz model, the 1.42GHz model now features built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networking.

Apple has also added a third model to the Mac mini range, selling at $699 equipped with a DVD burner on top of the features in the 1.42GHz model.

The extra features were previously available as add-ons selected at time of purchase or added by an Apple certified technician. Consumers will not be able to add upgrades at home because the device is not designed to provide access to its inner workings.

Apple unveiled the Mac Mini last January at MacWorld in San Francisco. Although the computer is aggressively priced at $499 for the cheapest model, it drew criticism for being under-powered.

Consumers wanting to add wireless networking, additional memory and a keyboard and mouse faced a bill of more than $300.

Joe Wilcox, a senior research analyst at Jupiter Research, told vnunet.com: "Upgrading the memory to 512MB was the right thing to do. I wish they had done it sooner."

Although consumers could get a system with comparable performance from vendors like Dell for less, the Mac mini comes bundled with Apple's iLife suite of products.

Depending on user requirements the Mac mini could now represent a better deal than a Windows PC, according to Wilcox.

Apple also unveiled an upgrade of its iBook laptop computers, adding a new t rackpad that allows users to more easily scroll through large documents and web pages.

The vendor has also added its Sudden Motion Sensor technology which uses a built-in gyroscope to sense accelerated movements. This allows it to prevent data loss by 'parking' the hard drive in the event of the device being dropped.

The feature is already included in PowerBook models and is common among notebooks from manufacturers including HP and Lenovo.