With available inventories of the Mac mini computer becoming increasingly constrained over the past two weeks, Apple seems poised to introduce refreshed models that may serve as a harbinger for some new I/O ports on the device.
Per AppleInsider, sources close to the story have confirmed that the constraints are indicative of new models on the horizon, rather than intermittent delays resulting from the onset of the back-to-school buying season, which sometimes sees Apple curb the flow of Macs to its distribution channels in favor of filling large orders to universities.
The reports bear telltale signs that Apple is ramping down production of existing Mac minis and preparing its distribution for refreshed models which are said to include Nvidia’s MCP89 chipset, which is the successor to the existing MCP79 (or GeForce 9400M) chipset found alongside Intel’s Core 2 Duo processors across the majority of Apple’s 2009 Mac product line. An unannounced version of the Mac mini has been spotted with an HDMI connector instead of a DVI.
Apple last updated the Mac mini line in late October, introducing models with faster Core 2 Duo processors and adding a third server-oriented configuration that forgoes an optical drive in favor of two 500GB hard drives for a total of 1TB of storage. All three models were billed by the company as “world’s most energy efficient desktops.”
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.