On September 6, 2006 Apple announced dual-core processors across both Mac mini configurations without changing US prices: $599 with a 1.66 GHz Core Duo or $799 with a 1.83 GHz Core Duo. These are not Core 2 Duo. Both bases included 512 MB 667 MHz DDR2, officially expandable to 2 GB. The first paired a 60 GB SATA drive with Combo; the second paired 80 GB with a double-layer SuperDrive. Base hard drives ran at 5400 rpm.
Mac mini Intel design, March 2, 2006 photo predating this revision; CPU not identified. Mac on top of TiVo. Chris Lawrence (lordsutch) · CC BY-SA 2.0. Full image, no edits by us.
Specs
Chip
Core Duo · 1.66 / 1.83 GHz
Cache
2 MB L2
RAM
512 MB DDR2 667 MHz; official max. 2 GB
Storage
599 USD: 60 GB; 799 USD: 80 GB SATA 5400 rpm
Graphics
Intel GMA 950 · 64 MB shared
Availability
2006-09-06
Price
599 / 799 USD · United States
System
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger · iLife 06
Optical drive
599 USD: Combo; 799 USD: SuperDrive
Ports
4× USB 2.0; 1× FireWire 400; DVI + VGA
Network
Gigabit Ethernet · 802.11g · Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
Dimensions
16.51 × 16.51 × 5.08 cm
Launch and configurations
On September 6, 2006 Apple announced dual-core processors across both Mac mini configurations without changing US prices: $599 with a 1.66 GHz Core Duo or $799 with a 1.83 GHz Core Duo. These are not Core 2 Duo. Both bases included 512 MB 667 MHz DDR2, officially expandable to 2 GB. The first paired a 60 GB SATA drive with Combo; the second paired 80 GB with a double-layer SuperDrive. Base hard drives ran at 5400 rpm.
Changes from the previous model
The direct change from February 2006 is in the processors: the $599 base replaces a 1.5 GHz Core Solo with a 1.66 GHz Core Duo, while the $799 base moves its Core Duo from 1.66 to 1.83 GHz. Factory RAM and storage do not double: 512 MB and 60/80 GB remain. Intel GMA 950, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, four USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and DVI also remain. This revision must not be mixed with the later 2007 move to Core 2 Duo.
Features and photograph
GMA 950 uses system memory: Apple lists 64 MB in its table and specifies 80 MB minimum total usage in the footnote; it is not dedicated memory. A DVI to VGA adapter, Apple Remote, Front Row, Tiger and iLife 06 were included. Composite/S-Video adapter and USB modem were optional. The 120 and 160 GB drives were options too, not bases. Chris Lawrence’s original March 2, 2006 photo shows the earlier Intel design on a TiVo; it does not establish a Late 2006 unit or its CPU.
