Apple may have squashed all the speculation fun by confirming there won’t be any new Macs before Christmas, but they’ve just set the rumours mill turning again today by confirming a new Mac Mini is on the way! With that in mind, we’ve brainstormed and come up with five things Apple needs to put in its unsung hero if it wants our cash. Anything else you’d like to see but you think we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments below.

Blu-ray
Now the next-gen format war has been settled and HD-DVD slain, it’s high time we started getting high-def Blu-ray as standard in new machines, and not just for playback either: 50GB capacity discs are useful for data back up at home and in the workplace too. The new MacBook range was still missing it, but Steve Jobs has said Apple is working on implementing it: fingers crossed it’ll be in the Mini.

DisplayPort
Packed into all the new MacBooks, the DisplayPort more than makes up for a lack of HDMI, offering lovely visuals on a big screen straight off your comp. Many new flatscreen TVs don’t offer it, yes, but the new Apple monitor, the 24 inch Cinema Display, will hook up nicely to it. And when you can stream Freeview straight onto a Mac, why not just ditch the TV instead?

Back Row software
The Mac Mini‘s wee size would make the perfect addition to your living room, sitting subtly under the screen as a media centre. Just one problem: Apple already has this area covered with Apple TV. While Back Row software is already pretty powerful, the Mini could do so much more though, and in a smaller sized box too. Jobs needs to be brave with this one, ditch Apple TV and rebrand the Mini.

Wireless keyboard/trackpad
We were blown away by the tactile glass trackpads in the new MacBooks, so in the name of integration, we’d like to see them on the Macs too. What about mice, you say? Hear us out: if Apple moves the Mac Mini into the media centre market, you’re going to want a wireless keypad to come with it out of the box. And why not include the glass, no button trackpad built in? If Jonathan Ive’s had a crack at that, we’ve no doubt it’d be a sight to behold.

NVIDIA chips
Macs have always been preferred by designers and photographers for their powerful imaging power, and the new MacBooks carried on that tradition, all coming stocked with new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processors. The MacBook Pro even comes with two for crying out loud. If Apple can fit this incredible chip even into the Air, and at affordable cost, this needs to go in the Mini. Right. Now.

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  • cat studio

    Good suggestion but I want one more thing, don’t take the firewire port out, please. Or Apple can take FW 400 out but give us FW 800 instead. ;-) Oh! I’m just dreaming.

  • http://newtonpoetry.com Newton Poetry

    Let’s not leave out some options for expandability. With all your recommended changes, wouldn’t it be nice to open up the Mini and perform some DIY upgrades?

  • http://www.up-load.com Leflyman

    Nice ideas, but it sounds like what you really want is an upgraded Apple TV, not a Mac mini.

    Some of the features you ask for are already covered, while others are non-starters:

    With DVI already included, there’s no need for an HDMI port, since the Mini is a computer not a component.

    BackRow is unnecessary as Front Row is already an included app, along with remote control.

    Buyers can currently purchase a Bluetooth wireless keyboard/mouse for the Mini. The concept is Bring-your-own-keyboard-mouse-and-display.

    NVidia video chips are likely, as Apple tends to switch between video chip lines every few years.

    However, Blu-ray is a no-go on the low-cost Mini. Jobs already nixed that notion.

    One thing that the Mini *should* include is a front USB connection and an optical audio output.

    In short, though, it seems what you’d like is Apple’s version of the Dell Studio Hybrid: http://www.dell.com/hybrid

  • http://www.gravatar.com James Holland

    I’ve a feeling the mini’s a bit too small for tinkering inside, other than swapping the optical drive for a hard disk. Still, it’d be great if Apple sold them without the optical drive and with an extra hard disk as a build to order option… The mini’s such a perfect little server, I’d gladly bung all my media on it to stream around the house, and tap in to through the TV through Front Row (or Back Row!)

  • Jones

    I’ll tell you one thing the Mac Mini needs – a lower price tag. I can get a £300 PC with LOTS more features. Why does Apple always think a shiny box will make me hand over my credit card? computers are for using, not expensive paperweights. idiots.

  • Ben Sillis

    Couldn’t agree more – Apple should have at least one entry level model with an actual entry level price. It’s wishful thinking, but a little bit more in there for a bit less, and you could sell a whole lot more. Economics was never my strong point though!

  • Peter

    This is tricky. Personally, I’d rather have DVI than DisplayPort on the Mac mini.

    Remember that this is a low-end machine for the cost conscious who are going to be a little miffed to get it home and discover that it only works with an $899 Apple display, or that you had to buy a $29 to work with the DVI display at home.

    Have a DVI to DisplayPort adapter for those who want to buy an Apple display with their Mac mini.

  • http://gravatars.com jbc

    @Sillis Like the Mercedes A Class? It’s small, entry level, but it still costs a ton more than its rivals (let’s not forget who Apple thinks it is here – think niche, think expensive and yes, think more money than sense)

    Now, wouldn’t an iPod Dock on the top be a much more sensible idea?

  • PeterSW

    I think that HDMI and E-SATA connectivity are esssential upgrades needed for the MacMini.
    The NVidia and CPU upgrades are a no-brainer but the two above would support for EVERY plasma and LCDTV out there and provide FAST external HDD access (3.2G bps vs 400mbps for Firewire 400). Don’t upgrade the firewire – give us ESATA!!!
    If they want to sell the MacMinis by the truckload that is what I would add. The HDMI would cost less than $20 to add (licensing costs) the ESata less that $1. The SATA chipset is already on the mobo all they need is an external connector. The third thing to add would be TV in support but ElGato do a great job with their Eye-TV – maybe Apple could bundle the Eye-TV for a supported Home Media Center setup. This would be sweet.

    PeterSW

  • Ben Sillis

    @jbc Touche. But would Apple really risk alienating all of those “wonderful” third-party iPod dock making companies by doing that?

  • robygoof

    The mac mini (intel) has already an optical audio output, via TOS-link

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