Our first Intel - free-base Mac minis have arrived , straight from the Apple Store , and what was the first thing the dusty , fell alien intellects atMacworlddid with one of these innocents ? That ’s right . We get out our putty knife , popped it open , and slop its guts out faster than you could say“CSI ! ”
So before we get started , be sure you ’ve interpret our clever inclination of things you need to know about this new machine . You might even desire to understand my first take on the unexampled Mac mini ( hint : I ’m worked up about its use in a home theater of operations set - up ) , or hear me yammer on about it in our latest podcast .
All set ? Okay , without further ado , here ’s an super warm tour around the patient ’s insides .
From this vantage period , the Mac mini has n’t changed much from its previous version . However , there ’s one gigantic alteration that may not be apparent from this angle : the easily - approachable RAM slot on the left side ( A ) is blend in . Or to be more accurate , they ’ve been turned on their side and cover from sentiment . ( More on this in a moment . )
On the far side of the case you could see the unexampled infrared receiver ( barn ) right at the end of the optic - campaign time slot .
The Mac mini ’s Bluetooth ( C ) and AirPort ( D ) antenna are still in place , although these variation seem a second more robust than the we - just - taped - it - together feel of the previous model . There ’s one other variety that ’s a bit punishing to see from this photograph , but it ’s just beneath and behind the AirPort antenna ( tocopherol ): the Mac mini ’s Bluetooth batting order , relocated to the top of the drive cage .
Next , we dispatch the drive coop ( four screws , just like the previous model ) and gingerly lift up , removing the interconnect card from its time slot and unplug another cable carefully . Folding the drive cage back , we bring out the inside …
Things are a bit different under here . We ’ve got two large heat sink ( F ) ( one for processor , one presumably for video circuitry ) . There ’s a little perch ( constant of gravitation ) at the back for the new “ penthouse ” on port row , belonging to the sound - in and -out ports . Just below the interconnect slot ( H ) is the build up - in AirPort Extreme card ( J ) ( you could see the feeler snake off to the right ) . At the front leave you may make out the two RAM slots ( K ) , one on top of the other . SODIMMs slue mightily into here , laying on their side . It ’s a loaded squeeze , but SODIMMS like to snuggle , so it ’s hunky-dory .
On the flip side , here ’s the bottom of the drive cage . The 2.5 - in hard thrust ( 50 ) is still here , although now it ’s of the Serial ATA , rather than parallel ATA , variety . To the right resides our former friend the fan ( M ) .
