By moving to a simple power cable, says Apple, it achieved an overall 20-percent volume reduction in the Mac Mini's total hardware. Apple has also done away with the older model's cumbersome power brick. The previous model required you to purchase a Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter. Chiefly, a built-in HDMI port simplifies the process of connecting the Mac Mini to a modern television.

A few features and design adjustments push the Mac Mini-as-HTPC concept further. Despite its new measurements, the new model retains that same appeal. The old Mac Mini was always a living-room-friendly device due to its size. Its dimensions also match those of the Apple TV and Apple's Time Capsule networked data backup device. At 1.4-inches thick, and 7.7-inches square, the new case takes up slightly more desktop real estate than the older 6圆-inch model, but it's also shaves half an inch off its height. The new aluminum case carries with it all of the uber-industrial charm common to the iMac, the MacBook Pro, and the iPhone 4. Say what you want about the new Mac Mini's features or its price, but the new chassis further secures Apple's standing as the best enclosure designer in the computing business.

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