BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- As Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled Mac Mini, Apple's cheapest desktop computer ever produced, the company has started its low-price strategy aiming to boost a bigger market share in 2005. The cheaper versions of the costly Apple products are targeting directly at PC users looking to switch.

    "Just plug in your display, keyboard and mouse,and you've got an incredibly compact Mac for a price that almost anyone can afford, " said Jobs.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs shows off the Mac mini at Macworld on Jan 11, 2005.  (Photo: Reuters)

Mac Mini

(Click for larger view!)
(Photo: sina.com)

    Apple unveiled its forthcoming Mac Mini computer last Tuesday during Jobs's keynote address, which kicked off the 2005 Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco. Confirming rumors that Apple would unveil its first budget-priced Mac desktop, the Mac Mini is a standalone desktop PC (monitor, keyboard, mouse sold separately) that sells for $499 in its lowest-end configuration. That is competitive with entry-level offerings from PC manufacturers such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

Highly integrated mainboard. The $499 model comes with a 1.25GHz G4 processor, 256MB of 333MHz DDR memory (upgradable to 1GB for a whopping $425 extra), and a 40GB hard drive. The $599 model provides a faster 1.42GHz processor and a larger 80GB hard drive. Both Mac Minis include a 32MB ATI Radeon 9200 graphics chip and a slot-loading 24X DVD/CD-RW combo drive, which you can upgrade to a full-fledged, dual-format DVD-burning SuperDrive ($100). Bundled software includes Apple's Panther OS X operating system and the iLife '05 suite of media software.  (Photo: sina.com)

    According to CNET.com, the Mac Mini goes on sale January 22 with two basic configurations. The $499 model comes with a 1.25GHz G4 processor, 256MB of 333MHz DDR memory (upgradable to 1GB for a whopping $425 extra), and a 40GB hard drive. The $599 model provides a faster 1.42GHz processor and a larger 80GB hard drive. Both Mac Minis include a 32MB ATI Radeon 9200 graphics chip and a slot-loading 24X DVD/CD-RW combo drive, which you can upgrade to a full-fledged, dual-format DVD-burning SuperDrive ($100). Bundled software includes Apple's Panther OS X operating system and the iLife '05 suite of media software.

There are one FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports, a DVI interface that also supports VGA that supports both LCD and CRT displays, built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet and analogue modem for easy Internet access, and optional support for an AirPort Extreme Card for 54Mbps 802.11g wireless networking along with an internal Bluetooth module. (Photo: apple.com)

   There are one FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports, a DVI interface that also supports VGA that supports both LCD and CRT displays, built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet and analogue modem for easy Internet access, and optional support for an AirPort Extreme Card for 54Mbps 802.11g wireless networking along with an internal Bluetooth module. Every Mac mini includes iLife '05, Apple's suite of digital lifestyle applications with new versions of iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD and GarageBand.

iPod shuffle 

The size of an iPod shuffle. (Photo: apple.com)

iPod shuffle. (Photo: sina.com)

    Besides Mac Mini, iPod shuffle is Apple's another lower price "mini" plan. iPod shuffle, "smaller and lighter than a pack of gum, iPod shuffle works seamlessly with iTunes¡¯ innovative AutoFill feature, which automatically selects songs from a user¡¯s music library to fill up iPod shuffle with just one click. The most affordable iPod ever, iPod shuffle is available in two models: 512MB holding up to 120 songs for just $99 and 1GB holding up to 240 songs for just $149," as announced the company at its website.

Market share

    The price of the Mac mini mean it will appeal to a wider market, where people are longing to try the Macintosh but were hampered by the price.

    Apple certainly needed to re-emphasise its computing side, with so much of the focus on the runaway success of its iPod music player.

    According to The New Zealand Herald, iPod sales helped the company post a net profit of US$295 million for its quarter ending December 25, compared with $63 million in the corresponding quarter in 2003. Sales of the new iMac, helped increase Mac unit sales by 26 per cent.

    Jobs said it was the highest quarterly revenue and net income in Apple's history.

    Chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer said Apple expected the second quarter to come in at about US$2.9 billion. 
 

(Agencies)