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Fans of Apple’s entry-level desktop have a lot to be happy for today: the Mac Mini has finally received an update. It has been two years since Apple released a new version of the Mini, which is tailored for people who don’t want to spend an arm and a leg for a new Mac.

MacMini-34FL_PR-PRINTToday’s refresh brings Intel’s “Haswell” processors to the Mini, as well as 802.11ac wireless networking, and a pair of Thunderbolt 2 ports. The Mini has also been bumped up into the PCI-e flash storage camp alongside many of its brethren, which means that users will be able to work with their files even faster. (Speaking as someone who recently went from a spinning hard disk to flash storage, this makes a big difference.)

Phil Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, also said during the announcement today that the new changes make the Mac Mini the most energy efficient desktop in the world. Of course, it helps that the Mini doesn’t include a display to drag down its efficiency.

It’s cheaper, too: the Mac Mini’s base model costs $499, down from its older sibling’s $599 price tag.

The Mac Mini updates come alongside the introduction of the 27-inch iMac with Retina Display, Apple’s massive new computer that sports an ultra high-resolution display with 14.7 million pixels.

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