For decades, Mac users had to worry less about malware than their Windows-using counterparts, but over the last few years that’s begun to change. In an attempt to crack down on growing threats like adware and ransomware, in February Apple began “notarizing” all macOS applications, a vetting process designed to weed out illegitimate or malicious apps. Even software distributed outside of the Mac App Store now needs notarization, or users wouldn’t be able to run them without special workarounds. Seven months later, though, researchers have found an active adware campaign attacking Mac users with the same old payloads—and the malware has been fully notarized by Apple.
The campaign is distributing the ubiquitous “Shlayer” adware, which by some counts has affected as many as one in 10 macOS devices in recent years. The malware exhibits standard adware behavior, like injecting ads into search results. It’s not clear how Shlayer slipped past Apple’s automated scans and checks to get notarized, especially given that it’s virtually identical to past versions. But it’s the first known example of malware being notarized for macOS.
College student Peter Dantini discovered the notarized version of Shlayer while navigating to the homepage of the popular open source Mac development tool Homebrew. Dantini accidentally typed something slightly different than brew.sh, the correct URL. The page he landed on redirected a number of times to a fake Adobe Flash update page. Curious about what malware he might find, Dantini downloaded it on purpose. To his surprise, macOS popped up its standard warning about programs downloaded from the internet, but didn’t block him from running the program. When Dantini confirmed that it was notarized, he sent the information on to longtime macOS security researcher Patrick Wardle.
“I had been expecting that if someone were to abuse the notarization system it would be something more sophisticated or complex,” says Wardle, principal security researcher at the Mac management firm Jamf. “But in a way I’m not surprised that it was adware that did it first. Adware developers are very innovative and constantly evolving, because they stand to lose a ton of money if they can’t get around new defenses. And notarization is a death knell for a lot of these standard ad campaigns, because even if the users are tricked into clicking and trying to run the software, macOS will block it now.”
Wardle notified Apple about the rogue software on August 28 and the company revoked the Shlayer notarization certificates that same day, neutering the malware anywhere that it was installed and for future downloads. On August 30, though, Wardle noticed that the adware campaign was still active and distributing the same Shlayer downloads. They had simply been notarized using a different Apple Developer ID, just a few hours after the company began working on revoking the original certificates. On August 30, Wardle notified Apple about these new versions.
“Malicious software constantly changes, and Apple’s notarization system helps us keep malware off the Mac and allow us to respond quickly when it’s discovered,” the company said in a statement. “Upon learning of this adware, we revoked the identified variant, disabled the developer account, and revoked the associated certificates. We thank the researchers for their assistance in keeping our users safe.”
Apple also makes a distinction in its notarization materials between its more thorough iOS “App Review” and this check for macOS applications.
“Notarization is not App Review,” the company wrote. “The Apple notary service is an automated system that scans your software for malicious content, checks for code-signing issues, and returns the results to you quickly.”
Before Apple introduced notarization, malware developers simply needed to pay $99 a year for an Apple Developer ID so they could sign their software as legitimate. Any application not downloaded from the Mac App Store would trigger a warning when users tried to run it about making sure programs downloaded from the internet were safe to use, but users could easily click through them. Notarization makes it much more difficult to deploy malware—or at least that’s the idea. Wardle says that in his experience submitting his own security tools for review, Apple’s initial, automated check only takes a few minutes to issue an approval. Still, bad actors are clearly slipping through.
The Mac mini isn’t as popular as any of the MacBooks or even the iMac. But it’s beloved by every hobbiest and nerd and newcomer and cross-compiler — by anyone who wants anything from the cheapest Mac to just the last Mac server standing.
The really big question for the mightiest of mini Macs is this, though: Just how much mightier, how much mini-er, could Apple Silicon really make it?
Design
When he introduced the very first model back in October of Twenty-Ought-5, Steve Jobs said everyone understood the iPod mini, so everyone should understand this as well — the Mac mini. (The iPod mini is what we had before the iPod nano which is… Wait, the iPod is what we had before the iPho— you know what, just, never mind!)
It was a tiny by back-then-standards extruded round-rect of a box, plastic on top, aluminium around the sides, with a front-mounted, slot-loading combo-drive of a DVD player and CD burner. (The DVD and CD is what we had before BluRay and streaming and… fine, whatever, wikipedia it.)
Over the years, it lost that drive and lost that plastic top. Now it has a sleeker, space-grayer, recycled full-on aluminium unibody. But it never lost that overall design. It even lent it to the Apple TV, the original being a shorter, broader version of the same, before it went even teeny-tinier, unabashedly black plastic.
I’d be tempted to call the design iconic if it wasn’t just so basic. But not in a bad way. Maybe even the best way. It’s job — from Jobs — was never to stand out. Just the opposite — it was simply to sit and fit right in.
That didn’t change when it transition to from PowerPC to Intel the very next year, and I don’t imagine it’ll change when it transitions from Intel to Apple Silicon next… month, year, whenever it’s scheduled to hit.
But I do think Apple silicon will allow for some level of change. Evolution maybe. And that could go in either of two directions.
First direction, the current, unibody design could stay about the same. I mean, this is like the only Mac not rumored to be getting an iPad Pro-style makeover, anyway. But there are certainly some details and trim Apple’s industrial design team could play with.
Anyway, if it stays roughly the same, that opens up some space inside, and I’ll go over just what exactly that could mean in a hot thermal minute.
Second direction, is to get rid of that space by shrinking the Mac mini down. Maybe not to Apple TV squared-hockey-puck-circle size, but more mini. Nano even.
That would let it just sit and fit, mount and hang, in even more places and spaces. Basically, massive Apple Silicon power, itty bitty living box.
And, yeah, hell yeah, I’m once again really tempted to ask, por qué no los dos?
Display
Source: Rene Ritchie / iMore
I know what you’re thinking: The Mac mini doesn’t have a display. That’s the whole point of the Mac mini. BYODKM. The D literally stands for display. But, I’m talking about an Apple designed and manufactured non-Pro, non-XDR display that you can bring to your own new Mac mini. One that may not have reference modes but also isn’t 6K for 6K. More like 1K for 5K. Pretty much what Apple’s last few non-Pro displays have been — the latest iMac panel, all packaged up for people who still want an Apple display.
Yes, sure, it’s the same panel you’d get in an LG Ultra-Fine, which has been what Apple’s abdicated to for the last few years. Only this would be driven by Apple’s display team, which is way better, and Apple’s Industrial Design team, which is astronomically better.
And before you persist in rage commenting on that, just look at the issues the LG’s had with everything from Wi-Fi interference to ghosting, which sure they’ve fixed, and that decidedly not-candy plastic shell, which they haven’t and is, still, I don’t know, whatever’s the opposite of extra.
But I’m a big believer in the horn effect. Where having one Apple product like the iPhone leads you to buy more Apple products like the iPad or Mac. And, vice versa, having non-Apple products like a display leads you to buying more non-Apple products, like… an Intel NUC.
So, I would just love, all-caps love, for them to announce a new Apple Display EDR as well, and sure, nano-texture for $500 extra. Why not?
But let me know what you think in the comments.
Silicon
Real talk. Apple doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to updating the Mac mini internals. They have just about the worst. The Mac mini uses mobile parts, like a laptop, rather than desktop parts, like a… desktop… not because it’s mobile but because it’s mini and operates under similar thermal constraints.
But not only did it lie Shrodinger-style fallow for years — like almost half a decade — before finally getting its big update in October of 2018… it hasn’t gotten much of any update since then.
Now, sure, you could argue the 8th generation Intel processors Apple’s kept in there haven’t exactly been blown out of the water by the 10th generation Intel processors now on the shelves, and that just adding the extra cores Intel’s been welding on as a work-around would just add power-draw, heat, and a hundred bucks or more to the already non-mini priced box. And yes. Sure. Granted.
It’s one of oh-so-many reasons why Apple is making the switch from Intel to their own, custom silicon.
The current developer test kit has an iPad Pro A12Z in it. And while that’s cased up to look like a Mac mini, it’s not a real machine ever meant to see a real customer.
So, my biggest hope with Apple Silicon is that we start getting Mac mini updates every 12-18 months, just like iPad Pro updates. Whatever the next-generation equivalent to the AX-Series for iPads is, put it in the Mac version of that. 14X, 15X, 16, and on.
Other than that, I expect we’ll see the same type of improvements from Apple Silicon in the Mac mini they we’d see from Apple Silicon in the MacBook Air — way better performance, especially for graphics, and especially especially for anything and everything Apple includes custom accelerators for, like 4K and above video rendering, H.265 encode and decode, hypervisor acceleration for virtual machines, and a few other things to make developers and power users alike just smile just a little or a lot wider.
Of course, Apple Silicon SoC may mean only Apple integrated GPU cores from now on. And maybe a lot of them. But, I’d love to see something like what Apple’s doing for the new, modular Mac Pro. Whether that’s GPU expanders or even something like Afterburner — a reprogrammable ASIC to accelerate video rendering or other, higher-demand tasks. Basically, let it turn your Mac mini into a Final Cut mini or Logic mini or Maya mini or whatever.
Extensibility
Source: Rene Ritchie / iMore
The biggest question I have going into an Apple Silicon Mac mini — just how extensible will it be? In other words, will we be able to change the SSD, the RAM?
The current Mac mini has already locked down the SSD. It’s fused with the T2 security chip for realtime encryption so you’re basically stuck with whatever internal capacity you buy, and whatever external storage you choose to hang off the back.
The RAM story is only slightly better. You can get the memory changed but it’s not easy. So, unless you have Kyle Wiens style home repair skills, you need to take the box to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Repair place just to get the RAM swapped.
With Apple Silicon, that story may stay the same, maybe even get worse. That’s because Apple Silicon will be a system-on-a-chip. Which means the RAM isn’t in separate modules, isn’t even chips soldered to the board, it’s often on the same chip as the CPU and GPU. Not always, but often.
That’s what allows for universal memory, or the CPU and GPU sharing the RAM.
It’s possible Apple could keep some RAM universal and break out some other RAM, probably as CPU only, but that would get really ugly really fast.
If I were writing fanfic, I’d theorize about some special, modular system, fast enough to use for RAM, that Apple would make so you could pop different expansion modules in or out. But that makes more sense with a Mac Pro or even mythical mini tower budget, which probably isn’t what we’re getting with the existing mini box.
A nerd can dream, though.
What could be more likely is what we started seeing already with the 2018 Mac mini: Stacks. Essentially, you treat each one as a compute unit and then cluster together as many as you want or need. Twice the cores, twice the memory, twice the Mac minis. Same for three, five, ten… until you hit MacStadium.
You know, like LEGOs. That may not be practical for everyone but may work really well for the people with massively scalable workloads.
Security
The current Mac mini has a T2 chip, which handles all the encryption, component controllers, and accelerators. It’s basically a variant of the A11 from the iPhone 7. And that’ll just get folded into whatever new Apple Silicon chip the new Apple Silicon Mac mini gets. Like an A14X variant. Not a problem.
But, see, the MacBooks use T2 and will use whatever-14X for Touch ID as well. It has the secure element that matches the math derived from your fingerprint and releases the authentication token to the system. That’s how it works.
But unlike the MacBooks, which put the capacitve Touch ID fingerprint scanner in to power button on the keyboard… the Mac mini doesn’t have a keyboard to put it into.
Now, Apple could make a Magic Keyboard for the Mac mini, iMac, and Mac Pro that builds in the Touch ID sensor, but they’d probably want to keep the secure hardware channel for the authentication, so that means putting at least a T1 chip in the keyboard as well. T1 being a variant of the S2 chip from the Apple Watch 2, which has a similar secure element from authentication handling. It’s what the 2016 MacBook Pro used before the T2.
But that would add whatever the cost of the T1 chip and fingerprint scanner are, at the very least, to the cost of the keyboard. More if, for whatever reason, you want a Touch Bar might-as-well-be thrown in there as well.
The easier-to-imagine workaround for the iMac is using Face ID with a TrueDepth camera where the FaceTime camera is now, right above the display.
But, say it with me now, the Mac mini doesn’t have a built-in display. And with a separate display or webcam, you get the same problem as the keyboard. So, yeah, no.
Now, Apple could put a Touch ID sensor on the body of the Mac mini itself, even though the power button is nowhere nearly as conveniently located as it is on a MacBook. And, of course, the Mac mini may not be anywhere nearly as conveniently located either — across the desk, across the room, across the house, across the data-center… you get what I’m saying.
So, my guess is Apple could just double-down on remote authentication. If you have an Apple Watch with its built in S-chip or iPhone with it’s built-in A-chip, on the same Apple ID, in close proximity, you can just double click or Touch ID or Face ID on that, and it’ll unlock and authorize the Mac.
It keeps the mini, mini.
Source: iMore
Apple’s been avoiding WiFi 6 on the Mac line, which is all shades of odd given how fast they’ve shoved it into the iPhone and iPad. Now, there have been issues with WiFi 6, so it’s possible Apple’s been waiting on their own custom silicon before bringing it to the Mac. So, hopefully, this gives us that.
Now, fanfic me very much wants to wonder out loud if there’d be a way for Apple to not only bundle Apple TV functionality into the Mac mini for the ultimate in Home Theater experiences, but to bundle in AirPort Extreme functionality as well, for the ultimate in home router privacy protection. Also manages HomeKit, iCloud, staging updates across the home network.
But that would probably be better left to an actual new AirPort mesh system and a future video. Hit that like button if you want it.
Ports
I really like the current Mac mini port compliment and layout. You’ve got your ethernet, 4x USB-C / Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, USB A, and 3.5mm headphone.
Pretty much what I asked for in my Apple Silicon iMac video last week, just with HDMI instead of SDXC. And given the Mac mini doesn’t have to be located anywhere near where you’re actually working, I think that’s a fair trade.
The USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 should be upgraded to USB4 and Thunderbolt 4, of course, and let you drive just all the displays, but otherwise, it’s set.
Pricing
Source: Rene Ritchie / iMore
When it was first introduced, this Mac’s price was as mini as its size — $499 for the base config. The current model starts at a much pricier $799.
Even including Apple’s usual margins, the reason for that is simple: It’s using more expensive components.
And… I don’t really expect that to change with the Apple Silicon. I mean, it’s not like Apple was paying a small fortune for Intel’s 10th generation silicon. It was still 8th gen and the costs were distributed throughout the system
I also think the first generation of Apple Silicon will be used to pay down Apple Silicon.
But, even if it takes a generation, I think it’d be great if Apple could use the transition drive back to that $499 base config price.
And if they could double down and use the current iPad strategy, where the 10.2-inch model gets better and better each year, with a price that’s gotten much better over the years. Even the iPhone SE strategy where every few years we get a new, entry-level iPhone.
That way, we could eventually see something like Mac mini SE at $300 or $350. Basically an Apple TV with better SoC, more ports, and more RAM.
But let me know what you think!
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MacBooks are the most popular MacOS computers in the laptop-dominated landscape of 2020, but anybody who’s in the market for an Apple PC (and who doesn’t explicitly need a laptop) shouldn’t ignore the desktop offerings that fall under this umbrella. After all, the “Mac” branding got its start not on the MacBook but on the classic Macintosh computers, and the line is still going strong today with models like the all-in-one iMac and the oft-overlooked Mac Mini.
If you’re on the hunt for a new MacOS workstation and no MacBook deals caught your eye, maybe we’ve got something here that will suit you better. Below, we’ve gathered up a handful of the best cheap Mac Mini deals available right now, offering you some nice savings on what is easily the most affordable entry point into the MacOS computer ecosystem.
Today’s best Mac Mini deals
Mac Mini 2014 (Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, 500GB SSD, Amazon Renewed) — $409
Mac Mini 2018 (Core i3 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $720, was $799
Mac Mini 2020 (Core i3 CPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $764, was $799
Mac Mini 2020 (Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,049, was $1,099
Mac Mini 2018 (Core i7 CPU, 16GB RAM, 256B SSD)— $1,230, was $1,299
How to choose a Mac Mini
The aptly named Mac Mini is Apple’s pint-sized desktop computer. Small PCs such as this have been around for a while, but as an Apple device, the Mac Mini runs on MacOS rather than Windows — if you like the idea of a desktop computer but you want something with a small footprint, the Mac Mini is your best option if you favor Apple software.
Unlike the MacBook or the iMac, there is essentially only one model of the Mac Mini, although it is available in several different hardware configurations. Apple has kept this small desktop computer updated nicely over the years as well, so you also have some different model years to choose from (meaning that opting for a last-generation unit is often an easy way to save some cash if you aren’t picky about having the latest hardware).
The Mac Mini saw its most recent refresh this year; before that, it was updated in 2018, so these two model years are the ones you’ll see the most and the ones we recommend you spring for — any older than that and the hardware might feel a bit long in the tooth in 2020 for anything other than basic computing needs.
Despite its pared-down case, the Mac Mini boasts the same modern computer hardware as full-sized desktop towers as well as the same MacOS software that you get with iMacs and MacBooks. It also features very good thermal performance that keeps it running surprisingly cool under load (something that can be a problem with smaller computers).
The most appealing feature of the Mac Mini for many buyers is its price. This tiny computer is far and away the cheapest entry point into the world of MacOS computing, with the latest entry-level 2020 models starting at a retail price of around $800 — Mac Mini deals like the ones above often let you score one for even less, and if you’re willing to opt for slightly older hardware, then the 2019 Mac Mini can be had for cheaper still.
The catch here is that the Mac Mini obviously doesn’t include a display or peripherals (namely a keyboard, a mouse, and speakers), unlike the iMac and MacBook. These add-ons will cost extra, but if you already have peripherals you can use — perhaps you’re just upgrading an old desktop tower — then the Mac Mini offers a lot of value and power in a small footprint. If not, however, then you might want to consider an iMac instead, as it could be a better bargain depending on your needs.
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These days — if it ever really was — Apple isn’t an experimental company. It makes great devices, but but they come across as neat, well-designed, and efficient, not innovative in themselves.
Which is why I’m hyped that, at some point, Apple did actually fuck around. Even if only internally.
Okay, so a prototype of Mac Mini with an iPod dock isn’t exactly like finding out Steve Jobs had a division researching a doomsday device, but it is still cool. And yes, I would’ve preferred the planet destroyer story, but we must make do with what we have.
Anyway, have a gander at the Mac Mini with an iPod dock:
A thing of weird beauty.
This prototype was shared by the Twitter account DongleBookPro and first covered by MacRumors. Part of me wants to scream and curse whatever higher power prevented this from being release, but let’s be honest: it’s pretty clear why this monstrosity never saw the light of day.
Look again:
SOAK IT IN!!!
Yes, that’s an iPod Nano. Specifically, a first generation iPod Nano.
Of all its MP3 players, it was the Nano range that (arguably) underwent the biggest design changes throughout its lifestyle. This means that if this Mac Mini with an iPod dock was ever released, it’d become obsolete fast.
I mean… who even decided to focus on the Nano? Surely the Classic would’ve been a better shout? Or, even better, have a universal dock that’d fit a variety of iPod types.
Whatever though, this isn’t about details, it’s about a different approach, an aesthetic, a vibe.
Part of me hopes that someone at Apple‘s Curpertino HQ is working on weird product mash-ups right now. Someone tinkering with an Apple Watch you can dock an iPhone in. Maybe there’s a MacBook where each key is actual a tiny iPad and inside each one of those there’s an even tinier iPad Mini. Or maybe, just maybe, there’s a pair of AirPods that also work as Apple Pencils.
Would I want to buy any of those things? Or even would like to see them sold? Oh god no, they’d be horrible and pointless and a waste of time. But I do like the idea that somewhere, deep inside, Apple still wants to be a company that experiments and creates weird things, no matter how unlikely that is.
Until confirmation of that, I guess we just sit here and wait for the iPhone 12.
For more gear, gadget, and hardware news and reviews, follow Plugged on Twitter and Flipboard.
Apple was considering releasing a version of the Mac mini with a built-in dock for an iPod nano, photographs of an unreleased prototype reveal, one that could have enabled synchronization of music and other content with the portable music device without relying on a separate cable or dock.
Posted to Twitter on Saturday, the images by @DongleBookPro show a first-generation Mac mini, complete with a white top, but with a cut-out section to the rear of the computing device. Located at the back and in the center line of the top casing, a gap offers a space for a user to place an iPod nano.
The dock section includes the depreciated 30-pin connector, offset to the left of the unit, designed to match up with the connectors on the iPod nano. The size of the dock space meant it was incompatible with larger hard drive-based models of iPod, suggesting the prototype was meant just for use with the iPod nano.
The poster describes the unit as being a “totally scraped [sic] project that never saw the light of day,” and possibly for good reason. The shift towards iPhone and the wide variations in physical design over time, as well as changes in connector to Lightning, would have severely dated the unit shortly after going on sale.
While Apple did not rely on building docks into Macs, it did utilize the concept in the iPod Hi-Fi, a speaker unit that worked by plugging an iPod into the dock section on the top. The device failed to make much headway, and was gone from Apple’s online store a mere 18 months after launch.
Twitter user @DongleBookPro has today shared images of a prototype first-generation Mac mini with a built-in dock for an iPod nano.
The images show a first-generation Mac mini with a 30-pin dock connector cutout on the top for an iPod nano. Otherwise, the computer appears to be virtually identical to the version that came to market in 2005. These types of docks were more commonly seen on speakers at the time, such as Apple’s iPod Hi-Fi that was released in 2006.
The 30-pin connector was never directly implemented on computers, with a cable required for syncing. It is therefore intriguing to discover that Apple was seriously considering adding an iPod dock to the Mac, starting with the Mac mini in 2005.
According to the Twitter user who shared these photos, the project was scrapped internally before it saw the “light of day.” Given that the size and shape of the iPod nano changed consistently over the years, this Mac mini would have only been compatible with the first and perhaps second generation of the music player.
@DongleBookPro regularly posts images of unreleased Apple devices and prototypes. Earlier this month, they revealed images of an unreleased first-generation iPod touch prototype with a 2013 Mac Pro-style glossy black finish.
If you’re in the market for a mini computer, the discounted Mac Mini could just be what you need.
Today, the Apple device drops to just $699.99 which equates to a whopping $100 discount via in-cart savings. It’s the lowest the Mac mini has ever been, and one you shouldn’t sleep on.
Apple Mac Mini
The term ‘mini’ is a bit misleading considering the amount of firepower it has. You get an 8th gen Intel i3 processor, 8GB of generous RAM, an Ultrafast SSD and the UHD 630 graphics chip. It also has a number of useful additions, such as USB 3, HDMI 2.0 and four Thunderbolt 3 ports.
In terms of speed and productivity the Mac mini doesn’t disappoint. Simply connect to an external display, attach a USB for wireless keyboard and mice and you have yourself a workstation. It should be able to handle everyday tasks such as emails, spreadsheets and the occasional photo editing.
Get yourself a Mac mini now while the price is still low!
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Update 2:07pm ET: Amazon’s $100 coupon appears to have expired. We’ll update this post accordingly if it becomes available again today.
The Mac Mini remains the most affordable way to get a new macOS machine and now Amazon lets you get your foot in the door for even less. The entry-level Mac Mini is on sale for $669 at the online retailer, which is $100 off its normal price and a total of $130 off its launch price. The sale price won’t be listed on the product page — rather, you’ll see the $100 coupon automatically applied right before you check out.
The base model has an 8th-gen Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. While those specs are on the low side, we gave the Mac Mini a score of 80 when we reviewed it at its debut. It proved to be a speedy desktop that could handle many different types of workflows, but where it mostly fell short was in graphics performance due to a lack of dedicated GPU.
However, we liked it for its compact design, affordable price (compared to other Mac machines), and its variety of port options. The Mac Mini includes four Thunderbolt 3 ports, a headphone jack, an Ethernet port, an HDMI port and two USB-A ports. That’s much more than you’ll find on any Apple laptop, and the combination of Thunderbolt 3 ports and HDMI port allow you to drive up to three 4K monitors from this tiny computer.
Admittedly, those who work in creative fields or use programs that rely heavily on GPU power will require more power than the Mac Mini can provide. The Mac Mini is also not designed for gaming, so it won’t be the best all-purpose device if gaming is part of your regular routine. But this is a good sale because, not only is this the lowest price we’ve seen on the Mac Mini, but it gives back-to-school shoppers an even more affordable way to upgrade their computer before the new semester starts.
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The hidden Apple deal features a $30 discount that stacks with $100 bonus in-cart savings at Amazon, bringing the Mac mini price down to $669.99 and total savings to $130 off MSRP.
New lowest Mac mini price
The lowest Mac mini price is courtesy of Amazon this weekend, with the e-commerce giant knocking $130 off the standard 2020 model with a 3.6GHz Core i3 processor, 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage.
To snap up the deal, look for a green $100 bonus savings message on the Amazon product page and verify the $669.99 price in your shopping cart. It’s unclear how long the promotion will last, so don’t delay if you’re looking for a stellar Mac deal on a budget.
Apple hardware deals
AppleInsider and Apple authorized resellers are also running additional exclusive discounts on Mac hardware that will not only deliver the best Apple prices on many of the items, but also throw in bonus savings on AppleCare, Office 365 and more. These offers are as follows:
