New Newer Tech

I will admit that I love my Mac mini. Apple packs a powerful desktop computer in such a small an elegant package. I have used the newest Mac mini model, the one with a unibody aluminum case, but was surprised to find it has no built-in optical drive - not even as an option. The folks at Newer Technology has a unique solution.

If you have been using Macs for a while, you probably recognize the Newer Tech name. They have been around for quite a while. The company went bankrupt back in 2000, but the name and its products were bought by another company. They used to produce processor upgrades for PowerPC Macs, which they still have a G4 upgrade kit. Their product line is more concentrated on iPads, iPhone, iPods, RAM, hard drives, and other accessories.

A few weeks ago, just before this years CES, Newer Tech made a couple announcements. The one that caught my eye was for a new version of their MiniStack external hard drives. Newer Tech plans to release two new models that can be used for both Macs and Widows PCs. There is a new miniSTACK and miniSTACK MAX.

The original miniStack was identical in size to the original Mac mini models (the G4 through the 2009 Intel models). The design made it look like it was part of the Mac mini, which sat on top of the miniStack. The new models look like the latest Mac mini and have the same footprint so, like its predecessor, your mini can sit atop.

The both models can have up to 4TB of storage space and has ports for Firewire 800/400, USB 3.0/2.0, and e-Sata. The MAX model goes even further by having an internal optical drive and front facing SD card slot. The MAX can also act as a USB hub.

The Newer Tech web site lists the new miniStack as coming soon, so pricing and availability are unknown at this time. Newer Tech products can be found at Other World Computing or other online retailers that cater to Macs.