Apple released a long anticipated update to its Mac Mini line Monday morning. The new enclosure with in-built power supply and HDMI connectivity alone has home-theatre PC (HTPC) enthusiasts salivating whilst further blurring the line between the AppleTV’s usefulness and novelty factor.

The new 2010 Mac Mini includes:

• 2.4GHz or 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 1.4″ thick Unibody enclosure
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M Graphics Card
• Built-in Power Supply
• HDMI port and Mini DisplayPort
• User accessible memory slot
• Ethernet, FireWire 800, 4xUSB 2.0 ports
• Secure Digital (SD) card slot
• Analogue/Digital Audio Line out

Whilst the updates (and the immediate availability) are a welcome announcement the additional US$100 price tag has many punters up in arms. The Mac Mini is available starting from US$699 (AUD$999).