Today the Mac mini received an update which firmly set out Apple’s vision for an optical disc free future. The brand new Mac mini featuring Intel’s latest processors, Thunderbolt connectivity, and improved graphics is also the firm consumer desktop Mac to ship without an optical drive.

“Mac mini delivers the speed and expandability that makes it perfect for the desktop, living room or office,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With faster processors, more powerful graphics and Thunderbolt in an incredibly compact, aluminum design, the new Mac mini is more versatile than ever.”

The Mac mini is available with the latest dual-core Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7 processors and AMD Radeon HD 6630M discrete graphics. The server configured Mac mini is available with quad-core Intel Core i7.

The Mac mini which is available today starts at $599 (£529) for the 2.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 configuration with 2GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive.

A server configured Mac mini is available starting at $999 (£849) and packs a 2.0GHZ quad-core Intel Core i&, 4GB of memory and dual 500GB hard drives. A version of OS X Lion Server is installed.