Apple Computer has started selling its Mac mini computer at retailer Best Buy stores, the second large electronics retailer to carry the slim, $499 PC.

Apple rolled out the Mac mini, which is sold without a monitor, keyboard or computer mouse, in January, taking solid aim at making its products more affordable for the masses. It's the cheapest Macintosh to date.

The mini is aimed principally at consumers who already own one or more of Apple's popular iPod digital music players and have a Windows or a Macintosh computer at home.

Apple hopes that users will want a Mac mini to manage their digital music library, movies and pictures with its iTunes digital lifestyle applications.

Since the introduction of the iPod in October 2001, analysts looked for signs of the so-called "halo effect," the notion that iPod sales drive sales of Apple's signature Macintosh computers. Macs are more profitable for Apple than are the iPods.

Apple co-founder and Chief Executive Steve Jobs has said that the halo effect is real and the company is definitely seeing evidence of it, although so far that evidence is largely anecdotal.

"Although we see plenty of anecdotal evidence of Mac sales benefiting from iPod success, the numbers will tell the tale," wrote Merrill Lynch analyst Steven Milunovich in a note to clients, adding that he is looking for consistent 15 percent to 20 percent year-over-year Mac revenue growth.

"We think the Mac mini will help provide evidence of the halo effect," Milunovich wrote.

Privately held CompUSA Inc. also sells the Mac mini. Best Buy also sells iPods and iPod accessories in its stores, but no other Macintosh computers than the mini, said Best Buy spokesman Kevin Cockett. The mini is now available at the retailer's 671 U.S. stores.

Milunovich also said that Apple's next version of its Mac OS X operating systems, code-named Tiger, is complete and close to being available.

"The software upgrade should ship by the end of April and benefit (third fiscal quarter) earnings," the analyst wrote.

Cupertino, California-based Apple said in a statement that it was "pleased to offer" the Mac mini at Best Buy.