Apple Mac mini M9687LL/A (G4 1.42 GHz, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)

Rating:
Summary: The Lowdown on The Mac Mini
Review: Apple's introduction of the Mac Mini line of computers has attracted the eyes of both PC and Mac users. I picked up the 1.42 GHz model with the 512 MB RAM upgrade recently, because it was the first relatively affordable and small Macintosh computer to be released by Apple. Humming away quietly next to my relatively loud P4 3.0 GHz, 1 GB RAM, Radeon 9800 Pro PC, I've noticed a few things about the Mac Mini that might help potential buyers realize whether or not they want this system:

Pros:

1) Despite what some people might say, this system is very quick. I've read countless reviews of people saying that its too slow for many tasks - one review even said that animations were choppy when the resolution is above 1280x960. I'm currently using 1280x1024, and I saw a demo of this system at a resolution at least 1500/1600 pixels wide, maybe more. At one point in time, I had iTunes, Safari, GarageBand, and a small (very small) 2D game running, and iTunes never once skipped.

Believe it or not, when you take into account the anti-virus software, graphics card control panel, etc..., that has to load for Windows, this little Mac Mini loads about as fast as (maybe even faster than) my P4 3.0 GHz machine.

2) I know it has been said before, but I'm just going to reiterate it - this system is small, and it's hard to believe that Apple could put such a system together. It's also very quiet - but the CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive is really, really loud when it starts up. It's a minor problem, but overall, the Mini is fairly silent.

Cons:

There is only one real con, but unfortunately for some buyers, it might be a big one - whatever you do, PLEASE, PLEASE do not buy this system IF you are buying a computer to run higher-end games. PLEASE! Despite what Apple would have you believe, this little box is not meant for 3D gaming (2D is perfectly fine). Games like Unreal Tournament 2004 or Call of Duty barely make 20-30 FPS @ 1024x768/1280x1024 and are often unplayable even with a lot of the eye-candy turned off. However, some games also seem to do decently well - like the demo of Jedi Knight II (why it works as well as it does is really strange), MotoTrax, or NoLimits Roller-coaster Simulator. It seems to be a real toss up, but generally if the minimum specifications for the game seem to be pushing the limits (like stating that the game needs a 32 MB graphics card), chances are it won't run that well on the Mac Mini.

It is for this reason (and this reason only) that I deducted one star from overall rating.

Final Words:

The Mac Mini is a really nice little system that suits the average home user or even a small developer perfectly. Diehard gamers should definitely look elsewhere (if you're on a budget, look to the PC side of things) as this system is not meant for games. All in all, the Mac Mini has two defined markets:

1) The average home user who just wants to organize his/her photos, write a document, watch a DVD, and so on.
2) The PC user who has a fairly good PC, but is interested in the Macintosh side of things - not to make a complete switch, but just to see what Macs are like, do some development, learn Mac OS X, etc...

If you fit into one of these groups then I highly recommend that you purchase the Mac Mini. If you are a middle of the road user who wants to run some higher end games, but is still budget-oriented, try looking at a budget PC with an upgrade to a Radeon 9600 or GeForce FX 5600. If you want the latest and greatest with no budget limit, then look somewhere else at a high-end PC or Mac.

I'm certainly not sorry that I purchased the Mini, and I hope that Apple decides to make even more middle-of-the-road, fairly inexpensive computers in the future.

To conclude this review, I'd just like to tell anybody debating between getting a Macintosh or a PC that Windows is not as crash-prone/virus-ridden/difficult as most Mac purists would have you believe.

Rating:
Summary: Great mac
Review: cant afford a powermac/book g5? GET this, looks cool and performs great for only 600 bux!

Rating:
Summary: MacMini Review
Review: http://www.osxworldconnect.com/minireview.html

OS X World Connect - Mini Review, Check It Out

Rating:
Summary: Not The World Shaker Folks Think It Is...
Review: I am a PC user who was interested in the "Mac" experience and decided to try the mini. I purchased the 1.42,80gb,512kb model and after a week of using it have the following thoughts.
Pros: It is small and looks nice on the desktop. Yes it does email, web and your basic computing tasks.
Cons: The famous OSX operating system does look pretty but it doesn't work as well and is not as crash proof as the Mac fanatics would have you believe. I managed to crash Iphoto 3 times and was unable to import digital pictures from my camera. When updating my ipod the system locked up and only a power down could restore it. The software provided, Ilife, has many features a new computer user would want but if you already have a pc with third party software you will not add anything with Ilife. Web surfing works but the Apple browser provided has problems displaying many web pages.
After using the mini for a week I can't find anything I cannot already do on my pc and most of which my pc will do better with its more powerful processer and graphics card. If you do not have a computer this would be a good choice but if you already have a decent PC this is a waste of money. I will probably be selling mine on ebay in the coming week.

Rating:
Summary: Apple continues their winning streak!!!
Review: I have had an ongoing love/hate relationship with Apple for years. My first computer was an Apple II (which was way cooler than the TRS-80 I had taken the majority of my programming classes on in school) and I have long been convinced that Jobs, Woz and the boys definitely did revolutionize the computer industry back then.

But, like the unwritten rule of odd-numbered Star Trek movies, Apple's product line over the years has alternated between "Wow, that's COOL" and "What the #$*% were they thinking?!???" The obviously superior (and, of course, 'different') thinking that brought forth the iMac which forever changed the way computers look on our desks; the iPod which is currently the hottest-selling media player on the market; Technologies like Firewire (developed by Apple and later adopted by the rest of the world as IEEE1394) and AirPort (developed by Apple and later adopted by the rest of the world as WiFi) earlier software innovations like HyperCard which was an early predecessor to HyperText which changed the way we use the internet; the Newton which paved the way for both PalmPilots and PocketPC's; even the very concept of computing itself was molded by Apple's decision to organize files using a graphical 'desktop' metaphor which was copied back in the day by Commodore, Atari, and most successfully by Microsoft.

Sadly all of the great things Apple did for computing were counterbalanced by products like the LISA and the ill-fated Apple III, the MacTV, Copland, the Pippin, the G4 Cube, the Performa, and even the "blue dalmatian" line of iMacs. Clearly, not every product/design/marketing idea is perfect, and Apple has had its share of losers.

Meanwhile, the Windows-PC world has gathered a comfortably commanding lead on market share by selling a cheaper, less-elegant-but-functional version, consistently keeping prices low, and targeting key market demographics - all strategies that Apple has, until now, been frustratingly inept at.

Even more frustrating was the fact that the worse the Wintel side got, the more impossible it became for me as a professional Windows/PC repair/tech consultant (and yes I did make a very good living supporting Wintel systems for years) to be able to recommend in good conscience that people go out and buy a PC. The past few years have seen rise to more viruses, more spyware, and more miscellaneous problems than I could possibly keep up with, and I had actually begun to turn away business because I was sick and tired of supporting these Wintel systems that constantly crashed, sick and tired of constantly cleaning spyware, viruses, worms etc (and yes it IS that bad nowadays) so everyone who now calls me with problems gets the same answer: "buy a mac."

Only now, finally, I don't have to listen to the one argument that the PC devotees have clung to for years: "Macs are too expensive." The Mac Mini changes that. There is now literally no reason not to own a mac.

This, in my opinion, was the one shortcoming that Apple never clued in on. For years, to my frustration and that of many others, they failed to realize that no matter how insanely great their product was, people wouldn't buy it if they could get something even marginally close to it for less money.

Well, they finally got it. They'll sell these units to people who would never dream of buying a mac at the higher price point. They'll sell them to businesses who need to fit 300 workstations and they'll sell them to home users who need a second, third, fourth (in my case, eighth) computer. They'll sell a lot of them.

I can't find anything wrong with this computer. Sure, it's not the top of the line. But anyone who expects the top of the line for $500 is sorely mistaken. And given the other machines in its price range, the mac mini delivers much more bang for the buck.

As someone who made a living supporting both mac and windows machines for years, I can honestly say that anyone who would choose a $500 e-machine over this mac mini deserves every bit of the mental torment and frustration they'll suffer when they spend hours every week cleaning the spyware off of their machine. Either that or they'll pay someone like me to do it for them and suddenly that $500 windows PC doesn't seem like such a bargain anymore, does it?

Bravo, Apple, please keep it up, and don't let there be another "odd-numbered" Star Trek movie.

Rating:
Summary: Best computer I have owned...
Review: I never do this, but I felt compelled to review this product. Hands down, best value in any computer I've ever had, and I've been using them for almost twenty years, from my Commodore 64 to present day. I like it more than the snazzy P4 3Ghz workstation I have next to it, I think it's a much better value than the iMac G5, and I'm about as satisfied with it as I would be with a PowerMac G5-- I know this because I had one before and had to sell due to financial mistak...er, reasons.

On the outside it is a beautiful design, just look at it - what more do I need to say? Put it anywhere, and it looks great.

Where it really shines is when you turn it on- the interface, or operating system-, it runs flawlessly smooth. It is powerful yet easy to use, it's very intuitive, I'd go as far to say that it makes computing fun and not frustrating.

I had some reservations at first, knowing that it has a slower laptop hard drive, that the video card is not as modern as it could be, but all those concerns vanished the moment I booted up and started using it. I can't really begin to describe how impressed I am with this little machine, how much it can do, and how happy I am with this purchase.

Apple has really come full circle these past few years and I am astounded by the ingenuity and design that goes into their products. I know that a lot of PC users shy away from Macs because they think that they're "too simple", when in reality Mac OS X is a power user's dream, with BSD Unix under the hood and powerful utilities at your fingertips. And with those Firewire 400 and USB2 ports, you've got enough ways to expand this baby and have it last you for years to come.

I'm not suggesting it's for everyone. If you like PC games (as opposed to console systems like XBox, PS2, Gamecube), stay away from this one. Not only do Macs have a limited game selection, but even though the Mini's got a heavy duty G4 processor, the graphics chip is not really able to handle the latest games. I'd also say that if you're doing heavy duty video editing or photo manipulation, you'd be better off with Apple's power line of products.

If you're like me, though, and you want a general purpose computer that can manage your digital photos, your music library, handle all your internet needs- browsing, email, chatting- something to do your papers and reports and presentations on, write and produce music (with included Garageband or more professional programs like Logic or Cubase), a computer that'll help you out- manage your schedule and 'to do' items that email reminders to you, where you can master and burn your own DVDs (with optional Superdrive), import and edit your own movies-- all of this, and so much more, the software is all included and easy to use. I know I sound like some Mac salesman, but I'm not, I swear to bob, I am just one extremely satisfied customer wanting to share my very positive experience. Get one!

For those that are curious, my configuration is this model, with Bluetooth and Superdrive option, Apple Pro Keyboard, Logitech MX900 Bluetooth mouse, 1GB RAM, external 200GB Firewire drive, and a Samsung 191T 19" 1280x1024 LCD monitor. I love this computer.

Rating:
Summary: First new computer in 13 years!
Review: My only gripe is that 256M is not really enough RAM, 512M is the sweet spot.

This is the first new Apple I have ever owned, and the first completely new computer I have had since 1992... I've always upgraded a bit at a time. I had been using a heavily upgraded G3 desktop as my main computer, with my old 1992 PC for the rare occasions I needed Windows (PC emulation on that old Mac was out of the question).

Short review: wow.

Small, quiet, cool, and powerful. The OpenGL-accelerated user interface makes the fancy graphical transitions and effects smooth and responsive, and the solid design of the OS made the transfer from my old Mac almost seamless... since all the applications are standalone self-sufficient entities, I could just drag over my Applications and Library directories and "Bob's your Uncle" - everything just worked. Compare that to a Windows switch, where you have to go back and reinstall everything you HAD been using.

In 1984 Apple produced "a computer for the rest of us".

In 2005 Apple's finally produced "an Apple for the rest of us". It's not a "toy" version of the Mac, like the old "LC" boxes seemed to be, it's a full blown computer in a tiny case, with a moderate price.

Rating:
Summary: Great value
Review: Ordered it immediately after the Macworld keynote. It's so small, but big value Mac. Our "mini" is now in the living room attached to a Syntax Olevia LT30HV HDTV and works great! Highly recommend getting the Superdrive and the WiFi/Bluetooth modules. Apple's wireless keyboard and mouse work flawlessly with the mini. The memory is not really hard to upgrade. I have upgraded ours to 1 Gig with third party SDRAM. Opening the case with a "putty knife" is not as hard as most people think it is. The bundled iLife 05 alone elevates this computer from bargain PCs.

Rating:
Summary: Extremely Impressed
Review: The Mac-mini is by no means a speed demon, but is still quite impressive for its sleek compact design and affordability. The memory configuration should be upgraded to at the very least to 512 GB. Note for do-it-yourselfers, opening the hood for mini-type computers is definitely not for the feint of heart.

In addition to the hardware, the latest iLife bundle as well as Quicken 2005, are just choice. I started playing with Quicken 2005, and it is really great, nice user interface. The iLife tools are so very essential to anyone that uses digital cameras or camcorders. If you enjoyed iTunes on either Windows or Mac, you'll love iPhoto. I haven't found any software that even comes close on Windows...

In my personal setup, this Mac-mini is strictly a home server. The power consumption for this little guy is so low; it hardly makes a dent in the electric bill, which is great for a home server setup.

Lastly for those true geeks like me out there... I even installed Mac OS X Server on it, and it works fine. I hope to also play with Linux (YellowDog Linux or other distro) and FreeBSD.

Conclusion, Just get this thing!

Windows users - great device/software combo, digital hub, fun to dabble with alternative OS that is not so prone to viruses.
Mac Users - why not?! great home server and/or second computer.
Linux/BSD users - Mac OS X is great play OS, and if don't like Mac OS X, just run FreeBSD or Linux (YDL, gentoo, debian, suse, mandrake, etc.)

If your a PC user, this device/software combo is great for managing media. If your a Mac user, why not! In addition to a great digital center, it can also work great as a low-powered home server.

Rating:
Summary: Solid
Review: This is not just a good "starter" Mac, it is probably adequate for more than 90 percent of home computer users. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the mini will be the various cottage industries that spring up around it, as with the iPod. It has some fascinating potential for home audio/video use. (A better TiVo? A music server?) Right now, though, it is a quality choice for home or small business use.

Because mini is not readily user-upgradeable, it's important to buy the configuration that will meet your needs in the forseeable future. I dock it one star because Apple charges too much for 1GB of RAM. The company's pricing is shortsighted as it will deter users who want to use applications like Photoshop, for which the mini is otherwise well suited.