Apple Mac mini: a first look

Apple's tiny Mac mini is roughly the size of an optical drive, and costs £339 (inc. VAT) in its base configuration.

The Mac mini goes on sale January 22 with two basic configurations. The £339 (inc. VAT) model comes with a 1.25GHz G4 processor, 256MB of 333MHz DDR memory (upgradable to 1GB for a whopping £290 extra), and a 40GB hard drive. The £398.99 (inc. VAT) model provides a faster 1.42GHz processor and a larger 80GB hard drive. Both Mac minis include a 32MB ATI Radeon 9200 graphics chip and a slot-loading 24X DVD/CD-RW combo drive, which you can upgrade to a full-fledged, dual-format DVD-burning SuperDrive (£70). Bundled software includes Apple's Panther OS X operating system and the iLife '05 suite of media software.

The £339 price of the Mac mini certainly makes owning an Apple computer more accessible. Its small size and overall design stand out, especially when compared to the bland-to-gaudy case designs commonly inflicted on the budget-PC buyer. As with the similarly sleek iMac G5, all of the ports and the power button on the Mac mini are located on the back panel. You can connect a digital LCD via the Mac mini's DVI port and analogue monitors with the included adapter. You can add wireless networking (£49) and Bluetooth capability (£35) as time-of-purchase options. Although you will need to add a monitor and input devices (thankfully, it supports a standard USB mouse) to use the Mac mini, once you do, the DVD/CD-RW combo drive and the full complement of media and creativity software via iLife '05 will give you plenty to do after you're set up.

We wouldn't get too excited about the Mac mini's £339 price tag. Add in the cost of a new monitor, keyboard and mouse, and with the Mac mini's barest configuration, you're looking at roughly £450 at a minimum to get up and running (of course, you might have these peripherals from the PC you're aiming to replace). With only two USB 2.0 ports on the back of the Mac mini, you'll need to get creative when you add components, making either the internal Bluetooth module or a separate USB hub almost necessary. Functionality is further limited by the lack of Gigabit Ethernet support (the included networking jack supports only 10/100) and no audio-in port -- you get only a headphone out. Finally, the Mac mini comes with Apple's standard allotment of 256MB of memory; we suggest spending the extra £50 to double it.

We think the Mac mini will inspire people to switch based on its looks and core price alone. That doesn't mean we think it's the most cost-effective budget computer. When we compare the specs of the £549 (inc. VAT) eMac, we don't even think the Mac mini is the best deal you can get on an Apple-based PC, since that all-in-one system comes with comparable specs, monitor, mouse and keyboard. Still, there's a lot to be said for the simple appeal of the Mac mini's clean design. As long as you think of the price as a starting point and not the total cost, we think the Mac mini will woo a lot of frustrated Windows users, synergy-seeking iPod owners and those who simply appreciate attractive tech.

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