Portfolious

The little brother of the iMac, the cousin of the MacBook, the Mac mini is the often overlooked desktop computer of the Apple Macintosh line up.  Originally launched in 2005, it was intended to be a less expensive method for first time Mac “switchers”.  Priced at $599, to this day it is still the cheapest (legal) method of owning a Mac, yet still had not caught on in the same way the iMac or MacBook has.  It just doesn’t have the sex appeal of the iMac with its massive all-in-one display, or the portability of the MacBook, leaving some analyst to predict its demise nearly every product cycle.  Yet, somehow, it has managed to survive, but probably not in the way Apple originally intended.   Instead of becoming the perfect Mac for first-timers, it has become the preferred choice for user of OS X looking for a compact second machine, such as the so called “Kitchen Computer” or Home Theater PC.  In fact, that is the reason I picked up one myself last week after Tuesday’s refresh .  However, in the interest of offering an in-depth review, I have used my shinny new Mac mini as my main computer since then, running it through its paces on everything from basic browsing to large file video editing.

Let’s start with what $599 will buy you.  In the box you’ll get the machine itself, power supply, standard software disk, and a MiniDVI to DVI cable… and that’s it (you can see my unboxing here if you are interested). No keyboard, monitor, or mouse.  It really is meant as a “replace your Windows PC but keep your other stuff” machine.  The first thing that you really notice is that it truly is miniature, measuring 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) squared and 2 inches (5.1 cm) tall while weighing only 2.9 pounds (1.31 kg).  It of course maintains the form factor that Apple is known for, using its design to transition effortlessly from computer to conversation piece.  In fact, when I first showed it to my girlfriend, she assumed it was a Time Capsule and was amazed that an entire computer could fit into such a small box.

So what has Apple managed to cram into this tiny space?  Well, with the new upgrades from last week, I think the mini can now be considered a real contender as a primary desktop computer for the average user.  The base line model comes equipped with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hardrive.  Admittedly, these specs don’t blow your mind as they are on par with mid-range laptops, but for the vast majority of people this is really all the power they would need.  Even for the “prosumers” out there, I had no problems handling large image files in Photoshop CS4 and editing video clips with iMovie.  Of course, it’s not as fast as my iMac (that has nearly double the power), but it got the job done without any crashes or unreasonable processing times.  Speaking of video, the graphics are supplied by an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M that is capable of pushing to dual screens through the Mini-DVI and Mini-DisplayPort outputs on the back of the box.  The graphics card was able to handle Call Of Duty 4 and HD movies on my 103” screen without any issues.  If I have one complaint about the baseline specs, however, it’s going to have to be storage.  With only 160GB of space, you can easily start to run out of room  in the age of iTunes Movies and 10 Megapixal digital cameras.  You can upgrade to 320GB or 500GB for $100 and $200 respectively or even save yourself a few bucks and buy a SATA hard drive to do it yourself, but it would have been great for at least the 320GB to be standard.

Ultimately, if you are looking at breaking into the world of Mac without breaking your budget I would really take a hard look at the mini if I were you.  You are getting all the benefits of OS X and the included iLife program suite at half the price you would pay for an iMac and can even keep using your favorite monitor (or save up for that Cinema Display down the road).  For those who already use and love a Mac, well the mini is a great way to spread that love around the house (okay, that sounds a little dirty, but you know what I mean), with a design that is small enough for the kitchen or bedroom while being stylish enough for your home theater.