Mac mini Computer Review

Conclusions

With a suggested price of USD 600, the Mac mini is not a cheap computer, but it is one of the cheapest ways to get into the Mac world, even if you have to purchase a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. With the upgraded processor and new internal components, it performs well and is noticeably faster than previous versions. It is well-designed and well-made. Combined with the new OS X Lion, it makes an excellent computer.

If there is any flaw in the mini, it may be that it is a little too forward-leaning. Yes, you can get most of what you want from the Internet or on a USB drive, but it may be just a bit too soon to completely eliminate the optical drive, as we feel that the average user will find this at least a bit of an inconvenience.

The inclusion of the Thunderbolt port, while nice to have, is also something that may or may not be important in the future.

If Apple would have included a Blu-ray player in the mini, it would have made a great media center. That said, it is an excellent computer with a very small footprint. It is portable enough to use it to watch Internet programs on an HDTV, and then move it to the den or study for more serious applications.

Newbies who want to purchase the Mac mini to get into the Apple world may have to get someone knowledgeable to help them choose the right components like keyboard, mouse, and display. Once past that hurdle, the mini will serve the newbie well, just as it would serve a more seasoned user.

Strong Points

• Very small footprint
• Well-designed and well-made
• Sturdy
• No power block
• Portable
• Support for dual displays
• Cool and quiet
• Full-size HDMI
• Thunderbolt port
• OS X Lion
• Included HDMI to DVI adapter
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

Weak Points

• No optical drive
• Only USB 2.0
• No monitor, mouse, or keyboard