Apple Mac mini review

Review

2010-06-25 13:30

A likeable machine, but sadly not worth anywhere near the asking price.

This is the smallest Man mini yet, measuring a mere 36mm

The new Mac mini is a study in smallness: at just 3.6cm thick it’s nearly a third slimmer than previous models. That makes it a more front-room friendly machine than ever, and the stylish new aluminium casing doesn’t hurt either. It’s almost silent too, making no discernible noise above the gentle whirring of the hard disk.

Though compact, it’s fairly connectable. Around the back you’ll find an HDMI port (a new addition, supporting 5.1 audio, that seals the mini’s entertainment credentials), mini-DisplayPort, four USB 2 connectors and one FireWire 800 port, along with an SD card slot, Gigabit Ethernet and two audio mini-jacks.

If you want to connect a DVI display you can do so with a provided adaptor, but although Apple promises you can use “your own display, keyboard and mouse” you don’t get adaptors for PS/2 or VGA connectors.

There are also a few connectivity options you can’t see, namely 802.11n wireless and Bluetooth 2.1. And in the spirit of keeping things clean and tidy, the power supply has somehow been squeezed inside the tiny case, so there’s no brick hanging off the back. It's this type of thoughtful touch that gives Apple its lustre.

Sadly, the rest of the interior is rather less inspiring. Apple boasts that the new mini uses “the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors”, but in reality the standard model uses a mobile 2.4GHz P8600 from 2008. And the processor upgrade option – to the faster 2.66GHz P8800 – is a shocking rip-off: the difference in retail price is around £40, but Apple charges £123.

It’s a similar story with the hard disk: the standard model comes with a 320GB drive, but if you want to swap it for a 500GB model there’s an £80 supplement. That sticks in the throat when a brand new 500GB drive can be had for less than £50.

Still, it’s not all bad news on the upgrade front. Unlike previous versions of the hardware, the new Mac mini does at least let you upgrade the RAM yourself, via a quick release circular panel on the underside. The two SODIMM sockets will take up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, although the standard 2GB should suffice for basic entertainment and desktop jobs.