Apple Mac mini (M9686LL/A) Desktop

It's difficult to know for sure how best to categorize this system. For those who follow Apple's culture of design, the Mac Mini will undoubtedly be all things to all people; the epitome of style, and proof, if proof were needed, that Apple is the only system builder who truly understand how to combine form and function without compromising either. To everyone else, things will likely be far less clear cut.

Make no mistake, even the box it comes in is cute and so stunningly executed that you can't help but wonder why all computers are not made this way. Once inside the box, the diminutive Mini is almost improbably small. Almost improbably stylish. Almost improbably good.

The thing is though, that it's all too easy to fall into the trap of forgetting that inside the sleek, sheik, exterior, lies a rather dated heart and soul, for while this is the latest Mac to escape what is probably the best industrial design house in existence today, the engineers have filled it with 2003 technology. That's not a BAD thing, and for the price it's far from a mistaken choice, but as users hang back from purchasing Apple laptops because the G5s are on the horizon, a Mac Mini powered by a G4, and with a rather slow hard drive, is neither cutting edge nor, on the face of it, a logical choice of computer for the rest of us.

As is so often the case, however, things are not really so simple.

Firstly, whatever market Apple have in mind for this system, one thing is absolutely sure - they'll hit it. By steering a curious path between capturing low-end market share and avoiding cannibalizing sales of top-end systems, Apple had a difficult task to accomplish - and it seems to me they accomplished it rather well.

That there is no keyboard, mouse or monitor in the box is either heaven-sent or the height of laxity of thought. It rather depends on whether you have a keyboard, mouse and screen lying around spare (or maybe want a good excuse to splash out on new ones), or want to squeeze the last drop of blood from your hard-earned money. Much has already been made of the cheaper deals on various PCs that it's enough to make you wonder who's right. The thing is that neither are because it's not the pundits and commentators who this system is aimed at – it's the user, and as glib as it sounds, the user experience is very different than you would expect from a box full of 2003 technology – and the sort of user who would baulk at the need to add a keyboard, mouse and screen is not the customer Apple is on the lookout for.

From the user standpoint, the Mini is a remarkable system, not just because of the diminutive size, but because it delivers something that is rather lacking in low-cost systems these days – usability.

While it's easy to be critical of what this systems lacks, (a G5 for instance), the fact is that in actual use, this is not a crippled system with cut down performance as many have suggested or expect. The rather thin and weedy sounding startup chime hints at disappointments to come, but that's where the disappointments end. Startup is smooth and fast, and on first use, a brief progression of screens leads through a gentle initial setup and configuration which after barely 5 minutes leaves the system ready for normal use.

The first thing to say about using this computer is that it is incredibly easy to forget you're working with a system that's barely bigger than a stack of half a dozen CD cases. Neither the Mini's size nor its noise level intrudes into consciousness at all. Indeed, were it not for the fact that the Mini almost begs to be placed somewhere prominent on a desk, it would be easy to think it was a full-sized box with full-sized power. Applications, documents and windows open with a calm fluidity for which MacOS is rightly famed.

Running multiple applications and switching between them is no problem, though with the base 256Mb RAM, there can be a slight delay when moving between windows, and the more applications concurrently running, the longer the pauses tend to be. This is a common factor with MacOS X on all systems with tight memory constraints, and Apple don't do this operating environment any justice at all by running it in the cramped space that 256Mb gives. For many users, making light demand of the system for email, web browsing and typing, the limited performance caused by the small base memory may well not be noticed at all, but since the Mini comes with a bundle of software that invites more sophisticated use, it has to be said that the first thing many users will want to do is double the memory to 512Mb.

Upgrading memory is not, according to Apple, a task that users are expected to perform, so it's best to add the extra memory as an option at the time of purchase, though opening the Mini is not a difficult task, and swapping out the original 256Mb 'stick' for a new one isn't likely to be taxing to most.

With memory upped to 512Mb, the performance lag almost entirely disappears, and delving into the Mini's capabilities shows this to be a very capable system indeed, running what are generally considered to be 'power user' applications such as inDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop with ease. Running all three together, with large files open in each, begins to cause slight lags in drop-down menus, window opening and the like, but it doesn't interfere with workflow in any noticeable way and is consistent enough that it isn't particularly noticeable. Adding Final Cut Express, iPhoto and iTunes too doesn't seem to slow the system significantly either, but opening Garageband on top of that almost brought the Mini to a halt! Garageband is a memory-hungry application, so that's no surprise.

Running what for me is a typical collection of applications: Safari, Mail, Word, iTunes, Photoshop and iMovie proved satisfying and responsive. The Mac Mini was able to cope with no difficulties at all, and throughout the period of use so far it has not shown any signs of performance weaknesses. The only time it bogged down was when setting out to test what it would take to make that happen.

The $499 purchase price doesn't of course include any peripherals, but it does include a pack of software that unlike similarly inexpensive PCs, does not contain trial versions, shareware or 'feature-lite' editions of the real thing. Foremost is the 'iLife' suite of software: the iTunes jukebox, iPhoto for digital photo organization and editing, iMovie for capturing and editing digital video (from miniDV camcorders), iDVD for burning home movies to DVD if the Mini has a 'superdrive' or an external DVD burner has been added, and Garageband for budding musicians in need of a creative starting point. These applications are extraordinary in the things they allow the user to do, though just how useful they are depends on what users are looking to achieve. There's Quicken 2005 for personal finances, Appleworks, which though rather dated now, provides tightly integrated tools for wordprocessing, drawing, painting, spreadsheets and data management, DVD player, and two games: Nanosaur 2 and Marble Blast Gold. There's also the usual collection of address book, iCal, iSync and iChat AV, along with Apple's own email client and web browser.

All the software works well, with the usual generally simple and easy to follow interface. It makes a refreshing change from similar applications in the PC world, where increasing sophistication has tended to make software features less accessible.

The burning question of the moment is whether the Mac Mini is worth it. Does the money you spend buy you a system which is worth the cost. The answer to that is a resounding YES. The elegance of MacOS X, the bundled software, the acceptably powered hardware and the simplicity of use make this great value. But it's just as important to remember what the Mini is not – it isn't a leading edge product with oodles of power to spare. A look at the applications that were around in 2003 will tell you what the Mini should be able to run quite happily (the list is extensive and includes almost every professional software package so don't expect to be limited in what this system can do) and practical tests show it to be a very capable system despite the price, but it clearly has its limits. If you find yourself thinking about all the options to add in, it may be that an eMac or G5 iMac might be beckoning instead.

But for the average user, wanting a good system for web and mail, to play music, watch DVDs, put together slideshows of photos, do a bit of typing, this is not just worthy of consideration, it's a very attractive proposition because it can do all that…. and it can do a great deal more with the power it will still have up its sleeve. Not only that, but if the history of Macs is anything to go by, it'll be usable for a long time into the future.

All in all, it's hard to imagine anyone other than perhaps true power users who wouldn't find a lot of merit in this system. That it IS cute and so well engineered is the sort of bonus you can't normally put a price tag on. Style suddenly comes cheap!

For your money you get: A Mac Mini with 40Gb hard drive, 256Mb memory, external power 'brick' that will work on 11-250volts and 50 or 60Hz, MacOS 10.3.7, iLife '05, Appleworks, Quicken 2005, Nanosaur 2, Marble Blast Gold, Mail, Safari, iCal, Address Book, iSync, iChat AV and a collection of other bits and pieces of software. What you will have to bring to the party is a keyboard and mouse (USB keyboards from Macs and PCs will work just fine) and a monitor that connects to either a DVI (digital) or VGA (15-pin analog) connector. You'd be wise to add a 512Mb RAM upgrade too.