Apple Mac mini (M9686LL/A) Desktop
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- Operating System: Apple MacOS X
- HDD Size: 40 GB
- Installed Memory: 256 MB (DDR SDRAM)
- Processor: PowerPC G4 1.25 GHz
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Finally, a quiet small secure capable PC
Pros
Small, quiet, MacOSX, security, caching
Cons
Gets expensive with options. Need 512 meg ram. No audio input, no S/PDIF output.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Excellent way to try a Mac. If you want small, quiet, this is one of the very few choices.
PC manufacters just don't get it. Seems like the only kind of machine you can buy these days is a huge tower case with lots of fans, lots of noise to achieve that extra 10% performance.
Reality is that for most uses, people just don't need to biggest baddest PC. It would be much more useful to have a small quiet yet capable machine.
Apple has hit on a revolutionary idea. I expect you'll see lots of clones in the Wintel world soon.
The Mini is simply amazing. Its like a folded up laptop without a display. Its incredibly small. So quiet that I have to put my ear on it to hear it. The DVD/CD drive is not quiet, especially when loading/unloading. If you tax the CPU, there is a fan inside that will spin up and can be noticable although still quieter than any PC I've seen in recent history. The Mini also has excellent power management. It effortlessly goes into standby and starts back up quickly as needed. You never really need to turn it off.
I'm a Windows user. This is my first look at Mac. Mac OSX is a refreshing, wonderful alternative to Windows. So many times I've complained about Windows and wished there was an alternative. Mac OSX is it. It is very powerful, flexible, secure and excellent performer. Its memory management is vastly superior to Windows.
Coming from Microsoft's totally insecure, open to any attacker world of Windows, MacOSX is wonderful. You can create multiple users, limit what a user can do, protect your files from other users and applications. You can install applications within your own userid so that they can't damage your overall system. MacOSX is missing a firewall to control outbound communication. Several inexpensive good ones are available.
Software included with the Mini is reasonably good. Enough to satisfy most basic users. iLife suite is nice, although I needed more function than is available from iDVD and iMovie packages.
I bought the base Mini. I'd recommend 512 meg instead of 256. The system runs in 256, but quickly has to start swapping and slow things down. MacOSX seems much more comfortable with 512 meg.
I also bought the regular keyboard and mouse. Its a single button mouse, yet many operations require the second mouse button. This is done by pressing a key on the keyboard and click the mouse. Very inconvenient. I'd recommend getting a 2 button mouse.
Some folks have complained about display problems. I hooked mine up to a 20" IBM monitor with no problems. Display is excellent, clear, bright, sharp, etc.
This is a great system for both computer literate and computer phobic users. Although easy to use, there is lots of flexibility and power that is good to learn about and can get complicated.
Not only is it hard to find a Wintel PC that's quiet, small with good power management, its practically impossible at any price. MacOSX proves that the insecurity that is taken for granted in the Windows world doesn't have to be that way. I'm sure viruses and spyware will find their way onto Macs, but the MacOSX architecture greatly limits the ease with which attacks can occur.
This experience has made me notice the Apple product lineup. In practice, an eMac maybe a better deal price wise because it includes a 17" monitor. The iMac is realistically smaller than the Mini because the PC is built into the flatscreen monitor. But as a way to try the Mac waters, the Mini still seems like a good way to do it.
Overall, I'd strongly recommend folks give it a try.
Reality is that for most uses, people just don't need to biggest baddest PC. It would be much more useful to have a small quiet yet capable machine.
Apple has hit on a revolutionary idea. I expect you'll see lots of clones in the Wintel world soon.
The Mini is simply amazing. Its like a folded up laptop without a display. Its incredibly small. So quiet that I have to put my ear on it to hear it. The DVD/CD drive is not quiet, especially when loading/unloading. If you tax the CPU, there is a fan inside that will spin up and can be noticable although still quieter than any PC I've seen in recent history. The Mini also has excellent power management. It effortlessly goes into standby and starts back up quickly as needed. You never really need to turn it off.
I'm a Windows user. This is my first look at Mac. Mac OSX is a refreshing, wonderful alternative to Windows. So many times I've complained about Windows and wished there was an alternative. Mac OSX is it. It is very powerful, flexible, secure and excellent performer. Its memory management is vastly superior to Windows.
Coming from Microsoft's totally insecure, open to any attacker world of Windows, MacOSX is wonderful. You can create multiple users, limit what a user can do, protect your files from other users and applications. You can install applications within your own userid so that they can't damage your overall system. MacOSX is missing a firewall to control outbound communication. Several inexpensive good ones are available.
Software included with the Mini is reasonably good. Enough to satisfy most basic users. iLife suite is nice, although I needed more function than is available from iDVD and iMovie packages.
I bought the base Mini. I'd recommend 512 meg instead of 256. The system runs in 256, but quickly has to start swapping and slow things down. MacOSX seems much more comfortable with 512 meg.
I also bought the regular keyboard and mouse. Its a single button mouse, yet many operations require the second mouse button. This is done by pressing a key on the keyboard and click the mouse. Very inconvenient. I'd recommend getting a 2 button mouse.
Some folks have complained about display problems. I hooked mine up to a 20" IBM monitor with no problems. Display is excellent, clear, bright, sharp, etc.
This is a great system for both computer literate and computer phobic users. Although easy to use, there is lots of flexibility and power that is good to learn about and can get complicated.
Not only is it hard to find a Wintel PC that's quiet, small with good power management, its practically impossible at any price. MacOSX proves that the insecurity that is taken for granted in the Windows world doesn't have to be that way. I'm sure viruses and spyware will find their way onto Macs, but the MacOSX architecture greatly limits the ease with which attacks can occur.
This experience has made me notice the Apple product lineup. In practice, an eMac maybe a better deal price wise because it includes a 17" monitor. The iMac is realistically smaller than the Mini because the PC is built into the flatscreen monitor. But as a way to try the Mac waters, the Mini still seems like a good way to do it.
Overall, I'd strongly recommend folks give it a try.
