The Mac Mini: Compared, Contrasted, Reviewed

**MIG-31** · Mar 22, 2005, 01:57 PM

Apple systems have been turning heads for some time but the price of systems like the iMac G5 is generally perceived as one reason why people don’t switch to Macintosh systems. The Mac Mini we’ll be reviewing today, at $499 base price, in the lowest-cost Mac ever, aimed at breaking through the price barrier and encouraging people to try Apple’s way of doing things. Previously the only way to get an Mac under $999 was the eMac--an all-on-one CRT design that’s both semi-dated and sizeable when compared to the more-powerful and space-conserving iMac. Up till now the iBook has offered Apple’s best price / performance value and has sold very well; the Mac Mini essentially fits the iBook’s configuration (sans LCD) into an SFF case.
_______________
Review: Sudhian

2800@2.5ghz · Mar 22, 2005, 02:16 PM

thats cool, but never really been a fan of apple.

swimtech · Mar 22, 2005, 02:30 PM

A lot of folks are buying them to incorporate into an integrated home theatre center. With their superdrive and included software, it can turn someones decent home theatre system (HD TV's are coming with DVI inputs...) into a media powerhouse right in your home - and very flexible...

studbagel9 · Mar 22, 2005, 03:53 PM

They'd be really nice as a sort of grandmother pc for someone who doesn't really know what they're doing, and whose last computer was an apple machine from 1993. But I agree with you too swimtech.

Callandor · Mar 24, 2005, 10:00 AM

And I quote one of the members on one of my other forums...

Quote:

Originally Posted by general_koffi

If Barbie were to own a computer, then it would be a mini-Mac.

I rest my case.

Mar 22, 2005, 01:57 PM	#1
MIG-31 HardwareHeaven News Mod Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Nottingham,UK Posts: 55,743 Rep Power: 444 System Specs	The Mac Mini: Compared, Contrasted, Reviewed Apple systems have been turning heads for some time but the price of systems like the iMac G5 is generally perceived as one reason why people don’t switch to Macintosh systems. The Mac Mini we’ll be reviewing today, at $499 base price, in the lowest-cost Mac ever, aimed at breaking through the price barrier and encouraging people to try Apple’s way of doing things. Previously the only way to get an Mac under $999 was the eMac--an all-on-one CRT design that’s both semi-dated and sizeable when compared to the more-powerful and space-conserving iMac. Up till now the iBook has offered Apple’s best price / performance value and has sold very well; the Mac Mini essentially fits the iBook’s configuration (sans LCD) into an SFF case. _______________ Review: Sudhian __________________ Please Post Your News Submissions Here

Mar 22, 2005, 02:16 PM	#2
2800@2.5ghz DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pontefract,West Yorkshire Posts: 36 Rep Power: 0	thats cool, but never really been a fan of apple. __________________ AMD 2800+Barton@2.5ghz 1.95v/Epox 8RDA6+Pro/Radeon 9800pro O'ced @ 411/351 / 120gb S-ATA Maxtor D'Max+9 \ 2x512 Corsair XMS PC3200CL2-dual channel \ pioneer DVDRW-107/Lian Li PC-7 [color=navy]Water Setup>>>Maze3>>>Eheim1250>>>Black Ice Extreme>>>Panaflow120mm@2400rpm[/color]

Mar 22, 2005, 02:30 PM	#3
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 122 System Specs	A lot of folks are buying them to incorporate into an integrated home theatre center. With their superdrive and included software, it can turn someones decent home theatre system (HD TV's are coming with DVI inputs...) into a media powerhouse right in your home - and very flexible... __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Mar 22, 2005, 03:53 PM	#4
studbagel9 Rolling the Hard Six Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lock Haven, PA Posts: 767 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	They'd be really nice as a sort of grandmother pc for someone who doesn't really know what they're doing, and whose last computer was an apple machine from 1993. But I agree with you too swimtech. __________________