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Apple Mac mini MA206LL/A (1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive) | List Price: $749.99
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Brand: Apple
Binding: Personal Computers
Features: - Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger, iLife '06, and Front Row software included
- 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo processor with 167 MHz system bus
- 512 MB DDR2 SDRAM (expandable to 2 GB), 80 GB hard drive, and slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD??RW/CD-RW)
- One FireWire 400 port; four USB 2.0 ports; DVI output; VGA output (using included adapter); S-video and composite video output
- Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit), built-in 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi (802.11g); and built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) module
Very nice machine.... [Posted on 2006-07-06]
This is a nice machine. It's my first Mac in many years and I am still getting used to it. It's not perfect though. Memory upgrades are diffcult and need to be performed by qualified personnel. Would a memory door on the bottom similar to a notebook computer be that difficult? I realize that they want to keep the size to a minimum, but a small slot for a newer generation video card would be nice. Or the option to get the system with an ATI card or something other than the Intel video. If those two issues were "corrected", then I would give this system 5 stars and say it is the ultimate computer. It's ability to run either OSX or Windows XP makes switching from Windows a lot less painfull. You can still use the software you spent so much money on for Windows, and yet explore some of the apps that Apple has to offer. The included iLife suite is very nice. Power users may want to pass and wait for the next gen big box, but casual users and those curious about trying a Mac should give it a look. You can use the USB keyboard, USB mouse and monitor from your PC. I'm very pleased and my experience with it now has me looking looking at the MacBooks.
Apple Mac mini ROX. Amazon, I have concerns about. [Posted on 2006-07-11]
The Mac mini is a great little machine if you want something that is cute, compact, quiet and very connected to the outside world. Don't get it if you really need a high-performance desktop machine -- it is not for World-o-Warcraft. But it's perfect for web surfing, photo retouching, ripping music, editing video and burning DVDs.
I have concerns about Amazon, though. The mini I ordered was packed in Apple's adorable little box inside a rather large Amazon box with no padding... it rattled around a lot in there. It was basically DOA, but the nice folks at the Apple store replaced it under warranty without a fuss.
My takeaway is that Apple is fantastic, but Amazon may not be the best place to order breakable stuff. Still recommend them for non-breakables, though.
fast little machine [Posted on 2006-08-14]
I actually bought the mac mini at a local Apple store because Amazon does not carry the configuration that I wanted, which is:
Core duo 1.66 GHz with superdrive
1 GB RAM
100 GB hard drive
I mostly use Windows PCs but used to own an iBook G3. I bought the Mac mini mainly to edit home videos using iMovie, and burn to DVD using iDVD. Hence the 1 GB RAM makes the tasks speedier than the 512 MB version. The resulting DVDs are very slick, better than any consumer grade software from Windows. I get beautiful and professional looking DVD menus. The video editing and DVD design are very user friendly. It takes less time and effort than all Windows software I've used, including Roxio Media Creator 8.0.
The Mac mini is even faster than my hulking PC with 2.4GHz Pentium 4 with 1 GB RAM. Video encoding that took 2 hours in Roxio Media Creator, took only 40 minutes in iMovie/iDVD.
The Mac mini is also very quiet. The fan is always at low speed, and has never ramped up to high speed. Right now, I'm typing this review in Safari, listening to songs in iTunes, and doing video encoding in iDVD simultaneously without any slowdown. If you plan to multitask, I recommend getting at least 1GB RAM. Unfortunately, Apple did not make it easy to upgrade RAM on your own. To do so requires using a putty knife to pry open the case.
In summary, the Mac mini is highly recommeded for people who already own a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Otherwise, an iMac or MacBook should also be considered.
MACTABULOUS!!! [Posted on 2006-10-19]
For all those people who are concerned about space restrictions and want a powerhouse computer that will not need a large footprint, the Mac Mini is the perfect solution. Packing a boatload of power into a computer yay bigger than a coaster, there is no better power/space combination in the entire computing world!
For all the Windows users who don't want to make the switch to the Mac, with the newest Mac OS you will not look back once you get used to the ways that Apple does things the way they are SUPPOSED to be done.
As per usual Apple, the design of the Mac Mini is perfect, and it's so quiet that your own heartbeat will no doubt be louder than this quiet monster.
If you need a solid family computer that will allow you to surf the net, work with spreadsheets, check e-mail, or just do 99% of the things that you would like to be doing (I don't say 100% because it's not a gaming machine), pick up a Mac Mini for your home office, kitchen, ANYWHERE and you will NOT be disappointed!!
***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Works as expected [Posted on 2006-10-29]
I purchased this Mini for the additional audio processing power it would provide to my Powerbook when working with Logic Pro. I use it only in this manner and it works exactly as I expected and hoped in this respect.
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