Key Specs
2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo4GB DDR3
320GB hard drive
DVD±RW
None
Nvidia GeForce 9400M (256MB shared memory)
Mac OS X Snow Leopard
When Apple first released the Mac Mini in 2005, the company marketed it toward desktop-PC users who were interested in converting to a Mac, but didn’t want to shell out big bucks for an Apple iMac or a Mac Pro. But now that the price of the iMac has dropped to as low as $1,199, does the Mac Mini still have a place in the market? Is saving a few hundred dollars worth giving up the iMac's stunning screen and innovative input devices, along with the more powerful specs you'd get with an iMac configuration? Our answer would be a resounding…it depends.
Don’t get us wrong: The Mac Mini, technologically speaking, is something of a marvel, considering its size. At 2x6.5x6.5 inches (HWD) and 2.9 pounds, it’s a stunning study in minimalism, with a desktop footprint not much bigger than that of a CD jewel case. We tested Apple's $799 model, which features a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. (The company also offers a lower-end $599 model with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive.)
The Mini features the same Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chipset that the iMac does; the graphics chip doesn't have dedicated memory but shares 256MB of the main system memory for video acceleration. This chipset suffices for viewing high-definition content and doing some light gaming, but hard-core gaming on this machine at high resolutions is definitely out. The Mini also features Apple’s built-in AirPort Extreme connectivity, which provides support for 802.11n wireless networking. Keep in mind while evaluating these specifications that you can't upgrade the Mini's internals; you have to commit to your components upon purchase and stick with them.
Aesthetically, the Mini is about as minimal as current computers come. It has no features on the right, left, or top faces; on the underside is a rubbery, nonslip base with an inset Apple logo. On the front, all you'll find is the opening for the slot-loading optical drive and a minuscule power-indicator light. All of the Mac Mini’s ports are located on the rear of the body, and it's a respectable array: five USB 2.0 ports, a mini-DisplayPort connector, a FireWire port, an Ethernet jack, mini-DVI, audio-in and -out jacks, and a power connector. Apple doesn’t include a monitor, keyboard, or mouse with the Mini, so you’ll need to provide all of those. A mini-DVI-to-DVI adapter is included in the box, making it possible for you to hook any DVI-interface monitor to the Mini. (If you want to use a VGA-interface monitor, you’ll have to buy a separate adapter, which costs $29.) Somehow, Apple also squeezed a built-in speaker into the chassis; it's serviceable, though you definitely won’t want to use it to fill a room with sound.
The main problem with the Mini is that, once you spend a few hundred dollars on the keyboard, mouse, and monitor required to use this computer, you've pretty much negated the price difference between the Mini and the iMac—especially if you opt for Apple's peripherals. Let’s say, for instance, you were going to trick out the Mini with the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display ($899), the Apple Magic Mouse ($69), and Apple's wireless keyboard ($69). Your total cost for the low-end Mini is now $1,636. You can pick up the high-end 27-inch iMac for $1,599. Of course, if you already own a monitor and/or input devices that you're happy with (or you're willing to settle for less-pricey peripherals than Apple's), the equation changes somewhat. But we believe that many folks who are taken with the Mac Mini's minimalist aesthetic will want to opt for an all-Apple setup.
A second issue is how the Mini performs compared with the iMac. In our testing, it wasn’t too far behind the 21.5-inch version of the iMac. In our CPU-centric Cinebench testing, the Mini came in with a score of 5,352, 800 points shy of the 21.5-inch iMac’s score of 6,518. (The iMac features a slightly faster 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor.) The Mini lagged a bit behind the iMac in our iTunes encoding test, as well, converting 11 music tracks to AAC format in 3 minutes and 39 seconds, or 35 seconds slower than the iMac.
