Apple Mac Mini user reviews (Spring 2010)

Pros The HDMI is a nice touch - case design looks solid and attractive.

Cons Brand new, but as someone else pointed out, already dated. VERY low RAM in a day and age when they could have easily given more for that price. Not having Blue-Ray - again for THAT price is simply ridiculous.

Summary As is usual with Apple products, you get far less yet pay far more. An HTPC is actually a simple thing and easily to build even with limited knowledge using bare bones kits if you don't want to buy one already built that would run rings around this overpriced thing. This device is brand new, yet so limited in its low onboard RAM and no Blue Ray support. One would think that for the staggering price of $699.99 Apple could have given more.

Pros supposedly better graphics than 9400M
easier access to RAM

Cons 2.4GHZ Core 2 Duo? (underwhelmed!)
5400 RPM HDD?
Looks like the size of AppleTV--FAR prefer previous Mini Case dimensions!

Summary Not a good buy. Form factor is larger than previous edition.

Sticking with a previous model in 2.53--just not a fan of the latest Mini ;(

Pros -Beautiful design and size
-Built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
-Better than similarly sized PCs
-HDMI output
-Adequate processing/graphics speed, and storage for most purposes, except gaming.
-Low power consumption
-Bulid quality
-Runs Windows 7 and Mac OS

Cons -Pricier than some PC's with similar tech specs.
-No Blu-Ray
-Difficult to swap hard drive.

Summary A week before this model of the Mac Mini was released, I was researching qulaity small form-factor PCs that could sit attractively beside my TV for HD home entertainment, and relatively intense image processing and multitasking. Unfortunately no PC or net-top fit the bill. The closest competitors in size to the Mini were the Dell Inspiron Zino and the Asus Eee. While close in size, neither of these comes close in terms of processing power/capability, functionality, and good-looks to this Mini. When the Mini was released in June with a HDMI output and new, sleeker design, it fit my bill perfectly.

While the Gateway SX2840 offers a nice, relatively inexpensive powerhouse for the money, it is still larger than the Mini, and (as far as I know) does not include Wifi or Bluetooth, though both could probably be added with relative ease.

One glaringly obvious omission from the Mac Mini is a Blu Ray drive. This computer is highly oriented towards buyers looking for full-fledged home-entertainment unit, and can handle HD video with ease, so it is odd that it wouldn't include the new industry standard for movie storage. For me, this is not a big deal since I own a PS3 and rent all of my movies online.

The only other complaint I have is the same complaint that has be rendered against Apple for years - it is too difficult for users to replace essential components. I've never owned a hard drive that didn't fail at some point in it's life, so to not allow the user to easily swap the Mini's hard drive out makes it an inevitable cause for frustration at some point in the future.

To sum up, if you're looking for a small, zippy computer to handle almost everything other than intense gaming and Blu-Ray discs, and don't mind spending a little more for the Apple aesthetic and build quality, then this is a great computer for you.

Pros Compact, quiet, low power consumption, sleek, livingroom friendly, HDMI for entertainment center. Wireless remote, keyboard, mouse, networking built in.

Cons Way too expensive. Need lower spec version at lower price like previous generations. Why is SD card slot on the back? And again, way too expensive.

Summary I already have two late-2009 minis at home, one as a server (the server version) and a second entry-level model as an entertainment center in our exercise room that performs just fine. Now I want yet another mini for the living room to eliminate the need for a Roku as well as being able to stream media from the server and record video. The new mini is nicer than the old one for this task, but I sure hate the additional $100 price tag.

The old mini was know to be the most robust Mac model. I hope the new mini fares as well.

Wait for these to show up as refurbished and save $100. Did I say it is too expensive?