Apple Mac Mini (Spring 2010)

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?