At a Glance
Expert's Rating
Pros
- Fast enough for basic tasks
- Excellent design
- Small and light
- Good video-out options
Cons
- Doesn’t come with enough memory
- Hard-to-find power button on back of unit
- Performance not as good as similar, larger Macs
- No audio-in port
Our Verdict
Apple’s least expensive Mac ships without a mouse, display, or keyboard. But it does feature a G4 processor, up to 80GB of storage depending on configuration, and a slot-loading DVD-ROM/CD-RW optical drive. In July 2005, Apple doubled installed memory to 512MB across the mini line. AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth wireless capabilities are now standard on this model.
The Mac mini won’t appeal to computer users looking for a lot of raw processing power. But it’s a stellar bargain if you want a tiny machine for performing basic tasks–even with its skimpy amount of preinstalled RAM. And it’s especially appealing to users who already have their own monitor, input devices, and peripherals.