Mac Minis are small and easy on the budget. They're a good choice for first-time Mac users, for adding to home theater systems, or for serving as very portable desktop computers for kids who are headed off to school.
But as attractive as the Mac Mini is, its small size and low price demand some compromises that you should be aware of before you decide to bring one home.
BYODKM (Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse)
The Mac Mini is currently the only Mac that doesn't come with its own keyboard and mouse, a somewhat strange concept at first blush. But considering that the target market for the Mac Mini is Windows switchers, the idea makes perfect sense. Most Windows switchers already own a display, keyboard, and mouse that can work with the Mac Mini.
If this is your first computer, or your old keyboard and mouse are getting a little long in the tooth, you can order the Mac Mini with an Apple keyboard and Mighty Mouse, or purchase any standard USB-based keyboard and mouse available for Windows or Mac computers.
Is Adding Memory a DIY Project?
The Mac Mini supports up to 2 GB RAM. Apple suggests filling its two available slots in matched pairs (you can also leave one slot open). The Mac Mini uses PC2-5300 DDR2 667 MHz SDRAM modules, which are available from the Apple Store in 1 GB and 2 GB configurations.
Because the Mac Mini's RAM isn't designed to be user accessible, I generally recommend buying it with the largest upfront RAM configuration you can afford. If you're handy, you can upgrade the RAM yourself for about half the price that Apple charges. But the disassembly and reassembly process isn't easy, and any damage you inflict could void the warranty.
What About Adding a Hard Drive?
The Mac Mini comes with your choice of an 80 or 120 GB hard drive; you can also add an optional 160 GB internal hard drive. If you need more than 80 GB of space, consider adding an external hard drive instead.
The Mac Mini uses SATA 2.5" hard drives, the same type of drive used in notebooks and laptops. You pay a premium for these drives, due to their diminutive physical size. They're also slower than their desktop counterparts. For about the same cost as the 160 GB upgrade from Apple, you can buy an external hard drive that performs better and offers up to 500 GB of storage space.
What's In The Box?
The Mac Mini isn't all compromise; many of the features it offers are downright amazing for the price that Apple charges.
- 1.8 or 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo processor
- Intel GMA 950 graphics chip set
- DVI video output, with support for up to 1920x1200 pixels (which, by the way, is more than sufficient to drive any current HDTV)
- Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
- 802.11g wireless networking
- Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
- Audio in/out is both analog and optical digital
- Slot-loading optical drive
- Some of the best software available: OS X 10.5.x, iLife, and Front Row (with Apple Remote)
