Apple's new $499 Mac Mini a slick little budget computer

[MacBytes]

Category: Reviews
Link: Apple\'s new $499 Mac Mini a slick little budget computer (http://www.macbytes.com/link.php?sid=20050127125321)
Posted on MacBytes.com (http://www.macbytes.com)

Approved by Mudbug

[Blue Velvet]

"...the slickest little budget computer I've seen."

The mini march continues...

[Dont Hurt Me]

I have to agree. Thats why i ordered one.

[millhouse_man]

good read. I've always liked Edward Baig's columns, especially his ones about apple products (he's a mac user himself). It's good to have someone like him writing for a paper like USA Today; he helps get the good word out about apple.

[nagromme]

Fair and concise:

The bottom line

Apple Mac Mini
$499 on up; www. apple.com
3½ stars out of four

Pro. Quiet, cleverly designed Mac desktop in a small case. Excellent software. Fine value.
Con. Monitor, keyboard, mouse, external speakers are extra. You'll want to upgrade memory.

Not so fair:

the Mac Mini will cost more than comparable entry-level Windows machines

...which will seldom cost less (see Dell.com for yourself) unless they are NOT comparable, lacking some or all of...

DVD player
CD burner
Firewire
DVI
3D graphics
Dedicated VRAM (without which your main RAM is less than claimed)
1 year warranty
Virus protection
Ethernet
Internal wireless antenna support
Excellent software bundle for games, productivity, and digital lifestyle
Quiet
Small size

That's all without claiming that OS X is better and easier than Windows, and without claiming that iLife 05 is better than best-in-class Windows equivalents. You COULD claim those things, if you wanted to :)

Given all that, a term like "comparable" needs some explanation (such as, all that matters is GHz) or else it's just repeating common misunderstandings.

I hope you don't want to hook your camcorder up to that "cheaper" PC, edit your home movie, show it off on TV with music you made yourself despite having no talent, follow up with a slideshow of vacation photos with Ken Burns pan effects and iTunes background music, then work with basic Excel spreadsheets and Word docs, manage your finances, and finally reward yourself with a DVD movie and a session of 3D gaming!

You won't be doing all that (maybe none of it!) with the cheap PC--you will with a Mini.

See: http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2005/01/miniapplesandoranges/index.php