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Page 1 of 1 pages for this article The Mac Mini: Compared, Contrasted, Reviewed. by Article Admin
Published: 03/21/2005
Apple systems have been turning heads for some time but the price of systems like the iMac G5 is generally perceived as one reason why people don?t switch to Macintosh systems. The Mac Mini we?ll be reviewing today, at $499 base price, in the lowest-cost Mac ever, aimed at breaking through the price barrier and encouraging people to try Apple?s way of doing things. Previously the only way to get an Mac under $999 was the eMac--an all-on-one CRT design that?s both semi-dated and sizeable when compared to the more-powerful and space-conserving iMac. Up till now the iBook has offered Apple?s best price / performance value and has sold very well; the Mac Mini essentially fits the iBook?s configuration (sans LCD) into an SFF case.
Apple has targeted PC users in the past, but the Mac Mini has a different goal in mind. Now instead of asking potential adopters to switch outright, Apple is asking you (and them) to add a system, and in the process, experiment with a new way of interfacing with the your systems. They are promoting hardware and software add-ons, such as KVM and whichMove2Mac, which promise to make adding the mini hassle free and work along side your PC. The size of the mini is something you have to see for yourself. Saying it’s 6.5 inches square and 2 inches high doesn’t do it justice. Little touches like the rounded corners and the white and silver colors make it look even smaller. It?s clean, distinctive, and solid.
Tom?s hardware guide says the mini sets a new record in power draw, and uses only a maximum of 28W of power from it?s external power supply (measured at the wall) while the average modern PC draws around 160W. Obviously its possible to build a system that draws less than this, but even systems built around a desktop 855 motherboard and Intel?s Pentium M draw approximately 100W at full load. next > Page 1 of 1 pages for this article Search
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