Apple's Mac mini - Tempting PC Users Everywhere
by Anand Lal Shimpi on January 25, 2005 7:39 AM EST- Posted in
- Mac
First Encounter with the mini
I'll get to the actual computer itself shortly, but there's one more little gem in the box that is absolutely worth mentioning. The Mac mini comes with a single video output, a DVI output. But, if you're familiar with the DVI spec, you'll know that the DVI connector can carry both digital and analog signals. So, with a very cheap adapter, you can get an analog VGA connector from a DVI port. Apple obviously supplies the aforementioned connector with the Mac mini, which does the same thing that any DVI-to-VGA adapter does.
The difference here is that Apple actually managed to package the first well-made DVI-to-VGA adapter; well made in the sense that it has two half-exposed thumb-wheels integrated into the casing of the adapter - making it easy to actually screw the adapter into place, something that isn't always true about most conventional DVI-to-VGA adapters. It's nothing huge, but a nice little addition.
Then there's the mini itself, extremely small and extremely simple. All that's on the front of the machine is a very small power LED and a slot-loading CD-RW or optional DVD-R drive.
The back of the mini sports a tiny power button and vents, as well as the following I/O connectors, in order from left to right: power, 10/100 Ethernet, modem jack, DVI, two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 port and 1/8" headphone/line out.
The slight separation between the aluminum casing and the plastic portion of the Mac mini isn't normally there. The machine pictured here was only partially assembled after our dissection process detailed later.
The base of the mini is rubber, making sure that it doesn't scratch or slide on any surface on which it happens to be placed. Also around the base of the system are vents used for cooling. The entire system only uses a single fan, so Apple had to maximize airflow by keeping air flowing through the vents.
One way that Apple was able to decrease the size of the mini was by using an external power supply, an 85W one to be more specific. The power supply features no fan and is about as wide as the mini itself, but not nearly as tall. The fact that the entire mini runs off of a single 85W power supply is impressive. Remember, that's less power consumption than most high end Intel and AMD processors alone.
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bob661 - Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - link
#4The Mac mini isn't just targeted at Mac users that's why there is a comparison with Dell. There WILL be PC users that buy this thing and at $499 people primarily at price. The $499 crowd IS NOT the techie, computer-savvy group. Most of our arguments for buying computers don't apply.
mickyb - Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - link
I would wait for the turbo mini. It sounds like it needs a faster drive and better video.Aileur - Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - link
A thought comes to mind.Could apple get sued by other online music stores because osx comes with itunes preinstalled? Isnt that kind of like microsoft ie/windows?
Oh and, i want a mac mini. I bought an ibook g3 800 a couple of months ago, on an impulse to actually try out osx. Sold my toshiba 2410 1.8GHZ (p4 not pm) and let me tell you, ive been advocating macs ever since. I believe if you're everything but a gamer, a mac is a great buy.
On this note, let the whining begin.
downtowncb - Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - link
I'll never understand why people insist on comparing the Mac mini to Windows based systems from a hardware standpoint. Getting a "more powerful" CPU from a similarly priced Dell doesn't matter to the target demographic of the Mac mini. I can tell you that neither Grandma Claire nor Joe iPod-owning-college-student can tell you the speed of their hard drive and probably couldn't tell you three things about their graphics processor either. They both want a computer that works and won't break. The hardware is actually quite trivial to most of the users of this machine. Enthusiasts know they aren't buying a high-end machine, and the others don't know and/or don't care.bob661 - Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - link
Good article. Why?3) To the user that this type of computer is targeted at, do either numbers 1 or 2 matter? The answer is no, all that matters is price and whether or not the thing works. If that statement weren't true then you would never hear the phrase "I've had my computer for 5 years, I need a new one", instead everyone would be a performance fanatic like the rest of us and upgrade every year at worst.
jtntwozz - Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - link
no.1 what are u talking about?!?!?nice article.. i love all 3 of ur mac articles..
Dranzerk - Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - link
I'll wait till you can find half a million on Ebay for $200 fully upgraded in a few months..thats the sweet spot when people say "Why did I buy this!".JacobAppler - Thursday, September 2, 2010 - link
You can also save some real money on the Mac Minis by shopping safely. Go to a comparison site like Apple Sliced.com and you won't need to worry about your Mac Mini costing too much.The Mac Mini can be the redheaded stepchild of Macintosh land, but it's worth looking at.