How a small Mac Mini, a large Japanese TV and a Magic Trackpad once met. Specifications of Apple Mac mini MC270

The event did not happen suddenly, it grew. At first, concerned about the fate of his beloved Macintosh platform, the journalist wrote a letter to Jobs to find out if it was still alive. The answer was short: “wait.” The text of the letter and the text (if you can call it that) of the response were published.

In my opinion, this is too much. Who cares? Steve should have dropped everything he was doing, got to the computer, and probably, before writing the answer, out of respect for the well-deserved platform, changed into a tuxedo with a bow tie (the same one in which he announced the first iMac)...

Jokes aside.

1. Gadget!!!

I was looking forward to Apple finally showing the world proof of its love for Macs, irrefutable and convincing. Mac Pro on 6-core chips with fantastic properties, Xserve of indescribable beauty... In the end, the 27-inch brother of the 24-inch LED display, for the Mini DisplayPort interface, with a camera, microphone and speakers, I would also count as such confirmation .

I was deceived in my best expectations. The 2010 Mac mini is still a Mac. Small in size, but quite serious in terms of the tasks it solves (especially if it has a large screen), a computer. He is even more serious than his predecessor, even in appearance. Intel Core 2 Duo (outdated), the clock speed is not much higher, but NVIDIA GeForce 320M instead of NVIDIA GeForce 9400M. OpenCL turns all the newly acquired graphics power (and it has doubled) into real power.

And if the previous “mini” was quite capable and perfectly suited for work, the current one is even more suitable for work. But he also has... This is hardly a drawback, but it prevents me from enjoying his appearance. He's shamelessly handsome. It's a gadget. It can easily be bought for purely aesthetic reasons.

This is something from the next decade, when tablets and their other relatives will be pushing computers out of their usual habitats, and in order to survive, computers will have to take on bright and attractive forms, look for new ways, become more sophisticated...

The world's most economical desktop just got even more economical. Its body became lower, but wider and deeper. It now weighs a little more due to the fact that the power supply is now inside. Upgrading RAM, a very non-trivial operation for previous Mac mini models, is provocatively convenient in the “gadget”... Previously, this required a spatula, manual dexterity and remarkable courage.

I wouldn't bet a penny on Apple releasing a new Mac Pro, Xserve, or MacBook Air sometime this century or the next. As sad as it is to admit, the iMac, MacBook Pro, Mac mini and MacBook fit too well into the picture of the universe similar to that painted by Jobs in the late 90s.

When Steve returned from exile, Apple Computer was producing several dozen varieties of Mac. A wide range is good in a supermarket, but even there it is a burden. For a computer company going through hard times, the scattering of efforts and other costs of the haberdashery approach were fatal.

Determining the purpose of a particular model (and optimizing it for it) was almost impossible.

Steve drew a table with 2 columns and 2 rows. The rows are headed “Pro” and “Consumer”, the columns are “Desktop” and “Portable”. To cover the entire market, the company only had to concentrate on four models, and do them well...

These days it is impossible to separate Pro from Consumer (both Mac mini and iMac can both be classified in this class), and many MacBooks (sort of like a Consumer laptop) faithfully serve professionals...

But there would again be only four directions.

I still hope, hope dies last... And even if I'm right, the history of the Macintosh platform continues, and Macs have never been so good. I repeat: I said the same thing already, but what if they are again better than their predecessors?

2. “Miniki” 2010

There are only 2 models in the lineup. Regular “minik” (with many “custom” options) and “minik server”. The bodies of both models are “milled from a single piece of durable aircraft-grade aluminum.” Some readers find this phrase mockingly touching, but this is exactly the essence of Unibody. An aluminum blank is taken, and the excess is cut out of it with precision. The body turns out to be stronger (than if it were assembled from separate parts), the tolerances are minimal - most likely, not everyone knows about this. Micron.

I can add one more reason for mockery: not only is aluminum itself environmentally friendly, the metal cut from a “single piece of aluminum” is collected and used to cast new “single pieces”.

Unibody, in addition to its other advantages, also frees up the hands of designers. It’s not that now they can do everything, but micron tolerances are already a transition from quantity to quality. And they do what is still impossible with any other technology.

The products turn out fantastically beautiful, and this is not just my opinion. They are laconic, their lines are clean and neat. Minik was no exception. But I already wrote about this above. Looks like a million dollars. To quote Jobs, who said this on another occasion (also related to Unibody and solid pieces of aluminum), it looks like it was designed by designers from another planet. Which has damn good designers.

The external power supply, which was colloquially referred to as a “brick” and weighed almost as much as the Mini itself weighs, no longer exists. He's inside now. Because of this, the minik became heavier - but not by much (three hundred kilos). Incredible: now the mini just comes with a power cord. Two-wire.

At the bottom there is a screw-on lid. By unscrewing it, we get convenient and pleasant access to the banks of RAM (expandable up to 8 GB). Upgrading the RAM of minis of previous models required the use of atypical tools (a spatula, for example) and manual dexterity.

Because of the lid, the body is raised above the table surface, which helps the minik get rid of excess heat. The main heat sink is the rear panel (with connectors).

The body proportions are closer to those of the Apple TV. Is this where the rumors about an Apple TV with an Apple A4 inside and the iOS 4 operating system come from? Someone who accidentally saw a prototype of the new Mac mini could easily mistake it for a new version of Apple TV.

Gigabyte Ethernet, built-in support for the most modern Wi-Fi technologies, and even “smartly” controlled by mid-range software that is part of the operating system - like any Mac in recent years.

AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi compatible with IEEE 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR...

There are fewer USB ports (now there are only 4), but there is a slot for SD cards. Apple is confident that the fifth USB port on most Mac minis was used to connect SD card readers, and that desktop clutter will ultimately be reduced. But 4 USB-2 ports are not bad either.

To connect to large, high-quality monitors (Mac mini, although small in size, works with them without compromise), an HDMI port has appeared.

All vital ports are in place - Firewire 800, Mini DisplayPort, Audio in/out, everything you need.

Mini DisplayPort supports monitors with resolutions up to 2560 by 1600 pixels, and HDTV (via HDMI) - up to 1920 by 1200. You can use both video connectors, they work great at the same time. Monitors can be connected and disconnected without turning off the computer, the system will automatically adjust to the entire pixel space available to it at the moment.

3. Just Mac mini

The easiest way, as a rule, is to purchase a Mac in its most basic configuration. The 2010 Mac mini in its most basic configuration comes with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 320 GB SATA drive and a SuperDrive optical drive (DVD±R, DVD±RW, CD-RW) .

Together with the Mac mini, for free, it comes with Mac OS X (Snow Leopard), and a whole set of programs for various purposes - Safari, Mail, Preview (for viewing PDF and files of popular graphic formats, and even for some operations on all formats with which it can work), iLife (including iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand and iWeb), iTunes, Xcode and much more.

Moreover, these are not demo versions - these are full-fledged live programs.

Experts from the electronic publication iFixit, who disassembled the new Mac mini live, came to the conclusion that inside it is more of a laptop without batteries than a desktop - every cubic millimeter of internal space is used.

PC Magazine called the Mac mini the "best nettop" of our time. The experts of this magazine found only two drawbacks with the new mini: it does not support Blu-ray, and on its beautiful rear panel there is no connector for connecting an external SATA drive. But they themselves explained these shortcomings: Steve and Apple benefit from users purchasing video and HD video “on the cloud” (in iTunes), and they can connect an external drive using the high-speed FW800.

4. Mac mini Server 2010

The basic configuration of the server mini is different from the usual one. Processor with a clock frequency of 2.66 GHz, 4 GB of RAM instead of two, instead of an optical drive - another SATA drive. The disks have a capacity of 500 Gigabytes each; at the owner’s request, they can be used as just two disks, or as a RAID of two disks.

Very advantageous configuration.

In our country, they still prefer to use cheap and weak old PC boxes as servers, trusting them with sensitive information. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand why server minis can still only be purchased to order (that is, more expensive than they could be).

This configuration was in demand in the world in its previous version, but the new configuration is even more profitable...

At the same time that iFixit broke open the Mac mini (not the server) and published a report about it, another company published a report about the opening of the Mac mini Server...

Las Vegas, Nevada is home to more than just slot machines and casinos, as Macminicolo is home to online services in a unique way.

The client either sends his own “minik”, or buys it directly from Macminicolo (“colo” from colocation, this is not an Italian surname at all), and subscribes to services (paid) to ensure uninterrupted and very fast access to his (or his) “minik” to the network. Prices are quite reasonable. We can host anything - from simple but very important sites to complex web applications.

Ensuring uninterrupted operation is also not just words. This is a whole range of measures: maintaining optimal temperature, uninterrupted power supply (not only powerful UPS, but also diesel generators, ready to turn on in an emergency before the reserves in the UPS run out).

Highly qualified engineers are on duty here seven days a week, 24 hours a day, without holidays or weekends, ready to immediately respond to any emergency situation.

Macminicolo currently employs 600 Mac minis. Until recently, the battery from Xserve worked side by side with them, but now they are finished: too much “spruce”. A Mac mini complex of the same power consumes several times less energy, and this is another alarming sign...

Macminicolo was the first to try the new Mac mini Server in action, and was very pleased with them. When it all started, using the Mac mini as a base for serious server solutions seemed crazy, but this solution has proven its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness many times over.

At rest, the new Mac mini Server consumes only 6-8 watts per hour (that's 10% less than the first Mac mini Server). The rest state is not “sleep-mode” at all, it is a working computer in the absence of a serious load.

And here is a link to their report on their autopsy of a brand new 2010 Mac mini Server: http://www.macminicolo.net/macmini2010.html.

5. Conclusions?

For five years, the Mac mini has been a modest workhorse. All these five years its design remained unchanged. The 2009 Mac mini Server wasn't just ugly, it was terrible.

There was a time when it was clearly being prepared for “writing off”, but fortunately they changed their minds. Now he has a chance for a new life. And it looks like Xserve is being prepared for decommissioning...

Now the Mac mini is a dandy, dressed to the nines, in the latest fashion... Gadget.

Will the updated minivan be able to surpass its ancestors in popularity? It looks like it. Wait and see.

With the release of the Mac mini in 2005, Apple opened a small, cheap gateway into the world of Mac OS for consumers. At that time, this device was not taken seriously by the public, it did not bring any significant profit to the company, and it did not play a special role in attracting the consumer masses to the Apple product ecosystem. The iPhone did much more in this regard two years later. Nevertheless, the computer occupied its niche in the market and actually became the progenitor of modern nettops. In addition, this device was and remains a relatively inexpensive opportunity for software developers to try their hand at Xcode. As for the modern Mac mini, it has much more opportunities to attract users and functions. What they are - let's figure it out together in this review. And at the same time we will try Magic Trackpad.

Unboxing

In this case, two tightly packaged Apple devices fell under the knife. This is, in fact, the hero of the 2010 Mac mini review and the new Magic Trackpad.

The miniature computer is traditionally packaged in a high-quality cardboard box, the dimensions of which are not much larger than the device itself - only it is thicker. On one side there is a Mac mini, on the other its back panel, on one of the faces there is a PC configuration.

The box contains the computer itself, which occupies its entire upper part (there is a cellophane strap for easy removal of the device), a power cable, documentation with a couple of disks (Mac OS X 10.6.4 and iLife), a warranty card and, best of all, an adapter from HDMI to DVI.

Unlike its predecessor, the device received an all-aluminum Unibody case, became much thinner and lost a monstrous external power supply, which is now built inside the case. In addition, it has an HDMI port, which can be considered a great achievement, since in fact it turns the mini-PC into a full-fledged home media center that is ready to work literally out of the box. Actually, I mainly tested it in this capacity, since the role of the display was played by a 37-inch Panasonic TX-R37LZ80 LCD TV. Also on the back panel there are four USB ports, Ethernet, FireWire 800, DisplayPort, SD card slot, audio in, audio out and a ventilation slot.

At the bottom of the computer is a plastic cover that gives access to the delicate electronic insides of the PC. Removing it is very simple, just insert your fingers into the designated places and turn it a little. As you can see in the photographs, under the plastic cover there is a metal plate that gives rigidity to the structure. Under the cover you can see a pair of memory modules (it’s funny that they turned out to be different - the textolite is different in color), an active cooling system and a Wi-Fi adapter. For this reason, part of the cover had to be left completely plastic, otherwise the radio signal would have been shielded.

The Mac mini is unboxed and you can now turn your attention to the Magic Trackpad. The packaging is similar in design, but on one side there is a reminder for the user, telling about the actions that can be performed with the manipulator. Along with the external trackpad, only a set of “waste paper” is supplied, plus batteries that are already installed in the device.

The manipulator itself is similar in appearance to the MacBook Pro touchpad, only twice as large. On the reverse side it is the same as the branded keyboard, and the shape is similar. It can be placed next to the Apple wireless keyboard and the Magic Trackpad will become a harmonious continuation of it. The hardware buttons, or rather one button duplicated by a pair of microphones, are rubber feet on the reverse side. Thus, by pressing the bottom of the trackpad, the user causes the button to fire. On the side faces there is a power button and a cover for the battery compartment.

So, everything is ready for the general test. The mouse, however, falls somewhat out of the general, so to speak, style - it’s not a Magic Mouse, but a banal Logitech MX nano, but for me it turned out to be more convenient to use. And the display is also not Apple LED Cinema Display, but the LCD TV I mentioned above, although it also has an IPS matrix (Panasonic’s proprietary IPS Alpha), plus a quite decent resolution of 1920x1080 pixels.

Turn on

The Mac mini was connected to the TV via HDMI, like a regular media player. There were no problems with the computer detecting the display. Immediately after turning it on, the familiar Mac OS X boot background appeared.

Once again I was pleased with the Apple product and proprietary operating system. Immediately after launching the OS, the maximum resolution for the TV was automatically set, the image was displayed “dot to dot” and the picture was pleasing to the eye, plus it was suggested to connect the detected wireless keyboard (Magic Trackpad was connected even before testing the PC at home). Fast, easy, convenient and no “dancing with a tambourine.”

I received a junior model for testing with an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive. The graphics adapter is NVIDIA GeForce 320M with 256 MB of video memory. Doesn't remind you of anything? In fact, this is a MacBook Pro 13″ from the current year, only with less RAM.

I decided not to bother with installing the software I needed for work, but simply transferred my workspace from my laptop to my PC using the “Migration Assistant” - another big advantage of Mac OS X compared to Windows. In a competitive environment, you cannot easily transfer all your data, software, settings and documents from computer to computer. Only if they are completely identical, then something like Norton Ghost, or a similar utility from Acronis, will help, but it’s still more complicated. There are also system tools for transferring Windows settings and user data, but, as far as I know, everything does not work there as smoothly as in Mac OS X.

We are working

Transferring your account to the Mac mini was also done for a comprehensive test of two devices at once: the PC itself and the Magic Trackpad. I was interested in how the body would react to the presence of two familiar manipulators at once. I interact with a trackpad every day when working with a MacBook Pro, and with a mouse when I’m sitting at a large home Windows PC, and this also happens often.

To do this, it was decided to write a news article, which is what I usually do on my laptop. I’m out of the habit of working while sitting at a PC, and the keyboard, although it practically copies the one on the laptop, still requires some getting used to. In addition, I couldn’t decide which was more convenient to work with—a trackpad or a mouse. The hand constantly darted to one manipulator, then to another. Taking into account the fact that I was familiar with working with both, I concluded that I would be comfortable with either of them. That is, for an active user of a trackpad on MacBook laptops, there will be no problems switching to such a manipulator when working with a desktop PC. Moreover, it is more convenient to do many things with its help, for example, scrolling, scaling pictures, using gestures to control windows and the desktop, etc.

In general, the Magic Trackpad works completely identical to its brother in MacBook laptops, only it is twice as large in size, which only adds convenience to use. This is a cool accessory for Mac users, although drivers for Windows are also available. But it is just an addition that you can easily do without. For $70-$80, which such a device costs in the USA, it is quite possible to buy it just to have it. In the realities of my state, such an accessory will cost $125 or more. For that kind of money you can buy a cool wireless keyboard + mouse set, so you’ll have to think hard before deciding on such a purchase. But such an accessory can act as a cool gift.

As for the operation of the PC itself, I would advise its potential buyers to first increase the amount of RAM. Launch Safari with a dozen open tabs, Adium, iTunes, Mail.app, Pages, Numbers with several large tables (I keep my work reports in these), a couple more working tools like Pixelmator and a dictionary, and there will be nothing left of 2 GB of RAM. Of course, the computer will not slow down wildly, but the decrease in OS performance as a whole will be noticeable. It is slower to open new tabs in the browser, documents, launch applications, etc. In my case, even 4 GB is enough. As DDR3 memory becomes cheaper, I will definitely increase its capacity in the laptop to 8 GB.

Among the advantages, I note the slight heating of the PC and its very quiet operation. The processor warmed up to no more than 55°C at a room temperature of 22°C, and in this case the cooling fan rotates at minimum speed - it is almost inaudible.

To sum up the work on the Mac mini, I would like to note that this device is perfect for any office tasks, photo processing and, of course, programming in Xcode. It still remains the cheapest Mac computer. In the USA, such a model without taxes costs $700, in Ukraine and Russia officially - about $1000, but in “gray” supplies such a device will cost less.

Let's have fun

I once bought myself an aluminum Apple Remote. To be honest, until recently it just lay there as a dead weight, but it came in handy when testing the multimedia component of the Mac mini. And for the MacBook Pro it will also be useful, since I finally got an adapter from Mini DisplayPort to HDMI and will be able to connect my laptop to the TV, at least for viewing digital photos with guests. Using the Apple Remote, doing this is more convenient than sitting in front of a laptop.

Watching videos, including movies in 1080p resolution via VLC, did not cause any problems on a small PC - the performance was quite sufficient. And controlling the player using a miniature remote control was extremely convenient. I use a large Windows PC as a media center, and if I watch videos lying belly up on the couch, I have to carry at least a wireless mouse with me. This is especially true when consuming TV series, anime, and anime series. It’s much more comfortable to do this on a Mac mini via Front row and with an aluminum remote control. By the way, sound is output via HDMI to the TV speaker system without any problems, but for this to happen, you must explicitly specify the output device in the “System Settings” in the “Sound” section.

Let's sum it up

The Mac mini is Apple's cheapest computer, but given its official price in native dollars, it loses miserably in the Windows-PC price war. For the same money you can build a very good gaming computer. On the other hand, with the Mac mini the user receives both a convenient tool for work and a full-fledged media center in a beautiful and very compact case. It will fit into any interior, will not take up much space and will not create unnecessary noise, which, for example, my Windows PC does diligently and passionately. And besides the fact that it is noisy, it also consumes a lot of electricity, working around the clock (torrents, ratings - everything is as usual).

If I weren’t an avid hardware person who spent more than 15 years with PCs, I would have long ago sold my large and buzzing (or rather hissing as air flows through the body) Windows box and bought a Mac mini to replace it, and a PS3 for games. . But sometimes I like to dig deeper into its iron insides, change the hardware platform, the video card, and then test the resulting PC, launch new games, and admire the polygonal beauties. Yes, and I would like to maintain flexibility in my work, having both Mac OS X and Windows at hand. Although, again, this is just my special case.

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The Mac mini has always stood out from the Mac line. This is the only computer from Apple that cost less than $1000 for a very long period of time. It's not exactly a standard computer, but a lot of people love the weirdness of it. Many people use it as a media player, and now it has become even more attractive in this function. After the update, this little computer now has an NVIDIA GeForce 320M and, for the first time on a Mac, an HDMI port. Its base package costs $699 and let's be honest, much cheaper PCs have always had HDMI ports. So is the Mac mini worth the money?

Iron

The Mac mini has a new design this time, and this has happened for the first time since it was presented to the public back in 2005. Naturally, the design is within the general concept of all Apple products. It has become simpler and more thoughtful. The body is one inch thinner and all aluminum. It now measures 7 x 7 inches. The new mini looks like the old one has been slightly flattened and it looks very much like an AppleTV.

The MacMini no longer sits completely flat on the table. In fact, it is raised a few millimeters on a round pedestal. There are two reasons for this: air intake and the WiFi antenna on the bottom. Bluetooth and a second WiFi antenna are also located on the plastic bottom. It was tested in a home with a 5GHz WiFi network and there were no problems. A little more about the pedestal: the plastic round bottom unscrews and gives access to the memory. Unfortunately, apart from the RAM, you can’t replace anything on your own, since it is quite difficult to get to the hard drive and this is quite illogical, due to the fact that hard drives tend to break down.

On the back wall there is a whole bunch of ports: four USB, FireWire 800, gigabit Ethernet, SDXC slot, mini DisplayPort, HDMI, audio input/output that supports optical output. Apple says the idea was that the new Mac mini could fit almost anything. It comes with an HDMI to DVI adapter, and you can plug in an adapter to VGA into the mini DisplayPort. The HDMI port itself is “HDMI 1.3″, which means that it can carry up to 8 channels of audio and video in resolutions up to 1920*1200. Mini DisplayPort supports a maximum resolution of up to 2560*1600. And Apple made an SDXC slot for the first time.

In terms of internals, the new Mac mini is very similar to the white MacBook: 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce 320M, 2GB RAM and 320GB screw. Unlike other PCs with similar specs, Mac mini consumes less than 10 watts of power, which is lower than any of its competitors. Also, the new 85W power supply is now built directly into the case, which is quite convenient and aesthetically pleasing.

Another important fact: the mini is very quiet, even when watching videos or playing games. In fact, you can't even hear the fan, and it remains barely warm even after a whole day of operation.

Of course, the new Mac mini has one omission: Blu-ray. It’s even a shame that Apple sells us a computer with HDMI for $700, which does not support the simplest and most convenient HD format. Apple explains this by saying they don't see a consumer need for Blu-ray.

Characteristics

The technical specifications of the new Mac mini haven't changed much since 2008. It now has an NVIDIA GeForce 320M instead of the 9400M in the previous model. The graphics are still integrated, but have become noticeably faster. Undoubtedly, mini copes well with basic tasks such as web surfing, text editing, iTunes, etc. It's also more suitable for connecting to a TV than its Atom counterparts. It plays HD Flash videos without any hiccups. The Mac mini will play any video format that QuickTime or VLC can open for you. There were no problems with playing video in 1080p. The speed of video processing in iMovie was also very pleasing. When testing this computer, Geekbench gave 3385 points (Speedmark 6 gave a result identical to the MacBook 2.4).

• The new Mac mini is 13% more powerful than the old Mac mini
• iMac 3.06GHz is 27% more powerful than the new Mac mini

He's not so good at games. GeForce 320M can support not very powerful games and low resolutions. Mac mini was tested on Portal and its performance was 17-21 fps at a resolution of 1920*1200 with standard settings. On HL2:E2 it showed 30 fps at a resolution of 1280*800. Although, if you are an avid gamer, then most likely you have a powerful PC for gaming.

In the living room

The Mac mini has always been used as a primary computer, and now the new model with an HDMI port has definitely received Apple's blessing to place it in the living room. It’s true that you won’t be able to simply put it in place of the AppleTV. First, while the HDMI port makes for an easy connection, don't forget that you're dealing with a full-fledged computer, not a stripped-down media device. Secondly, the fact that you are using a real computer means you need a mouse and keyboard to control it. Of course, there is an Apple Remote, but do not forget that this is not an AppleTV and you won’t be able to use all the functionality using the remote control, and paying $700 for not using all the features is highly illogical. Apple has been pretty clear on this: The HDMI port is made for flexibility of use, not solely for connecting to your living room TV. The only specific function of the mini is the ability to resize the image on the TV. In general, it's up to you.

The mini's HDMI can pass up to 8 audio channels, which means it can connect to a 7.1 speaker system, but on OSX this is not possible except with a DVD. Therefore, you will have to connect a receiver. VLC can still send transcoded DTS over HDMI, this needs to be set in the audio settings. As we already said, you won’t be able to just connect it to the TV; you’ll have to jump around it quite a bit with a tambourine.

In general, a Mac mini is just a Mac that can now be connected to a TV. If you want a full-fledged computer in your living room, then this is a great option: it's small, quiet, doesn't get hot, and is pretty fast. Just remember, for everything to work great, you need to spend time and configure your mini for your TV.

Bottom line

Apple says its goal is to make the Mac mini a small, feature-packed computer that fits in any environment and for any person. With these goals in mind, the new Mac mini is very successful among its smaller siblings. It really can be connected to almost anything and made to perform any task. If you have $700 to spend and want a small Mac, then the Mac mini is definitely the way to go. On the other hand, $700 is not little. For this money you can get a much more powerful Window computer, if, of course, you sacrifice size and aesthetics. For that $700, you can also easily find a PC with HDMI and Blu-ray that will be much better suited for your living room. So, if you're willing to go without Blu-ray and can afford the price tag, then the mini could definitely be your favorite.

Processor and memory

• 2.4GHz or 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
• 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache
• 1066MHz frontside bus
• 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 8GB

Environmental Status Report

Mac mini is designed with the following features to reduce its environmental impact:

• BFR-free
• PVC-free 2
• Highly recyclable aluminum enclosure
• Meets ENERGY STAR 5.0 requirements
• Rated EPEAT Gold 3

Acoustic Performance

DECLARED NOISE EMISSIONS in accordance with ISO 9296

1. L WAd is the statistical upper-limit A-weighted sound power level (rounded to the nearest 0.1 B).
2. L pAm is the mean A-weighted sound pressure level measured at the operator position (rounded to the nearest dB).
3. 1 B (bel) = 10 dB (decibel).

Peripheral connections

• One FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
• Four USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
• SD card slot

Graphics and video support

• NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory 4
• Mini DisplayPort with support for up to 2560-by-1600 resolution
• HDMI port with support for up to 1920-by-1200 resolution
• DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (included)
• VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately)
• Support for extended desktop and video mirroring across both ports

Communications

• AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking 5; IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) wireless technology
• 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet (RJ-45) interface with support for jumbo frames

Audio

• Audio line in minijack (digital/analog)
• Audio line out/headphone minijack (digital/analog)
• HDMI port supports multichannel audio output
• Support for Apple iPhone headset with microphone

Storage

• 320GB or 500GB Serial ATA hard disk drive 6
• 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
  • Maximum read: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-ROM, DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, and DVD+RW; 24x CD
  • Maximum write: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R; 6x DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW; 8x DVD+RW; 24x CD-R; 24x CD-RW

Configurable options

Electrical and operating requirements

• Line voltage: 100-240V AC
• Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz, single phase
• Maximum continuous power: 85W
• Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
• Storage temperature: -40° to 116° F (-40° to 47° C)
• Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
• Maximum altitude: 10,000 feet
• Typical acoustical performance
  • Sound pressure level (operator position): 14 dBA at idle 7

What's included

In the box:

• Mac mini
• HDMI to DVI Adapter
• Power cord
• Install/restore DVDs
• Printed and electronic documentation

Included software:

Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Includes iTunes, Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools, and more. Learn more about Mac OS X Snow Leopard

iLife

Includes iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, and iWeb. Learn more about iLife

Accessories

Mac Software

• iWork
• Aperture
• Logic Express
• Final Cut Express

Displays and Graphics

• Apple LED Cinema Display
• Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter
• Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter
• Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter

AirPort & Wireless

• AirPort Express Base Station
• AirPort Extreme Base Station
• Time Capsule
• Apple Wireless Keyboard
• Apple Magic Mouse

Other Accessories

• Apple Remote
• Apple Keyboard
• AppleCare Protection Plan

1. Actual weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
2. Internal cables only.
3. Mac mini achieved a Gold rating from EPEAT in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.
4. Memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs. Minimum graphics memory usage is 256MB.
5. Wireless Internet access requires a base station or other wireless access point and Internet access; fees may apply. Some ISPs are not currently compatible with AirPort.
6. 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
7. Acoustics measured from typical operator position sitting in front of standard Mac mini system. Acoustics may vary by configuration.

Tuesday morning, and now we have the opportunity to find out what's inside him.

New design

The first thing that catches your eye is that the box of the new Mac mini has become almost half the size. Having opened the packaging, we immediately see why: the height of the computer is only 3.5 centimeters. You won't find an external power supply in the box. Instead of the heavy white block that came with each computer, next to the Mac mini there is only a power cord and a video adapter. During the redesign process, Apple reduced the size of the power supply and placed it inside the case. The new mini is noticeably heavier than the previous model - the power supply added about half a kilogram.

The new Mac mini inherits its sleek design from two other Apple products. The body is made of a single piece of aluminum - a la unibody laptop, which gives it a more impressive and solid look. The Mac mini is shaped like an Apple TV—slightly smaller in height and wider than the previous model. In reality, the computer is almost the same size as the Apple TV, but with rounder corners.

Interface layout

All of the connectors on the new Mac Mini are located on the back of the case. Just like the previous version, here we have Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, Mini DisplayPort, digital/analog audio input/output and four USB ports on two buses. Apple has ditched the single USB port in favor of an SD card slot. (The company has not yet published specifications and compatibility for the slot). Of course, it would be more correct to place the card reader on the front wall of the computer, but for the sake of compactness and design, Apple made this decision.

Many Mac Mini owners are known to use the computer as part of a home theater system ( HTPC). Apple took this fact into account and offered users a conceptual solution - instead of mini-DVI, the new mini sports an HDMI port! In addition, a new underscan function has appeared in the Mac OS X system settings (scaling the image to fill the entire screen when connected to a TV).

The Mac mini uses an integrated NVIDIA GeForce 320M core, known from the “white” MacBook and the younger MacBook Pro, as its graphics processor. The memory for the video card is allocated from the mini's RAM. According to Apple, the new graphics are almost twice as fast as the previous one, and the new GPU is significantly optimized for HD video.

As for wireless interfaces, the new Mac mini sports Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and Wi-Fi with support for 802.11a/b/g/n (in previous models Apple did not announce support for 802.11a). Thanks to two antennas - one behind the plastic panel and the other on the bottom under the cover, the new mini has better Wi-Fi performance.

In addition to the USB port, the new model has lost another connector - the “Kensington lock”. The Apple Remote is now sold separately.

Shall we upgrade?

Perhaps one of the most welcome changes to the new Mac Mini is the way you can upgrade the RAM (a procedure that required incredible effort on previous models). The new Mac mini comes with two 2GB RAM modules, which can be replaced with two 1GB or 4GB SO-DIMMS chips - Apple officially supports up to 8GB of RAM. (The previous model also worked with 8GB, but not in a supported configuration).

In fact, the process for upgrading RAM in the new Mac mini is one of the easiest on any Mac. To open the “hatch” of the mini, just turn the computer over, place your fingers on two indentations in the plastic base and turn it a few degrees clockwise. On the right side there are two RAM slots. Release the latches for each chip, replace the modules and that's it. Gone are the days when you had to use a screwdriver and a spatula!

Opening the “hatch”, you can see several interesting things. One of the new items is an 85-watt power supply next to the memory slots. Quite tiny. Right in the center is a small fan that blows air through the gaps in the base and into a hole in the back plastic panel.

The round black box is one of two AirPort antennas. The metal section does not cover the entire antenna to improve wireless signal reception.

Perhaps the most common question I've heard since the introduction of the aluminum Mac mini is: “Is it difficult to upgrade the hard drive?” I answer: “A little more difficult than replacing memory.” To replace the Mac Mini's HDD, you need to unscrew six screws, remove the fan unit, and remove the metal shield holding the AirPort antenna.

I would like to note that Apple’s policy for upgrading the Mac mini yourself is quite tolerant: as long as you don’t break anything during the disassembly process, your warranty remains valid. This also applies to Apple's new baby. The hard drive size of the new mini is 320GB. For an additional $100, the company upgrades to 500GB.

Mac mini cost

The server version of the Mac mini comes with a second hard drive (both 7200rpm) instead of an optical drive ($999). Apple no longer offers alternative options for the baby's non-server model. Instead of the standard model costing $599 and the upgrade model costing $799, the new Mac mini is available in a single configuration for $699 that includes a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, 320GB SATA HDD and 8X SuperDrive. In reality, there's very little difference between the aluminum Mac mini and the previous-generation $599 model with 2.26GHz and 160GB HDD. However, the Mac mini's new graphics significantly improve the machine's performance for graphics-heavy applications.