Test Drive--Mac Mini Personal Computer
By Jeffrey Hastings -- School Library Journal, 7/1/2005
Apple, 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014-2084 (408) 996-1010 www.apple.com $499.
First, a confession: I’ve never really liked Macs. They’re brilliantly stylish and well designed, they’re cute and friendly and they work pretty much right out of the box. So what’s not to like?
I like to tell my computer precisely what to do and where to put stuff. I also like to try lots of software—install and uninstall, tinker and tweak. Macs aren’t about that. They’re machines designed for those other people; the ones who want to just turn on their computers and have a pleasant and productive experience without having to think about “computing” at all.
The Mac mini has made me rethink my computer prejudices. It’s fairly cheap, and it does pretty much everything I want a computer to do. The big thing is that it just plain works, which is more than I can say about a couple of my Windows-based PCs that have succumbed to increasingly prevalent malware, viruses, and bad third-party software. Maybe Mac is onto something with the mini.
The mini, which can connect to existing monitors and USB keyboards, looks more like a tin of truffles than a computer. But some respectable computing power resides within the 6.5 inch square box. The basic model I tested has a 1.25 GHz G4 processor, 256 MB of RAM, a 40 GB hard drive, a built-in modem and Ethernet, and a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. You can double the memory and storage if you want, and add Bluetooth connectivity, AirPort wireless networking, and a SuperDrive so that you can write both CDs and DVDs.
What can you do with the mini? You can use the iLife software suite to edit videos, download tunes, organize and share photos, and even create your own music. Cross-platform incompatibility is no longer a big issue when considering a Mac. AppleWorks provides all the basic productivity tools, letting you share your work with Windows users. The default Safari Internet browser is excellent, but Internet Explorer is supplied as well.
People who buy the mini for its multimedia capabilities should consider buying a couple add-ons: you’ll need some powered speakers to fully enjoy music and videos, and if you use the excellent iMovie software, you’ll want a SuperDrive to create DVDs.
The Mac mini is the perfect computer for former Windows users who want a more elegant and trouble-free computing experience at an affordable price.
