Which Mac mini to Buy (and Where to Buy It)


For more information on the topics in this section, see Chapter 3.

Which Mac mini should I buy?

Unless you are absolutely cash strapped, I recommend that you spend the extra $100 and get the larger hard drive and slightly faster processor in the $599 model. You might not notice the speed bump, but as your music and photo collections grow, you will appreciate having double the hard drive space. If you are thinking about editing home video or using your Mac mini to record and store TV programs, the extra hard drive space is essential.

Do I need to buy additional memory?

Apple's upgrade from 256 to 512 MB costs $75 and is worth the money, if you can possibly afford it. The additional 256 MB of memory improves performance and allows you to have multiple programs open at once without bringing your Mac mini to its knees.

Increasing the memory to 1 GB, however, costs $325, which seems expensive, especially when you can order the memory online for about $160.

It's best to buy the memory you need when you purchase the computer, but you can make a change later. You will then have to either pay to have it installed or, if you feel up to the task, open your Mac mini's case and install it yourself.

The Mac mini has only a single memory slot, so if you upgrade you will find yourself left with the memory you removed. Maybe you can sell it on eBay. Probably not.

So do I buy the faster machine or more memory if I can afford only one?

Well, you can add the memory later for $75, but you can't change the hard drive or processor short of buying a new Mac mini. Let that be your guide. If you really will invest the $75 later for more memory, buy the faster machine. If not, I'd rather own the slower machine with the smaller hard drive but have the additional memory.

Must I buy memory from Apple?

No. The Mac mini uses standard memory that's widely available from a variety of sources. Check the magazines and Web sites listed in Appendix B.

Be sure to hold onto the old memory you remove, though, since Apple may not be happy to see third-party memory if you bring in the machine for repair.

Can I install the memory myself?

Yes. Do I recommend it? Not really. First, you have to open the Mac mini's case, an exercise that requires a pair of thin-bladed putty knives and a bit of skill. After that, you have to remove the memory from the Mac mini's lone memory socket and replace it with the new memory.

If you are comfortable opening other computers and installing memory, you'll be able to do this. Just make sure the upgrade you plan to do won't void your warranty. But if the thought of applying a flat blade to your Mac mini gives you vapors, then have Apple install the memory for you.

For directions on opening the Mac mini, do a Google search or visit Macworld magazine's Web site (www.macworld.com). I don't want to be responsible if you mess up the case.

Can I install an AirPort Extreme card and Bluetooth myself?

Apple strongly recommends buying your Mac mini with the wireless card installed at the factory. Apple does not recommend this as a do-it-yourself project. Although the memory socket is easily accessible, the wireless modules are not. I've played with a Mac mini motherboardand you don't want to.

If for some reason you need to add Bluetooth, you can easily do this with a USB Bluetooth adapter. I am not aware of any USB 802.11 wireless adapters that work with the Mac mini.

Can I install a larger hard drive myself?

This is even less recommended than installing a wireless card yourself, but at least I can understand why someone might want to. The better route is to add an external drive, though adding a USB or FireWire external drive does add another box to your Mac mini installation. Yes, I wish Apple offered options for larger hard drives.

What is the recommended configuration?

If I were buying someone a present, I'd purchase the $599 model, bring the memory up to 512 MB, and replace the stock Combo drive with the DVD-burning SuperDrive. I'd also buy the AirPort Extreme card unless I was positive it would never be usedbroadband and wireless just go together. I would also buy the Bluetooth adapter because it's only $20 additional and could conceivably be useful some day.

I would make sure my recipient had both a USB keyboard and mouse of the wired persuasion. If not, I'd buy them, expecting to pay $50, plus or minus a bit. I would not buy the Apple keyboard and mouse. If the person doesn't already own a display, the deal's off because I'm not buying one. Or maybe I will buy an eMac instead.

For a KVM switch, I have become very partial to the IOGEAR products discussed in Chapter 4. I paid about $60 for one at Best Buy.

Total value of this gift: $873, or $674 without the SuperDrive and wireless card. Now add $60 for the KVM switch and maybe $50 for a non-Apple USB keyboard and mouse. This brings the price to $983 or $785, respectively.

Buying an AirPort Extreme Base Station adds $199, and including the AirPort Express Base Station to be used with it to play iTunes on remote speakers increases the cost by another $129. If you don't care about iTunes, any 802.11g wireless base station will work fine.

Who should not buy a Mac mini?

The Mac mini is a great computerbut it is still a low-cost, entry-level machine. It does a lot for the money and comes equipped with some great software. But if you expect a Mac mini to perform like a $2,999 dual-processor Power Mac G5, you will be disappointed.

There are very few things that other Macs can do that a Mac mini can't do. But there is a difference between mere doing and doing quickly or well. For example, if I were a professional graphic designer, I'd buy a professional tool and invest in a more powerful Mac. I'd also buy one of those gorgeous Apple 30-inch LCD panel displays. I'd probably also end up spending about $6,600plus a little more for some added memory.

But I am not a graphics professional, and for my amateur projects, the Mac mini gets the job done. Likewise with video. You can edit short videos on a Mac mini, but the Mac mini isn't suitable for professional editing. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which are the slow, single processor; the slow, relatively small hard drive; and the lack of expandability.

Is the Mac mini just an eMac or iBook minus the screen?

I don't want to cast aspersions, but let's compare the technical specs of a Mac mini to the eMac, the all-in-one Mac designed for the education market, and the low-end iBook G4, popular with students. I think Table 2.1 speaks for itself.

Table 2.1. The Mac mini has much in common with the eMac, an all-in-one machine designed for use in schools but also available for home users. The low-end Mac mini is better equipped than the entry-level iBook portable.

Consumer

Mac mini

eMac

iMac G5

iBook G4

CPU

1.25 GHz PowerPC G4

1.25 GHz PowerPC G4

1.6 GHz PowerPC G5

1.25 GHz PowerPC G4

System Bus

167 MHz

167 MHz

533 MHz

133 MHz

Built-in Graphics

ATI Radeon 9200, 32 MB dedicated DDR SDRAM video memory

ATI Radeon 9200, 32 MB dedicated DDR SDRAM video memory

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra, 64 MB video memory

ATI Mobility Radeon 9200, 32 MB dedicated DDR video memory

Built-in Display

None

17-inch flat CRT

17-inch widescreen LCD

12-inch TFT LCD

Ports

One FireWire 400 port, two USB 2.0 ports, DVI output, VGA output with included adapter

Two FireWire 400 ports, three USB 2.0 ports, two USB 1.1 ports (on keyboard), mini VGA output port

Two FireWire 400 ports, three USB 2.0 ports, two USB 1.1 ports (on keyboard), VGA output, S-Video output, composite video output

One FireWire 400 port, two USB 2.0 ports, VGA output, S-Video output, composite video output

Networking

Built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem

Built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem

Built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem

Built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, built-in AirPort Extreme


Now I'm not saying that the $499 1.25 GHz Mac mini is essentially a heavy eMac without the screen. Draw your own conclusions.

One of which should be that if you don't own a monitor and aren't planning to use your new Mac as a media center feeding your TV set, then an eMac might be a better deal for you. Fortunately, much of what's in this book applies to either a Mac mini or an eMac. Just skip Chapter 4, at least the part about KVM switches.



The Mac mini Guidebook A practical, hands-on book for everyoneincluding Windows usersmoving to Apple's compact computer
The Mac mini Guidebook A practical, hands-on book for everyoneincluding Windows usersmoving to Apple's compact computer
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2004
Pages: 146

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