Apple Mac mini (MC438LL/A) Desktop

The Bottom Line: A lot of computer in a little package - decent value for the money. Excellent for HTPC use. Eutek's Full Review: Apple Mac mini (MC438LL/A) Desktop This review is for the MA608LL/A Mac Mini, the version which comes with the 1.83GHz CPU. As I stated in my review of the MacBook Pro, I have wanted to make the switch to Mac, for a long time - but it was never the right time. Due to a fortunate series of events, I suddenly had the opportunity to jump from the Microsoft ship onto the Apple bandwagon. Not only did I pick up a MacBook Pro, but also a Mac Mini. The Mac Mini was intended to replace the big, noisy, balky tower running Windows Media Center. We have been using this tower for about a year as our HTPC, and it was not getting the job done. Too complicated, too noisy, too big. The Mini was the ideal solution for our needs. The Mac Mini arrived smartly packaged in a tiny box - more like a boxed lunch than something you would expect a laptop to arrive in. In spite of the minimalist packaging, the Mini was safe, secure and well protected. Like other Apple products, the Mini is well designed, from both aesthetic and functional standpoints. It is well designed, sturdily constructed and a pleasure to use. It is a feat of engineering excellence. It is really, really small - it does not hit you until you actually see it up close. This is the way computer hardware should be - unobtrusive and well designed. One of the first things that I did after the Mini arrived was to get the Apple Bluetooth keyboard, as the Mini comes without a keyboard or mouse. The Apple Bluetooth keyboard is comfortable, and the keys return with a satisfying tactile feel. I had no trouble setting up the keyboard (thanks to my old USB keyboard) to pair with the Mini's Bluetooth adapter. My Mac Mini came with an 80GB, 5400 RPM hard drive and 1x 512MB chip of RAM. The Mac Mini is a bit slower compared to my MacBook Pro, but is more than fast enough for its intended role as our HTPC. I do intend to upgrade the RAM as soon as I buck up the courage to take the Mini apart. The 80GB drive is a bit small for my needs, so I have transferred my films and music collections to a LaCie Mini fireware hub/disk. This matches the Mini's finish perfectly, and will be the subject of another review shortly! A SuperDrive was included in this configuration. I do not think it will get too much use, as I usually burn any disks on my MacBook Pro or my wife's Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Pro. In regards to connectivity, the Mac Mini has one Firewire 400 and 4 USB 2.0 ports, as well as WiFi, Bluetooh, I/R and Ethernet . This is more than adequate for my needs. I have an external Firewire drive attached to the Mini for my large video and music library, which works fine. As with the MacBook Pro, all of this wonderful hardware is tied together with Mac OS 10.4, which is a joy to use. It did take me a short time to understand the "Apple" way of doing things, but once I grasped the basic concepts I realised what I had been missing all these years. As other users have noticed, installing and removing software is very easy - just drag the file to the Applications folder, or use the installer if there is one, and you are done. The included applications are more than adequate for my needs, but I really have no use for them on the Mini. Safari is a good browser, but I am partial to Firefox. Front Row is the primary application, aside from iTunes, that I use on the Mini. After applying a small tweak that I found on the web, I am able to play my .avi films. Front Row is much easier to use than Microsoft's Media Center, and the interface is slick indeed. The wee remote that Apple included works very well indeed with Front Row, and it has a decent range as well. In keeping with the HTPC role, the Mac Mini is connected to our Philips LCD TV via the DVI port. The Mini was easily configured to the settings of the widescreen LCD TV. The only issue I encountered was that the Mini automatically adjusted its colours for TV - which to my eye was a rather bland setting. I manually adjusted the colour balance and the results are much more pleasing. I have connected the audio out to my home stereo/surround sound system. While I am not an audiophile, I do appreciate clear sounding audio, and the Mac Mini delivers. The specs state that the Mini has 2 Combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack). I haven't had the occasion to use them in Optical mode - but I have heard good things from others who have. The Mac Mini is my main media and file server, therefore I have configured it to be on 24/7. However, I did notice that the cool blue LED on the front of the unit pulses when the Mini goes into hibernation.