• Apple Mac mini (2010)

    Apple Mac mini (2010)

    Prasad Naik, Aug 20, 2010 1715 hrs IST

    The latest version is expensive and the hardware you get does not justify the price

    Extremely compact, brilliant design and packaging, silent operation, low power consumption, HDMI-out, SDXC card slot, adequately powerful hardware for general and home theater usage

    Only 2GB of RAM, hard drive not user replaceable, no Blu-ray drive, all the ports are located on the back and are difficult to reach, bit expensive

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Hardware

The new 2010 Mac mini is by far one of the most beautiful devices Apple has ever made. For someone who doesn't know that this is a full-fledged computer, it is hard to discern just by looking at it. It looks more like a piece of art that you wouldn't mind putting up on display. The new mini uses the unibody aluminum construction, which seamlessly covers all sides except the back and the bottom.





The new mini is also significantly shorter than the older model; 1.4 inches compared to 2 inches on the older model. It is a bit wider though; 7.7 inches compared to 6.5 inches on the older model. The new mini is the smallest desktop computer in the world; so small that you could easily carry it around in your bag and it even weighs less than a 13" MacBook Pro.


 




The drop in size seems even more impressive when you consider the fact that Apple has updated the hardware inside. More importantly the power supply is now integrated and not separate as it used to be on the older models. It's amazing how Apple has managed to pack everything in and still manages to make it smaller than the previous model.


 


  



The insides of the new mini can now be accessed by a circular lid placed at the bottom of the unit. All you have to do is twist it anti-clockwise and it comes off. You can access the two RAM slots, which are currently occupied with two 1GB DDR3 sticks, although you can upgrade to 8GB (two 4GB sticks) of RAM. Unfortunately, access to the hard drive is restricted and the only way to get to it is to disassemble the entire unit and probably voiding your warranty while you are at it. It would have been really handy if the hard drive was user replaceable. Then again the mini uses notebook hard drives and not standard desktop PC hard drive, like the Dell Zino, so they would have been an expensive upgrade.


On the back the new Mac mini continues to look beautiful with a row of neatly placed ports and slots. If you go from left to right, you will see the power button on the edge, the power cable input, gigabit Ethernet jack, FireWire 800, HDMI output, a first on any Mac so far, Mini DisplayPort, four USB 2.0 ports (one down from the previous model), SDXC card slot, Audio in/out jacks and the ventilation slot below.


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Discussion Board
(4) Comments
Stephen
,Calgary, on Sep 08, 2010 03:43 AM
I had a powerbook that when plugged in at my grandmothers house in Turkey would give a mild shock when my feet were touching the ground. I never had this problem when at home in Canada. I am wondering if the problem you have with shocks/mild current is more due to the wiring where you are testing. An improperly grounded outlet or home will allow a mild current to run across any device that is mostly metal. As a lot of electronics tend to have plastic housing it is easy not to notice poor wiring in a home or office due to plastic's inability to conduct. Given that Apple is moving towards greater recyclability I suppose that the added metal in all there products makes them more susceptible to improper grounded power sources.
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apple is for lo
,India, on Aug 25, 2010 07:58 PM
All Apple devices are overpriced. Still few devices like, IPOD and iphone are justified but other devices are only for mooother fuuuckers. only m o t h e r f u c k e r s buy.
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Madhu
,Chennai, on Aug 24, 2010 06:41 PM
good look and sleek design
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A.Das
,Kolkata, on Aug 22, 2010 06:17 PM
Agree with the review - this is good system but overpriced. Previous Mini was priced Rs 35,000 but this is priced Rs 45,000. Though in the US, it sells at $700 (almost Rs 35,000).
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