My OperaMac mini Review
Saturday, November 14, 2009 6:21:58 AM
I bought a Mac mini (Oct 2009 model) last week, after 10 years of owning Windows machines. The last Mac OS version I've used back then was System 7 on a black-and-white Mac classic, and a lot of things have changed since then. While Windows has been serving me quite well these past few years, I started yearning for the good old days, so I decided to try a Mac again.
This review aims to describe some of my experiences in using the Mac mini.
Package contents
Upon opening the box (sorry, no unboxing video!), here are the items you'll find inside:
Mac mini
Power cable/brick
Mini-DVI to DVI adapter
Manuals
Install DVDs
The body
The Mac mini measures around 6.5 inches side by side and 2 inches tall. All the essential ports are neatly laid out in the back, and since this is a small machine, you'll have no problems searching for the one you need. The body is made of brushed aluminum -- similar to the grey iPod classic, smooth yet has a distinctive plastic-metallic texture. If you've never seen this machine before, you'll easily mistake it for a lunch box with an Apple logo…
The build quality is good and the machine is a bit heavier than it looks. Air flows through the vents on the back, so do not block these parts and provide some ample allocation for it.
I really like the fact that there are 5 USB ports provided, I can plug all the devices I need without using a USB hub!
It has both a mini-DVI and DisplayPort for video output, which are unfortunately not a standard with current monitors these days. Thankfully, there is a mini-DVI to DVI adapter provided. (see 'Pitfalls' for more info)
There is a built-in speaker inside, but it is very weak and has no bass. Better off connecting your own headset or speaker for listening to music. Other ports provided are Firewire, Ethernet, and audio in/out ports. It also has Wifi-n and Bluetooth inside, making it easy to go wireless!
The power button is located in the upper left side on the back, which is easily accessible since you're most likely place the mini on the desk, but it took me a while to get used to pressing the button without looking.
Operation
Upon startup, the mini emits a chime, similar to other Macs that notifies the user it is starting up. When it is first started, it will display the Apple logo for a couple of minutes, then show up a welcome presentation before proceeding to gather information.
The Mac mini can certainly fit anywhere.
It is very silent! You'll hardly notice it is running, aside from the tiny white light in front of the machine. It only start to get noisy when reading DVDs from the optical drive. Occasionally, the fan will kick in and a faint whirr will be heard at the back. Other than that, it's eerily quiet.
On normal operation, the mini consumes less than 15 watts of power, and only about 1 watt when in sleep mode. On comparison, my old PC consumes > 100 watts! In my opinion, the slightly higher price of the mini will pay off on the long term with the electricity bill.
Performance
The machine's speed is commendable. It starts up Snow Leopard at around 30 seconds, from the moment the power button is pressed to the point where the desktop has loaded, not a bad feat. The performance is comparable to a modern laptop PC, which is logical since it mostly uses laptop parts, such as 2.5" hard drive and SO-DIMM memory.
I managed to convert a 20-minute MP4 video at around 7 minutes. I didn't perform any benchmark, as obviously it isn't the fastest computer around, but is certainly enough to get both work and play done.
Pitfalls
Despite Apple's efforts to market the Mac mini as a drop-in replacement for an existing PC, there bound to be some minor issues you'll encounter after getting the mini:
* Keyboard, mouse and monitor not included. If you're getting this as a second PC, make sure you have these peripherals! USB keyboard and mouse are required, so if you plan to use your keyboard and mouse with PS/2 interface, you have to get an adapter for them. (Or buy the Apple keyboard, it's a bit overpriced, but it's worth it!)
* Nonstandard AC plug. This won't be an issue to all users out there, but my Mac mini came with a power plug different from the one used here. Be sure to check your Mac power plug first and get a proper adapter before heading home.
* Dual-link DVI adapter included. If you have an existing DVI to VGA adapter, check first if it is a dual-link DVI. Single-link DVI-VGA converters won't work. You might have to buy an Apple converter, or better yet a proper DVI-enabled monitor.
Recommendations
My Mac desk setup.
* Consider getting the Apple keyboard to access dedicated Mac key shortcuts, two additional USB ports and major coolness for your desk.
* Connect using Wifi and use bluetooth keyboard/mouse to lessen cables.
* If usual startup takes more than 1 minute to complete, consider backing up files and reinstall Snow Leopard from scratch. I read some users from the Apple support forum that they experienced performance boost after a clean install.
Conclusion
So is the Mac mini worth getting? My answer: Yes it is. Given its small size, low power consumption and sufficient speed, it is one machine to keep an eye if you're considering to switch to Mac. While not perfectly a hassle-free experience at first (see 'Pitfalls' section), the sheer handsomeness and solidly-built OS X operating system is more than enough to get you hooked. I hadn't touched our old PC for a week now. No turning back, I guess.
This review aims to describe some of my experiences in using the Mac mini.
Package contents
Upon opening the box (sorry, no unboxing video!), here are the items you'll find inside:
Mac mini
Power cable/brick
Mini-DVI to DVI adapter
Manuals
Install DVDs
The body
The Mac mini measures around 6.5 inches side by side and 2 inches tall. All the essential ports are neatly laid out in the back, and since this is a small machine, you'll have no problems searching for the one you need. The body is made of brushed aluminum -- similar to the grey iPod classic, smooth yet has a distinctive plastic-metallic texture. If you've never seen this machine before, you'll easily mistake it for a lunch box with an Apple logo…
The build quality is good and the machine is a bit heavier than it looks. Air flows through the vents on the back, so do not block these parts and provide some ample allocation for it.
I really like the fact that there are 5 USB ports provided, I can plug all the devices I need without using a USB hub!
It has both a mini-DVI and DisplayPort for video output, which are unfortunately not a standard with current monitors these days. Thankfully, there is a mini-DVI to DVI adapter provided. (see 'Pitfalls' for more info)
There is a built-in speaker inside, but it is very weak and has no bass. Better off connecting your own headset or speaker for listening to music. Other ports provided are Firewire, Ethernet, and audio in/out ports. It also has Wifi-n and Bluetooth inside, making it easy to go wireless!
The power button is located in the upper left side on the back, which is easily accessible since you're most likely place the mini on the desk, but it took me a while to get used to pressing the button without looking.
Operation
Upon startup, the mini emits a chime, similar to other Macs that notifies the user it is starting up. When it is first started, it will display the Apple logo for a couple of minutes, then show up a welcome presentation before proceeding to gather information.
The Mac mini can certainly fit anywhere.
It is very silent! You'll hardly notice it is running, aside from the tiny white light in front of the machine. It only start to get noisy when reading DVDs from the optical drive. Occasionally, the fan will kick in and a faint whirr will be heard at the back. Other than that, it's eerily quiet.
On normal operation, the mini consumes less than 15 watts of power, and only about 1 watt when in sleep mode. On comparison, my old PC consumes > 100 watts! In my opinion, the slightly higher price of the mini will pay off on the long term with the electricity bill.
Performance
The machine's speed is commendable. It starts up Snow Leopard at around 30 seconds, from the moment the power button is pressed to the point where the desktop has loaded, not a bad feat. The performance is comparable to a modern laptop PC, which is logical since it mostly uses laptop parts, such as 2.5" hard drive and SO-DIMM memory.
I managed to convert a 20-minute MP4 video at around 7 minutes. I didn't perform any benchmark, as obviously it isn't the fastest computer around, but is certainly enough to get both work and play done.
Pitfalls
Despite Apple's efforts to market the Mac mini as a drop-in replacement for an existing PC, there bound to be some minor issues you'll encounter after getting the mini:
* Keyboard, mouse and monitor not included. If you're getting this as a second PC, make sure you have these peripherals! USB keyboard and mouse are required, so if you plan to use your keyboard and mouse with PS/2 interface, you have to get an adapter for them. (Or buy the Apple keyboard, it's a bit overpriced, but it's worth it!)
* Nonstandard AC plug. This won't be an issue to all users out there, but my Mac mini came with a power plug different from the one used here. Be sure to check your Mac power plug first and get a proper adapter before heading home.
* Dual-link DVI adapter included. If you have an existing DVI to VGA adapter, check first if it is a dual-link DVI. Single-link DVI-VGA converters won't work. You might have to buy an Apple converter, or better yet a proper DVI-enabled monitor.
Recommendations
My Mac desk setup.
* Consider getting the Apple keyboard to access dedicated Mac key shortcuts, two additional USB ports and major coolness for your desk.
* Connect using Wifi and use bluetooth keyboard/mouse to lessen cables.
* If usual startup takes more than 1 minute to complete, consider backing up files and reinstall Snow Leopard from scratch. I read some users from the Apple support forum that they experienced performance boost after a clean install.
Conclusion
So is the Mac mini worth getting? My answer: Yes it is. Given its small size, low power consumption and sufficient speed, it is one machine to keep an eye if you're considering to switch to Mac. While not perfectly a hassle-free experience at first (see 'Pitfalls' section), the sheer handsomeness and solidly-built OS X operating system is more than enough to get you hooked. I hadn't touched our old PC for a week now. No turning back, I guess.
