The New Mac mini: Mini Review

ByMike Moffit

Smaller than ever, yet more powerful and versatile. Apple recently updated the Mac mini, a sometimes forgotten gem. As we replaced all of the outdated Mac minis in the South Burlington store, we really gained an appreciation of all of the upgrades the little guy has received. The new 2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor coupled with 2GB RAM, expanded 320GB hard drive, and improved graphics card all aid this little giant in executing your entertainment needs.

In the South Burlington Store we attached the Mac mini to a large 42” TV and display sports videos of the season. This past year we tried to play HD videos from the Discovery Channel’s “Life” series on our old Mac mini, and it just couldn’t handle the graphics required. Since putting the new mini up on display, we have been streaming Netflix, watching HD movie trailers through iTunes, and watching other videos stored on the hard drive. We have all been impressed with its performance, and many of us are thinking about picking one up to use as a home computer replacement or as a home entertainment solution.

Speaking of Entertainment, Apple has finally added an HDMI port to the back of the Mac mini. This makes it incredibly easy to switch between monitors and televisions alike. The mini can support video over the HDMI port with a resolution up to 1920×1200. It can also support up to 2560×1600 resolution with Mini DisplayPort. Apple also added an SD card slot to this model so its even easier to get your photos on your mini to share.

Some may have been disappointed that Apple raised the price of this computer to $699.99, but I think with all of the upgrades it is well worth the $100 extra.

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