Apple Mac mini M9971LL/B (1.42 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB DDR SDRAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive DVD-R/CD-RW Drive) review:
5 stars (Entry-Level Price, Uncompromising Performance ) - When I was deciding whether to buy a Mac Mini, I kept seeing reviews indicating it's an entry-level toy and not for users with serious needs. It makes me wonder what these writers consider a "serious" computer. Do they all have duel-processor G5s sitting under their desks? And if so, what the heck are they using all that processing power for? I've been converting analog video to DVDs on my Mac Mini for two weeks now and am beginning to wonder when I'm going to hit the wall in terms of capacity.



Does the Mac Mini parse video as fast as a duel-processor G5? Of course not. But I'm not making Toy Story either. Other than a ton of word processing, I'm doing small video projects and converting old home movies to DVDs (which come out beautiful thanks to iMovie and iDVD). Shelling out an extra thirteen-hundred bucks and dealing with a humongous machine under the desk doesn't sound like a reasonable trade-off for any home user.



This is not an "it's all you really need" rationalization. The Mac Mini has in every way exceeded my expectations in terms of quality and usability. It's the first computer I've ever purchased that hasn't left me feeling like I should have bought the next model up. Don't be fooled by its simplicity of use and minimalist design, the Mac Mini is a workhorse machine that will satisfy users with all but the most aggressive needs.



Oh, and as for gamers (I refer to my kids): use the X-Box for God's sake! That's what it's for!


5 stars (A Great Mac Value with Superdrive!) - The Mac Mini was released in January 2005 at Mac World, and was then updated, for the first time, in July 2005. This Mac Mini is the result of that update.



Improvements - The $699 Mac Mini is a new model, in the respect that previously only $599 and $499 models were offered. The $699 model is indentical to the $599 model, but includes a superdrive, for burning DVDs. This Mac Mini sports 512 MB of DDR SDRAM, which is twice the memory the original Mac Mini included. This is a significant upgrade. The majority of users can now buy, out of the box, a machine that performs beautifully and allows a fair amount of multi-tasking. The Mac operating system, Mac OS X Tiger, thrives on memory, and 512 MB helps to create a speedy experience, for users.



Bluetooth - Bluetooth is a great wireless technology that Apple heavily backs, and it is included with this Mac Mini, an addition, from the original Mac Minis, when bluetooth was an optional add-on, (...), for $50 more. Purchase a bluetooth keyboard or bluetooth mouse, and they will work wirelessly, with your Mac Mini. It makes for a very clean and uncluttered desktop. There are also many mobile phones and PDAs, which utilize bluetooth technology, which you can sync to your mac using isync, included with Mac Mini.



Airport Extreme - This is the wireless networking card now included with the $599 and $699 Mac Mini, after being a $70+ upgrade (...), on the previous model. Do you have a wireless-b or wireless-g network in your home? If so, the Mac Mini will be able to connect to it, without problem. Again, making the computing experience simpler and less tangled.



The Good Things that Continue to Shine with Mac Mini - A buyer of the Mac Mini will continue to enjoy Mac OS X Tiger, which is the best consumer operating system in the world. It works with the hardware beautifully to provide a simple, fast, elegant, and reliable experience. One of the favorite descriptions of Mac fans, to describe Macs, is simply, "it just works."



The Mac Mini continues to include iLife '05, with great applications such as iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, iTunes, and Garageband. These are all included, with every Mac Mini. You will be challenged to find any PC that includes applications that come anywhere close to the iLife suite. Manage thousands of your digital images in iPhoto, create home movies in iMovie, burn those movies onto DVD with iDVD, and create professional music in Garageband.



Appleworks is included for simply word processing, spreadsheets, etc., but you might want to pick up Microsoft Office for Mac. A student/teacher edition is available, for just over $100.



Speed - The 1.42 GHZ PowerPC G4 processor makes the Mac Mini a very capable machine. This will satisfy the horsepower needed to complete tasks in the iLife suite, included with your Mac Mini.



Hard Drive - 80 GB is a significant-sized hard drive, so you will be able to store thousands of photos and songs.



Superdrive - The Apple Superdrive not only allows you to burn CDs and watch DVDs, but you can also burn your very own DVDs! Just imagine editing your home movies in iMovie, and then burning them to DVD, with iDVD via your Superdrive. iDVD allows you to make beautiful menus, for your DVDs, so they look professional.



Drawbacks? The $699 version of the Mac Mini does not include a modem, if you want this version of the Mac Mini with a modem, you will have to custom-order it at Apple.com. However, the ethernet port is included on the back, to plug into a DSL or cable modem, plus you have the Airport Extreme, for wireless connections. However, if you don't have broadband, you'll need a modem for dial-up, so you will either need to order a custom-built Mac Mini at Apple.com, or buy the stock $499 model, which includes a modem, but lacks the wireless components, superdrive, 80 gig hard drive, and faster processor.



What is the best value of the three Mac Mini models? The $699 model is *fantastic*, if you want to burn DVDs, or simply backup data to DVDs. Remember, a DVD holds 4.7 GB of data, so that allows you to backup a lot of data. However, if you think you do not need the Superdrive, the $599 model offers the exact configuration to the $699 model, albeit absent the superdrive.



Overall, Apple has created another fantastic product, with the Mac Mini, and the July 2005 update only made it better. You get more memory, plus wireless connectivity via bluetooth and airport extreme. This Mac Mini really includes everything the average user needs to enjoy the internet, manage his or her digital life, and have fun doing it all.

Apple Mac mini M9971LL-B (1.42 GHz PowerPC G4- 512 MB DDR SDRAM- 80 GB Hard Drive- SuperDrive DVD-R- is the Personal Computers version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around  699.99USD.