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January 13, 2005 Archives 

January 13, 2005

Mac Mini 07:17 PM, 0 Comments

If any of you ever ask me what computer you should buy, this is the one, Apple's Mac Mini. This is the first time Apple has done this: sell the computer alone, without a display, without a keyboard and mouse. I officially put in my plug that it is totally worth the money. This Slashdot post does a good job summing up the software that comes with it, which adds up to 80% of the retail cost, basically meaning that you're paying under $100 for the hardware, and it is pretty decent hardware for what you're paying, considering its size. Or you could say the inverse, that you're practically getting the totally awesome MacOS X software for free.

Software aside, if we were to price out the machine comparably to a Mini-ITX PC-compatible computer, the hardware and OS (I'd vouch that you'll need to add Windows XP Pro, too, since MacOS X is not stripped down at all, like XP Home) It would come out to be more pricey, and yet, the EPIA MII 1.2 Ghz (Cyrix) probably doesn't perform as well as the G4. Here, try it: go here, and put in a 60 watt power supply, XP Professional, an EPIA MII 1.2GHz, 256MB 2100 RAM, 40GB 2.5" Hard Drive, CD-RW/DVD Combo, and a build and test, and it comes out to well over 700, without all the software mentioned in the previous paragraph. And the Mini-ITX is STILL BIGGER in size than the Mac Mini! And to get a fanless Mini-ITX, you can't get that fast of a processor, as the fastest fanless processor is 667 MHz, while the Mac Mini is fanless.

Do yourself a favor and try a Macintosh out. This is your big chance. MacOS X is the most advanced operating system out there today. Just getting away from the viruses and spyware is worth it. Add to that the iLife apps and the super stability and fanless silence and size of this box, and it is a true winner. (Of course, if you're comfortable with a Linux or BSD flavor, more power to you. I'm talking to the 90% of computer users out there who believe and naively accept that computers should be naturally broken, blinded by their exclusive use of a Microsoft OS).

I'm tempted to get one of these to play with, and when I retire it for something better (after a year or so, when a better one is out) it will go under the TV with a bluetooth (wireless) Mouse and Keyboard, and a RCA video adapter. Who knows, maybe by then I'll have a HDTV and won't need the adapter.

1/28/2005 Webmaster: Troy Bowman