Friday, July 22, 2011
Review: Apple Mac Mini (2.5GHz Core i5, Summer 2011)
The good: The new Mac Mini boasts Apple's usual design leadership, as well as new internal components that nearly double its performance compared with that of the older model.
The bad: Some users will find the lack of an optical drive too forward-looking, and may struggle to understand the benefits of the Thunderbolt port. The new Mac Mini also offers suspect value compared with Windows PCs in the same price range.
The bottom line: Apple's new $799 Mac Mini demands that you abandon disc-based media, and that you surround it with potentially expensive extra hardware to realize its full benefits. It makes most sense for committed Mac users, those who need it for a specific niche-case, or for those who value design over functionality for the dollar.
