Power still isn't the name of the game for Apple's cheapest computer
"We're glad to see the Mac mini get a proper upgrade at last. The
low-end option is limited in power, but it's cheaper than ever."
For
Still small and quiet
Two Thunderbolt 2 ports
Cheaper than ever
Against
Limited RAM at low end
And RAM isn't user-upgradeable
No quad-core options
After being left without any significant updates for years,
Apple has finally given its lowest-priced Mac, the Mac mini, a refresh. Starting
a new lower price of £399/$499/AU$619, it's still the same shape as
before, but with some more modern internals. It starts with a 1.4GHz
Intel Core i5 dual-core processor with Intel HD 5000 graphics, 4GB of
RAM and a 500GB hard drive - pretty much the lowest-end iMac without a
screen. It's the same kind of power as you get in a MacBook Air, but without the zippiness of flash memory.
Higher
end models bring Intel Iris graphics and the option for a Fusion Drive
hybrid storage system, though every option limits you to dual-core
processors - the quad-core option is gone. As I said,
looking at the new Mac mini, there's little difference to pick out. You
now get two Thunderbolt 2 ports on the rear, meaning it can connect to
external peripheral at ludicrously fast speeds, but otherwise its still a
very nice, very unassuming aluminium slab.
The
one I looked at Apple's event felt lighter than previous models (pure
flash storage is a configuration option, which will cut its weight),
which isn't often the first concern with desktop computers, but the Mac
mini's size does make it a bit of a portable option. The
entry-level Mac mini looks like a smart machine - you don't get a lot of
processing power for your money, but it's a quiet, capable computer.
That said, its 4GB of RAM could be limiting, and it isn't
user-upgradeable, so you really do need low expectations of using it for
intensive tasks. In fact, the RAM in all of the new Mac
mini models isn't user-upgradeable, as it used to be. Which isn't ideal;
Apple's RAM prices continue to be, shall we say, rather on the steep
side.
The
more expensive models (a £569/$699/AU$869 model with a 2.6GHz Core i5
processor, 8GB RAM, Intel Iris graphics and a 1TB hard drive; a
£799/$999/AU$1,249 model with a 2.8GHz Core i5, 8GB of RAM, Intel Iris
and a 1TB Fusion Drive) offer more headroom for tasks such as photo
editing or video editing, but it still needs to be accepted that they
aren't powerhouses. That's fine - that was never the Mac
mini's forte. We're just glad to see Apple keep it around, and give
people a way to grab a new Mac without a screen that's cheaper than
ever.
Early verdict
We're glad to see the Mac mini get a proper upgrade at last. The low-end option is limited in power, but it's cheaper than ever.
