Mac mini 2011 Review
Earlier this week, OS X Lion was released alongside major upgrades to two Apple hardware families – the MacBook Air (read our review here) and the Mac mini. It has been 13 months since the last Mac mini update and in that time Apple has managed to nearly double the Mac mini’s performance compared to the previous generation.
The new Mac mini is available in three different flavors: a 2.3GHz Mac mini, a 2.5GHz Mac mini, and the Mac mini with Lion Server. For the sake of this review, we’ll focus on the first two models (although for those of you that are wondering – the third model basically just has a faster i7 processor, a second/faster hard drive, and OS X Lion Server).
One of the first things you’ll notice when comparing the 2011 Mac mini to the previous generation is that there’s no front loading optical drive slot…because there’s no optical drive. Yes, Apple updated two-fifths of its Mac hardware line last Thursday and none of those models have optical drives. Is the lack of an optical drive for the Mac mini a dealbreaker? Probably not. OS X Lion has a recovery mode built into the operating system, so there’s no longer a need for system restore DVDs. And with the growing popularity of the Mac App Store, you can probably get most of your software via the web anyway. Although if you were hoping to use the Mac mini in your living room, you might be bummed the lack of a DVD player. But you can always buy an external drive and plug it into one of the many ports on the back of the Mac mini.
The Mac mini features just about every type of connection you’ll find in a Mac. Four USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, SDXC card slot, HDMI, Thunderbolt, Gigabit Ethernet, and audio in/out. So the Mac mini will work with just about any HDTV or display while also supporting most other peripherals. A disclaimer though – it doesn’t come with any input devices, so you will have to spring for a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.
The hardware inside the Mac mini has improved significantly over the 2010 model. You’ll find a screaming fast dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (also seen in the early 2011 MacBook Pro and 2011 MacBook Air) and the memory has been upgraded to 1333MHz DDR3 RAM. The hard disk is a 500GB 5400 RPM drive, but it can be upgraded to a 256GB SSD if you would prefer something a little faster.
If you’re ready to abandon disc-based media, are looking for a home theater option with more flexibility than the Apple TV, or need an affordable Mac desktop then the Mac mini might be right for you. The Mac mini is priced at $599, $799, or $999 for the Mac mini with Lion Server. Although at Apple Sliced, you don’t ever have to worry about paying retail – you can expect to save as much as a couple hundred dollars on your Mac mini purchase.
See all the pricing options for the Mac mini family.