Apple Mac Mini Small Form Factor Desktop PC

Mar 26 2009 - Apple's redesigned Mac Mini brings a needed update to the internal components that boost its performance over the previous version. It still retains its very small and quiet operation of the predecessor but has greatly improved integrated graphics that actually allow it to handle high definition internet video. The downside is that the Mac Mini is fairly expensive for such a small system. While performance is good, it is possible to get a higher performance standard desktop or even small form factor PC for less.

Mar 26 2009 - On the exterior, the Apple redesigned Mac Mini looks identical to the original model released years ago. There are a few differences in the peripheral ports including a fifth USB 2.0 port, a FireWire 800 port instead of the FireWire 400 and a new mini DisplayPort for use with their LED Cinema Display.

The big change in the new Mac Mini is a complete reworking on the internal components. Performance gets a significant boost from the use of the newer Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 processor. This certainly improves performance compared to the older Mac Mini but it is one of the lower end Core 2 Duo processors. At least Apple upgraded the memory to the new DDR3 memory standard over the slower DDR2. Of course, the 2GB configuration seems a bit low for a system these days.

Storage also received an update to larger 320GB 2.5-inch laptop drive inside of the unit. This is a huge boost over previous models and puts it on par with most laptops. It may quickly get eaten up though if the system is used to store a lot of digital media files with say a home theater system. Apple still does not support Blu-ray drives and continues to use a slot loaded 8x DVD burner.

Another major update for the Mac Mini is the graphics processor. Previous Intel GMA integrated graphics solutions had issues with some high definition video streams. The new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics make up for this providing plenty of performance for high definition video although still lacking significant performance for much 3D gaming beyond low definition casual play.

One problem with the new Mac Mini is the internal component layout really prevents possible upgrading by the consumer. With the location of the drives compared to the memory slots, the whole system would essentially have to be taken apart.