Almost perfect | Apple Mac mini MB138LL/A (1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive)

Impressive Computer...small size | Apple Mac mini MB138LL/A (1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive)

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	• Apple Mac mini MB138LL/A (1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive) Apple Computer Apple Computer average customer review:based on 59 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Size does matter

I bought the base model mac mini (intel core 2 duo) as a media portal in lieu of AppleTV. Previously, I had checked online to make sure of the connectivity with my Vizio HDTV (via RGB as well as DVI-HDMI cable) and was not disappointed. I would give the mini 5 stars except that (as I knew going in) the base hard drive and CD/DVDROM drives are not adequate for most media applications. As I had planned to add an external 500GB hard drive as well as an external DVD burner, this was not a big deal for me, but if you are more interested in taking advantage of the small size of the mini in your HDTV setup, I recommend bumping up to the largest HD.

You will discover that you can download beautiful HD content from iTunes (although movie rentals in HD are only on the AppleTV for now). The included remote is limited to Front Row access, but that in itself is a big convenience.

The additional convenience of accessing email, performing the usual computing tasks, and surfing the net on a large-screen HDTV monitor cannot be overstated. Of course, a wireless keyboard and mouse are a necessity, so keep that in mind. A very excellent choice is Apple's bluetooth wireless keyboard due to its small size, light weight and "cool factor", but most any keyboard and mouse will work with the mini.

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Almost perfect

I got the Mac mini as a media center/server for my home. It this role, it works great. FrontRow works very well in the media center role, though it needs a few more features to work even better (e.g. be able to show movies within the photos section instead of a blank screen(!), be able to rent movies thru front row, be able to turn on the visualizer when playing music, be able to pick songs (or a playlist) for slide shows).
In the server role, all you need do is autolaunch iTunes and iPhoto, and configure them to share your library, and then other computers (or devices) can tap into your media files. Super!

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Impressive Computer...small size

Being a former Mac guy, but away from the usage over the past 10 years, I took the opportunity to invest in a new Mac Mini when my home PC died last fall. Not only has it been a great reintroduction to Apple, but I have been very impressed with what I was able to with my new computer.

I have found Leopard to be everything that has been claimed, and was pleasantly surprised when my shipment from Amazon included it preloaded. The machine was easy to set up, easy to configure, and my kids were on it in no time.

If you are looking for a PC replacement, consider the Mac Mini. I was able to use my existing Samsung 19" flat screen monitor, as well as my Microsoft Wireless keyboard with no problem. I did have to do some additional work to get my external hard drive to work as a Time Machine backup, but was well worth the effort.

If you are looking at the IMac, you might consider the Mini...same computer, just without the keyboard and monitor. It worked perfect as a CPU replacement.

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Frustrating at first, but getting better

Getting my Mac to work the way I want has been a little frustrating. First, I purchased the version with only 1GB of memory with the intention of installing additional 3rd party memory (what Apple charges for additional memory is nothing short of criminal). As I am a very old hand at cracking open PCs, I thought this would be a straight-forward process, but it isn't.

First off, opening a Mac Mini on your own violates the warranty! This is an absolutely ridiculous policy on the part of Apple and harkens back to the days of the old Mac 128K. But I plowed on, and found myself stunned by what I needed to open the case: a spackling knife! I'm trying to upgrade a computer, not a house!

Anyway, I get the case off, and am amazed at what a tight fit everything is inside. Things are even more cramped than in a notebook. The directions I found online on how to proceed at this point had me confused and concerned that I was about to convert this Mac into a $600 doorstop, but I finally found the screws I had to remove (note: they are the 4 black screws in the four corners of the mount that holds the Combo drive in place above the motherboard, after you pop off the WiFi antenna). CAREFULLY, I set the Combo drive aside, removed the old memory, and installed two 1GB modules I bought off Amazon from Crucial.

I put everything back together, plugged a DVI-to-HDMI cable from the Mac to my hi-def TV, powered on and: nothing. Panic-stricken, I swapped the original memory back in place, and everything worked fine. Putting the Crucial memory in place: nothing. So I had bad after-market memory. I went back to the original memory, and I had a working computer.

Setup at this point was almost painless. The OS found my wireless network, plus the wireless Apple keyboard and mouse I bought specifically for the Mini, without a hitch. Before I even knew it, I was wirelessly connected to my old laptop; I didn't even have to configure a connection! Neat.

But the picture quality was sub-par. After a day, I swapped out the HDMI cable for a straight PC video cable, and plugged it into the PC port on my TV (fortunately, it had one). I finally found a screen resolution that worked and that was readable from across the room.

However, I didn't have sound. There was a 1/8" headphone jack on the back of the Mini, along with a Toslink cable jack, but I didn't see anything resembling a stereo out jack. After a couple of days surfing the web, I decided that the 1/8" headphone jack must be a plain old unamplified stereo out jack. I used an old 1/8" stereo-to-RCA analog splitter cable, plugged it into the TV, configured the TV to accept the signal, and I finally had what I wanted: a secondary computer I could run from my living room without having a laptop melting its way into my groin.

Now that I've got it set up right, I'm becoming increasingly happy with my purchase. However, the difficulty of upgrading the memory is just inexcusible. Laptops have a simple access port on the bottom where memory can be swapped out, and Apple should have put a similar port on the bottom of the Mini. That way, you could upgrade without cracking the case, and without voiding the warranty. And the case itself shouldn't require a spackle knife to open!

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