The Apple Mac mini has come a long way since it was first introduced in 2005.
The 2011 Mac mini refresh represents a radical change for Apple's small form factor computer. The ageing Core 2 Duo is gone, replaced by second-generation Sandy Bridge Core i5 processors.
This is a substantial improvement in processing power for the Mac mini, which was forced to skip the first-generation Core iX chips because its onboard graphics weren't up to scratch, there was no room for a discrete graphics chip and a legal dispute prevented an integrated Nvidia chipset being used.
Early Mac minis featured aluminium casings with a polycarbonate top and base, and used a G4 PowerPC processor. The Mac mini made the inevitable switch to Intel processors in 2006, switching from Core to Core 2 Duo chips the following year.
The 2010 Mac mini dropped the polycarbonate case sections in favour of a wider, flatter aluminium unibody casing. This revision also brought the transformer into the main body of the Mac mini, so those who used it as a portable machine didn't have to carry around a large power brick.
The Sandy Bridge Core i processors' Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics on the 2011 Mac minis are more powerful than any before, allowing the mini to switch to the more modern processors.
But it's not all about the CPU. The new Mac mini has also lost its optical drive, allowing a substantial price drop for the entry-level 2011 model, and freeing up room for a discrete graphics processor in this high-end release.
The Mini DisplayPort video-out socket has been replaced by the powerful and versatile Thunderbolt port, which can handle both data and video, and can daisy chain up to six peripherals on a single port.
The new Apple Mac mini is the first computer to come with OS X 10.7 Lion preinstalled, on both the £529 entry-level mini and the more powerful £699 2.5GHz 4GB mini we tested.
Your comments (4) Click to add a new comment
almost
August 24th 2011
4. Was disappointed to learn that the "back to school" promotion on macs doesn't include the mac mini.
Also, isn't 5400 for a hard drive a bit slow?
Alert a moderator
mack
August 2nd 2011
3. The only thing keeping me from buying one of these is the lack of SSD upgrade options.
256 gb SSD or nothing?
That's crazy, I would much prefer a 64 GB boot drive and a 750 gb secondary drive. This would be a great little machine if only that option was enabled.
Unfortunately you can't open the thing up and get at the hard drive anymore either.
Alert a moderator
adamh128
August 2nd 2011
2. Dropping the optical drive is stupid - especially in this country where broadband speeds are so low.
Alert a moderator
lusky79
August 2nd 2011
1. You can add an additional Hard Drive yourself to the mini.quite a few people have done it. Not the easiest task but also not the most difficult
Alert a moderator
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments