new Mini Mac

[Claymonkey]

You know I'd actually buy this. If for no other reason then to have something to mess around with. That and I have enough friends that need my PC tech self to fix their mac. I've spent about 10 hours on OSX and I already know more than they do, seems being a computer tech knows no boundaries for which of your friends will call for help. That and this thing would look sweet under my second monitor in front of my KVM. (edit... must not write posts while tired and forget have the words in a sentance)

[Jessterw]

MacInTouch has a nice review of the Mac mini available now.

Here is an excerpt...

Notes and Impressions

The Mac Mini's packaging is beautiful, very iPod-like, but not too ecologically friendly, with plenty of the usual styrofoam and plastic wrapping involved. The computer comes packed in a cute clamshell box with a handle on top and a four-panel quick-start guide printed on the box's side.

The computer is very compact, yet it's heavy enough to feel substantial. Clearly designed for horizontal placement, the Mini has a big rubber pad on the bottom, although an Apple note says it can be placed on the side, instead. The user's guide notes: "Don't place anything on top of your computer. Objects placed on top of the computer may keep the disc from ejecting." It also warns that objects on top can interfere with wireless operation.

You shouldn't place the computer on a carpet or anything other than a hard surface, in order to keep the vents clear. (A similar caution applies to keeping vents clear in a vertical orientation.)

There is a built-in speaker, but it's so tinny, we can't imagine anyone wanting to listen to much audio through it.

The shiny white, 85-Watt power supply has a cord about 5 feet long that reaches to the Mac Mini, ending in a plug that's uncomfortably similar to a FireWire plug. (It doesn't latch very securely, which could be an issue, if it pops out by accident.) A separate, non-standard, 3-conductor cable connects the brick to your AC outlet. A round push-button power switch is on the back of the computer near its ports.

The Mini offers a DVI video output for Apple Cinema Displays and similar monitors, plus a compact video adapter for plugging in a standard, D-sub analog video cable. Apple's 30" Cinema Display isn't supported, since it requires a special PCI card. An Apple DVI-to-Video adapter is an extra-cost option (to provide S-video and composite video output).

DVDs comprise an iLife '05 disc; an install disc holding Apple Hardware Test, Mac OS X 10.3.7 and bundled applications; and a Mac Mini Mac OS 9 install disc. (You can't boot into Mac OS 9, though.) Applications include AppleWorks 6.2.9 and Quicken 2005. The operating system version is 10.3.7 (7T21) with a Darwin 7.7.1 kernel and QuickTime 6.5.2.

The Mini is almost silent (quieter than an iMac G5 and as quiet as an iBook). We couldn't hear it at all in a room with a few other quiet computers until we put an ear to the back of the Mini.

At an ambient temperature around 70 degrees F., the Mini felt very cool to the touch, even while running processor-intensive tests. The computer draws air from the bottom and exhausts it out vents at the top of the back - we could feel a very slight, cool breeze there (apparently from a fan).

There is no Processor Performance option in Energy Saver, a welcome relief from the hassles of trying to trade performance and longevity against heat and noise with iMac G5s and iBooks.