Apple's Mac mini looks less like a home computer and more like a case to hold your CDs. Weighing in at less than three pounds and only two inches tall and 6.5 inches square, the Mac mini is the ultimate in Apple's desktop streamlining efforts.

The front of the small, anodized aluminum box is unmarred by any buttons or switches, save for a slot to slide in optical media. That slot provides access to an Apple Combo drive that will playback DVD movies as well as burn to CD-RW/R media.

The back of the Mac mini sports all the ports and buttons, including the power switch and two USB 2.0 ports for connecting mouse and keyboard. There is a Firewire port for hooking up high-speed peripherals and both network interface and modem jacks for connecting the system to a home network or the Internet.

There is a DVI/VGA port for hooking up a monitor, along with an audio output jack for listening to stereo sound via headphones or hooking up speakers. The security slot lets you tether down your Mac mini to keep this miniscule machine from growing legs and walking off.

What is inside the box is even more impressive. Powered by a 1.25GHz G4 processor and 512MB of 333MHz memory at baseline, the Mac mini can hold its own for basic home application use. You can add more memory to the box, stepping up to 512MB for $50 or maxing it out at a gig of RAM for $175. Since the 1.25GHz Mac mini starts out at under $500, the 512MB memory upgrade is a pretty easy choice.

The low-end Mac mini includes a 40GB hard drive, offering a decent amount of storage room for installing applications and storing media files. If you need a faster processor or more space, you can opt for the 1.42GHz Mac mini for $599, which includes an 80GB hard drive, or you can add an 80GB hard drive to the 1.25GHz Mac mini for $50.

Other upgrades are possible inside this tiny box. If you want the capability to author DVD media, you can step up from Apple's Combo Drive to their Super Drive. For $100, this 4X DVD+/-RW drive will let you burn to DVD+/-R and RW media.

While you might suspect mediocre graphics with such a tight design, the Mac mini actually features an ATI Radeon 9200 graphics chip with 32MB of dedicated DDR video memory inside. While it's not a high-end graphics option, the 9200 will let you play 3D games without overloading the system.

There is no wireless connectivity at baseline, but you can add an AirPort Extreme Card to your Mac mini for $79 that will allow you to hook it up to a home wireless network. You can add Bluetooth connectivity to the Mac mini for $50 or both wireless options for a total of $99, saving you $30. Bluetooth lets the Mac mini connect to peripherals without cords, including Apple's wireless mouse and keyboard combo (available for $99). Without Bluetooth, you're of course able to connect any USB input devices, but you'll take up those USB 2.0 ports. The freedom of Bluetooth lets you cut the cords on your mouse and keyboard as well as connect to other devices such as printers and scanners without wires.

The Mac mini is running Apple's OS X v10.4 Tiger operating system, a stable and powerful operating system. There's also the latest version of iLife '05, a suite of Apple's multimedia tools that let you organize and listen to music, create slide shows from your photos, and even create and edit your own movies. The software bundle just keeps going-- AppleWorks 6 suite of office applications is included, with a word processor and spreadsheet, as well as Quicken 2005 financial software.

There's no display included with the Mac mini at its exceptional starting price, but you can add on one of Apple's excellent Cinema displays. The 20-inch flat panel Cinema Display will more than double the cost of your system at $799, but the bright and wide screen is perfect for watching movies. The more cost-effective route and is the 17-inch CRT from NEC for around $150. It won't save as much desktop space, but it will save a lot of damage to your pocketbook.

Apple includes a one-year warranty with the Mac mini, with an increase option up to three years (as well as bumping the 90 days of telephone support up to three years) by signing up for the AppleCare Protection Plan at a reasonable $149.

One of the best parts of owning a Mac mini is being able to move it around easily. Want to watch a DVD in the living room? You can take it there without trouble. Need to bring it back to the office for some more work? Just pick it up and carry it there, no sweat (literally). There are more expandable systems available, but in terms of design and power for your pennies, the Mac mini is one of the better bargains from Apple.

Pro: Very compact, good components
Con: No monitor or input devices included

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Apple
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-996-1010
http://www.apple.com

Warranty
1-year limited