Labs

With the launch of the Mac mini, Apple clearly signalled that it was returning to the consumer space. The reaction to the launch was similar to that of the first candy-coloured iMac. PC magazines, which are normally Apple-wary, were falling over themselves to review and praise it. While all the talk may have died down a bit, the Mac mini has raised Apple's profile once again as a maker of undeniably innovative computers.

The mini is cut down in every way - at 16.5cm long and wide and with a depth of just 5cm, it is, indeed, mini. Two G4-powered configurations are available; 1.25GHz and 1.42GHz. As such, these models aren't going to impress in any high-end capacity. Having said that, they're both capable of providing enough performance for all of the iLife applications, and the total differences are minimal. The cheaper 1.25GHz model has a 40GB hard drive; half of that in the 1.42GHz model. Both sport a Combo drive capable of playing DVDs and recording CDs. They feature two USB 2 ports and a FireWire 400 port, with Ethernet and a modem completing the connection options. Video-out is provided by a DVI socket, and an adaptor is included to turn this into a VGA signal for older monitors. The two models sport only 256MB of RAM, so we strongly recommend you factor in extra cash for an upgrade. Neither of the minis have AirPort or Bluetooth, and, again, we'd say that

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at the very least AirPort should be near the top of your build-to-order list. Adding these options does push up the price, though, so if you're on a very tight budget it's worth noting that the basic configuration can serve you well.

Contrary to popular belief, the Mac mini does have a fan inside, so it isn't a wholly silent machine. However, the fan is only used when the processor is working flat out, so you're unlikely to hear it in normal use. The most noise is generated by the Combo drive when it's spinning a disc. Audio is routed through a tiny speaker, so it's a bit useless for anything but alert sounds. With this in mind, we'd recommend attaching external speakers to the audio-out jack if you're planning to use the mini to watch DVDs or listen to music.

Essentially, what you're getting for your money is a fairly average Mac. But that's all. If you don't have a spare screen or USB keyboard and mouse to hand, it might be worthwhile looking at the eMac. For £150 more, you get the screen, a video card with twice as much RAM, plus the necessary accessories. What you don't get, of course, is the space-saving design or undeniable cool of the minis.

When it comes to buying a mini, we prefer the faster 1.42GHz model. For £50 more, you get slightly better performance and double the hard disk capacity. This might not sound like much, but 40GB will soon begin to feel restrictive when you've ripped your CD collection, installed the iLife suite and all your other software.

For most first-timers, the Mac mini is where it's at. Few will need the sheer power of a G5 processor, or the portability of the PowerBook. Admittedly, the white-and-grey square slab of a computer might not do the high-end 3D image rendering that you need and its G4 processor certainly won't cut through HD quality video, but if you just want a general-purpose computer for email, web use and general office tasks, the Mac mini is more than up to the job.