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I just purchased a new Apple Mac Mini!

This new computer will serve 3 purposes:

1. serve as a media hub (movies, podcasts etc)
2. home computer / photo workstation
3. central server for my repository of documents.

This machine replaces my EEPC in the Smart Document Sync and Backup model.

Below is a review about what I have to say about the machine after a week.

The Good

The machine is tiny and very quiet. I’ve seen Mac Mini’s before, and I use a Macbook Pro, but it’s hard to imagine making a computer any smaller without cutting out some bits. It is also zippy despite the low power CPU. I equipped mine with a processor upgrade (2.26 Ghz), but left the stock hard drive and ram. Depreciation on those components, specifically ram and hard disks, will pay better dividends when I need it (+6-12 months or so).

I plugged in a USB to PS/2 adapter I had laying around, and was able to plug in my old (1989) IBM Model M Buckling Spring Keyboard. Works great except no Apple key. I’ll figure something out. It sounds too wonderful and loud to give it up!

The Bad (my whines)

Apple failed on the Mini-DVI / displayp ort connector. I updated my monitor a few months back from a 19 inch CRT from the 1996 (it was government surplus from the FDA!) to a 30 inch Dell 3008WFP. The Dell is a sweet monitor with huge resolution and beautiful color representation.  

Beautiful as it may be, that massive 2560×1600 resolution screen requires a “Dual-Link DVI” adapter. Apple ships a single link DVI connector. I don’t know (or care really) about all the ins-and-outs of DVI vs DVI Dual link. All I know is that my Dell now renders only 1600×1200 and it looks awful. 

So now I’ve got to go find a Dual Link DVI adapter. I load up the Apple Store, and wouldn’t you know it, they have one for $99. That’s 1/6th the price of the whole computer. What a gip!

The Mac Mini is beautiful piece of industrial design. I feel someone could have spent an extra nickel and made the mini-DVI adapter into a Dual Link one. This is another moment where industrial design and a bazillion USB ports are less important than 1 standard DVI port. I’d bet those USB ports are just a hub anyway. They were able to sacrifice industrial design on the old Macbook Pro I have with a plain old Dual Link DVI. The machine is excellent in everyway except this cheapness. I’m fairly certain that a standard-ish Dell workstation has a Dual Link DVI port. I suppose they expect me to pay the Apple Tithe for their displays?

Final thoughts

This fleecing feels similar to the new Apple Shuffle (which I do not own) product regarding the headphones. Why would you put buttons on the cord? I would rather the Apple Shuffle morph into a large-ish part of headphones, as so many hardware hackers did with the original first generation units. Basically, you just glue the shuffle to the side of some circumaural headphones. 

I’m cranky because the Mini (as well as the Shuffle) is such a great little products, but it will never be a fantastic machine for the masses (which is probably the intended target) because of these little gotchas. These issues are highly minimized on higher end products like the Macbook Pro and the iPhone. By minimized, I mean that you never notice that your MISSING a component because Apple provides a whole experience.

Maybe Apple expected me to pay for the expensive Apple-branded monitor, but that is not how I interpreted the Mini.  The Mini and the shuffle are supposed to be blue-collar-and-nice-slacks style machine, but instead just feel like something is missing.

And now if you excuse me, I have to go spend 1/6th the price of the mini to go by that missing part.