Apple Mac Mini 1.83GHz / 2.0GHz

Amazing little computer – I have the 1.83gHz Core Duo Mac Mini (2006) and I am very impressed with this little machine, which I use as my primary desktop computer. It has held up beautifully over the last six years, running Office 2004 for Mac, GIMP and iLife '08. I upgraded the operating system to OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, and the newer OS runs great on this machine. I… Read more

don't like spending any more time with computers than I have to because I have a young family and a life to live. This is why I prefer Macs: the computing environment is the most robust, efficient and elegant for the creative visual and audio work I do--as well as for regular computing tasks like Internet browsing--and the Mini is the least expensive way to get into an Apple.

The most demanding application I've used this Mini for is audio recording and mixing with GarageBand '08, using an external pro-audio interface. After maxing-out the RAM to 2GB, the little Mini has handled the demands of audio recording like a champion. I added a 1TB external drive in a Newer MiniStack via FireWire, but the internal drive is adequate for modest scratch work. The internal HDD may be a tad slow at booting-up the system and launching applications but it seems to have good read/write performance on large files, which is what audio recording needs.

This is an excellent basic computer, which is what Apple pitch the machine as, so I'm giving it a five-star rating. The only real gripe most people have with Mac Minis is their non-upgradable, too-slow-for-gaming, onboard graphics. Apple computers don't natively support Blu-ray either so Minis are compromised as HTPCs too. I don't play computer games and I'm trying to watch fewer movies, so I don't care about all that but a PCIe slot would've made this a much more compelling machine for a lot more people, even if the casing were a bit bigger to accommodate a dedicated graphics card.

Like another reviewer here, the DVD-RW drive on my Mini failed after about a year of hard use by my daughter running educational software off CD- and DVD-ROMs. I replaced the internal optical drive but I also bought an external USB DVD-RW as I think the internal DVD-RW is the weakest link in an otherwise robust and reliable little machine. It uses very little power and it's very quiet; I hardly ever hear the exhaust fan. It's not until you sit at a noisy old PC that you realise how agreeable a quiet-running computer really is.

I've been so impressed with my Core Duo Mini that I just took delivery of a new quad-core i7 Mini this week; it should be a real little screamer! The Core Duo Mini is going over to 'family computer' duties, replacing our P4 Windows PC. After a recent virus attack, my wife's over the PC. I'm planning to put an SSD in the Core Duo Mini once the Intel 520s become more affordable, and maybe max-out the computer's processing capabilities with a Core 2 Duo chip transplant. Those upgrades should make the machine really pop! And it needs to go harder because I'm expecting several more years' use out of this machine: it really is *that* good! Good little performer for non-gamers; quiet; reliable; diminutive; easy to setup and a joy to use Internal DVD-RW failed

Good – Has performed flawlessly for 3 years, and as my first Mac I am very impressed. Although more expensive than the equivalent in PC, you get what you pay for with Mac. and I have no regrets at all, in fact I wish I had made the change years ago. Macs hold their price really well, so upgrading is not as expensive if you sell privately. Pleasure to… Read more

own & use. 1. Compact size

2. Noiseless operation except in extremely hot conditions.

3. Portability.

4. Fully featured

5. Airport Wireless std.

6. Will not drop out if power supply dies for split second. RAM limit of 3GB on my particular model :-(

Excellent – If your looking for a compact quality machine to run your Mac compatiable programs on then look no further. This machines processor can handle just about anything you throw at it. Hooks nicely up to home LCD and Plasma televisions keeping the aspect ratio and quality you would want. I love my Mac Mini and will be purchasing more in the future… Read more

as they advance as technology does. Great size and works beautifully as a home theatre computer. Runs seamlessly on network and handles high quality video. Quiet fan and plenty of rear inputs make this machine a neat and tidy unit for both an office computer or home theatre. Would be great to have blu-ray option when purchasing and also wireless keyboard and mouse included for the price.

Excellent – Apart from the lack of Blu Ray, this is a fantastic little machine that works easily with the (not included) wireless keyboard and mouse. The buy price is reasonable, but it's a very cut down package: you get a computer in a box and that's it. It'll work with an Apple remote and after loading a little App, you can even turn it off/put it to sleep… Read more

with an Iphone! Very quiet too, something to consider for home theatre use. Firewire 800 makes this ideal to connect to external hard drives for video content or whatever, no lagging or errors. Small, excellent for home theatre use. Front Row is brilliant for watching movies or listening to music. The latest version now has HDMI as well as the 2 existing video outs. Also has optical 5.1 audio. I'll only replace my mini when Apple include Blu Ray.

OK – so this mac mini is 33% faster than the old generation so that is a great evolotion and the core 2 duo make it a great product but the looking is pretty weird is faster and the processor is pretty cool is so small and i dont like how it looks

OK – The Mac mini is a small box with a few ouputs in the rear and the DVD rom drive up front. There are not enough outputs for everyones needs and the box gets quite hot after prolonged use. Its rather poor for gaming and only good for email or internet surfing. Good for the beginner but thats about it. Sure it comes with many Apple programs but they… Read more

cannot be put to full use with the limited power of the mac mini. You would be better of with a PC based HTPC for

most users. Small and compact size, allows it to fit quite anywhere. Looks good but lacking in functionality. Overpriced for what it is.

Good – As mentioned above, compact size. Ideal for those who don't have a lot of space. It is also small enough that it can be taken to other locations, and as long as an appropriate monitor is available, it can be used for all the things that need to be done. I found this great when on holidays away from home for a month. Compact size. Ideal for those… Read more

who don't have a lot of space. I would have liked the CD/DVD ROM to have been a separate item similar to the Mini Hub. When my CD/DVD ROM failed, I was without my Mac mini for 2 weeks while it was repaired under warranty.