Which mac mini should i buy 2011

Or, you know, buy a Windows PC. Speaking of OS X, the new minis are obviously loaded up with Lion, which is sort of an interesting proposition on this machine. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Filed under: Apple. Linkedin Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. We expect that sooner or later, you will have to bump up the RAM. Wireless communication protocols like Wi-Fi Overall, we find the offering of connectivity ports and internal hardware on the Mac mini to be adequate for an HTPC or an average mini computer.

Visit page two for a look at the Apple Mac Mini 's performance, and our verdict The present second-gen Sandy Bridge Intel Core i5 processor is instrumental in making day-to-day tasks like browsing the Web, working with office documents, listening to music and watching a movie a breeze on the Mac mini.

Multitasking with several open apps at once becomes slightly difficult with only 2 GB of bundled RAM, though. Dec 20, AM in response to krunal In response to krunal If developing software, I would never buy anything that old and that outdated. Dec 20, AM. Dec 20, PM in response to krunal In response to krunal Three's no point buying it for your stated purpose. If you needed to run some older software, it would be OK for that. Dec 20, PM. Dec 21, AM in response to krunal In response to krunal If you want a used one get a late Easy to upgrade and is plenty fast especially you get an I7 quad core.

Those interested in the Mac Mini for day-to-day computing or for office work will also have to endure the inconvenience of an absent optical drive. These users can also rely on an external optical drive to install legacy disc-based software, but the impact of the lost DVD drive for traditional computing is less severe than in the living room.

Given the amount of downloadable software available for purchase from Amazon, the iTunes Store, the Mac App Store, Steam, and elsewhere, we find Apple's anti-disc stance reasonable. It will also be hard for consumers to understand the benefits of the Thunderbolt port, a new high-speed data port that debuted in Apple's most recent iMacs this past spring. Prices for Thunderbolt devices will surely come down as more products hit the market, and those who use the Mac Mini for more specialized purposes, such as in a design studio, or as a server, may find that the still-limited Thunderbolt universe makes sense today.

Otherwise, given the expense of current Thunderbolt devices, and the lack of variety, it's hard to see how many consumers will put the Mac Mini's Thunderbolt port to immediate use. Along with the new CPU come a few other features.

Compared with a slim-tower HP desktop in the same price range , the Mac Mini's core components aren't actually that impressive. Your opinions on design and your operating system preferences will color the discussion beyond a simple comparison of features-for-the-dollar.

We agree that the Mac Mini's value equation has improved with this new model. It should still come as no surprise that Apple still demands a premium for its products compared with others with similar or better features in the same price range. Lenovo IdeaCentre K 3. HP Pavilion Slimline S 2.