Apple Mac mini (Mid-2010)
We always thought the original Mac mini design was an understated marvel. Just 2in high and 7-inch square, it offered far more than the new wave of under-achieving nettop PCs. With its aluminium sides wrapping around a plastic top, it was the armor-plated Tupperware box of modern computing.
The mini was designed as an easy-to-site desktop PC, being small and discreet enough that you’d be happy to keep it in the lounge. Thanks to its almost silent operation, it made an ideal media-centre hub for enjoying films, music and TV.
But keeping a PC’s size down often meant compromising on performance. Thankfully, the massive uptake of portable computing has introduced more efficient components.
Apple’s mini makeover
The Mac mini started out with a single-core 1.25GHz Power PC G4 processor in 2005; by early last year it had evolved into a mini powerhouse, with even the entry-level model housing a speedy 2GHz dual-core CPU and nVidia 9400M graphics. For the first time, the mini could entertain some light gaming.
The Mid-2010 model has had a complete makeover. Like Apple’s laptops, its case is milled from a single block of aluminium. And this mini sits lower and wider, at 197mm wide and just 36mm high.
Build quality is flawless. The selection of materials and finish are so far removed from those of almost any computer we test that it seems foolish to compare them.
Easier upgrades
That milled-aluminium chassis has all components loaded through a circular hatch on the underside. Think high-tech ship in an opaque metal bottle. Turn it over twist the plastic lid a few degrees, and the hatch lifts to reveal the mini within. This is an important development over the original’s case, which required a putty knife, dexterous fingers and a leap of faith to prise the base up as lines of hidden clips became unfastened.
It’s now a doddle to exchange RAM, with only a little more work required to unfasten the grille that covers the hard disk. The 2GB of DDR3 RAM can be upgraded to 8GB.
Also visible here is one of three antennae required for full multiple-input, multiple-output (Mimo) 802.11n connectivity. As with all Macs, wireless can also operate on the 5GHz band for reduced congestion.
To save you finding a home for the external power supply, Apple has even found space to squeeze an 85W unit inside.
Performance
Replacing the previous base model’s 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo is a 2.4GHz processor, joined by an nVidia GeForce 320M controller. In the lab, this let the mini play our Fear gaming benchmark at 29fps -more than twice the performance of its 2009 predecessor.
Other changes include a loss of one USB port, down to four, and the addition of an SD/SDHC/SDXC slot. Up front is a thin aperture for the slot-loading DVD±RW dual-layer drive, which also hides a sensor
for the optional remote.
Video Connectivity has Changed,with HDMI replacing mini-DV’. An adaptor is included to easily allow regular DVI cables. But HDMI means it can be hooked up to a flatscreen TV, piping audio too if required.
The new mini scored 93 points in our WorldBench 6 real-world speed test. The previous 2.53GHz model scored 95. Note that the new mini has only one ‘standard’ configuration. You can specify a faster CPU as a build-to-order optionat apple.com/uk, with a 2.66GHz CPU adding £123 to the price.
Not only is the mini a quick and compact computer even in standard trim, its also incredibly power-efficient. In fact, it’s the most economical PC we’ve seen, consuming just 7W when idle. Even Atom PCs can’t touch this extraordinarily low figure.
The Mac mini is still available in a server edition, which sees the
optical drive replaced with a second 2.5-inch 500GB hard drive. With two hard drives, you can use one as the boot drive and one for storage, or elect to setup a Raid 0/1 array for increased performance and capacity or maximum data security.
Verdict
Only the price stands in the way of an easy recommendation. At £649, Apple has raised the budget Mac mini to a level where some justification is required for the expense. It doesn’t help that we’re asked to pay conspicuously more
than the S699 in the US. After VAT, that’s still around £535 State-side, so UK customers are being charged more than 20 percent more.
Nevertheless, this remains the cheapest Mac you’ll find, and the condensation of performance components into a space-age case brings a step-up in quality and style for the already upmarket mini. The UK price is inflated but there’s no escaping the fact that the Mac mini2010 is a sublimely designed PC, oozing style and with performance to spare.
We always thought the original Mac mini design was an understated marvel. Just 2in high and 7-inch square, it offered far more than the new wave of under-achieving nettop PCs. With its aluminium sides wrapping around a plastic top, it was the armor-plated Tupperware box of modern computing.
The mini was designed as an easy-to-site desktop PC, being small and discreet enough that you’d be happy to keep it in the lounge. Thanks to its almost silent operation, it made an ideal media-centre hub for enjoying films, music and TV.
But keeping a PC’s size down often meant compromising on performance. Thankfully, the massive uptake of portable computing has introduced more efficient components.
Apple’s mini makeover
The Mac mini started out with a single-core 1.25GHz Power PC G4 processor in 2005; by early last year it had evolved into a mini powerhouse, with even the entry-level model housing a speedy 2GHz dual-core CPU and nVidia 9400M graphics. For the first time, the mini could entertain some light gaming.
The Mid-2010 model has had a complete makeover. Like Apple’s laptops, its case is milled from a single block of aluminium. And this mini sits lower and wider, at 197mm wide and just 36mm high.
Build quality is flawless. The selection of materials and finish are so far removed from those of almost any computer we test that it seems foolish to compare them.
Easier upgrades
That milled-aluminium chassis has all components loaded through a circular hatch on the underside. Think high-tech ship in an opaque metal bottle. Turn it over twist the plastic lid a few degrees, and the hatch lifts to reveal the mini within. This is an important development over the original’s case, which required a putty knife, dexterous fingers and a leap of faith to prise the base up as lines of hidden clips became unfastened.
It’s now a doddle to exchange RAM, with only a little more work required to unfasten the grille that covers the hard disk. The 2GB of DDR3 RAM can be upgraded to 8GB.
Also visible here is one of three antennae required for full multiple-input, multiple-output (Mimo) 802.11n connectivity. As with all Macs, wireless can also operate on the 5GHz band for reduced congestion.
To save you finding a home for the external power supply, Apple has even found space to squeeze an 85W unit inside.
Performance
Replacing the previous base model’s 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo is a 2.4GHz processor, joined by an nVidia GeForce 320M controller. In the lab, this let the mini play our Fear gaming benchmark at 29fps -more than twice the performance of its 2009 predecessor.
Other changes include a loss of one USB port, down to four, and the addition of an SD/SDHC/SDXC slot. Up front is a thin aperture for the slot-loading DVD±RW dual-layer drive, which also hides a sensor
for the optional remote.
Video Connectivity has Changed,with HDMI replacing mini-DV’. An adaptor is included to easily allow regular DVI cables. But HDMI means it can be hooked up to a flatscreen TV, piping audio too if required.
The new mini scored 93 points in our WorldBench 6 real-world speed test. The previous 2.53GHz model scored 95. Note that the new mini has only one ‘standard’ configuration. You can specify a faster CPU as a build-to-order optionat apple.com/uk, with a 2.66GHz CPU adding £123 to the price.
Not only is the mini a quick and compact computer even in standard trim, its also incredibly power-efficient. In fact, it’s the most economical PC we’ve seen, consuming just 7W when idle. Even Atom PCs can’t touch this extraordinarily low figure.
The Mac mini is still available in a server edition, which sees the
optical drive replaced with a second 2.5-inch 500GB hard drive. With two hard drives, you can use one as the boot drive and one for storage, or elect to setup a Raid 0/1 array for increased performance and capacity or maximum data security.
Verdict
Only the price stands in the way of an easy recommendation. At £649, Apple has raised the budget Mac mini to a level where some justification is required for the expense. It doesn’t help that we’re asked to pay conspicuously more
than the S699 in the US. After VAT, that’s still around £535 State-side, so UK customers are being charged more than 20 percent more.
Nevertheless, this remains the cheapest Mac you’ll find, and the condensation of performance components into a space-age case brings a step-up in quality and style for the already upmarket mini. The UK price is inflated but there’s no escaping the fact that the Mac mini2010 is a sublimely designed PC, oozing style and with performance to spare.
