APPLE Mac Mini (2014)

APPLE Mac Mini (2014)

THE MAC MINI has always been a popular choice for those who want to buy their first Apple Mac computer. It has typically been the cheapest desktop Mac, and remarkably the new Mac Mini we review here is even cheaper than the one it replaces.

In design terms, there’s little to separate the old and the new, as the 2014 Mac Mini uses the same chassis as its predecessor. Encased in a 36mm-thick aluminium uni-body

chassis, the Mac Mini is sleek and attractive. It’s made from a single block of aluminium, and its beautiful curved edges and the lack of joins make it look exceptionally modern and elegant. The Mac Mini isn’t as small as some compact PC systems, such as the Cyber power Fang Mini Pro (see Reviews, Shopper 320), but it’s small enough not to get in the way.

Other than an Apple logo on the top of the Mac Mini, a small white LED on the front and an infrared receiver, the Mac Mini’s front, top and sides are bare. The connection ports are all hidden away tidily at the back, which could prove inconvenient if you’ll regularly connect USB storage or use SD cards. Also at the back are four USB3 ports and two super-fast

Thunderbolt 2 ports, as well as an SDXC card reader and a Gigabit Ethernet port. The 2014 Mac Mini also benefits from built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi, although you’ll need to use it with an 802.11ac-compatible router to get the best speeds. As for graphics outputs, you can use either the HDMI port or one of the two Thunderbolt 2 ports.

The Mac Mini comes without any peripherals, so you’ll need to provide your own keyboard and mouse, as well as a monitor. You can order Apple-branded keyboards, mice and monitors if you buy the Mac Mini from Apple’s online store.

When ordering, you can configure the Mac Mini with a dual-core 1.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard disk for £399. At the top-end is a dual-core 2.8GHz Intel Core i5 with a 1TB fusion drive and 8GB of RAM for £799. We reviewed the mid-spec model, which has a dual-core 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory and a 1TB hard disk and costs £569 at the time of writing. Every system has an Intel Haswell processor, and you can configure the two higher-end models further with an SSD and more RAM if you need them

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It’s worth noting that, unlike with previous models, the Mac Mini (2014)’s memory can’t be upgraded later, as the modules are now soldered to the motherboard. This is a shame, and means you’ll need to be sure how much memory you require at the time of purchase.

The 2.6GHz dual-core i5 processor can Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz, and the Mac Mini scored 62 overall in our PC benchmarks. That’s pretty good and shows that the MacMini is powerful enough for most desktop tasks, even basic video-editing and music production. The result compares well with that of the similarly priced Zotac ZBox EN760 Plus, which scored 47 overall. Our review sample had a 1TB hard disk, and although its boot up and shutdown speeds were decent, it’s worth upgrading to an SSD or the 1TB Fusion Drive if your budget will stretch to it.

Our usual graphics benchmarks don’t work on Mac OS X, so we used our Mac-compatible Call of Duty 4 benchmark to test the Mac Mini’s integrated Intel Iris graphics processor. With the benchmark running at a resolution of 1,920x1,080 with 4x anti-aliasing and High graphics quality, the Mac Mini managed just 20fps, which is poor. Once we’d turned off anti-aliasing, the frame rate increased to 40fps, but you’ll need to reduce the resolution to 1,280x720 to experience a very smooth 60fps. Call of Duty 4 is an old game now, so don’t expect to play the latest 3D games at high quality settings – if at all. However, you should be able to play older games and you’ll have no trouble using 2D applications.

The Mac Mini comes with OS X Yosemite, the latest version of Apple’s operating system. Some of its new features will be better appreciated by those who own other Apple devices, such as an iPhone. Continuity, for example, allows you to answer calls sent to your iPhone from your Mac, and also send and receive SMS messages. Handoff, meanwhile, lets you sync your app’s current state between your Mac and iOS device, so you can pick up where you left off. This works with most of Apple’s apps, and developers can build compatibility into their own apps.

The Mac Mini (2014) is a worthy follow up. It’s kept what made its predecessor good and reduced the price. It’s a pity you can’t upgrade the memory and other components yourself, but that’s the trade-off you make for having such a compact and fashionable PC. If you want to switch to Mac OS X but don’t want to spend a fortune, the Mac Mini is a great buy.

Specification :

• PROCESSOR -----Dual-core 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-4278U
• RAM -----8GB
• FRONT USB PORTS------ None
• REAR USB PORTS ------ 4x USB3
• TOTAL STORAGE ------ 1TB hard disk
• GRAPHICS CARD -------- Intel Iris
• DISPLAY ----------- None
• OPERATING SYSTEM ---------- Mac OS X Yosemite
• WARRANTY --------------- One-year RTB
• PART CODE ---------------- Mac Mini A1347