The Mac mini continues to impress, considering it is my first Apple product and I expected that! Today I will continue on with the review of the Mac mini. Throughout the last post I focused mainly on the software part of the Mac mini but today I will give a review of the exterior.

Ports
The Mac mini comes with 5 USB 2.0 ports, a firewire 800 port, Mini display port, mini DVI, ethernet port and an audio and headphone jack as well as power and a kensington lock slot. 

That is one more USB port compared to the very big iMac! Overall for my needs I don't find that 5 USB ports is too less and actually I think for a device this small having five USB ports is more than enough. I have yet to try out the firewire port, which is said to be much faster than the standard USB port, and the Mini display port is tend to be used for certain displays, which I don't have. On the other hand the mini DVI doesn't really come in much use as many people don't have Apple monitors, so Apple supplies a mini DVI to DVI adapter which is nice. I use a mini DVI to VGA adapter which does cost an extra $20. A bit of a let down but I can handle it. 

What's inside the Box!
The Mac mini comes bundled with software installation disks and a simple "everything mac" and "everything else" manual, which I haven't even opened yet, since using a Mac is very simple! The Mac mini also comes with a huge power supply brick which is also kind of a let down because since the Mini is so small, Apple couldn't fit the power supply inside it, therefore it is external, and of course the Mac Mini and the mini DVI to DVI adapter. The Mac mini box itself is pretty much like a small cube and no one would believe me when I told them a computer is inside there! 

Exterior
The exterior of the Mac mini is so small around 6 inches side by side and is around 2 inches thick and weighs only around 3 pounds! It comes with a Superdrive at the front and a little IR receiver at the edge of the superdrive. On the front there is also a very minuscular indicator light to show that the mini is powered on. All the sides of the mini is made up of solid aluminum, which indicates that the Mini was made with quality products. The top has an Apple logo in the middle and it is plastic whitish at the top. I wished that the Apple lit up when the mini was turned on but unfortunately it doesn't light up. At the back there is a fan grill and ports are all located below it. The power button is also located at the back. 

I find the exterior very clean looking with curved edges and it looks very attractive! The bottom of the mini is rubberized so it won't move around on surfaces. The Mac mini is a very quiet computer and I could hardly tell if it is on without putting my ear close to it to hear a soft whirr. It is definitely one of the most quietest desktop's I have ever heard! Even though I use it for long hours everyday by using the internet and using different applications, the Mini doesn't ever seem to heat up! I found this to being a very reliable computer and a great start to my Mac experience! 

That is it for my review for now, but I will continue to keep you updated on all the things about the Mac mini throughout the future! Stay tuned for more only on 1-Mac!

For more information on the Mac mini click HERE


Overall Rating
Exterior: 10/10
Features: 9/10
Bang for the Buck: 8.5/10
Software/ OS: 10/10 

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