Computer^News^FAQ: Mac Mini

Ivy Macs rumored to Launch April 8

7:42:00 PM

Earlier this month, leaked information suggested that Intel's next-generation mobile Ivy Bridge processors would debut in May, with a few models perhaps becoming available in April. The mobile Ivy Bridge processors are expected to be used in Apple's MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini lines.

A new report from Digitimes indicates, however, that the first Ivy Bridge processors may launch as early as April 8th, with both the mobile processors and desktop processors such as those used in the iMac debuting around the same timeframe.

Desktop CPUs to be unveiled include quad-core Core i7-3770K, 3770, 3770S, 3770T, and Core i5-3570, 3550 and 3450, with prices ranging from US$184-332. Additionally, the Core i5-3470T will be available in May priced at US$184.

Notebook CPUs Core i7-3920Qm, 3820QM and 3720QM will be released in April priced at US$1,096, US$568 and US$378, respectively. Other models including Core i5-3520M, 3360M, 3320M and ultrabook CPUs Core i7-3667U and Core i5-3427U will be unveiled later.

While the report also appears to confuse chipsets being released at the same time with the processors themselves, information on specific processor models does help offer some picture of what Apple might be able to accomplish in terms of updated machines.

The 3820QM and 3720QM processors in particular appear to be the natural successors to Apple's current processor options in the high-end 15" and 17" MacBook Pro models. Apple's upgrade route in many other cases is less clear given the company's propensity to use custom-produced chips and a limited first wave of Ivy Bridge processors. The Core i7-3667U and Core i5-3427U processors appear to be the only processors in the initial wave of Ivy Bridge processors to meet the thermal design requirements for the MacBook Air, with those processors apparently set for the later May debut.

Apple has been rumored to be launching a new 15" MacBook Pro with "Retina" display technology in the second quarter of 2012, matching the Ivy Bridge launch timeline. A new 15" MacBook Air has also been rumored alongside an update for the rest of the line in the first quarter of 2012. But with the appropriate Ivy Bridge processors apparently not debuting until May, it is unclear how Apple would meet this timeline.

Apple

Buying guide: Macs (2011)

7:22:00 PM

Planning to buy a new Mac for someone on your holiday shopping list? Such a thoughtful and generous gift is going to make someone very, very happy.

Now comes the hard part: Which Mac should you buy? That's where we come in. We've tested every standard-configuration Mac model currently in Apple's lineup, and we know each model inside and out. We're happy to help you make a decision.

This buying guide explains all the Mac models available and how they've changed from their predecessors. To read the full review for each Mac, click on the “Read our complete review” links. You can also get more details on how each Mac did in our benchmark tests. And we’ve provided links to help you find the best prices.

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air has become Apple's marquee laptop. Its thin, lightweight design makes it an ideal portable computer, and you no longer have to accept the features compromises that older MacBook Air models required.

The 2011 MacBook Air line uses Intel dual-core Core i5 processors, a vast improvement over the Core 2 Duo processors used in previous models we found the 2011 MacBook Air models are at least 1.5 times as fast as last year's 11-inch MacBook Air with a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor. With some older games, however, the current models may suffer a hit in graphics performance.

The 2011 models' key new feature is the Thunderbolt port. Past MacBook Air models had only USB 2.0 connectivity; Thunderbolt gives the 2011 MacBook Air a high-speed connector, and widens the range of peripherals you can use. You can either get the proper adapters to connect FireWire, eSATA, USB 3.0, or other devices to the Thunderbolt port, or you can get Apple's Thunderbolt Display, which serves as a connectivity dock for the laptop.

When Apple discontinued the MacBook in July, the company thrust the MacBook Air into a new role. Apple's lowest-priced laptop is now the 11-inch 1.6GHz Core i5 MacBook Air () with 64GB of flash storage. (You may be able to find a refurbished MacBook at the online Apple Store, if you really want one.)

Configurations: There are four MacBook Airs: two 11-inch models and two 13-inch models. All come with flash storage and Intel HD Graphics 3000.

The entry-level 11-inch MacBook Air has a 1.6GHz Core i5 processor, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB of flash storage for $999.The other 11-inch MacBook Air has the same processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of flash storage for $1199.Both 11-inch models feature a high-resolution LED backlit glossy display with a 1366-by-768-native resolution.

The only difference between the two 13-inch MacBook Air models is the amount of flash storage. Both 13-inch models feature a 1.7GHz Core i5 processor, but the $1299 13-inch MacBook Air has 128GB of flash storage, while the $1599 13-inch MacBook Air has 256GB.

Performance: The MacBook Air is quite capable of handling everyday tasks, such as emailing, Web browsing, using office applications, and more. You can even use it for editing short videos, and working with JPEGs from your iPhone or point-and-shoot camera.

The 11-inch MacBook Air is the slowest Mac in Apple’s lineup, but it's no slouch. It’s much faster than last year’s 13-inch MacBook Air. Also, the 11-inch MacBook Air, thanks to its flash storage, is about as fast overall as the $1199 13-inch MacBook Pro with a dual-core 2.4GHz Core i5 processor and a 5400-rpm 500GB hard drive. The 2011 13-inch MacBook Air is about 28 percent faster overall than the last year's 13-inch MacBook Air.

buying advice: Previous MacBook Air generations were thought of as niche laptops. But now, the 2011 MacBook Air is the ideal laptop for most Mac users. It's a great combination of performance and portability.

MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro was actually updated twice in 2011. The first update was in February, and the most recent MacBook Pro line was released in October. The MacBook Pro continues to sport the aluminum unibody design that was introduced in 2008, but it has more features and processing power than the MacBook Air. Consider the MacBook Pro a possible replacement for an older desktop Mac.

The current models feature Core i5 and Core i7 processors that are slightly faster than the models released in February. The speed differences are bigger if you compare the current MacBook Pro line to the models released in 2010; most notably, the 2010 13-inch MacBook Pros used slower Core 2 Duo processors. The new 13-inch MacBook Pros still use only an integrated graphics processor, the Intel HD Graphics 3000. The 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros have both the integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 and a discrete graphics chip.

Configurations: There are five standard configurations of the MacBook Pro.

The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro, with a dual-core 2.4GHz Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive, costs $1199. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with a dual-core 2.8GHz Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 750GB hard drive costs $1499.

There are two 15-inch models. For $1799, you get a quad-core 2.2GHz Core i7 processor, a 500GB hard drive, and a 512MB AMD Radeon HD 6750M discrete graphics chip along with the integrated Intel graphics.The next model up (at $1999) has a quad-core 2.4GHz Core i7 processor, a 750GB hard drive, and a 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6770M discrete graphics chip along with the integrated Intel graphics.

The 17-inch MacBook Pro is the same as the $1999 15-inch model but with a larger screen. It has a quad-core 2.4GHz Core i7 processor, a 750GB hard drive, a 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6770M discrete graphics chip, and the integrated Intel graphics. It costs $2499.

The 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros are the only laptops in Apple’s lineup that offer a high-resolution antiglare screen option. It costs an extra $150 for the 15-inch MacBook Pro, and an extra $50 for the 17-inch MacBook Pro.

Performance: The $1999 15-inch MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Core i7 was the fastest laptop in ourSpeedmark 7 testing. The $1199, 13-inch 2.4GHz Core i5 MacBook Pro offers performance that’s similar to that of the $999 11-inch MacBook Air with a 1.6GHz Core i5 processor and 64GB of flash storage, but the MacBook Pro has features the MacBook Air lacks, including FireWire 800 and a bigger screen.

buying advice: The MacBook Pro combines the performance of a desktop computer with the portability of a laptop. If you want the fastest MacBook Pro, the 15-inch 2.4GHz Core i7 MacBook Pro is the one to get. If you primarily want a device for travel and are trying to decide between a MacBook Air and a 13-inch MacBook Pro, go for the MacBook Air, unless you really need the processing power for heavy-duty tasks or you want a computer with FireWire built in.

Mac mini

Designwise, the 2011 Mac mini hasn't changed much compared with its predecessor. It's still a small aluminum square that sits modestly on your desk.

The change that does stand out—and may influence your buying decision—is that the Mac mini no longer has a SuperDrive. If you want to burn music CDs or DVDs, or read data from an optical disc, you need to get an external optical burner, which costs $60 to $100. If you absolutely want an internal SuperDrive in your Mac, opt for a laptop or an iMac.

The 2011 Mac mini has a Thunderbolt port, which replaces the Mini DisplayPort in the older model. The Mac mini also has an HDMI port, a FireWire 800 port, four USB 2.0 ports, a gigabit ethernet port, an SDXC Card slot, and analog/optical-digital audio input and output minijacks. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in.

Configurations: The $599 Mac mini has a dual-core 2.3GHz Core i5 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics. The $799 Mac mini has a dual-core 2.5GHz Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and AMD Radeon HD 6630M discrete graphics. You supply your own keyboard, mouse, and display.

Performance: In 2010, Apple released only one nonserver Mac mini model, which had a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and Nvidia GeForce 320M integrated graphics. The 2011 Mac minis are significantly faster than the older model: The $599 Mac mini is 32 percent faster, and the $799 Mac mini is 61 percent faster.

The Mac minis still lag signifcantly behind the iMacs, but for general-purpose use and editing of moderate-size videos, the Mac mini will do fine.

buying advice: The Mac mini continues to be a nice, affordable computer for new Mac users and shoppers on a budget. It has enough power for everyone except professionals who demand top performance. Be sure to shop around for an external disc burner if you really need an optical drive.

iMac

Apple hasn't changed the design of its aluminum all-in-one desktop computer for a few years now, because it's a design that works. It elegantly fits the components and display into an iconic form.

The company updated the line in May with new processors and graphics chips. The iMacs are available with 21.5- and 27-inch widescreen 16:9 displays.

The iMac comes with Apple’s Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse, but if you order online from the Apple Store, you can switch the keyboard to a wired version with a numeric keypad, and switch the mouse to an Apple Mouse or a Magic Trackpad, for no extra fee. You can opt for both a Magic Mouse and a Magic Trackpad for $69.

All iMacs come standard with 4GB of RAM, a SuperDrive, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, gigabit ethernet, a FaceTime HD camera, four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, an SDXC Card slot, audio in and out jacks, and built-in speakers. A Thunderbolt port is also included.

Configurations: There are two 21.5-inch iMacs. The first 21.5-inch iMac has a quad-core 2.5GHz Core i5 processor, a 500GB hard drive, and a 512MB AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics card for $1199. The second 21.5-inch iMac has a quad-core 2.7GHz Core i5 processor, a 1TB hard drive, and a 512MB AMD Radeon HD 6770M graphics card for $1499. Each 21.5-inch iMac has one Thunderbolt port.

There are two 27-inch iMacs. The 27-inch model with a quad-core 2.7GHz Core i5 processor, a 1TB hard drive, and a 512MB AMD Radeon HD 6770M graphics card costs $1699. Then there’s a 27-inch iMac with a quad-core 3.1GHz Core i5 processor, a 1TB hard drive, and a 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6970M graphics card; it costs $1999. Each of the 27-inch iMacs comes with two Thunderbolt ports.

Performance: The four 2011 iMacs are considerably faster than the systems they replace. The $1199 21.5-inch iMac was nearly 24 percent faster overall than last year’s entry-level 21.5-inch iMac, which had a dual-core 3.06GHz Core i3 processor. The $1699 27-inch iMac was 25 percent faster overall than last year's 27-inch iMac with a dual-core 3.2GHz Core i3 processor. The $1999 27-inch iMac was 16 percent faster than the previous high-end standard-configuration iMac: a 27-inch quad-core 2.8GHz Core i5 model.

If you exclude the $4999 12-core Mac Pro, the $1999 iMac ranks as the fastest standard-configuration Mac. In fact, all of the iMacs except for the $1199 model compete very well on performance when compared to the Mac Pro.

buying advice: The $1199 21.5-inch 2.5GHz Core i5 iMac offers the most bang for the buck. If you want top performance, then go for the $1999 27-inch 3.1GHz Core i5 iMac. In fact, if you want a computer for heavy-duty processing work, consider an iMac over a Mac Pro. The only difference between the $1499 iMac and the $1699 iMac is screen size; they have the same components.

Oh, the Mac Pro. Apple hasn't updated this workstation since August 2010. Rumor has it that Apple may stop making the tower Mac. But for now, it's still available, and it's still a solid computer for the most demanding users.

The entry-level Mac Pro features a quad-core processor, while the top configuration has 12 processing cores. In between is a Mac Pro model with eight processing cores. All the standard-configuration models feature a 1TB ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics card, a 1TB hard drive, four hard-drive bays, four PCI Express expansion card slots, four FireWire 800 ports, five USB 2.0 ports, two independent gigabit ethernet ports, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and audio in/out jacks. The Mac Pro is the only Mac that is not equipped with Thunderbolt.

Configurations: The first Mac Pro has a quad-core 2.8GHz Xeon Nehalem processor and 3GB of RAM. It costs $2499. The second Mac Pro has two quad-core 2.4GHz Xeon Westmere processors and 6GB of RAM for $3499. The third Mac Pro model has two six-core 2.66GHz Xeon Westmere processors (for a total of 12 cores) and 6GB of RAM for $4999.

The Mac Pro has a ton of build-to-order options. You can add more RAM—up to the 16GB limit for each Mac Pro. Apple fills only one of the four hard-drive bays with the standard configurations, but gives you the option to add more hard drives or solid-state drives, and even to configure them as a RAID. You can also add a second SuperDrive and upgrade the graphics card. A complete list of options is available on the Mac Pro technical specifications webpage.

Performance: The Mac Pros excel when running software that takes avantage of multiple processing cores, such as high-end video-editing programs, 3D graphics applications, image editors, professional audio software, and so on.

But with general, everyday tasks (emailing, Web browsing, and running office applications), the Mac Pro performs on a par with the iMac. In our benchmarking tests, the $1999 27-inch iMac with a quad-core 3.1GHz Core i5 processor actually outpaced both the $2499 and the $3499 Mac Pros overall; however, when running applications designed to use multiple cores, those two Mac Pros were faster than the $1999 iMac.

buying advice: The Mac Pro is ideal for the most demanding user, one who uses high-end applications and wants hardware expandability. Yes, the machines are expensive, but they're well worth it for professionals, and they’ll still be very usable four or five years from now. If you don’t need expandability but still need speed, consider a 27-inch iMac with a quad-core 3.1GHz Core i5 processor

Apple

Apple Mac Mini 2.3GHz Core i5, 2011

8:24:00 PM

Key Specs
Processor: 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 Memory: 2GB DDR3 Storage: 500GB hard drive Optical Drive: None Monitor: None Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion)

Apple Mac Mini (2.3GHz Core i5, 2011) Review

With Apple touting sales of more than 20 million iPhones and 9 million iPads in itslatest record-smashing quarter, paired with an impressively refreshed 2011 version of the MacBook Air rolling out, you might think the company had have taken its eye off the market for non-portable computers for a moment or two.

Not so. On July 20, the company debuted a new version of its glorious 27-inch Cinema Display monitor (sporting a new Thunderbolt interface) and three updated versions of the Mac Mini (also with the new Thunderbolt port). With these, it’s clear that Apple hasn’t left the Mac desktop die-hards behind. All of these new Mini models come with Intel’s darling second-generation (“Sandy Bridge”) Core i-series processors inside, but little has changed in the overall design. We’re still talking about a sleek 1.4x7.7x7.7-inch (HWD) silver slab with its ports around back. The one big alteration: In these new 2011 offerings, Apple has axed the trusty optical drive.

That omission, combined with the added cost of the Apple peripherals you'll need to get the best out of the latest version of the Mac OS X operating system that comes with the Mini, plus a few other cost concerns, make it hard to recommend the Mac Mini over other Apple options, like the $1,199 entry-level Apple iMac. On paper (or screen), the iMac sounds a whole lot pricier than the entry-level $599 Mac Mini we're looking at here. But after weighing several considerations we'll discuss below, and doing some virtual napkin math, the Mac Mini doesn't quite add up to the best value compared to other Apple options—unless you happen to already own just the right mix of peripherals.

Models, Features & Pricing

Other than the vanishing front optical drive slot, little has changed on the Mac Mini's exterior.

As you can see from the image at right, there’s no longer a slot in the front face of the Mac Mini, and hence no optical drive to be found. That’s helped cut costs, allowing the entry-level Mac Mini to start at $599 (versus $699 for the 2010 low-end Mini model). But for those interested in using the Mac Mini as a media PC, it’s certainly limiting, unless, of course, you’re perfectly happy to rely for your entertainment on Apple’s iTunes Store, an external DVD drive, or files ripped to your hard drive or a NAS.

Also, as usual, the Mac Mini ships without peripherals. You can use a USB keyboard and mouse that you already own, but without shelling out $69 for the Apple Magic Trackpad, you won’t be able to use all the appealing iPhone-like gesture-control features baked into Lion. (Lion is Apple’s latest version of Mac OS X, and it comes pre-installed on this machine.)

In order to step up to 4GB of RAM (versus the rather lean 2GB in this base model), you’ll have to pay a fair bit extra: upgrading to 4GB alone costs $100 at time of purchase, or you can opt for the $799 Mac Mini model, which has 4GB and comes with a slightly faster CPU (a 2.5GHz Core i5), along with AMD’s dedicated Radeon HD 6630M graphics chipset. If games aren't important to you, the Intel integrated graphics you'll find in the base model will suffice. But users who do heavy Web browsing and like to have lots of tabs open in Safari will certainly appreciate the extra RAM. Add the Apple Magic Trackpad to the price of the $799-model Mac Mini, and you’re close to $900, or over it if you add another $69 for the Apple Wireless Keyboard.

In that territory, you’re starting to get close to the $1,199 price of the base-model iMac, which sports a faster quad-core processor (compared to the dual-core, laptop-style CPU found in the Mac Mini) and 4GB of RAM, and comes with the main things the Mini lacks: a wireless keyboard, the Apple Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, and a built-in optical drive. Plus, the iMac’s also got that gorgeous 21.5-inch screen. With the Mac Mini, you'll either be using a screen you already own, or you'll need to add the cost of an LCD monitor, as well, to the overall cost of your Mac experience. (Apple did include an HDMI-to-DVI adapter in the box, so you should be able to connect most monitors with ease.) What you already own will go a long way toward weighing whether the new Mac Mini is a good deal for you.

Ports at the back of the Mac Mini remain mostly the same as last-year’s model, with the new Thunderbolt port replacing the mini-DisplayPort connector between the HDMI and four USB 2.0 ports.

As we said up top, there is a third Mac Mini model. The $999 model is a server-centric offering that comes standard with two 500GB hard drives, 4GB of RAM, and a 2GHz quad-core (not dual-core) Intel Core i7 CPU. As that's aimed at a whole other audience, we won't delve into it further here.

While we just spent a fair bit of space lamenting what the Mac Mini lacks, it certainly isn't lacking CPU power. The 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU inside the $599 model we tested helped the system to feel quite snappy in anecdotal testing. And in our CPU-centric Cinebench test, which stresses all of a computer's processing cores to measure raw CPU performance, the 2011 Mac Mini's score of 8,741 was a fair bit ahead of last year's Mini, which came in at 5,072. That's more than a 40 percent improvement in this test. That said, the 2011 Apple iMac, with its quad-core, desktop-class processor, is in a different league; its score of 13,631 on the same test is about 37 percent higher than the new Mac Mini. If you're involved in lots of content creation, or you convert bunches of video files or do other CPU-intensive tasks, the extra power of the iMac will speed things up considerably.

Twist off the Tupperware-like bottom cover and you get access to the SO-DIMM RAM slots.

Many programs don't take full advantage of extra CPU cores, however, as we saw in our iTunes Conversion Test, in which we convert 11 MP3 tracks to AAC. Here, the new Mac Mini easily surpassed last year's model, finishing the test task in 2 minutes and 15 seconds, where the older model took 3:15. The iMac, with its extra cores, managed to come in a second behindthe new Mac Mini on this test. As we said, for many mainstream apps, extra cores aren't all that helpful.

As for gaming expectations, our base model Mac Mini lacks the Radeon HD 6630M graphics found in the pricier variant. The $599 model gets you Intel integrated HD Graphics 3000 with 288MB of shared memory. That's fine for Flash-based games and some less-demanding current 3D titles with the detail settings dialed down. But if you're serious about games and you're certain about the Mac Mini, the $799 model with AMD graphics will certainly offer a noticeable improvement.

Conclusion

There's little doubt that Apple’s added some serious performance muscle to the Mac Mini in this latest update. But by nixing the DVD drive, it’s made the box less appealing to many media-PC enthusiasts. Frankly, if you’re willing to jump wholeheartedly into Apple’s iTunes media ecosystem, the $99 Apple TV, while it doesn’t come with a Web browser, costs a whole lot less while still being capable of lots of the same media-playback tasks.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly Apple computer experience, the Mac Mini's price may look awfully appealing, but first factor in the added cost of the peripherals needed to get the most from the latest version of OS X, as well as the extra RAM you’ll want if you do heavy Web browsing. If you have to buy most or all of that stuff, the Mac Mini will look less appealing—especially if you have software or media you’d like to use that still lives on an optical disc.

If you don't have all the parts in place already, we think the $1,199 2011 iMac is a better deal for those looking for a Mac desktop, as it comes with all you’ll need to get the most from Apple's latest OS right out of the box. Plus, it packs in more-powerful base components for those who want to do more with their computers than watch video, compose e-mails, and surf the Web. And if you don’t mind trading a smaller screen for portability, the just-refreshed MacBook Air is awfully appealing, as well, with a starting price of $999 for the 11-inch model.

Price (at time of review): $599 (direct, as tested)

Computer^News^FAQ

Ivy Macs rumored to Launch April 8

Buying guide: Macs (2011)

MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

Mac mini

iMac

Apple Mac Mini 2.3GHz Core i5, 2011

Key Specs

Apple Mac Mini (2.3GHz Core i5, 2011) Review

Models, Features & Pricing

Conclusion

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Computer^News^FAQ

Ivy Macs rumored to Launch April 8

Buying guide: Macs (2011)

MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

Mac mini

iMac

Apple Mac Mini 2.3GHz Core i5, 2011

Key Specs

Apple Mac Mini (2.3GHz Core i5, 2011) Review

Models, Features & Pricing

Conclusion

About me

Follow Us

Press

recent posts

Text Widget

Subscribe To

Pages

PCWorld How-To's and Tips

PCWorld Latest Technology Reviews

Like us on Facebook

Flickr Images