The Easy Mac

So here we are again. I am hoping and praying you are liking this and I am not boring you to death with these Mac posts. Needless to say, we are at part 4 in the series and we are nearing the end. Only one more part to go after this one. In part 4 we explore the Mac Mini. This to me, is the most intriguing out of all the Macs that are out there. I say that because it is the cheapest and probably the most affordable for most people, but yet doesn’t get quite the attention or success its other Mac counterparts do. There has been talk over the past couple of years that Apple would eventually phase out the Mac Mini. I really hope they don’t as I feel that this computer really holds its value and serves a purpose for certain people. I think part of the reason the Mac Mini doesn’t do so well is that you have get a computer monitor, keyboard, and mouse separately from it. It doesn’t come with any of these.  That can be a deterrent for some people. But at the same time, you have to like the simplicity and compactness of it. So with that, I present the Mac Mini to you…….

I have decided to alter the format once again, as there are two main types of Mac Mini’s out there. The first one is a 2.26 GHz and the second a 2.53 GHz. I will share with you both types and the different customizations and prices of each type.

2.26 GHz Version

1. Option #1

This is your basic option. You get 2.26 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, and a 160 GB hard drive. There really is nothing special about this one. This is mainly for your simple user, who will do no more than word processing, email, and surfing the net. You could download some music, but it won’t handle much more. The price as you can see comes in at $599.

2. Option #2

This is an option that most people will probably want to go for. You get a 2.53 GHz processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 320 GB hard drive. This will handle most everyday computer use and then some. But I would caution you about buying this version if this is what you are looking at. I will explain more in the next version. This version costs $949.

There are other options here if you want to choose different things. Basically getting more RAM will cost about $100 for 2 more GB and getting 100 GB more of hard drive space will run you the same price. So if you wanted to stay at 2GB of RAM, but wanted a bigger hard drive you would be paying about $100 more from the base price of $599.

2.53 GHz

1. Option #1

This option has a 2.53 GHz processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 320 GB hard drive. Sound familiar? It should as this was option #2 in the 2.26 GHz version. But here is the strange part. This option costs only $799 as compared to the other one that costs $949. Now, I scanned the two versions pretty hard and I couldn’t see any difference and so why is this one $150 cheaper than upgrading the 2.26 GHz version? The only reason I can think of is that in the other version, you have to upgrade the RAM, hard drive, and processor to get to these specs. In this version, everything comes standard. Could this be a flaw on Apple’s part? Possibly, or maybe I am not seeing something.

Option #1

Option #2 from 2.26 Ghz version

2. Option #2

This option is the most beefed up of all the versions so far. It comes with a 2.66 GHz processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 500 GB hard drive. This version will set you back $1049. This is probably the version that I would get. You get a pretty good processor and speed and a good amount of space on your computer. Like the previous version if you just want to add RAM or hard drive space you can expect to pay $100 for the next bump up.

So there you have it, the Mac Mini’s. Now, even though the Mini’s are at a good price, there is a catch here. You have to get your own computer monitor, keyboard and mouse. You can buy all three from Apple. This could set you back almost another $1000. My suggestion, get a cheaper monitor from Amazon or another company. The Apple Keyboard is $49 and the wireless keyboard is $69 and the Magic Mouse is $69. My suggestion is to get the Apple Keyboard and the Magic Mouse. They both work really well. The other thing is that if you have a monitor from another computer, you should be able to use that to. You just may need to get an adapter from Apple. The other nice thing about the Mac Mini is that you can hook it up to a tv as well. So if you really want a cool experience you can hook this up to a tv and use it there and even watch movies that you download through your Mac Mini.

So what do you think? Is the Mac Mini worth it? Do you have one or plan to buy one? Or would you rather just go with a Macbook or iMac? Would love to hear what you all think.