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Show me the reviews!The Many Faces of Mac Mini
A review of the Apple Mac mini 1.25GHz
By Arthur Whalem
The mini Macintosh
Apple Computer has released their new Mac mini with a 1.25GHz G4 CPU, 40GB drive, 256MB of memory and a combo drive for $499. This is the lowest cost new Macintosh ever produced by Apple and worth a look. The Mac mini is two inches high and 6.5 inches square. It weighs about 3 pounds. The Mac mini uses an ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with AGP 4X support and 32MB of dedicated Double Data Rate (DDR) video memory. The mini in this review has a 40GB Seagate ST940110A installed which is an OEM version of the "ST94011A" 5400RPM (2BM cache) 2.5" notebook drive. The mini also has a Panasonic Matsushita CW-8123-B 24X16X24X8X Slot Loading DVD-ROM & CD-R/RW installed.
How does the mini compare?
As a long time PowerMac user I wondered how much performance and flexibility a PowerMac user would give up if he purchased an Apple mini 1.25GHz model. At $499 retail the mini 1.25GHz is the low cost Apple Macintosh solution. No monitor, keyboard or mouse is included with the mini so consider the extra expense of these items if you opt for the mini based on price alone. In this review several tests were performed comparing Apple's low end mini 1.25GHz combo, the eMac 1.25GHz combo and the PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0GHz. At close to four times the price with a monitor, it is expected the PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0GHz should win hands down. The object of these tests is to discover by how much. Hopefully, this information will help AMUG members better understand how these computers compare and make deciding which computer is the best value for you a little easier. Many AMUG members have several computers and the Mac mini might fit into your computer needs.
Systems Compared
The three systems compared in this review include the following different hardware configurations:
| eMac 1.25 Combo | PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0GHz | mini 1.25 Combo | |
| Processor | Single G4 1.25Ghz | Dual G5 2.0GHz | Single G4 1.25Ghz |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 512 KB each CPU | 512 KB |
| Memory | 768MB PC2700 | 1.5GB PC3200 | 256MB PC3200 |
| Bus Speed | 167 MHz | 1 GHz | 167 MHz |
| Mac OS X | 10.3.7 | 10.3.7 | 10.3.7 |
| PCI Bus | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Video | ATI 9200 | ATI 9600 | ATI 9200 |
| SATA | 0 | 160GB (2 drives possible) | 0 |
| ATA | 40GB Maxtor, Combo | Pioneer 106 DVR | 40GB 2.5", Combo |
| USB 2.0 | 4 connectors | 3 connectors | 2 connectors |
| Firewire 400 | 2 connectors | 3 connectors | 1 connector |
| Firewire 800 | 0 | 1 connector | 0 |
| Audio | Analog in/out | Analog & Digital in/outs | Analog out |
| Microphone | yes | no | no |
| Ethernet | 10/100 | 10/100/1000 | 10/100 |
| Monitor | yes - 17" CRT | no | no |
| Retail | $799 plus 512MB | $1999 Refurb plus 1GB memory | $499 |
Time Tests
In order to see how these three computers compare in performance several different tasks were timed. The following results were recorded:
| Task | eMac 1.25 Combo | PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0GHz | mini 1.25 Combo |
| Startup | 48 seconds | 52 seconds | 37 seconds |
| Shutdown | 7 seconds | 19 seconds | 10 seconds |
| Safari Open | 2 seconds | 2 seconds | 2 seconds |
| Open 8MB Word File | 5 seconds | 4 seconds | 5 seconds |
| Zip 187MB | 44 seconds | 28 seconds | 58 seconds |
| Import Audio CD Lossless | 2:07 minutes | 1:56 minutes | 2:25 minutes |
| Burn Audio CD | 2:11 minutes | 2:58 minutes | 2:43 minutes |
| Open GoLive 6 (AMUG) | 12 seconds | 10 seconds | 13 seconds |
| Duplicate 177MB | 16 seconds | 10 seconds | 14 seconds |
| Open GarageBand Tune | 7 seconds | 7 seconds | 13 seconds |
| Export GarageBand to iTunes | 14 seconds | 14 seconds | 14 seconds |
| Import 4.2GB DVD | 6:58 minutes | 6:10 minutes | 14:30 minutes |
| Convert 96 min. DVD to AVI | 4.51 hours | 1.52 hours | 5.10 hours |
| Halo | Works Well | Better Video Shading | Works |
| Cinebench CPU | 112 | 218 single 371 dual | 112 |
| Cinebench 4D shading | 136 | 265 | 141 |
Discussing the Results
When you examine the tests comparing the mini 1.25GHz combo with the eMac 1.25GHz combo and the PowerMac G5 Dual you learn the mini has the slowest performance of all three computers. This is probably not a big surprise as it is the least expensive computer. When using the mini for web browsing, email, iTunes, word processing, Quicken, and CD burning the mini performs well. The faster eMac 3.5" hard drive allows it to outperform the mini in most disk related tasks even though both computers have the same CPU speed. The PowerMac G5 Dual is the clear winner if you plan to make video DVDs or perform any type of video compression. For many Macintosh users the mini will be an excellent value for that second family Macintosh or for handling customer records in an office.
Halo
I was disappointed initially with how poorly the mini performed while playing Halo. I had the Halo texture settings on low and the mini fan was blasting away but the screen was unable to keep up with the game making it unplayable for me. I was surprised by this as an eMac 1.25GHz was able to play and a PowerBook 1GHz worked as well. Later, I took the mini to a friends house and hooked it up directly to a cable modem and Halo seemed playable. My network setup must have been an issue with how well the mini and Halo worked together. You may have to play with your settings but Halo will work on a mini. The mini ethernet port on my switch had a steady light on showing collision issues. I have not seen this with any other Macintosh computers on the same switch. If you are having troubles with Halo on a mini plug it in as close to the cable modem as you can get and see if this resolves some of the problems.
mini Fan
Many of those who buy the mini will do so for its small size and quiet operation. However, when the mini was either importing CDs into iTunes, burning CDs, importing a DVD or converting video to an avi format, the mini fan was on continuously. The mini fan was louder than a PowerMac G5 in the same room when performing these tasks. However, when you are not pushing the mini CPU, the mini is almost dead silent. If sound is a consideration you should know that when you put a load on the mini the fan will startup and it will no longer be the silent friend you might have expected.
DVI vs VGA
The mini was tested with both a DVI input and a VGA input using the Apple provided DVI to VGA adapter on an LCD that supported both DVI and VGA. In my tests using an 18" LCD it was clear to the eye that using the VGA input on the LCD produced a screen that was less focused and not as sharp as using the DVI input (without the Apple adapter). The DVI input displayed icons and text that were more defined and easier on the eyes than the VGA input. From these tests, I would use the mini with a monitor that supports DVI if I planned to spend much time in front of it. I tested the mini on a Dell 18" and a Dell 2001FP 20" LCD at 1200 x 1600 resolution and it worked well for me. However, you should know that some users are reporting trouble with the mini on a variety of monitors including the Dell 2000FP 20" LCD. The reports usually involve a static look on the screen or a snowy artifact type of look. It seems that the mini video is not as good as the Apple PowerBook. Many of these users report that the PowerBook video works well with the same monitor that their Mac mini is having trouble with.
iDVD Usage
The mini combo for $499 has an internal drive that formats to 37GB. With that little drive space available and the mini's relatively low performance, it is not designed to quickly process digital video. You can add an external FireWire 400 enclosure to hold more data but there are more powerful Macintosh computers available that will do the job much easier. While you can create DVDs on the mini, that function is not the unit's strong point. If you see yourself making a few DVDs a year the mini with a DVD burner can do it. But if you plan on being more active in the field of digital video you will find the PowerMac G5 a much better choice.
mini Server
The Mac mini can boot without a monitor (headless), keyboard or mouse. The mini display defaulted to 800 x 600 the first time I started it up without a monitor. Using Apple Remote Desktop I was able to control the mini and select 1024 x 768 as the display resolution for headless booting. The mini responded well when controlled by a PowerMac G5 Dual using Apple Remote Desktop. The mini had a nicely defined window mounted within the 20" screen connected to the PowerMac G5. Using the G5 keyboard, mouse and monitor I was able to fully control the mini and set it up as a file server by turning on "Personal File Sharing" in System Preferences:Sharing.
When the mini is used as a server it can sit anywhere as it is so small. It could be used as a portable server for those that might need to setup in a remote location. You can add storage by simply connecting a FireWire 400 drive enclosure. You could also use the mini at work as your own personal file server or at a clients location by simply plugging it into the network. Using the mini as a small personal server may have several cool applications for Macintosh users. As part of this discussion, I tested the mini's performance when copying a 1.01GB video file to it over a 10/100 switch and a gigabit switch. I also tested the speed using an external FireWire enclosure as the target. As a comparison the same test was performed copying from the PowerMac G5 Dual to a PowerMac G4 1.42 Dual using the gigabit switch.
| Copy 1GB from G5 to mini | Target | Time |
| 10/100 switch | internal | 2:13 minutes |
| Gigabit switch | internal | 1:37 minutes |
| 10/100 switch | FireWire 400 | 2:12 minutes |
| Gigabit switch | FireWire 400 | 1:35 minutes |
| Copy 1GB to G4 1.42 Dual Gigabit | internal | 24 seconds |
These tests demonstrate that while the mini does not have gigabit ethernet it does have a fast 10/100 full duplex capability that will perform better on a higher performance switch. If the mini did have gigabit ethernet it would be an awesome mini personal server. While the mini cannot outperform a gigabit server with only 10/100 ethernet connections many users will find that it fits their needs as a small personal server. A recent test at macminicolo.net demonstrated that a mini with 32 network users will perform about half as fast as a PowerMac G5 1.8GHz Dual under the same load. As the Mac mini is about 25% of the cost of a PowerMac 1.8 Dual it may be an interesting choice for low volume network services.
Emergency Macintosh
While the mini's desktop performance is not equal to a PowerMac G5 wouldn't it be nice to have a mini that you could use if your Macintosh needed repairs? Having a Mac mini in the house provides a mini server that could also be used as replacement Macintosh if yours is in the shop or has to be fixed. Using the mini when your main Mac is out of commission is a nice option.
mini Video/Music server
Many new HDTV's like the Panasonic TH-42PX25U/P 42" High-Definition Plasma TV and the 30" Syntax Olevia have a VGA input that your mini can connect to. Mac mini users report good success with the VGA input. Several users have tried to use the DVI port on their HDTV but many of them have reported having overscan problems when using the mini with an HDTV DVI connector. Overscan makes using an HDTV as a Mac mini monitor difficult as you cannot access all the features on the Mac OS X desktop. You can try DisplayConfigX to adjust your Mac to optimally match your monitors resolutions. This has worked for some users. Another option is to use a DVI-D cable not a DVI-I cable. The DVI-D cable only allows digital data to pass through. Most users are finding that the VGA connector on an HDTV works well with the Mac mini with a lot less setup issues. If I were going to buy an HDTV to use with a Mac mini I would take the mini down to the store and try it first. As time goes on more TVs will be built with VGA inputs and they will be less expensive. If you do not have a VGA input on your TV you can purchase a mini DVI to video adapter for $19 from Apple that will allow you to plug Mac mini into the S-video or composite video port of your TV or stereo receiver. This type of connection usually produces poor results when trying to read text but it may be a possibility for displaying photos or movies on your TV. With the mini parked in your Home Theatre you could use it to play iTunes, QuickTime movies, DVDs, CDs and just about any other computer media using the VLC media player for Mac OS X. You could control the mini with a mouse and keyboard or from another computer using Apple Remote Desktop, perhaps an iBook on the coffee table. This setup provides a small quiet foot print for sharing computer stored video and music with your Home Theatre. At the same time, a Home Theatre mini could also be used as a personal server or an emergency Macintosh if needed.
mini Drive Performance
The mini is a combination between a portable and a desktop computer. While the 2.5" internal drive allows the mini to be as small as possible it also reduces it's performance. I would prefer to see a 3.5" drive and a standard size DVD in the mini so that it might have performance closer to an eMac. A 3.5" drive might add an inch to the mini footprint but it would extend performance and upgradability of the mini by a mile. When backing up 11GB (189998 files) from the mini to an external FireWire 400 enclosure, Retrospect performance was 100.2 MB/minute (114.5 copy, 89.0 compare). It took 3:43 hours to create a bootable duplicate mini drive using Retrospect 6. In the AMUG FirmTek SATA-1SEN2 Review, Retrospect was able to record performance as high as 1482 MB/minute transfers on a PowerMac G5 Dual. A PowerMac G4 1.25GHz Dual can achieve performance of 1000 MB/minute using Retrospect between internal drives. And going back in history, a six year old PowerMac G4 500MHz Dual can achieve 500 MB/minute using Retrospect in the same manner. With the mini recording only 100.2 MB/minute on average with Retrospect copying to an external drive (no 2nd internal available) that is the worst performance recorded in a recent Macintosh desktop model.
mini Improvements
The Mac mini is a great idea and has a lot of potential. As discussed above using a 3.5" drive in a future mini model could significantly increase performance. Gigabit ethernet is another area that could enhance mini performance for very little additional cost. Add on PCI cards can now provide gigabit ethernet for as low as $10 on a PC and gigabit switches are now affordable for all users. It is too bad that gigabit ethernet is not an option on the Mac mini too. A mini with gigabit ethernet would provide a much faster personal file and video server. I believe there is also another group of users that Apple may have over looked when the mini was created. OS 9 users. While Apple will probably never support OS 9 booting on the Mac mini, I believe that the Mac mini could have been a big hit among long standing OS 9 users (if it were able to boot in OS 9). If you look back at when Apple no longer supported OS 9 booting it was with the addition of FireWire 800. As the mini does not have this capability it might have been able to boot in OS 9 with few modifications. There are quite a few OS 9 users out there that would have loved this option.
Where the mini ShinesIf you already have a keyboard, mouse and a spare monitor and you want to add a low cost Macintosh computer to your home or office the mini can be a good option. If you are only looking to use a Mac mini as a desktop computer you will find it provides a cost effective solution. However, if you would like to have a personal file server and perhaps a video/music server for your home theatre as well you may find the many faces of the Mac mini even more valuable.
Pros
Starts at $499
Small foot print, looks cool, portable.
Comes with AppleWorks 6, Quicken, iLife 05.
Powered by G4 1.25GHz CPU.
Great performer for email, web, iTunes.
Lowest price Macintosh available.
Supports 1920 x 1200 using DVI video connection.
Supports 1920 x 1080 using VGA video connection.
Supports USB 2.0, Firewire 400.
Can support AirPort Extreme.
Uses PC2700 (333MHz) or PC3200 DDR SDRAM up to 1GB.
Supports external drives using FireWire 400.
Can function as a headless server.
Can be used in a home theatre environment.
Cons
2.5" internal drive provides slow performance.
Relatively small hard drive.
No Keyboard or mouse included.
DVD compression 3.5x slower than a PowerMac G5 Dual 2.0GHz
No PCI expansion capability.
Only 2 USB ports & only one FireWire 400 port.
Firewire 800 not available.
Gigabit ethernet not available.
Will not support SATA or 3.5" ATA drives internally.
Difficult to replace internal drives for most users.
Adding an AirPort card requires a special board not included.
Internal fan can be loud under moderate to heavy loads.
Speakers provided are inadequate for most uses.
Will not boot in OS 9.
No microphone.
No inexpensive monitor available from Apple.
Mac mini 1.25GHz gets 4 AMUGs out of 5!
The Mac mini is very compact and cute. For those with light desktop computer needs the mini can be a good value. Using the mini as a personal server and a video/music server is also possible. The Mac mini has many faces and you may find one of them just right for you. You can get it for $499.
Copyright 2005
Arizona Macintosh Users Group, Inc. (AMUG)
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