Mac mini

Mac mini: Inexpensive if you have other components

If you want a new Macintosh but can't or don't want to spend $1,000, your only option is the Mac mini. Like Apple's other computers, the diminutive Mac mini also received an upgrade for 2009, and reviews are mixed. Some experts think the Mac mini has made big improvements, but others say it still falls short. The mini comes in two configurations for 2009, including a 2.0 GHz 120 GB version (*Est. $600 and up) and a 2.0 GHz 320 GB model (*Est. $800 and up). The 120 GB mini has 1 GB of memory, and the 320 GB model has 2 GB. Both have Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics and one FireWire 800 slot. The Mac mini is sold on its own, so you'll have to pay extra for a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Apple's cheapest monitor, the 24-inch LED Cinema Display (*Est. $900), costs more than the Mini itself. However, if you have your own components, you can use them to keep the total cost down.

The 120 GB Mac mini performs very well in independent tests and earns recommendations from several reviewers. For example, PC Advisor gives it a Gold award, saying the mini is "more attractive than ever." Dan Frakes likes the addition of more USB ports and touts improved graphics and video performance. In choosing between the two models, PC Advisor recommends the 120 GB mini with the addition of Apple's upgrade to 2 GB of memory (*Est. $50). If you want to run Windows on your Mac mini, PC Advisor recommends paying more to upgrade to 4 GB of memory (*Est. $150). After downloading Windows on the 120 GB mini (with only 1 GB of memory), the computer became too slow to function properly; things move along much better when the RAM is upped to 4 GB.

Some reviewers are less impressed with the new Mac mini. Christopher Phin at TechRadar.com calls it a "weird anomaly in Apple's line-up" and Wilson Rothman at Gizmodo.com calls it the "greatest Mac that never was." Like reviewers at PC Advisor, Rothman says the entry-level mini can be a good computer as long as you spring for the extra memory. Although they have some good things to say about the redesign, Justin Yu at CNET says "we still take issue with the Mac mini's overall value."