shaithis's Full Review: Apple Mac mini (M9686LL/A) Desktop
I've been using computers for many, many years and a few years ago I just got sick of mucking around with upgrades, purchasing something and then downloading drivers and fixes all the time because this sound card won't work with this motherboard unless you have this fix or that. The list goes on and on, so much so that I just said 'bloody hell with it' and shut down my computer, cancelled my internet and hadn't used it since. Until now...
I saw a flyer from London Drugs in my mailbox that was showing these Mac Mini's for around seven hundred bucks (Canadian). I thought holy cow, I've always wanted a Mac but didn't want to pay a fortune for it. I ran out a few weeks later and picked one up. They must be high sellers because I had to settle for the display model as that was all that was left. There are many different models, this was the entry level, which suits me just fine. All I want my system for is for some word processing, video & music downloads, etc. If I want to play games, I'll just use my Playstation 2 anyway. I can't believe the difference in price for each leap to a higher model anyhow, for Bluetooth stuff, it's like double the price I paid for this one, for whatever comes with the next model it's double on top of that. Aha, back to how much I am used to seeing Mac's cost.
This Mac Mini though is perfect for me. If for some strange reason I wish to get that extra stuff added on later I can. There are Bluetooth adaptors. I just saw a cool add on for the Mac Mini that looks exactly like my Mac Mini and just slides underneath which links up a larger hard drive if I want. So don't get scared when people say you are stuck never upgrading later, it's available easily.
A major thing I was happy with is that I was able to unplug my Keyboard, Trackball, and monitor from my old clunky computer I had before and plug it into the Mac Mini without a problem. This has saved on my initial startup costs as I didn't have to buy all that stuff and my monitor is a pretty good one surprisingly still.
I can't believe how easy it is to set up this thing. I plugged everything in, turn on the system, viola! Everything works. I mucked around a bit trying to figure out what drivers I need to download, what I needed to update, etc. until I finally gave up and realised that is all there is to it! Crazy!
There are some strange differences with Mac O.S. X as opposed to the windows I am used to but so far it's been pretty well a breeze figuring it out. I still feel weird after installing something because it just happens so quick, there aren't a million files (it's usually just one icon) and i've never EVER received and error message, not once.
The main reason I gave up on computers was because I'd sit down after a hard day at work wanting to relax, listen to music, watch a downloaded video file or type an Epinion but no, some weird error would always come up and I'd have to spend the whole night resolving the issue. I realised then and there that if I wanted to use a computer at home for relaxation and fun it needed to be as reliable as any home stereo component. When I turn on my stereo it plays, period. No mucking around with this and that, it just works. Now I have found the answer and it runs as smoothly as my stereo, thanks Apple for the Mac Mini. Now I've gotta save for a stinkin' I POD.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 503 Operating System: Macintosh Processor speed: over 1000 RAM: 256 Internal Storage: CD-RW Hard Drive (GB): 31-40
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