Testseek.com have collected 78 expert reviews of the Apple Mac mini - Mid 2011 MC815 / MC816 and the average rating is 78%. Scroll down and see all reviews for Apple Mac mini - Mid 2011 MC815 / MC816.
July 2011
(78%)
78 Reviews
Average score from experts who have reviewed this product.
Users
-
0 Reviews
Average score from owners of the product.
78010078
The editors liked
Excellent performance from new Intel Sandy Bridge CPU
AMD Radeon GPU provides gameplaying power
Stylish design
HDMI and Thunderbolt ports
RAM is easily upgraded
Compact 7-inch by 7-inch form factor
Consumes only 13 watts while idle
HDMI output makes it easy to plug into a TV
Thunderbolt port offers greater expandability
Performs better than the previous generation
Ships with Mac OS X Lion
Solid performance
Small
Beautiful case
HDMI port
Core i5 processor provides huge performance gains
Impressive array of connectivity options
Including Thunderbolt
Compact design and aluminum Unibody enclosure
Lower price of entry
Great overall performance
Gorgeous design
Ships with OS X Lion
Included Thunderbolt port
Cool and quiet
Robust iLife apps included
Compact and sleek design
Thunderbolt port for (future) expansion
Much faster than previous gen
Quad option
Discrete graphics finally a choice
Relatively easy to upgrade
Quiet and low power
Lion as an OS is high grade
Super compact design. Aluminum unibody construction. SD slot supports SDXC cards. Included HDMItoDVI adapter and HDMI port. Internal power supply. Thunderbolt interface. Second generation Core i5 processor. 3D performance rivals a tower PC
Super compact design
Aluminum unibody construction
SD slot supports SDXC cards
Included HDMI-to-DVI adapter and HDMI port
Internal power supply
Thunderbolt interface
Second generation Core i5 processor
3D performance rivals a tower PC
Gorgeous designThunderbolt portSnappy performance
The new Mac Mini boasts Apple's usual design leadership
As well as new internal components that nearly double its performance compared with that of the older model
Improved productivity performance
Thanks to Intel Sandy Bridge CPU
Lower entry-level price
The editors didn't like
Display and keyboard cost extra
No optical drive
Soso value
No internal Blu-ray drive option
Discrete graphics and quad-core CPU options are mutually exclusive
Magic Trackpad required for full Lion experience
Expensive
Slow stock hard drive
Inconveniently located SD-card slot
Mediocre graphics performance
Pricey
HDD is sluggish
Must purchase adapter cable for Thunderbolt / DisplayPort
No USB 3.0 ports
No system reinstall media
Internet only
Hard drive not (easily) user upgradeable
Few Thunderbolt devices
Relatively expensive for a computer without a display
Keyboard
Or mouse
Hard drive is hard to upgrade. Thunderbolt peripherals are scarce. No optical complicates some installs.
Hard drive is hard to upgrade
Thunderbolt peripherals are scarce
No optical complicates some installs
No optical driveToo priceySluggish hard drive
Some users will find the lack of an optical drive too forward-looking
And may struggle to understand the benefits of the Thunderbolt port. The new Mac Mini also offers suspect value compared with Windows PCs in the same price range
No more optical drive
Improved AMD graphics only offered in higher-end models
No bundled Magic Trackpad means extra cost for some of OS X Lion's best features
& RecommendationThe biggest cost in getting a completely functioning computer to do digital photography successfully, with a minimum of problems like “prints too dark,” is getting a good LCD display like the new EIZO FlexScan SX2262W I tested with my ...
With a suggested price of USD 600, the Mac mini is not a cheap computer, but it is one of the cheapest ways to get into the Mac world, even if you have to purchase a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. With the upgraded processor and new internal components,...
Abstract: Other than gaming, the "non-pro" user typically uses apps like iMovie, iTunes, and HandBrake. We decided to see how the top model of Mac in each category compared to the Mac mini when doing typical functions with those apps. iTunes 10.5We timed how l...
The Mac mini (Mid 2011) model we tested is the least expensive way of getting into the world of Macs and already offers good performance for many uses. The variety of ports is good, the Thunderbolt port should provide many opportunities in the future alth...
Compact 7-inch by 7-inch form factor, Consumes only 13 watts while idle, HDMI output makes it easy to plug into a TV, Thunderbolt port offers greater expandability, Performs better than the previous generation, Ships with Mac OS X Lion
No internal Blu-ray drive option, Discrete graphics and quad-core CPU options are mutually exclusive
The Mac mini is finally starting to look like a decent desktop computer. Bumping it up from a Core 2 Duo to a Core i5 makes a big difference in performance and competitiveness. As Apple's entry-level desktop Mac, it plays a really important role in th...
Compact and sleek design, Thunderbolt port for (future) expansion, Much faster than previous gen; quad option, Discrete graphics finally a choice, Relatively easy to upgrade, Quiet and low power, Lion as an OS is high grade,
No optical drive, No system reinstall media; Internet only, Hard drive not (easily) user upgradeable, No USB 3.0 ports, few Thunderbolt devices, Relatively expensive for a computer without a display, keyboard, or mouse,
We found the mid-2011 Mac mini, at least in 2.5GHz form, to be a very satisfying desktop computer experience. It has more than enough grunt for the typical user and runs Lion seamlessly. The new AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics even makes the new Mac mini ...
Abstract: With the Mac mini (Mid 2010), released in June 2010, Apple gave its smallest Mac an aesthetic overhaul, replacing the chunky, aluminum-and-white-plastic 2009 model with a sleek, aluminum-unibody model that was easier to upgrade, felt rock-solid, and ...
Great overall performance, Gorgeous design, Ships with OS X Lion, Included Thunderbolt port, Cool and quiet, Robust iLife apps included
Pricey, HDD is sluggish, No optical drive, Must purchase adapter cable for Thunderbolt / DisplayPort, No USB 3.0 ports
The Mac mini is an interesting proposition. Without an optical drive, it's hard to recommend for use strictly as an HTPC. Not to mention, an Apple TV device can stream content well enough, and it's but $99. There's also effectively no upgradability here w...
