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
Significant speed improvement; larger hard drives; Bluetooth 4.0; lower price
Nothing significant, $899
We’re always looking for a true contender to take on the Apple Mac mini as the perfect discreet desktop PC, or as a stylish, compact and quiet media centre PC for the lounge. There are still no true rivals, and the latest slew of performance updates ju...
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
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
Apple's new $799 Mac Mini demands that you abandon disc-based media, and that you surround it with potentially expensive extra hardware to realize its full benefits. It makes most sense for committed Mac users, those who need it for a specific niche-case...
At £529, the Apple Mac mini is the cheapest Mac out of Apple’s complete line of desktop and portable computers. But its superb build quality and feature set puts it ahead of any other compact PC. While it’s measurable a little slower than the 2.5GHz ve...
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(90%)
Published: 2012-03-05, Author: George , review by: alphr.com
A beautiful, fast and future-proof system, but one that comes with a hefty price tag...
Ultra-compact in size, ultra-low in power consumption, and crucially quiet to use, the Apple Mac mini makes a compelling media centre when matched with the right peripherals and software. Its performance is much faster than a box this size deserves and...
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(90%)
Published: 2011-09-12, Author: Dan , review by: macworld.co.uk
Core i5 processor provides huge performance gains; impressive array of connectivity options, including Thunderbolt; aluminium unibody enclosure; improved graphics performance
No optical drive; slow stock hard drive; inconveniently located SD-card slot
When we reviewed the Mid-2010 Mac mini, we called it Apple's most versatile computer for those who didn't need workstation-level performance. Without an optical drive, the 2011 mini may not be quite as versatile, but Core i5 processors mean that, for the...
Powerful processor, Quality design and finish, Quiet, More powerful components than on the previous generation, Quality audio in/out
Comes without keyboard or mouse, Connectivity not very accessible, No DVD or Bluray player, Keep an eye on temperature levels
This is without a doubt one of the most powerful mini computers out there. However, in the absence of any way of playing a DVD, let alone a Blu-ray, without using an external player, the Mac Mini 2011 can't be classified with other home cinema computers. ...
I’ve always liked the compact design of the Mac Mini – which is still streets ahead of most of its PC rivals – and the much stronger performance of this year’s i5 models is a welcome improvement. However, cost-cutting decisions such as the removal of ...
A stylish and highly portable desktop replacement powerful enough to rival larger machines. Small businesses thinking about desktop upgrades will definitely want to give this a look, as it can work out cheaper than licensing Windows in the long run....
