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
Abstract: The lack of an optical drive, very limited upgradeability and the comparatively small base 500GB hard disk won't be ideal for some users. However, these are common traits of Apple's systems; but if your business requires the efficiency of a system wher...
Size, design, perfectly capable for regular computing tasks, HDMI
SD card slot location is impractical
While we feel that many will be tempted by the portable and now powerful MacBook Air, for those looking to fill that little corner of the computing life, the Mac mini is an elegant and reasonably affordable option...
Great new processors, Discrete graphics on this model, Thunderbolt port, Compact and portable, Excellent engineering achievement
No optical drive
The new Mac mini is an excellent portable Mac or under-the-TV media centre, even without the optical drive. The new processors are incredibly powerful, and the Thunderbolt port is a very welcome addition.
Was this review helpful?
(80%)
Published: 2011-07-28, Author: Andrew , review by: macworld.co.uk
Significant speed improvement; Larger hard drives; Bluetooth 4.0; Lower price
Nothing significant
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 just...
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 Mac Mini is the budget option – by Apple standards – and good starting place if you want to join the cult of Mac, but the lack of a disc drive is enough to rule it out for many users. ...
Tiny, great design, Good performance, Thunderbolt port
Heats up, No optical drive
The 2011 Apple Mac mini is alive and kicking. What with the Cupertino-based company dazzling the tech world with iPhones, iPads and MacBook Airs, the Mac mini seems to be the forgotten child in Apple's product portfolio. Still with the latest revision of...
At 33,900INR, the base Mac mini is the cheapest Mac in India today. It can be a great second computer for the house or even as a download machine, thanks to its low power consumption and tiny form factor. But as a serious everyday computer the Mac mini fa...
