The Mac Mini

If you are in the market for a new computer you may have noticed the array of Mac commercials designed to make Microsoft Windows look like it is more trouble than it is worth. In an effort to help make your computer purchase easier, I give you this guide that I hope will outline the good, the bad, and the ugly of each platform. In this, the first installment of the series, I will introduce you to the Macs available today.

First of all let me tell you that I use both Mac and Windows daily. The Mac that I use is a very capable dual processor G4 running OS X. It is a little dated as it is not the newest Mac Pro with OS 10.5, but it works well with OS 10.3.9. I have a couple of computers that run Windows that I use everyday. My desktop and my laptop both run Vista and I still have a desktop that I sometimes use that is running XP. I also use Linux extensively for many server applications and also for everyday workstation computing.

Macs are machines that incorporate eye-catching design with great computing power. If you have shopped for Macs online you may have immediately been blown away by the price. At first glance the Mac may appear to be very pricey, and I will admit that I too have had Mac sticker shock. However, when you actually compare what you are getting for your money you will find that a comparable PC will cost you very close to the same amount of money. The cheapest Mac available today is the Mac Mini. This computer is very small (it measures 6.5" x 6.5" x 2"). It comes standard with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor (the best everyday desktop processor on the market), a CD-R/DVD combo drive, Mac OS 10.5, an 802.11g wireless adapter, a gigabit Ethernet adapter, a Bluetooth adapter, and firewire ports. This little computer would be perfect plugged into a 54" plasma screen and surround sound system. Add a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and you will be checking e-mail in your television's picture-in-picture while watching your favorite show. Many musicians use the Mac Mini as a track recorder/mixer because it comes with Apple's Garage Band software. At $599 I consider the Mac Mini a bargain.

If you would love to have a computer on your kitchen counter, I would suggest checking out the iMac. It is a flat panel monitor and powerful computer all in one that doesn't take up much space. The iMac is pleasing to the eye and is a nice all around computer for the basic user. It costs a bit more than the Mac Mini, but is in a class by itself when compared to other all-in-one computers.

Macbooks are the portable laptops offered by Apple. They too may seem high priced when compared to the $499 PC laptops you find at your local Wal-mart, but when compared to comparable systems you will find that the Mac costs slightly more. Also available is the Mac Pro, but if you are looking into buying a computer with that kind of power (and price tag) then you already know what you want and why.

Ok, that is my overview of a few of the Macs available today, but I haven't explained much. Up to this point you may see that Apple is committed to ensuring that they sell a computer that works how it is supposed to work. When buying a PC the trend is usually geared to getting the price as low as possible whether it works well or not. The sad part is that most people don't know that their computers could have been much better for an extra eighty dollars had they bought it configured with 512MB of system memory instead of 128MB. It is terrible that large computer manufacturers can even feel good about themselves selling a computer that has less memory than the operating system designer recommends. This scenario ends with the unwitting consumer's hard drive dead (usually three days after the warranty expires) because the poor computer had to swap memory to disk and back again from day one. You may have saved a few dollars on the front end, but you end up paying for it after it is all said and done.

One of the excellent features of the Mac that is truly worth paying for is Mac OS X. If you have never used it and are afraid of trying new things, don't be. I look forward to discussing this topic in the next installment. The PC also has many things going for it as well that I will get to in the near future.