Reviews Of The New Mac Mini Are In: Apple, What Did We Do To Upset You?

Technology is all about moving forward. Apple’s new Mac mini will allow that, just a bit.

Macworld is reporting that the new 2014 Mac mini, the first upgrade to Apple’s entry-level personal computer, didn’t upgrade so much as stagnate. The new Mac mini basic comes with a 500GB hard drive and 1.4GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 processor and 4 gigabytes of RAM. Herein lies the first possible dilemma: If you get the Mac mini with 4 gigabytes of RAM, that is ALL you will get.

Apple has decided to rid itself of user-upgradable RAM, instead soldering the RAM directly to the logic board. This unit sells for $499, and you can get an 8 gigabyte Mac mini for $100 more, or a 16 gigabyte Mac mini for $300 more. So you need to be sure you have enough RAM going in to do the job for you. For years, Apple has had issues with customers trying to use third party RAM in their machines without success, and customers did not want to pay the rather high prices Apple charged for their upgraded RAM

Another possible issue is that the new Mac mini has only one SATA port inside. In the past, Apple has offered an empty SATA port so users could mount another SATA storage drive in the computer. In the new Mac mini, this is not the case, but Apple seems to have found a solution.

ITWorld is reporting that in place of the now-gone SATA port, there appears to be a PCIe cable port that may allow you to add a Solid State Drive to the new Mac mini. The only factor going against that is the new Mac mini is put together with “tamper-proof” screws, and the thumb dents that were once on the bottom of the Mac mini to assist in the easy removal of the bottom plate is no longer on the new Mac mini. Essentially, Apple doesn’t want you to upgrade the machine. And, if repairs are required, the user will have no choice but to visit an Apple Store or authorized service provider for assistance.

It seems to be that the nature of the personal computer industry has gone to a more disposable foundation. In truth, these units may be easier to simply replace rather than fix, even if it’s two or three dots of solder to replace a worn-out or broken RAM chip. Apple was an innovator in the industry; now they seem to be following, and not leading, the pack.

[Image courtesy of Macworld]