The Mac Mini is easily one of the most-loved PCs around. This PC can sit on your desktop and it coms in a pint sized package, but it can act as a desktop option or a server capable of handling a lot of action. The original Mac Mini looked perfect, but this version came with a 2008 Core 2 Duo processor, and that processor didn’t attract many people – especially considering the price of the original Mini. Then came along a few glitches and problems with the outcome being the new Mac Mini with a dual-Core i5.

The all-new Mac Mini is even more impressive than the older version. Needless to say, the newest Mac Mini is super popular, comes packed with lots of good stuff, and is ready to go when you are. If you’re in the market for a desktop option that is really the smallest option out there, the Mac Mini is an excellent choice. Here’s why you should consider the new Mac Mini.

Inside the Mac Mini

Inside of the $799 Mac Mini you will find a 2.5GHz processor, AMD Radeon HD 6630M GPU, and a Core i5. If you want to spend a bit more and opt for the $999 version you’ll get a 2GHz quad-core Core i7 and two 500GB drives with the most expensive version of the Mac Mini. As you can tell, Apple really ramped up the insides of the Mac Mini, and either version will serve most purposes with little effort. There’s just one thing missing: an optical drive.

Apple did away with the optical drive on the MacBook Air, and now the Mac Mini no longer has an optical drive to call its own. For some, spending more than $500 on a system that doesn’t come with an optical drive might seem like a stretch. Then again, Air’s are flying off the shelves just fine, so you may not need an optical drive. Still, whether or not you need an optical drive is something to consider when deciding between a Mac Mini and another system. One other problem with the Mac Mini is that the drive trays are hard to access and the RAM is the only component inside of the Mini that can be changed. Otherwise, the outside of the Mac Mini is still worth mentioning and might be more than enough to entice you to purchase this system.

Mac Mini Design

It’s really tough to ignore the beauty of the Mac Mini. A sleek aluminum shell will draw more than enough attention while the underside of the Mini is something of a marvel. Underneath that aluminum exterior sits the Mini’s fans, WiFi, and Bluetooth antennae. In order to make sure that WiFi and Bluetooth signals are reched, the Mini actually sits just a bit off of the surface of a desk (not flush). This also allows the fans underneath the mini to remain nice and cool – an excellent design on Apple’s part.

Unlike many other MacBooks, the Mac Mini comes with four USB ports. You’ll also find a Thunderbolt and FireWire 800 port on the outside of the Mini. One last thing that Apple has thrown into the mix: a HDMI port. All of these things add up to a system that’s really tough to beat. If you’re looking for one of the slickest systems on the market (and you don’t care about that missing optical drive), the Mac Mini is a good buy at any of the offered price points.