Apple Mac mini MB139LL/A (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive) | 
| Brand: Apple
List Price: $1,088.23
Buy New: $789.00
You Save: $299.23 (27%)
New (5) Used (1) from $789.00
Rating:  60 reviews
Sales Rank: 95
Media: Personal Computers
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
CPU Manufacturer: Intel
CPU Speed: 2
CPU Type: Intel Core Duo
Processors: 2
System Memory: 1000
Memory Type: DDR2 SDRAM
Hard Drive Size: 120
Shipping Weight (lbs): 6.4
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 8.8 x 5.5
MPN: MB139LL/A
Model: MB139LL/A
UPC: 885909175772
EAN: 0885909175772
ASIN: B000K9V9H4
Availability: Usually ships in 3-4 business days
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| Features:
| • | 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 667 MHz system bus | | • | 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM (expandable to 2 GB), 120 GB SATA hard drive, and slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD R DL/DVD RW/CD-RW) | | • | One FireWire 400 port (8 watts); four USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps); DVI output; VGA output (using included adapter); S-video and composite video output | | • | Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit), built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi (802.11g); built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) module | | • | Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard, iLife '08, and Front Row software included |
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Product Description
The Mac Mini features the powerful 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. It has two cores, so it's like having two 2.0GHz processors in one! Another great feature is the suite of applications in iLife '08. A full-featured collection of programs that are designed to let you easily take control of your creative projects. iPhoto organizes your digital pics, and has a cool feature that groups them by event. iWeb makes it easy to create your own website. iMovie & iDVD lets you edit your videos and make your own DVD movies. GarageBand gives you the tools to make your own music, and even start your own virtual band! All of this and more is packed inside a svelt and stylish 6.5" body that can fit anywhere! 2 RAM Slots (occupied) 120GB 5400RPM SATA HDD Slot-loading SuperDrive with Double-Layer Support - writes to DVD+R & DVD-R DL up to 2.4x, writes to DVD-R & DVD+R up to 8x, writes to DVD-RW & DVD+RW up to 4x, reads DVDs up to 8x, writes to CD-Rs up to 24x, & writes to CD-RWs up to 16x Intel GMA 950 Graphics Processor with 64MB of shared memory (memory is shared with the main system) Ports - 1 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, 1 Firewire 400 (8 watts), 4 USB 2.0, 1 DVI Out, 1 VGA Out (using included adapter) Built-in Speakers Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi 802.11g wireless network card Built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) module Unit Dimensions - 2 (h) x 6.5 (w) x 6.5 (d) Unit Weight - 2.9 lbs.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 55 more reviews...
great little Mac September 21, 2007
TechGeek (Houston, TX USA)
71 out of 72 found this review helpful
I bought this mini to replace a 1.42 GHz G4 mini that just couldn't handle my 6,000+ pictures in iPhoto anymore. It took 1-2 minutes before I could do anything in iPhoto after I opened it.
When I got this machine, I immediately replaced the two 512 MB sticks with two 1 GB sticks that I bought online for about $35 each (much cheaper than Apple). I also had an existing 200GB external drive which is the same form factor as the mini and sits underneath it in addition to a Belkin USB hub (same form factor as well), since you can never have enough USB 2.0 ports.
The machine is great and much faster than my old Power PC mini. iPhoto opens very quickly and I can immediately browse through all my film rolls, even with other programs, such as Safari and Eudora, running. I am glad I waited until Apple changed from the Core Duo to the Core 2 Duo, although I am not sure how much difference there is between the newer and older Intel mini.
I also love the included remote for iLife. It's nice to be able to browse through iTunes, iPhoto, etc. without the keyboard/mouse.
There are rumors that Apple will discontinue this little machine soon, but I hope they don't as it is a great buy for anyone who already has a nice monitor/LCD. I would like to get a 24" iMac but they are too expensive and I would much rather just buy a Mac mini and hook it up to a 20" or 24" external LCD since I don't like all-in-one devices (printers or computers).
Pretty awesome for such a little guy. November 6, 2007
Pigumon (Bay Area, CA)
39 out of 40 found this review helpful
I have a 3 year old powerbook and this cheap mac mini runs circles around it!! Even though it's completely low end, it's still fast enough to watch 720P HDTV and movies.
I upgraded it with 3GB of ram (though you have to do that yourself, apple will only install 2GB, but 50% more ram makes it MUCH faster. (the max it will recognize is 3.3GB but you'd have to install 4gb for that.. so it's kind of a waste)
You can EASILY hook it up to an HDTV through DVI-DVI, DVI-HDMI, or DVI-VGA. I do this when I download either a broadcast HDTV show or to watch a recorded show or movie from my cable box. You can record a digital stream to the mac mini through the Firewire connection of your cable box.
I recommend getting an external hard drive, and just using the internal drive for applications.
It seems to keep things snappy.
Anyway, I bought this mainly because I need to do 4 illustrations at 4 feet by 6 feet, I used Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Corel Painter X all at the same time with documents ipen in each. I saved them as pdfs, and really never had to wait for any functions.
Only 3D and Video apps take time to render, everything else in real time.
So if you want a fairly inexpensive desktop computer (and understand you have to know a bit about computers to do any sort of upgrades) this is really pretty solid.
 Frustrating at first, but getting better February 29, 2008
Charles Troy Tripp (Atlanta, GA USA)
30 out of 33 found this review helpful
Getting my Mac to work the way I want has been a little frustrating. First, I purchased the version with only 1GB of memory with the intention of installing additional 3rd party memory (what Apple charges for additional memory is nothing short of criminal). As I am a very old hand at cracking open PCs, I thought this would be a straight-forward process, but it isn't.
First off, opening a Mac Mini on your own violates the warranty! This is an absolutely ridiculous policy on the part of Apple and harkens back to the days of the old Mac 128K. But I plowed on, and found myself stunned by what I needed to open the case: a spackling knife! I'm trying to upgrade a computer, not a house!
Anyway, I get the case off, and am amazed at what a tight fit everything is inside. Things are even more cramped than in a notebook. The directions I found online on how to proceed at this point had me confused and concerned that I was about to convert this Mac into a $600 doorstop, but I finally found the screws I had to remove (note: they are the 4 black screws in the four corners of the mount that holds the Combo drive in place above the motherboard, after you pop off the WiFi antenna). CAREFULLY, I set the Combo drive aside, removed the old memory, and installed two 1GB modules I bought off Amazon from Crucial.
I put everything back together, plugged a DVI-to-HDMI cable from the Mac to my hi-def TV, powered on and: nothing. Panic-stricken, I swapped the original memory back in place, and everything worked fine. Putting the Crucial memory in place: nothing. So I had bad after-market memory. I went back to the original memory, and I had a working computer.
Setup at this point was almost painless. The OS found my wireless network, plus the wireless Apple keyboard and mouse I bought specifically for the Mini, without a hitch. Before I even knew it, I was wirelessly connected to my old laptop; I didn't even have to configure a connection! Neat.
But the picture quality was sub-par. After a day, I swapped out the HDMI cable for a straight PC video cable, and plugged it into the PC port on my TV (fortunately, it had one). I finally found a screen resolution that worked and that was readable from across the room.
However, I didn't have sound. There was a 1/8" headphone jack on the back of the Mini, along with a Toslink cable jack, but I didn't see anything resembling a stereo out jack. After a couple of days surfing the web, I decided that the 1/8" headphone jack must be a plain old unamplified stereo out jack. I used an old 1/8" stereo-to-RCA analog splitter cable, plugged it into the TV, configured the TV to accept the signal, and I finally had what I wanted: a secondary computer I could run from my living room without having a laptop melting its way into my groin.
Now that I've got it set up right, I'm becoming increasingly happy with my purchase. However, the difficulty of upgrading the memory is just inexcusible. Laptops have a simple access port on the bottom where memory can be swapped out, and Apple should have put a similar port on the bottom of the Mini. That way, you could upgrade without cracking the case, and without voiding the warranty. And the case itself shouldn't require a spackle knife to open!
Especially for those who like to customize peripherals (4+ stars) March 16, 2008
Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA)
27 out of 33 found this review helpful
This little Mac CPU is perfect for people who want a powerful but inexpensive CPU without the frills. Just 2.5" high and 6.5" square, it fits almost anywhere: on a desk, in a drawer, on a narrow shelf. The unit comes with a Mac SuperDrive for burning and playing DVD/CDs, a remote control, BlueTooth technology, the iLife Suite (iPhoto, iTunes, Garage Band, Photo Booth, iMovie, etc.), and the newest OS X Leopard (on CDs, not installed.) That's it. You have to buy your own keyboard, mouse, monitor, and anything else you'd like to add.
Pros:
-- This little guy is fast and reliable. The 1 GB RAM is good enough for most users, although you can expand to 2 GB. (See Cons.)
-- Size. No more towers!
-- Leopard is utterly fantastic. Make sure you take the "tour" to fully appreciate its capabilities and features since many aren't immediately obvious. It allows easy sharing of files within a network, wireless or otherwise, automatics back-ups to an external hard drive (purchase separately) that can be accessed according to a specific date and time, and in-network video conferencing (again, you have to supply the web cam.) My favorite feature is setting my computer to turn on at the same time every day so it's ready to go when I walk into my home office.
-- The no-frills package allows users to buy their preferred size of monitor. Since monitors bought separately usually cost far less than what Apple charges, this ends up being a cost saver as well. The Apple keyboard works best with the Mac mini since there's a special key for ejecting CD/DVDs, but any keyboard will do.
Cons
-- The memory upgrade is not as easy as it should be. Look online for detailed instructions, including removing the Blue Tooth antenna. (Ignore instructions for the old version of the Mac Mini.) You'll have to take the unit partially apart to get to the memory slots. If you are at all intimidated by working inside a computer, get the extra memory pre-installed.
-- The power button is on the back of the machine, while the Super Drive slot is in the front. This means that the unit must be accessible, both front and back, unless you set the system to turn on automatically. This is the main reason I cannot give this unit five stars.
-- The Super Drive is noisy when it starts up.
For people who want to keep their current monitor and other peripherals, the Mac Mini is an excellent and economical choice. If you need to buy all the accessories, the price can start to add up, and you might want to look at a different computer. Even so, the small size can be a huge bonus for those who are short on space.
I love my Mac Mini, and I've never regretted purchasing it.
Great standalone machine December 12, 2007
Ken Tang (Berkeley, CA United States)
19 out of 22 found this review helpful
This is my first ever Apple computer product that I purchased and used.
The computer is really small and it sits on the corner of my desk. I put my office phone on top of it to hide it from view. The phone fits perfectly atop of the Mac mini. I have attached a Windows USB keyboard and it works fine. The windows logo key becomes the Apple logo key, and the alt key becomes the command key. I also attached to one of the USB port a 2-button w/scroll wheel optical mouse. It works fine, including the right-click. I never will understand why Mac users prefer a 1-button mouse, but I digress.
I have a 22" monitor hooked up to my Mac mini. It is a 22" Samsung 225BW monitor with 1680x1050 resolution and looks nice. I think I read it can support up to a 24" monitor, however, don't taze me, bro!
The model I purchased came with OS X 10.4 and it worked fine out of the box. I then upgraded to OS X 10.5 by doing a full install, which means it wiped out the hard drive and started from scratch. I have read people having some problems doing the upgrade method so I avoided that method.
As a standalone machine, it works fine. Performance is fine for only 1GB of RAM. The network was easy to set up. My network printers were easy to add. Installing software is as simple as dragging-and-dropping.
In conclusion, I still think the Mac is overpriced for the specs you get. For the amount spent on this machine, you could buy better hardware. With the Apple Mac mini, you are basically paying for looks, size, and support. For this I would give it 4 stars.
I did have some Leopard OS problems, but I will post my Leopard OS problems on the Amazon Leopard OS review page since the little machine physically works fine.
Thanks for reading
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