Which Apple desktop should I buy?
From Mac Guides
Deciding which Apple desktop is the best for you can be a tricky decision. This guide consolidates all the important information into one handy page to help you make that decision.
Contents |
Release Cycle
Before considering a certain model, checking the MacRumors Buyer's Guide is highly recommended. The buyer's guide estimates when a model will be updated by using past release cycle data, therefore letting you know when is the best time to buy.
Overview
| Mac mini | Small, quiet and affordable. Works great as a secondary computer or as a first Mac to help introduce you to the platform. Unfortunately, the Mac mini has seen very few revisions, leaving the current model outdated and poor value for money when compared to the rest of the Macs. |
| iMac | The latest iMacs are fast, quiet and great value for money. Huge screens and a sleek aluminium case complete the eye-catching package. |
| Mac Pro | Apple's most powerful Macs feature 8-cores of processing power and a lot of room for expansion. Designed to handle even the heaviest of tasks. |
Comparison - Price
| Mac mini | iMac | Mac Pro | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-end | High-end | 20" | High-end 20" | 24" | High-end 24" | Standard | |
| USD | $599 | $799 | $1,199 | $1,499 | $1,799 | $2,199 | $2,799 |
| GBP | £399 | £499 | £799 | £949 | £1,149 | £1,389 | £1,749 |
| AUD | $849 | $1,148 | $1,599 | $1,999 | $2,399 | $2,999 | $3,999 |
| CND | $649 | $849 | $1,299 | $1,599 | $1,899 | $2,299 | $2,899 |
For many, the most important factor is price. Remember to leave some extra money spare for BTO options such as extra RAM and bigger HDDs, especially if you are purchasing a Mac Pro.
Comparison - Power
| Mac mini | iMac | Mac Pro | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-end | High-end | 20" | High-end 20" | 24" | High-end 24" | Standard | |
| Processor | 1.83 GHz Core 2 Duo | 2 GHz Core 2 Duo | 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo | 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo | 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo | 3.06 GHz Core 2 Extreme | 2x 2.8 GHz Quad-core Intel Xeon "Harpertown" |
| 2 MB L2 cache, 667 MHz FSB | 4 MB L2 cache, 667 MHz FSB | 6 MB L2 cache, 1066 MHz FSB | 24 MB L2 cache, 1600 MHz FSB | ||||
| Standard RAM | 1 GB | 2 GB | |||||
| Max RAM | 3 GB | 4 GB | 32 GB | ||||
| Graphics | Intel GMA 950 | ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT - 128 MB GDDR3 | ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro - 256 MB GDDR3 | NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS - 512 MB GDDR3 | ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT - 256 MB GDDR3 | ||
A faster processor will show improvements in almost all applications. However, even the 1.83 GHz Mac mini has enough power to run light applications such as web browsers, word processors and presentation software almost as quickly as a high-end iMac. Differences will only be discernible when running multiple applications or more demanding applications. The Mac mini uses a Merom Core 2 Duo while the iMac uses a preliminary version of the Montevina platform Core 2 Duos, which offer a significant performance boost over a similarly clocked Merom processor. Mac Pros use two Intel Quad-Core Xeon processors for a total of 8 processing cores. This provides massive performance gains providing the software can utilise all the cores.
More RAM also improves speed when multitasking or running heavy apps. Not enough RAM can cause your system to slow down and "hang". It is recommended that you get as much RAM as you can afford. Only the Mac mini and low-end iMac come with 1 GB of RAM while all other models come with 2 GBs of standard RAM. 2 GBs is enough for most users, but those with more demanding needs are recommended to get as much as they can afford.
Finally, the Mac mini uses integrated graphics unlike the other desktop Macs which use dedicated graphics. If the user plans on playing any quite recent games, a Mac mini is not recommended. For those who plan on playing games, the low-end iMac is capable of playing fairly new games on low settings only. Those with the HD 2600 Pro are able to run new games quite well and an iMac with an 8800 GS should be able to handle most games.
The Mac Pro can be customized to include a GeForce 8800 GT or a Radeon HD 3870. The GeForce is slightly faster in games, but the Radeon has an advantage in Core Image performance, which allows it to perform faster in applications like Motion and iMovie. A Quadro FX 5600 with 1.5 GBs of VRAM is also available but only recommended for workstation usage.
Comparison - Features
| Mac mini | iMac | Mac Pro | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-end | High-end | 20" | High-end 20" | 24" | High-end 24" | Standard | |||
| Display | Up to 1920x1200 (DVI) or 2048x1536 (VGA) | 1680x1050 | 1920x1200 | Up to 2x 30" Apple Cinema Displays | |||||
| Storage | 80 GB | 120 GB | 250 GB | 320 GB | 500 GB | 320 GB | |||
| Optical Drive | ComboDrive | 8x DL SuperDrive | 16x DL SuperDrive | ||||||
| Wireless | Wi-Fi (802.11g) and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR | Wi-Fi (802.11n) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR | Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR | ||||||
| Ports | 4x USB 2.0, 1x FW 400 | 3x USB 2.0, 1x FW 400, 1x FW 800 | 5x USB 2.0, 2x FW 400, 2x FW 800 | ||||||
The iMac is Apple's only desktop to include a display. Both the Mac mini and Mac Pro are stand-alone machines and if necessary, the additional purchase of a display should be factored into the budget. A possible downside is that the iMac uses a glossy display which provides high contrast, but suffers from additional glare which some may find distracting. The iMac is also capable of extended desktop mode when connected to an external display (up to 1920x1200). The Mac Pro can be customized to include up to four ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics cards allowing up to eight 30" Apple Cinema Displays to be used with a single Mac Pro.
A variety of Hard Drive sizes are available for all machines. However, the largest capacity for the Mac mini is currently just 160 GBs - a very small amount when compared to the iMac's 1 TB and the Mac Pro's 4 TBs.
Currently, the iMac is the only Apple desktop to include 802.11n as standard. The Mac mini includes 802.11g as standard and the Mac Pro only has 802.11n as an optional extra. 802.11n is significantly faster and offers better range than 802.11g.
Only the low-end mini includes a ComboDrive (read and writes CD/ reads DVDs), the rest of the Mac desktop lineup boast a SuperDrive (read and write both CDs and DVDs). The Mac Pro includes a faster 16x DL SuperDrive and has a spare bay for an additional optical drive.
How to Make An Informed Decision
Obviously technical details cannot be enough to help buyers arrive at the right decision for them. As such, it is advisable that you consider your needs carefully. It is perhaps best to start with a list of features you believe you must have in order to do what you need/want to do with your Mac. If, for example, DVD burning is an activity you engage in often or you want an all-in-one model, you can eliminate certain models.
