Concentrated, not reduced, as Jonathan,
I’ve puts it. A 7.9in iPad 2 but with 4th generation features like Lightning
and new cameras. So practical.
A
7.9in iPad 2, but with 4th generation features like Lightning and new cameras.
Smart Cover/Case
Apple’s fold up front and all around cases
(the latter only for full size iPads) are clever, but there are lots of others
to choose from
Smart
Cover/Case
Lightning
Replacing the iPad 2’s 30 pin Dock, the
Lightning connector on the 4th gen and mini is neater, but old accessories will
need adaptors. 30-pin, USB, SD card, HDMI and VGA adaptors cost $22.5 to $58.5
each from Apple
New
Lightning Connector adaptors now available on Apple Store
Mac
Keyboard and mouse
Apple’s wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse
are included with all Macs except the Mac mini. If you want a wired keyboard
with a numeric keypad, opt for this when ordering. You can swap the mouse for a
MagicTrackpad at the same price, enabling more gestures.
Magic Trackpad
Apple doesn’t believe in desktop
touchscreens. Reaching out to tap and swipe a vertical Display feels so
unnatural that users of touchscreen PCs often report that they never use the
facility. Instead, Macs have the option of the Magic Trackpad, which accepts
similar gestures to those used on the iPad and other iOS devices while you look
at the monitor. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but many Mac users
are already converted.
If
you want a wired keyboard with a numeric keypad, opt for this when ordering
Magic Mouse
The surface of Apple’s latest mouse is a
multi-touch pad. Slide or flick one finger across it to scroll within apps;
swipe two fingers left or right to move forward and back for example, between
web pages in Safari. The left and right buttons are invisible, but click when
pressed. You may need to go to System Preferences > Mouse, tick Secondary
Click and choose Right to activate the right button.
Magic
Mouse
AppleCare
Macs come with 90 days’ free phone support
and a one year warranty. The optional AppleCare Protection Plan extends these
to three years. It doesn’t include accidental damage, and most faults are
already covered by your Sale of Goods Act rights, but it offers more repair
options (including on site for desktop Macs) and tech support. It’s
transferrable if you sell your Mac
Mac mini
The cheapest Mac, but just as remark able
as the rest.
No built in optical drive
If you want to install software or play
movies from DVD, add the external SuperDrive ($97.5)
If you need more than the standard 4GB of
RAM, order chips from a supplier such as crucial.com/uk to fit yourself it’s
easy. 16GB is the quoted maximum, although more might be possible
APPLE MC684ZM/A SuperDrive External
Graphics
All the Mac minis have enough Graphics
power for playing HD movies and modest 3D gaming, but there are no options for
a dedicated Graphics card comparable to the iMac’s NVIDIA GPUs.
NVIDIA,
the leading GPU manufacturer today announced new and much faster GeForce
GTX 680MX and GTX 675MX graphic processing chips for the latest Apple iMac
2012.
Display
Add Apple’s screen (opposite) or pick your
own: the mini has both DisplayPort and HDMI outputs. It’s the only desktop Mac
with HDMI built in, aimed at users wanting to connect it to their living room
HDTV set.
Configurations
Mac mini 2.5GHz
·
Price: $748.5
·
CPU: 2.5GHz Dual-core, Intel Core i5
·
RAM: 4GB
·
Hard disk: 500GB (no options)
·
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000
Best Deal
Mac mini 2.3GHz
·
Price: $1,018.5
·
CPU: 2.3GHz Dual-core Intel
·
Core i7 (2.6GHz i7 +$120), RAM 4GB
·
Hard disk: 1TB (Fusion drive +$300, 256GB SSD
+$360)
·
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000
Accessories
Do more with your Mac
AirPort Extreme
Price: $208.5
802.11n Wi-Fi router to connect all your
Macs and other devices to your ADSL modem or cable modem for internet access.
Includes USB 2 port to share a printer or external hard drive
Time Capsule
Price: $373.5/$598.5
Similar to AirPort Extreme, but with a 1TB
or 2TB Hard disk built in to back up your Mac(s) via Wi-Fi
AirPort Express
Price: $118.5
Connect a USB printer To Wi-Fi, stream
audio wirelessly from Mac or iOS to a Hi-Fi, extend your Wi-Fi network, or
quickly share a wired connection when away.
Mac mini with OS X Server
Mac
mini with OS X Server
·
Price: $1,273.5
·
CPU: 2.3GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7 (2.6GHz i7 +
$120)
·
RAM: 4GB
·
Hard disk: 2 × 1TB (256GB SSD +$240, 2 × 256GB
SSD +$720)
·
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 Supplied with
OS X Server licensed for unlimited clients
·
Keyboard and mouse Not included
