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Let me start first-off that product loyalty is important to me. Marketers love me. When something impresses me with quality, I stick with it.

I made the switch. I still hate the commercials, but I love my new, fast, ready-to-get-to-work computer and if you'll allow me, take you on the journey I took to get here.

My last Windows computer died of natural causes last week. It's not the first Windows PC that did that to me, but this time it was *different*. For months I knew it was barely chugging to the next day, but I kept crossing my fingers every time I hit the "ON" button. It was old, obsolete and completely not worth upgrading, but I stuck with it because I loved Windows XP and the familiar wheeze of an old machine coming back to life. I've had many computers and started with MS-DOS and made the trip all the way through Windows 95, 98, 2000, and XP. I am not a Microsoft hater. I like their products and appreciate their contribution to personal computing.

I built PCs and considered myself a decent techie. Until Vista. I hate Vista. The bloat, the driver situation, and the lack of compelling reasons to upgrade to an OS told me that this was not an improvement over XP. I searched for an XP loaded machine (computers are so cheap now, building one from scratch was out of the question) and came up with some choices that sucked less than others, but nothing to my satisfaction. Again, I could build one as a project but I needed one for work and remembered the last nightmare I had mounting a RAID array for a gaming computer and have been on the wagon since then. That project was like a DoD contract that went overbudget and overboard very, very quickly.

Finally I stopped by the local Apple store and found this odd looking napkin boxed shaped "computer" called the Mac Mini and laughed. Was that a toy? Does a Kleenex come out of it? Ok, I said to myself. I'll be thorough. So, I took a test drive, fully expecting to walk away with a snarky comment on the Mac Mini. I opened the applications and had no idea what I was fooling with, but soon got into the groove and found myself spending serious time with the applications. The Mac staff (I think they were called "Geniuses"?) kept coming buy trying to sell me a computer, but I wanted to keep on test driving it, opening up the applications and doing my best to fend off other people looking over my shoulder.

When I left, I could hear the collective sigh of the "Geniuses," and came back later. I wanted a Mac Mini and wanted them to add 1 GB of RAM. I wasn't happy that they discouraged you from doing this on your own and apparently you void your warranty for even trying to open the box. Fine. I had a spare monitor and compatible pointing device at home. I'd need a Mac Bluetooth keyboard and got one (see my other review).

A week later I am happily integrating my Apple mail program with web mail and installing Firefox. Safari is a nice Apple Internet browser, but not my cup of coffee. I like Firefox more. I picked up the Missing Sync application for my Pocket PC PDA and found drivers for my printer and scanner. I downloaded OpenOffice.org to replace MS Office, which I had already been phasing out of my life. Google Documents is also part of my toolbox, so "cloud computing" is already something I am comfortable with doing. For desktop publishing, I armed myself with a new copy of Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro and was ready to go to work.

Within a few days I was back in business. My dead HP laptop lies in state in a box awaiting scavenging. Maybe it will lie there forever like Chairman Mao or Lenin or like Countrywide Financial Corporation's Living Mummy/CEO Angelo Mozilo.

I can also imagine that someday it will find itself atop a pile collected by WALL-E. I won't be there, I'll be dead and happy that I walked into a pretentious looking Mac store one sweltering summer afternoon with a low expecations and left with a little white plastic bag holding a 3 lb. computer only a few hours later (it took 1.5 hours for them to install the extra GB). Yes, it is worth installing that 1 GB.

Apple Mac mini MB138LL/A (1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive)I have used a PC for many years: My first PC was a 1987 Zenith, the first portable on the market and a weighty 18 lbs: with DOS. I am on my 5th PC.

Since this was my first Apple computer, a MAC Mini, I decided to spend the $150 for a 3 years tech-service and warranty.

1) During research on Apple's website on the Mac Mini I noted that the applications in Leopard did NOT include a word-processor. I entered a search "word processor" but the only result was their iWorks an added cost option of $ 80. A friend who has an iMac told me the name of the software is "TextEdit". I was told at the Dallas Apple store that TextEdit is in fact part of the Leopard offering and was confirmed by an on-line chat. No where on Apple's website is a users manual listed. After I setup my Mac I checked out TextEdit and found it comparable to Windows WordPad: This was confirmed in a borrowed "Mac for Dummies." I have used Word-Perfect and Microsoft's Works & Word and expected that TextEdit was similar. Apple was too ashamed to list TestEdit in Leopard, but for a reason: When you get your Mac they have a sucker-punch offer for you: You get a free 30-day trial of their word processor. So, I gotta lay out $80 extra for their iWorks word processor. Not a good way to earn creditability with a first-time customer.
2) During my telecom with a Tech, I was given instructions on how to install my Logitech wireless 2-year old keyboard/mouse which is designed for OS X. Some 20 minutes was spent on the installation process and the Rep gave up saying: Your keyboard/mouse can NOT be installed. We than installed my old hard-wired keyboard/mouse. So, now I have a $100 Logitech paper-weight. So far I have "lost" $100 on buying the Mini, and will need to spend another $80 for iWorks. Total now: $180
3) When I visited the Apple Store for a second time, I asked what `preparation work' must I do to make my Works files capable of migrating to TextEdit. He said, and later confirmed by an Apple instructor, that I would need to change the code from ".wps" to either ".doc" or ".txt"
I told the telecom Tech that I wanted to migrate some of my Works files, and told him about the scenario involving "change wps: to doc or txt" And he responded you need to call Microsoft for instructions on how to migrate "Works files." More $$ need to be added to my un-expected incremental increase of $180. Only once did I find it necessary to spend $40 for a Microsoft engineer's "fix" of my computer: money well spent. I told the Rep that I spent $150 for your Apple Care Protection Plan, which now is very apparent that I needlessly spent $150 for being told, "we are not capable of installing your OS X wireless keyboard/mouse" And "We at Apple are not capable of migrating your word-processor files, but for more $$ I could buy Apple software to accomplish this. On their website the following information is found: Copying the files from your PC onto external or removable to storage media and then use that media in your Mac to transfer the files to your hard drive. And, further states: If you don't want to install Windows and Boot Camp on your Mac, you can move just your Windows files to your new Mac and use them with Mac applications. This is a lotta Apple B.S. Again, I told 5 Apple "experts" that I only want to migrate some Works files and Pictures to iPhoto. After all this disappointment with Apple I did not find it worthwhile to talk about iPhoto. The Tech-Rep was pleased that I took the time to fill out two forms: "email account settings for my mac" and "My Mac Cheat Sheet."
4) Notoriously absent from their website is any information regarding internet security software (Search), yet other companies offer it is for sale. My own Trend-Micro just announced the availability of Mac software.
5) On my 4th startup, the keyboard & mouse would NOT function.

So here is my tally of "$ 370 down-the-toilet," if I choose to keep the MacMini:
$ 100 wireless keyboard/mouse: great software; + $ 80 iWorks; + $ 40 Microsoft Engineer; + $ 150 AppleCare." Bogus "truth in advertising" on website.

-- unanswered is: Will I find in the future, a need to spend more money for Apple's internet-security ? Stay turned for an expected announcement from Apple on its new internet security software.
UPS just picked up the MAC Mini.

I am very much happy with this product ! just need to extend the RAM to 2 GB ;-)

I have been a Mac user on and off over the years. Like Mac better, but overpriced. I decided to try the Mac Mini with my 40 inch LCD and Voila! I now have a Mac with a 40 inch screen with WiFi and linking to ITunes and Internet with Safari and Leopard. Easy as pie. My daughter uses this in the living room and it adds another computer to the household for little money. Not a powerhouse, but if you want to use for surfing and other non-heavy duty purposes, this is the way to get back to Mac. Wireless keyboard and mouse allow us to sit on couch and use with ease and comfort. Very glad I purchased! I am writing this on my Compaq notebook and have an old E Machine too. Like the Mac Mini the best. If Apple ever lowers their notebook prices to more competitive prices, I will buy then. Hope this helps.

Not much to say here, other than I am replacing all of my PC's with Macs. This is long overdue, and I hope to never lay hands on a Windows based machine again. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Microsoft is the devil. Get out while you can!

btw...you can upgrade the RAM in the Mac Mini very easily with a couple of putty knives and an order from Newegg. There are guides all over the internet showing you step by step how to do it. Saves you hundreds!