Apple Mac Mini review

It's small, stylish and a great little performer to boot - and it runs Windows.

As small as they are, the size of most small form factor PCs is still constrained by the need to contain a 3.5in hard disk, a 5.25in optical drive and one or more expansion cards. Ditch those (and forego any hope of 3D gaming) and you can get a much smaller computer - just like the Evesham Mini PC, in fact. If you fancy something altogether more stylish though, how about a Mac Mini?

No, we're not advocating that you abandon Windows and switch to Mac OS X - all Macs have been able to run Windows XP (and now Windows Vista) since Apple started using Intel processors. Apple's free Boot Camp application automatically re-partitions the Mac Mini's hard disk to run both OS X and XP, and even burns a Mac driver disk for when the installation is complete. The whole process is simple and takes no more than an hour, then you can choose to boot either OS X or Windows XP at will.

The Evesham may have the edge in terms of basic specification - twice the memory and a Core 2 Duo processor - but the Core Duo chip inside the Mini still has plenty of clout. Unfortunately, its performance is seriously hindered by the stock 512MB of memory (with 64MB taken up by the onboard graphics) and paying £50 for an upgrade to 1GB is seriously recommended. You do get a bundled remote control though, for use with the excellent Front Row media centre application for using the Mini with a TV.

You'll need to spend a little more to make the Mac Mini work as a PC - £65 for an OEM copy of Windows XP Home. This still leaves the Mini £155 cheaper than the Evesham and that's more than enough for a good TFT monitor.

So, if you fancy two tiny computers in one and don't mind missing out on a Core 2 Duo chip, the Mac Mini could be just what you are looking for.