Discount Computer -  Reviews, Ratings and Buy Desktop Computer, Desktop PC , Notebook Computers, Desktop Computers, Discount Computer Stores
 Location:  Home » Desktop Computers » Apple Mac Mini MC438LL/A Server  
Categories
Desktop Computers
Laptop Computers

Apple Mac Mini MC438LL/A Server

Apple Mac Mini MC438LL/A Server

enlarge enlarge 

Other Views:
Brand: Apple
Category: Personal Computer

List Price: $999.00
Buy New: $969.99
You Save: $29.01 (3%)



New (5)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 5 reviews
Sales Rank: 330

Media: Personal Computers
Number Of Items: 1
Operating System: Apple MacOS X Server 10.6 Unlimited-Client Edition
Processors: 1
System Bus Speed: 1066
System Memory: 4000
Memory Type: DDR SDRAM
Hard Drive Size: 1000
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Modem: None
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5
Dimensions (in): 10.5 x 10.3 x 5.5
Warranty: 1 year warranty

MPN: MC438LL/A
Model: MC438LL/A
UPC: 885909371686
EAN: 0885909371686
ASIN: B0013FO7TQ

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Features:
  • 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
  • 4 GB of 1066MHz DDR3 memory
  • NVIDIA GeForce 320M Graphics
  • Dual 500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard Drives
  • SD card slot; Four USB 2.0 ports; One FireWire 800 port 

Accessories:

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8
Adobe Photoshop Elements 8
Norton 360 4.0 1 User (3 PC)
Norton 360 4.0 1 User (3 PC)
Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 3-User
Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 3-User
Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade [Home Premium to Professional]
Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade [Home Premium to Professional]

Similar Items:

AppleCare Protection Plan MC260LL/A - Mac Mini
AppleCare Protection Plan MC260LL/A - Mac Mini
Apple Macbook Air SuperDrive (MB397G/A)
Apple Macbook Air SuperDrive (MB397G/A)
Apple Wireless Keyboard (Retail Packaging)
Apple Wireless Keyboard (Retail Packaging)
Apple Magic Mouse
Apple Magic Mouse
Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server For Dummies
Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server For Dummies

Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Mac mini Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66GHz, 4GB DDR3 memory, Dual 500GB SATA hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet, SD card slot, HDMI, Mac OS X Server Snow Leopard

Amazon.com Product Description

Redesigned with a sleek unibody aluminum enclosure and adding improved graphics and an HDMI video output, the Apple Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server offers more storage, more memory options, and better energy efficiency than any other desktop server--all inside an elegant 1.4-inch-tall, 7.7-inch square. It's packed with a faster Intel Core 2 Duo processor and next-generation NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics as well as 4 GB of RAM (expandable to 8 GB) and dual 500 GB hard drives.



The Apple Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server.

Officially, the Mac mini is a desktop computer. But because it can go places no other desktop can go, it's been used everywhere from boats to server rooms, as the heart of an entertainment center--and even to power robots. Small, elegant, and unassuming, the redesigned Mac mini features an all-new, 1.4-inch-thin unibody enclosure that's carved from a single, solid block of aluminum. And the Mac mini is a greener machine, as it consumes less than 10 watts--a 25 percent reduction from the previous generation.

It comes pre-loaded with Apple's Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Server operating system--offering 64-bit power and up to twice as fast as its predecessor. You'll get faster performance for operations such as file sharing, mail, and web hosting, and Snow Leopard Server makes it easy to collaborate on projects, access information remotely, distribute podcasts, and more.

Key Specifications

  • Fast 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor helps you breeze through everyday tasks such as emailing, web browsing, and working with documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in iWork or Microsoft Office for Mac (both sold separately).
  • NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor (with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory) for an outstanding everyday graphics experience. (Learn more)
  • Dual 500 GB hard drives (7200 RPM)
  • 4 GB installed RAM (1066 MHz DDR3; supports up to 8 GB)
  • Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
  • Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000BASE-T)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones.
  • Four USB 2.0 ports
  • One FireWire 800 port
  • HDMI audio/video output with support for up to 1920-by-1200 resolution and multichannel audio output (included adapter for DVI output).
  • Mini DisplayPort video output with support for up to 2560-by-1600 resolution (optional adapter for VGA output).
  • Combined optical digital output/headphone output (also includes line-in/microphone jack)
  • Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot
  • Dimensions: 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4 inches (WxDxH)
  • Weight: 2.8 pounds
What's in the Box

Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server; power cord; HDMI to DVI Adapter; install/restore DVDs; printed and electronic documentation

Limited Warranty And Service

The Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer's purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts.

Key Features

Designed to be a server for your business (or busy home), the Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server replaces the SuperDrive with two 500 GB, 7200-rpm hard drives that give you all the storage you need to help your group work more efficiently than ever. It's perfect for any small business or group--retail shops, medical and law offices, classrooms, design studios. Now you can have your own server that supports email on Mac computers, PCs, iPhone, and iPad. Sync and share calendars and contact information.

Ready. Set up. Go.

The Mac is famously easy to use, and so is Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server. That makes it perfect for people who've never run a server before, or for overtaxed IT departments. Server Assistant will walk you through the setup process step by step. And if you want help at any stage, just click the ? icon for more information.

Tools like Server Preferences let you quickly set up all your key services and manage users and groups. And a Server Status Dashboard widget makes it easy to keep an eye on the status of services such as email, file sharing, web hosting, and more.

Advanced network hardware and software make it incredibly simple to integrate Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server into any Mac or PC environment. And it's compatible with a wide range of displays, keyboards, mice, and other peripherals, so you can put it to work with the equipment you already have.

Take It to the Big Screen

It's easy to connect Mac mini to the biggest screen--your HDTV--courtesy of a built-in HDMI port. Plug in one HDMI cable and start enjoying content on your Mac mini in brilliant HD, like movies and TV shows from iTunes, the Internet, and your photo library. There's also a handy control that lets you easily adjust the output on Mac mini to fill even the biggest HDTV screen.

High Performance Graphics

With the new fast and energy efficient NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor--the fastest integrated graphics processor on the market today--the Mac mini delivers up to twice the performance of the previous generation thanks to its 48 processing cores and 256 MB of shared video memory. It brings more pixel-pushing power to the latest 3D games and graphics-intensive applications. And you'll notice a big difference when you work with high-resolution photos and high-definition video.

Slimmed Down Design, But Still Full of Ports

With the redesigned Mac mini's built-in power supply, there's no bulky brick and fewer cables to connect--which means Mac mini takes up even less space than before.

In addition to adding the HDMI port to complement the DisplayPort for video output, the Mac mini also brings a built-in SD card slot so you can grab photos and videos from your digital still or video camera.

Room to Grow

A removable panel on the bottom of Mac mini makes upgrading the memory virtually painless. And once you're inside, you'll see how clean and organized Mac mini is (see a larger image of the Mac mini's removable bottom).

Environmentally Friendly Design

One of the world's most energy-efficient desktop computer, the Mac mini is also highly recyclable and requires even less packaging than before.

The power supply for the Mac mini has been reduced from 110W to 85W and is now up to 90 percent efficient. Lower power consumption reduces energy bills and lessens the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. A built-in power supply means no plastic housing, less weight, and less cable clutter. It also allows Mac mini to take up 20 percent less space and fit into smaller packaging.

The Mac mini is also a great example of Apple's energy-efficient design philosophy. It uses less than 10 watts of power when idle — a 25 percent reduction from the previous generation. That's something no other desktop computer can do.

And the new Mac mini retail packaging is 35 percent smaller than the previous version. In addition, the mass of the shipping box has decreased by 15 percent. Which is better for the planet and means a smaller carbon footprint. It's one seemingly minor change. But it has a major positive impact on our environment.

ENERGY STAR Qualification

The Mac mini meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA, giving it ENERGY STAR qualification. ENERGY STAR 5.0 sets significantly higher efficiency limits for power supplies and aggressive limits for the computer's typical annual power consumption. Mac mini doesn't just meet the ENERGY STAR requirements, it meets them with an 80 percent margin.

EPEAT Gold Rating

Through its innovative and environmentally friendly design, Mac mini has earned the highest rating of EPEAT Gold. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT, evaluates the environmental impact of a product based on how recyclable it is, how much energy it uses, and how it's designed and manufactured.




Customer Reviews:
5 out of 5 stars Great Machine, Great Deal   June 19, 2010
Brian Stucki (Las Vegas, NV)
49 out of 51 found this review helpful

It's been a few days since these were announced and we've already installed 30 of them here at Macminicolo. (We host them as servers in our data center.) Here is what you need to know:

1) The image above is not correct (as of 6/18/10). This mini does not have an optical drive and instead has two hard drives. You can use optical drives of other Macs on your network though.

2) The two drives total 1TB. YOu can use them separate or in RAID configurations. New in this version are the 7200RPM drives (up from 5400 in the last version.

3) Apple now officially supports 8GB of RAM in these minis. Eight GB was unofficially supported in the last version, but did work fine.

4) These minis are quiet, don't get hot, and use hardly any power. Amazing build and design went into this machine.

5) If you buy this mini and want to upgrade the RAM, Apple has made it very easy. Just twist the bottom and put in the RAM. No tools required.

6) This Mac mini comes with an unlimited license of Snow Leopard Server. No yearly seat costs, not license per user. Totally unlimited.

7) The SD card slot can read SDXC. That's not a big deal now,but will definitely be so in the future. That standard can support up to 2TB. So, as that technology comes, this mini will be future proof. (In Theory, this means you could have 3TB of data in this mini. Incredible.)

8) The video card has been upgraded and is a great addition.

9) The power brick is now inside the Mac mini. (It used to be a huge white brick nearly the size of the mini itself.) This is very much welcome.
So overall, great machine. Nice to see the nice new look.



5 out of 5 stars Awesome server.   August 17, 2010
Ruben Lopez
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This is an amazing little box. I replaced a big loud HP server at my home office with the mac mini server in about a day. Not only am I able to host a site using Apache, PHP, and MySQL but I was able to install Windows Server 2008 using Parallels and host sites using IIS, ASP.NET, and MS Sql Server at the same time. You can get the best of both worlds using this server. I used Apple's USB ethernet adapter (which you can find on Amazon) to give the virtualized Windows Server it's own network interface so I can treat it as a completely separate entity on the firewall.

So far it's been running just fine with the 4 gigs of RAM but you do have the option to upgrade to 8 later if you need to.

I highly recommend this server to anyone who needs one at a home/small office. Even if you need to run Windows Server, this little box can handle it.

I do not recommend this for the average user, stick to the regular mac mini if you do not need a server.



5 out of 5 stars wrong pic - the server doesn't have a DVD drive   September 5, 2010
J. T. Cathey
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I think the pic is the desktop. The server doesn't have the DVD drive, requires external.


4 out of 5 stars A good machine - I use it as a sort of Home Theater PC/Home Server   August 28, 2010
Ziontrain (London)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I bought this Mac Mini Server basically because it was the quietest machine I could find that could also function as a HTPC/media player into my TV ( a projector actually). I could have bought the regular version but chose the server edition so that I could get a full 1TB of storage space, which allows me to also use this a as a quiet NAS for my home network.

Now I'm not really a computer geek but I liked the convenience this thing could offer. Setting it up wasn't easy but with some reading the manual as well as some guides on setting up OSX server I was able to succesfully set it up to play to my TV was well as to link up to the home network on my router so it can network with the three laptops we have in the house running Windows 7. So in that sense it doable for the average user, but you do have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and learn a bit about networking and server management. It's not stuff I knew about before - but I sure do now. That said, in all fairness the server control panel on this Mac Mini Server is a lot more user friendly than on my Windows server.

I wanted to control the Mac Mini server without having to turn on the projector that it feeds. I found that I could do this with a software called a VNC client. I use one by Mocha. I works perfectly well. As a backup to that I have a wireless Mac keyboard and trackpad, as well as an iphone VNC client. I would caution that the iphone VNC client is really mostly a gimmick, as the screen is very small and its really more useful for just checking that all is well than actually doing anything heavy duty. For real work the laptop-based VNC client is far better.

With the server set up with VLC media player and Plex, this box has replaced both my Squeezebox music and my Popcorn hour media player. Which is no mean feat, as both of those are pretty good in their own right.

Overall I'm pretty happy with this thing. It is dead silent sitting in my living room, yet it does everything I need. That's just a whole new ballgame when it comes to PC's to be honest.

The only criticism I would make is that so far there are no matching external hard drive out there that go with this new Mac Mini. So if you want to extend the storage then you have to either accept tacking on an ugly, non matching drive, or hiding the whole set up.

No, that's not true - I do have another criticism, which is that at a thousand dollars the price of this thing is quite high. That said, there simply are not other full power PCs that look this good or can operate at 14 decibels of silence in the middle of your living room, so I guess I didnt have a choice really. But I do hope more companies try to take Apple on here - so we can get this sort of thing cheaper!



4 out of 5 stars Only buy if you need a server   August 2, 2010
Edwaun L. Durkins
3 out of 6 found this review helpful

I brought this because it had a bigger hard drive and more memory but its meant for people who need a server. The average user should buy the regular Mac Mini.

ADS

Discount Computer

iscount Computer