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In the last article in the Mac mini or Apple TV debate we looked in detail at the specifications of the two devices and at how they are similar to each other. Here we look at the differences between the two Apple products.
The major differences comes in two areas. The first concerns the Apple TV’s lack of processing power. Even the cheapest Mac mini has a much faster processor than the Apple TV device and this, coupled with only 256MB of RAM in the Apple TV allows the mini to display a resolution of 1080p compared to the Apple TV’s maximum resolution of 720p. In today’s market of ever increasing 1080p displays and the accompanying media we feel this one disadvantage is enough to rule out the TV for us.
The second major difference concerns the Apple TV’s lack of an integrated DVD drive. We appreciate that Apple intend the TV to play downloaded content via iTunes and sites like YouTube, but the inability to simply put on a CD or DVD is a major issue.
In addition to these two major differences, there are other factors that also aid to answer the Apple TV vs Mac mini argument. One concerns the ability of the mini to play more video formats than the ATV. The mini is able to handle Divx, Xvid and Mkv files straight out of the box, and being essentially a computer it is able to play many more formats with a little tweaking. The Apple TV on the other hand is limited to MP4 video. It would be possible to add further compatibility thanks to its PC based architecture, but owing to the lack of power and memory on offer this route may not be a worthwhile exercise.
The bulk free Mac mini features five USB ports that allow the connection of external hard drives to boost capacity, create back ups and connect external media such card readers and USB drives. The one USB port on the Apple TV is reserved for service and diagnostic purposes.
Being essentially a computer, the Mac mini also gives the user much more freedom to add features in terms of installing third party programs and utilities. There are many online resources to help with these functions. The mini also has the Safari internet browser allowing you to browser the web on your TV. This sort of functionality is only available on the Apple TV with a third party hack.
There are of course some disadvantages that both units suffer from, especially when compared to Windows or ubuntu based solutions. The first is the lack of space which prevents the installation of digital tuner cards that can turn a device into an all round media center solution. There are external digital USB2 tuners that could be added, but the Apple TV’s lack of power would probably exclude this device from such an upgrade. The mini would be fine with such a solution.
Neither products have Blu-ray disc playing capabilities, something which could be considered essential for some users. As with the turner card issue above, the mini could easily take an external Blu-ray drive via its USB 2.0 port. The Apple TV’s specification however probably wouldn’t cope with playing a Blu-ray movie.
In terms of price, the ATV is significantly cheaper than the Mac mini but, as illustrated above, the additional money gets you a lot more specification.
As for the winner of the Mac mini vs Apple TV battle then it’s got to be the hassle free Mac mini for us. If cost is your overriding concern and you must have an Apple product then you could consider the TV. A Mac mini still isn’t that expensive though considering what you get for your money and it will serve you for a lot longer that the Apple TV ever would. It is also a lot more flexible. You might have to put in a little more set up time, especially to make it more user-friendly for the whole family to use, but you will be rewarded with much better performance and a significantly wider range of abilities than the ATV would ever provide you with.
In conclusion, a free Mac mini is the better proposition. Despite the Apple TV’s low price, you also get a low specification. In fact, the specification is so inadequate that it is rendered almost obsolete with regards to carrying out certain tasks. If all you want to do is download iTunes sourced software and watch YouTube clips then it will serve you well, but we suspect anyone getting into the world of home cinema Macs will want to achieve a lot more with their hardware than is possible with this device.
Microsoft Office & Apple iTunes Running Under Linux (Ubuntu Jaunty) Using VirtualBox
