New: The lean, clean little Mac

This time Apple's got us family computer users in mind for sure. Yesterday it introduced the Mac Mini, and it really is mini in terms of both price and size (here are photos at CNET). Priced at $499 and $599 (for an 80-GB hard drive instead of 40-GB), it's "a tiny machine with a processor, hard drive and optical drive - you supply the monitor, mouse and keyboard," CNET reports. According to the New York Times, "while computers have long been sold as machines that can turn a home into an office, most Americans now use them in their bedrooms and kitchens as e-mail terminals; as hubs for playing music, storing and editing photos; and as stations for navigating the Web.... [The Mini] is aimed squarely at the needs of this new digital household." But not just because of its size and price (which, with peripherals will be closer to $1,000 than $500), methinks. They'll just clinch the switch to Apple for a lot of families looking for simpler, more pest-free computing and surfing experiences. I'm seeing very little about this key PC-security aspect of what Apple offers in the mountain of media coverage the Mini announcement got worldwide. For families with care-free young surfers downloading all kinds of stuff, computer security is becoming huge. Here's the BBC, PC Magazine, and the Washington Post's roundup of many other reports. (BTW: If you buy one of these and don't mind using an old PC monitor you have lying around the house, you can really keep the cost down - a spanking-new Apple mouse and keyboard can be had for about $60.)

This just in (1/13): Here's an excellent analysis at CNET, comparing (in terms of price) a fully tricked-out Mac Mini to a Dell, Gateway, or HP PC with all the features a typical family would want (e.g., monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers). The Mini comes out to about $100 more (but less if you already have a monitor you can plug into it). BTW, this is the only piece I've seen that addresses the Mini's PC security advantage, saying a lot of people who find themselves doing all the family tech support may just go out and buy one (out of their allowance!). ;-)