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Consumer Reports: mini "Too Basic?"; Shuffle Given Good Marks

First on TMO - Consumer Reports: mini "Too Basic?"; Shuffle Given Good Marks

by , 7:00 AM EDT, April 18th, 2005

Apple's Mac mini is an "adequate" and "basic" personal computer while the iPod shuffle offers "appealing" performance, according to mini reviews by Consumer Reports magazine.

The independent, nonprofit consumer testing group reports in its May issue on two of Apple's newest products, announced in early January. Its conclusions were neither positive or negative toward the Mac mini, but primarily upbeat about the iPod shuffle.

Looking at their overall value, Consumer Reports testers questioned whether the Mac mini at either US$499 or $599 are "a little too basic."

While CR concluded the PowerPC G4 processor and its standard 256 megabytes of memory is "adequate for basic computing," the added expense of a mouse, monitor, and keyboard could "hike the mini's price past $1,000".

"Other upgrades, such as increasing memory or adding stereo speakers or a wireless network card, may well be a necessary added expense," CR testers said.

The magazine said the shuffle was "the lightest player we've seen" and offered "the performance that makes full-sized iPods so appealing."

CR ranked the shuffle's ear-bud headphones "among the best we've tested," but the subcompact music player not as good as some other competitors when it came to battery life before another charge.

"The iPod shuffle offers a very inexpensive and simply way to enjoy music on the go," reviewers concluded. "But choose it only if you value compactness and low price over versatility."

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Close Name:Jonkun227 Posts: 238 Joined: 02 Mar 2004
Sat Apr 23, 2005 5:03 pm Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
I, guest, have such a small penis I dare not log in and allow anyone to know anything about me. I prefer to make unfounded and illogical statements in a sarcastic fashion. I've never actually used a Mac, but I enjoy Trolling around and pretending I have a clue.


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Close Name:Guest
Sat Apr 23, 2005 11:17 pm Subject:

Quote
Jonkun227 wrote:
Quote
Guest wrote:
I, Jonkun227, have such a small penis I dare not compare mine to anyone else's. I prefer to make unfounded and illogical statements about Windows in a sarcastic fashion. I've never actually used Windows, but I enjoy saying that's it bloated and inferior to Macs because Steve Holiness said so.


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Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 3149 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:05 am Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
Quote
Intruder wrote:

I, Troll Cop, actually admit the Mini is seriously outdated. However, I don't think you can honestly claim that the G5 Powermacs are far behind the curve, actually more than year behind, because they haven't been updated for so long! I'm actually depressed because I paid a huge chunk of money for my machine, and I can't do anything else with it.


Ahh! There is my pet troll! Thought he was ignoring my posts when he didn't immediately modify them!

Good to have him around. I love reading his nonsensical rantings! Keep it up!


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Close Name:Guest
Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:42 am Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
Quote
Jonkun227 wrote:
Quote
Guest wrote:
I, Jonkun227, have such a small penis I dare not compare mine to anyone else's. I prefer to make unfounded and illogical statements about Windows in a sarcastic fashion. I've never actually used Windows, but I enjoy saying that's it bloated and inferior to Macs because Steve Holiness said so.

Dude, that was weak. You simply copied his dis.

Go suck the 'Microsoft' thing Bill Gates' has in his pants.


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Close Name:Jonkun227 Posts: 238 Joined: 02 Mar 2004
Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:41 am Subject:

What's really funny about it is I just switched to a mac less than a month ago. He couldn't be more wrong. And he STILL didn't log in. Thanks for making my point better than I could have!


- Jon


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Close Name:Guest
Sun Apr 24, 2005 7:55 am Subject:

Quote
Jonkun227 wrote:
What's really funny about it is I just switched to a mac less than a month ago. And now it will be even quicker for me switching back to Windows! . I didn't have a point for my last post. I don't know what I mean by you helping my post. I can't believe no one is here to help me think!

- Jon


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Close Name:AFCdtLoeb Posts: 2533 Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Sun Apr 24, 2005 4:10 pm Subject:

I'm confused. I buy whatever CR tells me to, but I buy whatever Macs I can... My head hurts.


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