What’s the Greatest Thing About the New Mac Mini?
By Howard Berenbon
So, you just purchased your first real Macintosh. Why, because the Mac has a history of being easy to use, has great graphics, and is always innovative, either for the software available and hardware innovation (touch screens, the mouse—Apple’s invention, compactness, portability, etc.). And, the Apple, now comparable in price to a Windows PC, usually performs much better. Some say, if you run two similar machines side by side, you might find that the Mac beats the PC to the finish line. Also, Mac people say that the software designed for their machine is usually easier to use and is more intuitive. And, this is probably true, at least in my experience with past Macs and now with the new Mac Mini. It’s seems to speed along a lot faster than any of my newer PCs, within applications and on the Internet, and it’s cool and easy to use, no manual required.
Enter the iTunes Store
But, what I’ve found to be the coolest feature on this Mac (and also part of the Apple iPod and iPad experience) is the way you can access the Apple Store to get their latest and digital creations. Just click the iTunes icon on your desktop and just a few seconds later you’ll enter the world of unlimited software, books, games, videos and music titles available for immediate download, with lots of free stuff for the taking. Of course, you’ll need to have your credit card on file with the iTunes Store if you decide to make a purchase, but that’s okay, because if you want something, you can get it right away, as fast as a click of your mouse. You definitely won’t have trouble picking what you want because you’ll have access to over 28 million titles, including songs, ebooks, games (many are free), software applications (try a free police scanner that covers the world), podcasts (from NPR and more), audio books, videos covering every genre, and you don’t have to leave your home to make the purchase. Of course, if you’re mobile, you can still download your favorite titles into your Apple mobile device (iPhone, iPad, iPod), and you can do it anytime, and from anywhere you are, you just need Internet access. Now a days, you can get free Wi-Fi Internet access from lots of places like restaurants, bars, Times Square in New York City (a few years ago we booked a cruise right in Times Square using my iPad—Wi-Fi was free from AT&T), college and universities, etc. Of course, if you have an iPhone, you can access the iTunes Store from anywhere, no need for a Wi-Fi connection.
