[OT] More info on upgrading the Mac mini

["Ward, David" <DAvid.Ward@xxxxxxxxxx>]

For those of you considering it, here is somemore info on opening and
upgrading the mini

Dave


Readers offered more detail about the accessibility of the Mac Mini (and
its
power supply); it's just the opposite of the iMac G5 approach:

[Chris Waldrip] In response to Mitch Stone's question about getting into
the
Mac Mini. I asked a rep at the Apple booth about it. There are no screws;
the bottom and back port panel are one piece; the other three sides and the
top are a second piece. To separate them you need a special plastic
spatular-like tool. Plastic tabs hold the two pieces together. All much
like
the iPods. I'm sure you'll be able to use something similar like an old
credit card.

1.     Apple "does not recommend" that users upgrade the memory
themselves - you're supposed to have a service provider do it if you want
to
add more after purchase - but doing it yourself does not void the warranty
unless you damage something. A booth person told me the memory slot is
easily accessible once you get the case open.

2.     The hard drives are 2.5-inch (notebook drives) - that's why
Apple isn't offering higher capacities (80 GB is about the largest
available, at least in volume, in the 2.5-inch format). The booth person
said she thought the Apple drives spin at 5,400 rpm, but she wasn't sure,
and I haven't found any confirmation. The drive isn't readily accessible,
so
even when larger capacities become available, upgrading won't be easy.

3.     You can add AirPort Extreme for $79 and/or Bluetooth for $50
if you're ordering the Mini from the Apple Store, but if you want to add
wireless later, your only choice will be a kit that includes both AirPort
Extreme and Bluetooth for about $129 ($112 to dealers). This stuff also is
not user-installable, supposedly because it involves adding antennas as
well
as cards.