The new Mac mini should be the perfect computer for the lounge. Aesthetically, Apple had it spot-on with the last incarnation, and it has left things exactly as they were this time around. As for performance, the company’s recent processor switch leaves us with exactly what we’ve been demanding since the concept of a small form factor PC first appeared: a tiny machine with an Intel mobile chip inside it. That leaves software, and the Mac mini is the first system to use a new, improved version of Apple’s Media Center rival, Front Row, boasting a truly innovative addition. So, it looks like we have the complete package. There’s just one problem...

The Mac mini still doesn’t have a TV tuner. If you’re going to install a computer in your sitting room, the idea is that it will replace some of your existing kit. So, you don’t just want a tuner – you’d also like some decent PVR software, and perhaps some funky Internet-enabled extras. The fact that this machine won’t even display an analog picture is crippling.

This omission is deliberate, part of a far-reaching gameplan. If you’re familiar with Apple’s media player iTunes and its online music store, you’ll know that the company has started selling short, downloadable films. This scheme is more advanced in the US, where it’s providing people with successful shows such as Lost and Desperate Housewives on demand. CEO Steve Jobs’ focus is on the American market, and his vision clearly includes web-based TV, not the stuff through your aerial. The trouble is, Apple is providing neither option for the UK, so if you buy a Mac, you either do without, or you fork out extra cash for a third-party option. Hardly ideal.

Front Row seat
If you’re not familiar with Front Row, it’s essentially a remote-controlled front end to the excellent iLife suite, which comes free with every Mac. You can access music, photos and videos without leaving your sofa. The twist in the new release is network-based file sharing, through Apple’s Bonjour technology. Fire up Front Row, and you’ll see Shared Music, Shared Photos and Shared Videos options. As long as other users on the network have agreed to share their files, these links will provide you with all the media files on their computers, and allow you to play them just as easily as you would your own. In this way, the Mac mini can act as a digital hub, sourcing songs and images from other machines around the house.

The new software isn’t the only improvement. You may have been put off the first Mac mini by its remarkable lack of power. The PowerPC G4 processor ran cool and quiet, but it wasn’t up to anything more demanding than the odd Word document. The £599 version reviewed here now runs a 1.66GHz Core Duo, which more than matches its predecessor in the temperature and volume stakes, and also adds a decent level of power. The Mac mini will never be the world’s fastest computer, but at least you can now edit video without pausing every five minutes for the processor to catch up.

Don’t be confused by the benchmarks provided below. In last month’s review of Apple’s new iMac, we explained that the Intel Macs are initially suffering from a need for code translation, and that’s still the case here. Several Mac applications, including Photoshop and InDesign, still haven’t been re-written for the new chips, and the Rosetta translation software causes a fair amount of slowdown. We’ve provided the benchmarks so you can see how much faster the Core Duo model is in native programs (such as iTunes), and also just how much effect the translation has in the likes of Photoshop and InDesign.

Irritating graphics
There is one more problem that will affect the Mac mini long-term: its graphics capability, or lack thereof. We will never understand why computer manufacturers don’t consider games to be part of the media centre experience, but time and again we see all-in-one hubs without discrete graphics cards. Apple is the latest guilty party, as its system boasts only Intel’s integrated GMA950 chip. If you’re expecting to play Halo on this machine, you’re in for a real disappointment.

Still, at such a low price point, we could forgive that drawback. We can’t forgive Apple’s complete lack of consideration for the UK market when it comes to television. As pretty as the Mac mini may be, until it includes PVR functionality, it can’t be seen as a real alternative to a Media Center PC.