Prices Starting At $499

Included in our delivery: the Apple Mac mini, wireless keyboard and mouse

The basic version of Apple's Mac mini comes with a price tag of $499. However, in keeping with the BYODKM paradigm - Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard & Mouse - no external peripherals are included. A mouse and keyboard, be they wireless or standard, must be ordered as extras.

The basic configuration of the Mac mini includes a G4 processor clocked at 1.25 GHz, 256 MB of DDR 333 RAM and a 40 GB hard drive. As is common for most products sent out for review, our sample reached us in the maxed-out configuration, which would cost almost $1200. Not exactly cheap for a compact PC, but not expensive either, for a rare and unconventional gem of a designer piece.

The table found below lists the build-to-order (BTO) options and extras available. The premium for 1 GB of memory seems more than a bit steep by today's standards. If your budget is a little constrained, you can pass on the wireless keyboard and mouse, saving $100. Conventional devices such as mice and keyboards are supported through the USB interface. This will make life easier for those coming from the Windows world, as that paves the way for the use of mice with scroll-wheels - not to mention a second mouse button, something PC users are accustomed to.