Can the Dell Inspiron Zino HD match Apple's Mac Mini?

In our Mini PCs product survey, all the serious rivals of the Mac Mini feature Atom processors, known for boosting overall performance. The Dell Inspiron Zino HD, however, could be set to change all that.

Here are the two computers side by side.

If I'm not mistaken, one looks a little more mini than the other ...

Price

Both Apple and Dell allow you to customise your computer and upgrade its components before placing your order. Here are the current tech specs for the basic machines:

Standard Apple Mac Mini	Standard Dell Zino HD
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26 GHz 2 GB DDR3 RAM 160 GB hard drive DVD rewriter drive 5 x USB 2.0 ports 1 x FireWire 800 port Nvidia 9400M graphics card 1 x Ethernet port (RJ45) 1 x mini DVI port 1 x mini DiplayPort 1 x mini jack/optical entry 1 x mini jack/optical output Wi-Fi (802.11n) Mac OS X	AMD X2 3250E 1.5 GHz 3 GB DDR2 RAM 500 GB hard drive DVD rewriter drive 4 x USB 2.0 ports 2 x eSATA port 1 x Ethernet port (RJ45) ATI HD3200 graphics card Wireless keyboard & mouse 3 x analogue mini jacks 1 x memory card reader 1 x HDMI 1 x VGA Windows 7 Home Premium
RRP: £510	RRP: £389

So what optional extras are worth considering? At Dell, you may well want to add a Blu-ray drive for an extra £140. At Apple, it's more about boosting your machine's performances with a faster processor or more RAM than bringing extra functionality to the machine. The internal hard drive is a little on the small side at 160 GB, but to increase that to 320 or 500 GB, you'll have to pay £81 or £163 respectively. You could always pick up an external hard drive instead and get around 1 TB of storage for the same money.

Mac Mini (assorted versions)	Dell Zino HD (assorted versions)
MARCHANDS €     Amazon  568.99  Ebay  599.00  Apple store  599.00  Macconnection  699.00  Amazon mark...  769.00  J&r mus...  769.88  Compare prices	Find the best price

We'll be testing the Dell Zino HD soon so keep an eye on the site to find out how it gets on. Our version doesn't just have the basic spec, and notably features the integrated Blu-ray drive.

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