At $599, the Mac mini is the least expensive Mac on this list, and is perfect if you're looking for a Mac and already have a display and keyboard/mouse. This machine's small footprint takes up very little room, and its size makes the mini the best choice if you're looking for a TV-connected Apple media server.

The Mac mini comes in a 7.7" x 7.7", 1.4" tall, 2.7lbs aluminum case, and is powered by 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 and 2GB of memory. If you want to customize later, memory can be upgraded by twisting open the bottom cover and installing your own; it's very easy to do so.

The mini isn't the most powerful machine, but it will certainly get the job done without fuss. The internal 500GB hard drive spins at 5400-rpms, but can be configured to a solid state drive on the online Apple Store. If you choose the SSD route, the mini's performance increases significantly for day-to-day tasks.

Standard on the mini are gigabit Ethernet, SDXC card slot, FireWire 800, HDMI, four USB 2.0 connections, and Thunderbolt. Like the other Macs, the mini has wireless N networking and Bluetooth 4.0.