The Mini boots up into a stripped-down operating system which Apple calls OS X, similar to the stripped-down WindowsCE OS found on many handhelds.  The mini OS is going to be a significant hurdle for many buyers who are used to Windows or have favorite Windows software packages they need to use.  Think of it more as a first computer for your daughter or niece than as a machine to get any serious work done and you’ll get the point of the Mini and its target market. It might also be the perfect computer for grandmothers or autistic children, for example.

The Mini has got some built-in software for basic computer functions, but it can’t do many common things as well as its grown-up brothers in the Windows world can. For example, there is no Outlook Express for email, but Apple includes a program called Mail, which is like a stripped-down email client that can’t execute scripts or open attachments without user intervention.

My Office 2003 CD would not install, despite claims I had heard from Mac fanboys that OS X is compatible with Office.  Heck, the Internet Explorer icon isn’t even out on the taskbar by default, it’s buried in the c:\applications folder.

I would expect a Mini to get really slow and unstable within a couple months if you can’t perform any routine maintenance tasks on it.

I'm running XP on the monster rig I use at home--a brand new Compaq mid-tower--and the OS blazes like a Corvette. I especially like the four games it comes with - Hearts, FreeCell (so addictive!), Minesweeper, and Solitaire. It's easy to see why XP is considered the ultimate platform for gamers.

One thing many home computer users are concerned with these days is viruses and all the time they consume. Linux zealots will try to say that their platform isn't plagued by things like email viruses, but with Windows XP I don't gotta worry about emailing viruses to my friends and family at all. The built-in email client Outlook Express does it automatically, in the background. 

Poor standards compliance:
Apple's Safari web browser often fails to render MSN properly.

My Office 2003 CD would not install, despite claims I had heard from Mac fanboys that OS X is compatible with Office.  Heck, the Internet Explorer icon isn’t even out on the taskbar by default, it’s buried in the c:\applications folder.