I bought our Mac mini last year to serve as our kids’ computer, and at the time, it seemed the mini’s specs would suit their needs fine. They had no need for peripherals outside of a keyboard, and how were they going to fill up a 80GB hard drive, I thought?

Well, they didn’t. But I did. In attempting to be a responsible parent, I placed the Mac mini in the living room so we could easily monitor our kids’ computer use. However, upon seeing that mini positioned so close to the family TV, the inner Mac Geek in me quickly got to thinking of other uses for the”kid’s” computer. Long story short, the mini is now set up as a home DVR (digital video recorder) thanks to an Elgato Eye TV 250, and hard drive space (as well as expansion ports) is now at a premium.

Enter NewerTech’s miniStack V2 and V3. The miniStacks are designed to meet the needs of shortsighted mini owners like myself who loved the compact size and look of the Mac mini, but underestimated the eventual need for additional hard drive space as well as expansion ports. The miniStacks come in 8 capacities, ranging from 0GB (as in, bring your own drive) all the way up to 750GB (1TB for the v3). The units I tested were both 500GB models. The v2’s come with “regular” ATA (IDE ) drives, the V3 comes with the newer SATA spec. All models 250GB and up have a 16MB cache (the 1TB V3 sports a massive 32MB cache), lower capacities have an 8MB cache. All drives run at a fast 7200 rpm, compared to the 5400 rpm drive found in the Mac mini.

Expand your mini

Soon after buying our Mac mini I realized the need for extra USB and FireWire ports. The mini ships with four USB 2 and one FireWire 400 port. We have a FireWire iSight hooked to the mini, which meant I could no longer use the FireWire chord I had for my 4th Gen iPod. One USB port goes to the keyboard, one goes to the EyeTV unit, one goes to a Wacom tablet the kids like to draw on, and one goes to a pair of USB Powered Speakers. Add to that a whole slew of USB-powered eye candy the kids love, and it makes for not only a tangled mess of wires, but also a frustrating exercise of plugging and unplugging chords into the back of the Mac mini, which (as any Mac mini owner will tell you) invariably leads to accidentally pulling out the mini’s power plug.

Both the V2 and V3 share the same form factor and design. While both can be used with any computer sporting FireWire or USB connections, they are geared in both design and name to be used with the Mac mini. The miniStack is designed to sit directly under the Mac mini, and shares its 6.5-inch x 6.5-inch form factor. NewerTech includes a short 7-inch FireWire and USB cable to make the connection between the two devices, without adding unnecesarily to cable-clutter. From the front, the two devices look almost identical (although the miniStack is about half an inch shorter, and missing the optical drive slot, of course). Newertech did a great job designing the miniStack, and both the the V2 and V3’s materials and coloring appear to be a perfect match to the mini. A slight lip protrudes around the top of the miniStack and is designed to hold the Mac mini in place above it.

The v2 vs the v3

The main difference between the v2 and v3 miniStack is the type and number of extra ports they deliver. On the back of the v2 you will see two FireWire 400 ports and two USB 2 ports, with an additional FireWire and USB 2 port on the left side. However, unlike the USB (which provides a separate USB 2 uplink port) you must use one of the 3 FireWire 400 ports to connect the miniStack to your computer, meaning you actually have two FireWire 400 ports available. Rounding out the back there is also a micro security slot, power chord, power switch, connections switch (more on that in a second) and exhaust fan.

On the v3, you will find 3 USB 2 ports, and only 1 FireWire 400 port (located on the side of the miniStack). However, you will find some additional “higher end” (and more expensive) connections not found on the V2. There are 2 FireWire 800 ports, as well an eSATA port, which is something usually still found only on high end drives. Their inclusion seems a bit odd, however, as neither FireWire 800 or eSATA ports can be found on the current Mac mini. (Note: There is an included FW 800 to FW 400 cable included with the V3, so in theory you can use an FW 800 connection with your Mac mini and still have an open FW 400 port.)

Daily Operation

I’ve used the miniStacks every day for about 3 weeks now, and I am happy to report I am thrilled with both of them. The design, materials, and performance of the units are all top notch, and operation is almost identical, save for the connection ports. The one issue I was worried most about, fan noise, proved to not be much of an issue. When in use, the miniStack’s fan is certainly audible, however it is not overly loud, and shuts itself off when not needed. Both the V2 and V3 have a smart power on/off feature as well, which will turn your miniStack on and off with the computer, saving you the trouble of reaching behind the unit and feeling around for the power switch each night, a big plus.

As I mentioned, I use the Mac mini as a DVR, and frequently found the need to delete shows without ever having watched them in order to make room for more important “must-see” shows. Jumping from the 40GB or so I had free on the Mac mini’s internal drive to the 500GB of the miniStack was like a breath of fresh air. Now, not only do I not have to worry about making room for new recordings, but I can also now record at the highest quality setting allowed by EyeTV (2.7GB per hour as opposed to 1.3GB per hour). The quality difference is amazing, and to me, more than justifies the miniStack’s price.

The previous iteration of the miniStack (the V1) has all 3 of its USB and FireWire Ports located on the back of the unit. The V2 and V3 have one of each port moved to the back left corner, and this is a welcome addition. While it may mean potentially you might see a little more plug than you might like, it also means you can now more quickly plug in removable devices, such as the iPod shuffle, without needing to fish around in the back of the unit and risk unplugging something. In my case, I found it was great for plugging in an Elgato Turbo.264 unit we were also testing between multiple machines.

Issues

There is not much bad to say about either miniStack, performance-wise. The only thing I find a little confusing about the V2 model is the included “connection switch”. This switch allows you to choose between “1394A connection”, and an “Auto” setting. NewerTech recommends you select the 1394A setting if you plan to access the hard drive via FireWire, but doesn’t really say why it’s better. In my own personal tests, I found attempting to record shows (via EyeTV) with the switch set to “auto” resulted in a slight “pulse” through the image that was barley perceptible, but noticeable on shots with a stationary graphic. I feel this may have something to do with the miniStack using the USB to access the hard drive and the fact that the Elgato EyeTV unit I use is also USB based. Perhaps this causes a little interference or taxes the USB 2 chips on the Mac mini. Whatever the reason, I kept the switch set to “1394A”, and all was good.

As far as the V3 is concerned, the V2’s “1394A connection” switch is gone, so the only real question is whether the V3 offers anything over the V2 that you would find particularly necessary. As I said, the V3 gives up two of its FireWire 400 ports, but adds two FireWire 800 ports and an eSATA port. However, neither FW800 or eSATA will work with the Mac mini, and eSATA won’t work on ANY Mac at the moment without first buying an additional eSATA card. There have been rumors that perhaps the Mac mini, long overdue for an update, may be being discontinued. Perhaps NewerTech is hedging its bets in making the V3 less Mac mini-specific, but whatever the reason, for my personal use, I find the V2 is actually better suited. As I mentioned, I found that when using the miniStack with EyeTV as a DVR, the FireWire connection worked better than the USB 2, and I enjoyed having the addition two FW 400 ports available even when connected via FireWire. The V3 would really offer no benefit for me, as a Mac mini owner.

Because of the more high-end ports, the miniStack V3 is more suited to MacBook Pro or Mac Pro owners, although the styling (and name) is still very “Mac mini”-like.

Conclusion

The NewerTech miniStack V2 is the must-have accessory for any Mac mini owner who is using their mini as a digital video recorder. The design nicely compliment’s the Mac mini, and does not take up much additional space nor add much additional noise to an entertainment center setting. The price is quite reasonable when you consider you are not only getting a large external hard drive, but also a USB and a FireWire hub, all wrapped up in a quiet, sleek package that nicely compliments your mini.

The V3 is a less clear choice. The hgher-end connection options seem geared for non-mini use, however the form factor remains the same as the V2. The added cost of these ports may put off mini users who cannot benefit from their increased speed.

miniStack v2

Price: $69.99 (no hard drive kit) up to $329.99 (750GB)

Pros: Beautiful Design, quiet operation, provides much needed storage and expansion lacking from the Mac mini

Cons: non significant

miniStack v3

Price: $119.99 (no hard drive kit) up to $549.99 (1.0TB )

Pros: Provides extra storage and “high-end” ports, quiet operation

Cons: New features are not designed to work with the Mac mini, although it retains the same Mac mini styling as its predecessor; Offers 2 less FireWire 400 ports than the V2; Is more expensive due to the inclusion of the FW 800 and eSATA ports.