First launched in 2005, Apple's Mac mini has never received the same design plaudits as the MacBook Air, but it has been almost as influential upon the competition. The titular computer's square shape, minimal appearance and compact nature can be seen in devices such as Intel's NUC, Samsung's Chromebox and, more recently, Sky's Now TV box.Even so, it's fair to say that the Mac mini probably hasn't received as much love as Apple's other products over the years. It's a safe bet; consistent and dependable, evolving quietly in the background without requiring headline-grabbing specs - like the iMac 5K's dazzling display, or the iPad Air 2's impossibly thin dimensions - to stand out from the crowd.It comes as little surprise, then, to find that Apple's new Mac mini is indistinguishable from its predecessor, the Late 2012 Mac mini. They may look the same on the outside, but under the hood, the changes are numerous, with the most significant being the switch from Intel's Ivy Bridge chip to Haswell.