Thinking about a Mac Mini...

Well yes, laugh at me if you must but I'm considering getting a Mac Mini. The short story is that I'm likely going to be moving to my Dads house and taking my main rig with me. So, I'm going to need a computer for schoolwork, music, and surfing on the weekends (every other weekend actualy) when I'm at my moms.

The portability of the mac mini really caught my attention, its hard to imagine how small it is until you actualy see one. I could easily take it back over to my dads sometimes if I wanted to and the price is very reasonable. What do you think? Should I give it a go? I've been a fan of OSX for a long time, should I go for it?

On the other hand I have parts from my old computer (2500 barton) I could use to build a system with. I would still need to spend about 150.00 on a case, power supply, ram, and heatsink. If I sold those leftover parts and bought a refurb Mac Mini I would really only be spending 200.00 or so.

If you want the ability to move it, and you would consider doing work places other than A or B, check out a power book.

The mini is nice, but its somehting I would only use for web/office related tasks. It packs less power than a power book, and requires a monitor/keyboard/mouse to be tied down into.

the only reason to buy a mac mini is for the style. its cute.
You can get better computers for the same price range.... maybe not quite as small, but definetly better bang for your dollar.

Plus, even though the mac mini is tiny, you will still need a monitor, keyboard and mouse to go with it.


I think the better choice, if you wanted to go mac would be the iMac G5 (Which has the whole computer built into the monitor) or an iBook laptop.


iMac G5:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...Yd0XphW/0.0.15.1.0.6.15.0.2.1.3.0.3.1.2.1.1.0

Theres no way I can afford a iMac or iBook, and definatly not a Power Book. While the Mac Mini requires a monitor, keyboard and mouse it still is very portable. I could use a KVM at my dads and just set up my old keyboard and mouse at my moms. I will have to get another monitor for my moms no mater what I do.

I could build up a PC, but like I said... I like OS X (I havent used it a whole lot though.), and I don't need any serious power for working on documents or surfing. I'd really only be using this every other weekend unless I get into the habit of taking it back and forth with me. The refurb Mac minis start at 400.00, Its not like I could buy much of a PC with that anyway.

http://www.shuttle.com/

They are much smaller than they appear in the picture. They are about 3-1/2 to 4 CD drives tall(good rating system, eh?), a little less wide than a normal case, and probably half as long.

I'm sure you can get a used one, and if you get one with integrated graphics, all you will lack is ram/hard drive/cd drive.

Considered a small form factor PC? You might get more for your money that way. Although the Mac Mini IS small and cute .

Well, I don't need a portable system. There would be no point to lugging a PC back and forth, as I would already have my main rig at my dads house. I coudl see myself taking the mac mini to my dads ocasionly, so the portability of the mac mini is a nice bonus. Really I wanted the Mac Mini for OS X, not the size.

If I decided to go with a PC I'd just be using my leftover parts... A Barton 2500, Asus A7N8x, and ATI AIW 9700 Pro.

seems your still want to get the mac mini... go for it!

Only one stipulation: Please take some pictures and post them here on the forums!

Vio1 said:

seems your still want to get the mac mini... go for it!

Only one stipulation: Please take some pictures and post them here on the forums!

Click to expand...

Well, more so I want OS X If I do get it I will be sure to post pictures.

One other thought I had was to build an Intel system and then wait for the X86 release of OS X. Is apple going to be selling OS X as an OS that can be installed on any Intel system, or is it still going to be limited to their hardware?

EDIT: From what I have read it seems that AMD procesors may also work as long as they support SSE3 instructions. So, potentialy I could buy OSX and run it on my main system at some point. Suince OSX is really what I am after, I don't see much reason to get a Mac Mini. Instead I'll look into building a very cheap Venice system.

Just because Intel is going to be building the new CPUs, does not mean that they are going to be x86.

It sounds like you had your mind set from the start on the mini, so this thread really doesn't serve a purpose.

{PMS}fishy said:

Just because Intel is going to be building the new CPUs, does not mean that they are going to be x86.

It sounds like you had your mind set from the start on the mini, so this thread really doesn't serve a purpose.

Click to expand...

Well, obviously OSX has been ported to x86, it was leaked awhile back. I think that makes it pretty obvious that future Apple system will be X86.

I was more looking for some feedback about the mini, but ah well. I think I have a better Idea of what I'm doing know, so in a way this thread did serve a purpose. Thanks.

Blind leading the Blind.

{PMS}fishy said:

Just because Intel is going to be building the new CPUs, does not mean that they are going to be x86.

It sounds like you had your mind set from the start on the mini, so this thread really doesn't serve a purpose.

Click to expand...

Hey fishy look behind you! An HDTV for sale! Ok, that should keep him busy for a while.

As for his comment on Apple hardware, (smacks Fishy) - Yes, Apple is moving to Intel, Yes, they will be x86 chips, Yes, they will be available the earliest mid-late 2006 for the lower end machines including the mini's, laptops, and iMacs, then will be in the present G5 level desktops by mid-late 2007. (*long time to wait.) Even better, they will be tri-boot machines. Meaning they will run Windows, Mac OS X on x86, and Linux out of the box. (Personally I can't wait.)

Now, in getting a mini now, if you think you can be happy with laptop performance, and have a monitor, usb keyboard and mouse you should be all set. The real killer of performance in the mini is the laptop hard drive. (4200-5400rpm with low cache - depending on model and manufacture date). Many people have either gotten an external firewire drive to boot from, or hacked an adapter cable out of the box to an external case and boot from there.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ministack/
http://www.123macmini.com/news/story/302.html

(This is exactly what I will be doing as soon as I get mine, and already have the adapter for the ribbon cable - http://www.mycableshop.com/sku/IDE4044.htm)

But it seems your just looking for a small, easily swappable machine. And since OS X does not phase you, I think you'll be happy with it. Hell, even if it did, you can always put Linux on it.

I would avoid getting an iMac though, especially the 20 inch model. They have a notorious reputation because of a shipment of bad capacitors used on the motherboards. They have a history of overheating and popping.

Oh, and if you find a refurb Mini for about 200, let me know, I'll be happy to get one myself. The cheapest I have seen any, refurb or otherwise has been $450.00 One thing I would get is a nice 1GB chip of ram. (PC 2700) it runs much better than the 256 MB or 512 MB the current models ship with. http://www.datamem.com/viewcat.asp_Q_C_E_1168

Cheapest Mac Mini I have seen:
http://www.techforless.com/cgi-bin/tech4less/M9686LL/A?mv_pc=pricegrabbe

-Blackstar

Vulcan said:

Well, more so I want OS X If I do get it I will be sure to post pictures.

One other thought I had was to build an Intel system and then wait for the X86 release of OS X. Is apple going to be selling OS X as an OS that can be installed on any Intel system, or is it still going to be limited to their hardware?

EDIT: From what I have read it seems that AMD procesors may also work as long as they support SSE3 instructions. So, potentialy I could buy OSX and run it on my main system at some point. Since OSX is really what I am after, I don't see much reason to get a Mac Mini. Instead I'll look into building a very cheap Venice system.

Click to expand...

Well, since the system is going to be hardware bound, getting and hacking OS X for X86 is goning to be a full time job. Be assured it will be constantly updated. Plus it will more than likely have some kind of Apple only hardware lock that will be much harder to break than the developer release.

People don't realize, Apple's primary business model is profits from hardware, not software. (Hell, they are practically an iPod company now.) If anyone could hack OS X for intel, no one would by apple computers, apple would make no money, and go out of business. Apple's point in going to Intel chips was to have a clear line of advancement in processors for the future, (something IBM/Motorola/Freescale could not guarantee) not to compete head to head with Microsoft in desktop OS market-share.

So, you can be pretty much guaranteed that the shipping version of OS X for X86 will be be either pretty much hardware dependent, or so much of a pain in the butt to hack, it would not be viable to do so. (or both) I'm sure somewhere, sometime someone will hack it, but by then or soon after Apple will alter it and improve it to make it that much harder. No system is 100% secure, (far from it in most cases) but the interest in doing so is only fueled by a perceived advantage in doing so.

And with the new hardware being able to run 3 OS's instead of just 2, why not get the best of all worlds.

-Blackstar

I recently took the plunge and bought a Mac Mini. I love the crap out of the thing. I got the $700 model with the superdrive. I would suggest getting the mid-range model if you're using it for office apps and whatnot. It is a suprisingly powerful little machine.

I wouldn't give it up for anything. I love OSX 10.4. I also wouldn't give up my pc for anything.

PM me if you want any info or any thoughts on it.

Vulcan said:

Barton 2500, Asus A7N8x, and ATI AIW 9700 Pro.

Click to expand...

Sounds like far more power than you'll be getting out of a mini, why don't you get the Barton rig running if you've got 3 essential parts?

Blackstar said:

Well, since the system is going to be hardware bound, getting and hacking OS X for X86 is goning to be a full time job. Be assured it will be constantly updated. Plus it will more than likely have some kind of Apple only hardware lock that will be much harder to break than the developer release.

People don't realize, Apple's primary business model is profits from hardware, not software. (Hell, they are practically an iPod company now.) If anyone could hack OS X for intel, no one would by apple computers, apple would make no money, and go out of business. Apple's point in going to Intel chips was to have a clear line of advancement in processors for the future, (something IBM/Motorola/Freescale could not guarantee) not to compete head to head with Microsoft in desktop OS market-share.

So, you can be pretty much guaranteed that the shipping version of OS X for X86 will be be either pretty much hardware dependent, or so much of a pain in the butt to hack, it would not be viable to do so. (or both) I'm sure somewhere, sometime someone will hack it, but by then or soon after Apple will alter it and improve it to make it that much harder. No system is 100% secure, (far from it in most cases) but the interest in doing so is only fueled by a perceived advantage in doing so.

And with the new hardware being able to run 3 OS's instead of just 2, why not get the best of all worlds.

-Blackstar

Click to expand...

Well, you might be right.. Bu I hope not. I think apple would have enough sense to realize that they could have a huge market if they switched their focus to software. I would be jumping on the OS X bandwagon right away, and I'm sure many other people would too. IMO Apple should split itself into three divisions, a Hardware division (desktops, laptops, ipods, etc.), Music division (iTunes store), and a Software division (OSX, applications, etc.) The hardware dividion would obviously be profitable, thanks to the ipod, the music divsion would do well aslo, again thanks to the ipod mostly, I don't see any reason why software wouldn't do well also. Selling software can obviously be profitable, but in order to do so you need a wide audience. An X86 version of OSX would do that.

I'll have to toss the idea around... I was expecting OSX86 to be out late this year or early next year. From what I've heard, the beta that was leaked worked very well. And surprisingly, it didn't really need any 'hacking' to get it to work.

BTW, heres the one Mini I was looking at... http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...hE5bkL/1.0.0.15.1.0.6.7.3.5.1.1.8.1.5.1.0.5.0

Pretty good deal, but I'd step up to the next model for another 50.00 if I did decide to get one. I think I may also be able to get the student discount, I'll have to look into it.

The leaked beta does actually need a fair amount of hacking and not everything works. I spent a couple of days dinking around with it and it's functional on a basic level but nothing fantastic.

And for those of you expecting to be able to buy OSX for your PC, don't count on it. The best you'll get is another hacked version via good ol piracy.

mac mini has barely any power...i have one and my powerbook whoops its ***. minimac is pretty crappy for anything more than surfing/word processing. forget about runnin photoshop or anything like that on it, itll be slow as hell. even games dont run very well on it. it doesnt have a mic port (that really bugs me). its a great, cheap, low end whatever computer for small stuff. the only thing i really like about it is how small it is

Even games?

More like Especially games!