Need advise on Mac mini

Is MBP + 3rd party monitor out of question? Even though the 24" ACD is gorgeous, it's overpriced IMO. You can get a decent 24" monitor for 200 bucks.

Hellhammer said:

Even though the 24" ACD is gorgeous, it's overpriced IMO. You can get a decent 24" monitor for 200 bucks.

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Decent? I question that you'll find a $200 IPS 24" display and everything that is not IPS or a kind of PVA is undoubtedly NOT decent, as you're ending up with TN which is pretty much completely rubbish.

Invest a little more money and get IPS or PVA panels, believe me it is absolutely worth it.

Mac mini's are great!

They offer lots of flexibility and are good for the long haul. I've got one that has thousands of hours on it and the performance is terrific for what it is. I highly endorse it.

Transporteur said:

Decent? I question that you'll find a $200 IPS 24" display and everything that is not IPS or a kind of PVA is undoubtedly NOT decent, as you're ending up with TN which is pretty much completely rubbish.

Invest a little more money and get IPS or PVA panels, believe me it is absolutely worth it.

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TN is more than fine for everyday usage. If it's something graphics related where color accuracy etc are important, then IPS may be worth it.

Hellhammer said:

TN is more than fine for everyday usage. If it's something graphics related where color accuracy etc are important, then IPS may be worth it.

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I say it's always worth it. My work isn't graphics related whatsoever, but still I wouldn't buy a TN panel again, I did that and the display stayed on my desk for 2 weeks. It wasn't even the cheapest you can find (Dell 20" for about $250), but compared to the 30" ACD it was a complete piece of crap.
I've seen a lot of TN panels and they all don't seem to be worth their price. For only a few hundred bucks more you can get darn good displays with PVA or IPS panels (NEC or Samsung have them in the $350 range).

Anyways, I don't think that the OP wanted to have a discussion about the Cinema Display.
To answer the OPs question, yes the Mini with 4GB will probably do the job just fine.

2pxbTony said:

I really like the ACD

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What's so special about it? It's an overpriced glossy screen. For the same money you'd get a decent Eizo or NEC.

You can always go for an older 23" Cinema Display. I have a 20" one with my Mac Mini and it works great. It's also matte, which is a huge plus for me.

(I don't care which one is technically better, all that should matter is personal preference).

Remember: with a Mini, you're essentially getting a laptop without the screen. If you go the Mini route, I'd take it down a couple notches with the screen and spend the money on a fast SSD internal drive and a big FireWire external drive. That will make more of a difference for your day-to-day performance than your screen.

We have the 24" at work, but I use the older 23". I wouldn't say "no" if someone were to give me a 24", but I'm perfectly happy with the other panels.

You can get a HP IPS at newegg for $500.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824176165

Use the money you save to make a real difference in your day-to-day work. You don't sound like you're incredibly worried about colour accuracy. Besides, after a week or so, you won't notice that you don't have an ACD.

for anything graphic i still prefer my lacie electron 22 blue IV
cant beat that trusty crt when it comes to photoshop and final cut especially if you want different resolutions from time to time as thats where the crt still beats the lcd's which do most times only really display proper on their native resolution ,if you need a accurate display of the things on the screen and not a reflection of yourself or the room around you on everything you want to display on the screen then the lacie is the answer , ok its not that portable and you need a good sturdy desk lcd's would be alright if they would stop the production of these glossy displays , cant get a good lcd any more all reflect like a mirror , i know i am a handsome guy , but i dont need my reflection on the screen to have proof of that every time i do photoshop ,because these glossy screens are really irritating , if i want to see a reflection of myself i buy a mirror as its cheaper

http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xPF-La-Cie-Electron-22blue-IV-22-in

2pxbTony said:

As a web designer, I cannot use 27inch, the resolution is way too high for web design.

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