In short, we got a new Mac Mini on Friday. I hooked it up to the wireless keyboard/mouse from the Dell dimension 2400 we are replacing. It seemed okay at first but developed issues the first day. Intermittent mouse drop outs, and loss of internet being the worst symptoms. I am thinking of ditching the Mini and getting something else.
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New Mac Mini Not Working Well
- Thread starter gdorsey
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Sounds like it might be a driver issue. Does Dell supply Mac drivers for their RF devices? This is one of the reason Apple only sells Bluetooth wireless (and not RF) - the protocol is standardized, thus virtually assured of compatibility regardless of vendor.
Compatibility
We have not been able to find a driver. We called for tech assistance regarding this and tech support was unable to find a driver quickly but said they would E-mail us links to one; so far we have not heard back. We're pissed because we were told when researching the purchase that the Mini would be compatible.
Do you think the Mini is a dog? Should we trade it for an IMac? I loved my G4 Powerbook but the hard drive died.
We have not been able to find a driver. We called for tech assistance regarding this and tech support was unable to find a driver quickly but said they would E-mail us links to one; so far we have not heard back. We're pissed because we were told when researching the purchase that the Mini would be compatible.
Do you think the Mini is a dog? Should we trade it for an IMac? I loved my G4 Powerbook but the hard drive died.
I just checked Dell's support and it looks like they are no longer supporting the RT7D40. From the looks of some of the Dell forum comments, it doesn't seem to work with some of Dell's computers, either. This suggests that the problem principally lies with the keyboard/mouse. Do you have a wired keyboard and mouse that you can try, just to make sure the keyboard/mouse mapping are properly working on the Mini?
Who was it that told you this keyboard and mouse would be compatible? Also, were they referring specifically to these model numbers, or just Dell keyboard/mice in general? If the latter, I suspect they were talking about USB wired keyboards, which do not have a driver requirement outside of OS X.
Well, I love the Mini, but many don't. I use my 2 gHz Mini as a home theater PC and it does a fabulous job, even playing Blu-ray video rips from the hard drive at 1080p and in 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS. Prior to building my hackintosh, I used a 1.66 gHz Mini as my photo processing/general computing machine.
I'm not a fan of the iMacs because i cannot stand glossy displays (which is why I built the hackintosh in the first place), but that's just a personal preference.
There is a rumor that a revised Mini will be coming in the next weeks or months, so if you can wait that long, perhaps returning the Mini might be a good idea to see if the revision materializes.
Mac Mini Dilema
I am especially interested that you are a Mini fan. My original intent was to use the Mini as our home theatre base as well as our desktop computer.
I suspect they were talking about USB wired keyboards, which do not have a driver requirement outside of OS X. (How do you do that quote box?)
It is true that I did not give the tech person the model number or even tell them that it was a wireless keyboard/mouse. So I guess I have less right to be pissed but the impressiion I was given was, "Of course it is compatible, this computer is made to be universally compatible". I am not as computer savy as I should be but I was relying on the tech people to "support" me in this way. It is particularly irksome because I prefer Macs and I finally got my sweetie to agree to this purchase only to have it be a disappointment.
Actually, the keyboard is not that big a deal. I can get a compatible keyboard and mouse easily for free. The biggest issue is that internet keeps dropping out. This actually started when my girlfriend tried to get tech help to set up her mail and they started messing with the internet settings instead. Somehow, after getting this resolved last night the internet was down again this morning.
Another problem has been the resolution on the Dell screen. Again, this could probably be resolved with a compatible monitor but one of the draws for me was that the Mini is supposed to take care of the formatting. How is the Television going to look if the computer can't even give a decent computer screen image. Also it starts to beg the issue of the "Bring your own screen, mouse and keyboard" hype.
I guess I am wondering if my level of computer understanding/involvement is a good match for the Mini. I thought it was going to be more of a plug and play operation.
I am especially interested that you are a Mini fan. My original intent was to use the Mini as our home theatre base as well as our desktop computer.
I suspect they were talking about USB wired keyboards, which do not have a driver requirement outside of OS X. (How do you do that quote box?)
It is true that I did not give the tech person the model number or even tell them that it was a wireless keyboard/mouse. So I guess I have less right to be pissed but the impressiion I was given was, "Of course it is compatible, this computer is made to be universally compatible". I am not as computer savy as I should be but I was relying on the tech people to "support" me in this way. It is particularly irksome because I prefer Macs and I finally got my sweetie to agree to this purchase only to have it be a disappointment.
Actually, the keyboard is not that big a deal. I can get a compatible keyboard and mouse easily for free. The biggest issue is that internet keeps dropping out. This actually started when my girlfriend tried to get tech help to set up her mail and they started messing with the internet settings instead. Somehow, after getting this resolved last night the internet was down again this morning.
Another problem has been the resolution on the Dell screen. Again, this could probably be resolved with a compatible monitor but one of the draws for me was that the Mini is supposed to take care of the formatting. How is the Television going to look if the computer can't even give a decent computer screen image. Also it starts to beg the issue of the "Bring your own screen, mouse and keyboard" hype.
I guess I am wondering if my level of computer understanding/involvement is a good match for the Mini. I thought it was going to be more of a plug and play operation.
The Mini only has one video out, so you can only use it with one display. Will your HT TV also be your computer display? Some people do this with their 720p (1280x720) and 1080p (1920x1080) LCD/Plasma TVs. Cool if you're planning that, but just be aware that you can only drive one display at a time with a Mini (up to 1920x1200 resolution).
I suspect so. Few people use RF-based devices with Macs because of the lack of drivers from most keyboard/mouse vendors. I have an Apple Bluetooth keyboard and Macally BT53 Bluetooth mouse for mine.
To start a quote you need to use the '[', the word 'quote' and then the ']' character ( [ quote] without the space). To end the quote you do '[', '/' character, the word 'quote' and then the ']' character ( [ /quote] without the space).
You may need to visit us here on MacRumors forums. While we're a bit slower than actually talking to someone, as a group we're very knowledgeable and will get 99% of your questions answered. Of course, as you get better at working on Macs, you'll have to help the noobs, too.
That sounds like they've screwed up your modem. Are you on cable or DSL? Is your Mini connected to your modem by ethernet cable or are you connecting to it by wifi? I have qwest DSL and it was a pain to set up. But after set up, it's been pretty stable.
What is the model number of your Dell monitor? Does it have a VGA connector or a DVI connector?
I can connect my Mini to my Samsung 40" HDTV LCD by a DVI to HDMI cable and it automatically sets to the TV's native resolution (1280x720) and to my Sanyo 1080p projector at its native resolution (1920x1080). Does your TV have DVI, HDMI or VGA input? What is its audio inputs? The Mini has a dual-function analog audio (right and left stereo) and optical digital output (Toslink) that can deliver up to 7.1 surround sound (provided (1) your media has the audio encoded in it and (2) your receiver/TV can decode it). Mine is set up with the Sanyo projector and an Onkyo 5.1 surround sound system with Dolby Digital and DTS.
It should be, but on occasion there are compatibility issues. It sounds as though you're having monitor, K&M and internet issues. Anything else?