I am looking at getting a mac mini this fall.For those who have one how do you like it and how hard is it to set up.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Mac MIni
- Thread starter ottawaapplefan
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I actually have two (the original Intel one which I upgraded with a Core2Duo CPU, and one of the new NVIDIA graphics ones) and think they are great. Of course I don't like the idea of all-in-ones so I am biased against the iMac. They are very easy to set up. Connect your mouse and keyboard to the USB ports (or pair them up via Bluetooth) and plug your monitor in to either the mini DisplayPort or mini-DVI port (with the supplied mini-DVI to DVI adapter). If your monitor is VGA you need to buy a mini-DVI to VGA adapter (the older ones came with a DVI to VGA adapter). Then start it up and go.
Opening them to upgrade memory or the hard drive is even easier with the new ones than the older ones. They redesigned the connector between the upper section holding the DVD drive and hard drive and the motherboard, making it much easier to get the mini disassembled enough to get to the memory for swap out. The only thing they made worse is soldering the CPU to the motherboard instead of using a ZIF socket. That was big for my original mini that only had CoreDuo to be able to go to Core2Duo, but isn't as big of an issue any more.
Setting up is easy as 1-2-3's. Thing packs a punch for its size too, just upgrading it isn't the most fun in life.
What, you don't enjoy using the spatula trick?
OP, The first time you open a mini it seems daunting and you will think you are breaking something. After you have done it once or twice, it is a piece of cake. On the plus side there are no screws holding the case together needing removal; on the minus side, you need to use a putty knife to pop the plastic tabs holding the base to the aluminum case. My first mini shows small marks in the plastic base where the putty knife was flexed a little too hard while popping the tabs. My second one doesn't show any marks at all. So don't let rumors that it is very hard to open up a mini scare you into ordering the top of the line one with maxxed-out memory and hard drive. You can easily order third party memory and drives and upgrade yourself later when you actually need it.
This is true, it is not that daunting a procedure at all! You can actually use a plastic putty knife, which I now use, to avoid scratches altogether. The Mini's plastic tabs are actually pretty flexible - haven't snapped one yet.
I did not, but all in all it was more than worth it in the end. If your going to upgrade I'd advise going for the full 4GB RAM, and however big HD you want. Your only going to want to do this once.
it's really hard to set up. first you have to open the box, then you have to plug in the right wires
and then you have to turn it on and register + get stuck watching a crappy leopard animation that takes AGES to get over with.
just kidding it's super easy. you will have no problems and there isn't any software to install. you may want to run software update (which probably will run automatically anyways) to make sure you are up to date 100%
and then you have to turn it on and register + get stuck watching a crappy leopard animation that takes AGES to get over with.
just kidding it's super easy. you will have no problems and there isn't any software to install. you may want to run software update (which probably will run automatically anyways) to make sure you are up to date 100%
My Mac Mini is great machine. All I really do is surf the web, listen to music, and watch movies which is the sole purpose of my Mac Mini. It's very easy to set up, just plug in everything and go through the set up process and your set to go!
