Yesterday I did the unthinkable. I bought a fully henched out mac mini server the highest spec you can buy. I think that now the mac mini represents more value than the imac. Especially for my purposes anyways.
I bought 2.6ghz , 4 gb ram upgrade myself obviously, dual solid snakes 512gb total. I did so for these reasons:
1) I only need a fast computer for music production and audio. I don't play games or edit video or do photo shop. So HD4000 graphics is fine with me. From what I hear it's ok anyways.
2.) Cash Money. Doing this I think will save me possibly as much as a grand. With audio fast hard drives is a must. I don't even want to waste my money on a fusion because the main part of it is 5400 rpm and when you have a fairly full HD who knows what speeds my samples will play back at. Apple priced me out with the 768 gb only option which could cost as much as a thousand pounds UK. The same price (Nearly as a fully specced mac mini). SSD is the way of the future and im jumping on now. I still get 500 gb of ssd and could always boost that externally If I wanted to match the up and coming imac 768 ssd at far less cost.
3.) SSD = Less noise, less heat (less fans) = better for recording.
4.) Audio in and out and fw800 is also fairly useful for audio.
5.) 2.6 ghz Quad i7 turbo with hyperthreading is prob at least equal (maybe even a tiny margin better?) than the standard i5 desktop cpu's 2.9 ghz cpu. Buying the decent 3.4 ghz i7 processor is a 200 quid bump to the 3.2 i5 (still not that great and again I don't need better graphics) and then another 160 (atleast) to bump me to the i7. F that. I've watched mac pro retina (same 2.6ghz processor) vids on YT were the dude was rendering stuff playing videos and going on the internet at great speeds so I think it will do me just fine.
6.) I CAN'T FOOKIN WAIT ANY LONGER - I heard that Imacs may be delayed till 2013. F that for a load of old bollocks. Ive waited most of this year. Done.
7.) New Imac still unknown quantity. Screen problems who the F knows. I know a few people have had prob with mini's but still format is pretty much the same as 2011 but now with better specs.
8.) Extended return period. If for some reason It doesn't work out with the mini I have till Jan to return it. Then I could buy a 27 iMac. No risk then. But I think it should be fine because...
9.) The mac mini fully specced with SSD is pulling 13 G's geekbench. Compare that to my 2009 imac scoring 3 G's and thats quite a increase. It even kills the last year top spec 3.4 ghz quad imac which score 11 G's. Pretty sporty eh?
10.) Putting my apples (eggs) into different baskets. - When you spend 3 grand on a nice Imac yes you get the best everything in one machine. But what happens after the 3 year warranty? The 1000 pound ssd is worth way less because SSD prices went down so to sell it would hurt. To keep it? Well if the motherboard/ screen goes you have a huge (yet I must admit, very handsome slim paper weight). F that. I spent 1200 pounds for this mini. With Ed discount. Mini's are the best of all macs for holding their value (I read in forum could be BS). So maybe in 2-3 Years I sell on for 800 and buy the latest and greatest mini. Only 400 spent for it's usage. Sounds good eh?
11.) But what about that really nice screen? Well I can buy a super nice (thin for all those thin momo's) Hi Res 27 Panel. I buy it once and hopefully it lasts atleast 5-7 years or more. Same resolution 2560 x 1440 as the new one. Way less glare than the current Imac. Here's what I was thinking its got great reviews and looks amazing on youtube: -
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-043-AS
Maybe not as nice as the new Imac 27 but fairly close.
12.) Portable. Not something i had thought of before, but if I want to take the computer away to a friends or I move county or house its easy to atleast take my computer with me and find a random HD tv for hook up. Sporty.
13.) More user accessible than Imac. If I need to change Ram (for you 21 imacs out there) or improve the ssd space later on; I could without too much difficulty. Try pulling the glue off the new imac screen. I wouldn't.
14.) I already have the peripherals. I like my old school plugged in keyboard. I have a 3rd party wireless mouse. I even have an old dell monitor for the trial. I can't be bothered with wireless keyboard because it has no usb ports like my current one and needs batteries. F that also.
15) New imac is not all in one anymore. Both need optical drives. Yes I still need one. (Software, Dvd's, demos for audio etc).
In my mind I am spending a total of 1700 quid with monitor. Mini was 1250 ish with Education discount. I didn't have to spend so much on spec or monitor. I could get a high end imac for that money I know. But still the High End mac has a i5 processor and slow ancient tech spinny drive. In 3 years I keep my monitor and spec up the computer bits if I want. Plus I am selling my old imac for 500 pounds. Same price as new monitor. So Im only down 1200 ish.
I realize that some people may want graphics. But for those who don't the mini has overtaken the Imac in terms of value for me. Nice monitors and peripherals don't cost that much money anymore.
I hope I have swayed all you audio guys and maybe even some of you 21 inch Imac guys into my mac mini web ive just spun.
For the others I hope you find your high end 27 worth the wait. It has been a brutally long one. Not trolling when I say that!
I bought 2.6ghz , 4 gb ram upgrade myself obviously, dual solid snakes 512gb total. I did so for these reasons:
1) I only need a fast computer for music production and audio. I don't play games or edit video or do photo shop. So HD4000 graphics is fine with me. From what I hear it's ok anyways.
2.) Cash Money. Doing this I think will save me possibly as much as a grand. With audio fast hard drives is a must. I don't even want to waste my money on a fusion because the main part of it is 5400 rpm and when you have a fairly full HD who knows what speeds my samples will play back at. Apple priced me out with the 768 gb only option which could cost as much as a thousand pounds UK. The same price (Nearly as a fully specced mac mini). SSD is the way of the future and im jumping on now. I still get 500 gb of ssd and could always boost that externally If I wanted to match the up and coming imac 768 ssd at far less cost.
3.) SSD = Less noise, less heat (less fans) = better for recording.
4.) Audio in and out and fw800 is also fairly useful for audio.
5.) 2.6 ghz Quad i7 turbo with hyperthreading is prob at least equal (maybe even a tiny margin better?) than the standard i5 desktop cpu's 2.9 ghz cpu. Buying the decent 3.4 ghz i7 processor is a 200 quid bump to the 3.2 i5 (still not that great and again I don't need better graphics) and then another 160 (atleast) to bump me to the i7. F that. I've watched mac pro retina (same 2.6ghz processor) vids on YT were the dude was rendering stuff playing videos and going on the internet at great speeds so I think it will do me just fine.
6.) I CAN'T FOOKIN WAIT ANY LONGER - I heard that Imacs may be delayed till 2013. F that for a load of old bollocks. Ive waited most of this year. Done.
7.) New Imac still unknown quantity. Screen problems who the F knows. I know a few people have had prob with mini's but still format is pretty much the same as 2011 but now with better specs.
8.) Extended return period. If for some reason It doesn't work out with the mini I have till Jan to return it. Then I could buy a 27 iMac. No risk then. But I think it should be fine because...
9.) The mac mini fully specced with SSD is pulling 13 G's geekbench. Compare that to my 2009 imac scoring 3 G's and thats quite a increase. It even kills the last year top spec 3.4 ghz quad imac which score 11 G's. Pretty sporty eh?
10.) Putting my apples (eggs) into different baskets. - When you spend 3 grand on a nice Imac yes you get the best everything in one machine. But what happens after the 3 year warranty? The 1000 pound ssd is worth way less because SSD prices went down so to sell it would hurt. To keep it? Well if the motherboard/ screen goes you have a huge (yet I must admit, very handsome slim paper weight). F that. I spent 1200 pounds for this mini. With Ed discount. Mini's are the best of all macs for holding their value (I read in forum could be BS). So maybe in 2-3 Years I sell on for 800 and buy the latest and greatest mini. Only 400 spent for it's usage. Sounds good eh?
11.) But what about that really nice screen? Well I can buy a super nice (thin for all those thin momo's) Hi Res 27 Panel. I buy it once and hopefully it lasts atleast 5-7 years or more. Same resolution 2560 x 1440 as the new one. Way less glare than the current Imac. Here's what I was thinking its got great reviews and looks amazing on youtube: -
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-043-AS
Maybe not as nice as the new Imac 27 but fairly close.
12.) Portable. Not something i had thought of before, but if I want to take the computer away to a friends or I move county or house its easy to atleast take my computer with me and find a random HD tv for hook up. Sporty.
13.) More user accessible than Imac. If I need to change Ram (for you 21 imacs out there) or improve the ssd space later on; I could without too much difficulty. Try pulling the glue off the new imac screen. I wouldn't.
14.) I already have the peripherals. I like my old school plugged in keyboard. I have a 3rd party wireless mouse. I even have an old dell monitor for the trial. I can't be bothered with wireless keyboard because it has no usb ports like my current one and needs batteries. F that also.
15) New imac is not all in one anymore. Both need optical drives. Yes I still need one. (Software, Dvd's, demos for audio etc).
In my mind I am spending a total of 1700 quid with monitor. Mini was 1250 ish with Education discount. I didn't have to spend so much on spec or monitor. I could get a high end imac for that money I know. But still the High End mac has a i5 processor and slow ancient tech spinny drive. In 3 years I keep my monitor and spec up the computer bits if I want. Plus I am selling my old imac for 500 pounds. Same price as new monitor. So Im only down 1200 ish.
I realize that some people may want graphics. But for those who don't the mini has overtaken the Imac in terms of value for me. Nice monitors and peripherals don't cost that much money anymore.
I hope I have swayed all you audio guys and maybe even some of you 21 inch Imac guys into my mac mini web ive just spun.
For the others I hope you find your high end 27 worth the wait. It has been a brutally long one. Not trolling when I say that!
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