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Macbook Air or Mac Mini for home use

S

Syvere

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 23, 2008
43
0
So I have been thinking of getting back to OS X and since these two were just upgraded they're the logical choice.

Here's some of my usage: I have a powerful PC for gaming as well as PS3 and a 360 so I'm not going to do any gaming on mac as I have better options available for that. My idea would be to make the mac my main other-than-gaming computer meaning watching videos, surfing, doing the daily stuff everyone does on the computer.

I have been thinking of getting the 11" Air with 1.8GHz CPU and 128GB SSD, 13" Air with stock CPU and 128GB SSD, Mac Mini with the upgraded 2.7Ghz CPU or the Mac Mini server. Which would you recommend if you consider the fact that the computer would be sitting in one place for most of the time and I already have a gaming laptop as well. I usually don't take my laptop with me anywhere except during christmas and such when I go to my parent's place in a different city. Also how much worse is the Intel GPU compared to the 6630 in Mac Mini vs Mac Mini server?

I'd appreciate any suggestions, recommendations and experiences you may have yourself.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that I might actually put the computer to run some server applications for irc and remote desktop maybe.
 
Last edited:
r0k

r0k

macrumors 68040
Mar 3, 2008
3,611
75
Detroit
Syvere said:
So I have been thinking of getting back to OS X and since these two were just upgraded they're the logical choice.

Here's some of my usage: I have a powerful PC for gaming as well as PS3 and a 360 so I'm not going to do any gaming on mac as I have better options available for that. My idea would be to make the mac my main other-than-gaming computer meaning watching videos, surfing, doing the daily stuff everyone does on the computer.

I have been thinking of getting the 11" Air with 1.8GHz CPU and 128GB SSD, 13" Air with stock CPU and 128GB SSD, Mac Mini with the upgraded 2.7Ghz CPU or the Mac Mini server. Which would you recommend if you consider the fact that the computer would be sitting in one place for most of the time and I already have a gaming laptop as well. I usually don't take my laptop with me anywhere except during christmas and such when I go to my parent's place in a different city. Also how much worse is the Intel GPU compared to the 6630 in Mac Mini vs Mac Mini server?

I'd appreciate any suggestions, recommendations and experiences you may have yourself.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that I might actually put the computer to run some server applications for irc and remote desktop maybe.
Click to expand...

You could do well with either machine but the Air is more portable. You mention no games so I'm not going to address your question about the differences in graphics chipsets. I have found Intel integrated graphics to be "good enough" for my "everyday computer use." Like you I never run games on my Mac, unless you count quakeworld which runs well on a 486.

I would tend to lean more toward the 'Air. This gives you the possibility of taking it with you from time to time. I'm not a big fan of the limited vertial resolution of the 11 in MBA so I'd suggest you consider an external monitor or consider the 13 in MBA. With the Mini, you would also need an Apple keyboard unless you want to put a cmd :apple: sticker on the (was it the?) windows key (poetic justice) and an option sticker on the (was it the?) alt key.

1-keyboardswindowsapple.png


Also I don't know how long you've been away from Apple products but they aren't any better at making mice unless you want to give the Magic Trackpad a try, I'd steer clear of the Magic Mouse. I use a Logitech VX470 and the Apple mice we got over the years are all sitting in various drawers around the house.
 
W

will waters

macrumors regular
Jul 19, 2011
155
0
Great Britain
Mac mini

I would definitely go with the mac mini and get a third party monitor, I have have just bought and set one up for my employees and it is a fantastic little thing, I do not think that it is necessary to get the most specked up mini though, the middle range one would do you quite happily for what you want (also it has the best graphics card)

Will
 
talmy

talmy

macrumors 601
Oct 26, 2009
4,727
337
Oregon
The mini makes more sense than an Air if you aren't concerned about portability. However watch out -- if you spec toward the high end, once you add the cost of a display, keyboard, and mouse it might make more sense to get the base iMac.
 
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