Reasons not to get a mac mini over a 21" imac?

[OneSon]

I'm looking for a home-office computer with ms office, audio signal processing and some fairly intense number crunching (spss) in mind.

I thought an Imac was the way to go but a friend mentioned the mac mini. Just comparing the specs it seems the mini offers exceptional value and is user upgradable.

Is there something I'm missing?

[FFabian]

If the integrated GPU is no concern (no/light gaming, not using graphic design software) and you already have a nice screen go for the mini.

[ybz90]

Originally Posted by OneSon

I'm looking for a home-office computer with ms office, audio signal processing and some fairly intense number crunching (spss) in mind.

I thought an Imac was the way to go but a friend mentioned the mac mini. Just comparing the specs it seems the mini offers exceptional value and is user upgradable.

Is there something I'm missing?

I am strongly in the Mini camp myself, but the big differentiators between the two are the convenience of an all-in-one and the dedicated GPU. I think in comparison, the iMac is a poor value in this current generation, as the CPU in the lower end models are generally worse than the quad-core Mac Mini, but your decision to purchase should be need dependent as the serve two different market niches.

[OneSon]

I've just priced out the following:

Macmini

2.3ghz i7
Fusion drive
4gb ram (would upgrade myself to 16gb)
trackpad
keyboard

£995 + £150 monitor

Imac

2.7ghz i5
Fusion drive
8gb ram (nonupgradable)
trackpad
keboard

1299

Which of these would be a faster more efficient machine?