Okay first, not sure this should go here but I figure here is better than the "dedicated" iMac section or Mac Mini section.... cause it could go in either and I'm asking a basic question for advice on either so I hope it's okay to be here.
This is on behalf of a friend. I haven't had much experience myself with Macs in any recent years last time I used one Clinton got sworn into Presidency OOPS lol.
The question is cause my friend can't decide what to get. He already has a really nice monitor; it's actually the 23 ACD. Having said that he figured just get a Mini but if an iMac is a lot better then he'd just get that and have an extra monitor lol.
I'm sure you'll ask what he intends to do, nothing wrong with that as that does impact purchase decision he doesn't do much just an online machine, watch movies and videos etc. Basic video and photo editing that iPhoto/iMovie handle so I'm sure a Mini can do that pretty decently.
He wants to know though if all you can get/afford is the very base iMac the 1200 dollar 21.5 inch one is there any huge difference between that and a Mini other than larger hard drive? Sure it can store more RAM I believe but I guess he assumed the iMacs due to design use laptop grade stuff just like the Mini so there really won't be any huge difference like a laptop version of a Core2 and the desktop one there are speed/performance differences, sometimes decent sometimes negligible so it doesn't matter to most. He already has 2 external drives both 2TB one for Time Machine, one for storage so internal HDD isn't a huge beef. Unlike me he doesn't do work where HDD speed is everything and I don't know what speed Mini's use so not sure if the iMac will be leaps and bounds faster/better.
So all in all since he is budget limited already has a very nice monitor and stuff is the iMac so much faster; keep in mind all he could afford is the very base one, that it warrants the money or is it not a big deal if he just gets the Mini?
Hopefully I made that somewhat coherent lol; fighting a nasty migraine so maybe my grammar and context came out confusing, hope not though lol
This is on behalf of a friend. I haven't had much experience myself with Macs in any recent years last time I used one Clinton got sworn into Presidency OOPS lol.
The question is cause my friend can't decide what to get. He already has a really nice monitor; it's actually the 23 ACD. Having said that he figured just get a Mini but if an iMac is a lot better then he'd just get that and have an extra monitor lol.
I'm sure you'll ask what he intends to do, nothing wrong with that as that does impact purchase decision he doesn't do much just an online machine, watch movies and videos etc. Basic video and photo editing that iPhoto/iMovie handle so I'm sure a Mini can do that pretty decently.
He wants to know though if all you can get/afford is the very base iMac the 1200 dollar 21.5 inch one is there any huge difference between that and a Mini other than larger hard drive? Sure it can store more RAM I believe but I guess he assumed the iMacs due to design use laptop grade stuff just like the Mini so there really won't be any huge difference like a laptop version of a Core2 and the desktop one there are speed/performance differences, sometimes decent sometimes negligible so it doesn't matter to most. He already has 2 external drives both 2TB one for Time Machine, one for storage so internal HDD isn't a huge beef. Unlike me he doesn't do work where HDD speed is everything and I don't know what speed Mini's use so not sure if the iMac will be leaps and bounds faster/better.
So all in all since he is budget limited already has a very nice monitor and stuff is the iMac so much faster; keep in mind all he could afford is the very base one, that it warrants the money or is it not a big deal if he just gets the Mini?
Hopefully I made that somewhat coherent lol; fighting a nasty migraine so maybe my grammar and context came out confusing, hope not though lol