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acedrums

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 23, 2009
44
0
Southwest
Heres the deal:
As you can see, I have a "Classic Edition" mac. Although I am a little mad about the lack of Firewire, honestly, I have no complaints about it. Its my baby and I use it on everything (from recording to graphics). BUT that firewire is really starting to become a nag in the ear, SO I did research and the Mac mini seems like a good replacement of a desktop but still small like a macbook. HOWEVER, I don't want to make the same mistake twice so I would like advice cause im on a budget (actually, when I mean thinking, i mean: waiting four to five months before purchasing). Also, a monitor is not an issue. I have one, and the cords are cheap to purchase. So, any advice would be helpful (INCLUDING how to get it cheaper). Thank you!
 
I would get a Mac Mini right now since the earliest they can be updated is in February - June 2010. There are 3 ways you can get a Mac Mini cheap.

1. Apple.com + Education Discount
$549.99 w/o tax
2. Apple Refurbished Mac Mini (keep checking daily for them to be in stock)
$499 w/o tax
3. Amazon.com
$577.95 no tax
 
a imac is over double the price but it looks only a little faster. Plus with a mac mini you have far more monitor choices. in two or three years get another mini and you still have not spent what you would on a imac.
 
I have both and still like my Imac better. IMO its faster and I like the overall footprint. The Mac Mini is good but then I had to buy a Monitor and that wasn't that cheap to find a good one. Look for a Refurbished Imac.
 
you might want to consider selling your macbook and purchasing a new/refurb macbook/p with firewire

i think it would be cheaper than buying a mini/imac and a hell of a lot more convenient
 
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