buying mac mini

[sunrobby]

Hi, im a new switcher, just bought an MBP, and i love it very much. I planned to buy a mac mini to replace my PC. It's going to be used only for pages, keynote, internet browsing, chat. How much is the performance differences between the core solo and the core duo? I also concerning about the hard disk space, can anyone tell me the actual hard disk space for both model? (solo and duo) the hard disk space is 60 Gb for solo model and 80 Gb for duo model. But how bout the actual size, since my MBP said 100 Gb but actual size is 93 Gb. Thanks

 

[sunrobby]

also, is there a hardware test in mac mini? just like MBP does?

 

[Darwin]

Here is a website that has done a few tests between the Solo and Duo Minis:

link here

As for the Actual Hard disk space you will only lose a few gigs from it, usually its worst for bigger hard drives so you won't lose as much as you have on the MacBook Pro

also, is there a hardware test in mac mini? just like MBP does?

If you are talking about the Test CD then there should be one with all new macs

 

[netdog]

Hi, im a new switcher, just bought an MBP, and i love it very much. I planned to buy a mac mini to replace my PC. It's going to be used only for pages, keynote, internet browsing, chat. How much is the performance differences between the core solo and the core duo? I also concerning about the hard disk space, can anyone tell me the actual hard disk space for both model? (solo and duo) the hard disk space is 60 Gb for solo model and 80 Gb for duo model. But how bout the actual size, since my MBP said 100 Gb but actual size is 93 Gb. Thanks

If you plan to have this machine for a number of years, get the Core Duo. Adding hard disk space as you need it is easy.

 

[sunrobby]

thanks for the reply, and i just notice something, that the mac mini have built in speaker? Wow that small thing have a built in speaker already? How good is the speaker? I saw in mini's spec: Built-in speakers, combined optical digital audio input/audio line in, combined optical digital audio output/headphone out

 

[Vaphoron]

and i just notice something, that the mac mini have built in speaker? Wow that small thing have a built in speaker already? How good is the speaker?

The speaker sucks and is nowhere near the MBP speaker quality.

 

[plinden]

I also concerning about the hard disk space, can anyone tell me the actual hard disk space for both model? (solo and duo) the hard disk space is 60 Gb for solo model and 80 Gb for duo model. But how bout the actual size, since my MBP said 100 Gb but actual size is 93 Gb. Thanks

Hard disk manufacturers usually spec their hard drives using GB = 1000,000,000, but internally a computer measures GB by 1024x1024x1024, so you "lose" 7%. The hard disk size is actually the same, it's just measured differently.

So 100GB = 100,000,000,000 Bytes no matter whether it's 100GB in the specs or 93GB in the computer.

It's confusing for people who are not computer professionals. I always think of 1GB = 1024x1024x1024 so although I know about the difference, even I am always briefly disappointed when I see what the computer measures the HD as.

 

[jsw]

The speaker is a good as the standard in-the-case PC speakers - in other words, fine for system sounds but essentially worthless for music, audio chats, etc. The quality isn't horrible, but the max volume is pretty low.

As far as disk space, disk manufacturers use 1 GB = 1000x1000x1000 bytes. Computer OS's use 1GB = 1024x1024x1024 bytes.

So, a disk GB = 0.93 OS GBs - which is why you see 93 GB on the 100GB disk. You'll see the same percentage difference on any size (~56GB on a 60, ~74GB on an 80, etc.).

Edit: too slow!!

External HD's are your salvation when in comes to a mini.

And duo vs solo? Duo's do video better, solo's are fine for most standard apps. 1 GB is the bare minimum for RAM, IMHO.