Going to buy in a couple of weeks, question...

[sammyman]

I am finally going to buy a mac in a couple of weeks. I am waiting for tiger. I have always drooled at mac's but the cost to get one was too much. Now I am going to buy a mac mini and try to get the most out of it until I have more cash. Everyone says install ram yourself, because it is cheaper. I want to know where I can get ram, preferably 1 GB, and what brand do I need to buy? I read somewhere "crucial ram" but noticed on froogle that there are a bunch of different models of crucial ram. Which would work for the mac mini.

Also, I don't need a speed demon, but would like to do some things with final cut express every once and a while, as well as macromedia and photoshop. Will the mac mini cut it with a lot of RAM?

 

[kg9ov]

I want to know where I can get ram, preferably 1 GB, and what brand do I need to buy? I read somewhere "crucial ram" but noticed on froogle that there are a bunch of different models of crucial ram. Which would work for the mac mini.

I would also recommend Crucial. Just go to their site and use their Memory Advisor tool. It will very easily guide you to the correct memory for the mini.

-Tony

 

[yoda13]

Also, I don't need a speed demon, but would like to do some things with final cut express every once and a while, as well as macromedia and photoshop. Will the mac mini cut it with a lot of RAM?

It won't be a speed demon, but if you are slightly patient, it will work fine. Enjoy

 

[sammyman]

kg9ov, I noticed that in your sig that you have a mac mini. Are you planning on upgrading memory? 512MB or 1GB?

Does anyone know if it is hard to install the memory? Any instructions on the internet?

 

[Lacero]

If I get the mini, I would wait once Tiger comes out. Then I would upgrade to 512MB RAM. The 1GB RAM chips are just way to expensive at the moment. Crucial is a good place to shop. They are actually cheaper than my local OEM shop.

 

[kg9ov]

kg9ov, I noticed that in your sig that you have a mac mini. Are you planning on upgrading memory? 512MB or 1GB?

Does anyone know if it is hard to install the memory? Any instructions on the internet?

Yes, I have a mini. I have been toying with upgrading the memory in it. The 256MB that it comes with is not to bad for surfing, email, itunes, etc. I was actually fairly surprised at how well it did work with only 256MB. If anything, I'll probably upgrade it to 512MB. It is more of a "toy" machine to me than a "main" machine, so I don't have a need to put 1GB in it (at the current price of 1GB DDR memory).

There are a number of threads about the difficulty of installing memory in the mini. The consensus seems to be that if you are comfortable working with the innards of electronics and take your time, it shouldn't be to bad. If I remember correctly, there is a site where someone has documented the process of taking one apart. I don't have a link for it, but Google is your friend.

-Tony

 

[wdlove]

If money is an issue, then waiting till after Tiger arrives is very smart. iLife '05 and Tiger would come as free software. According to the timing of your purchase you may have to have them mail a Tiger CD for $19.95. It usually will take a while before the Mac will come pre-installed, there is always some lag time.

When it comes to installing RAM, it depends on your confidence level. Personally I would prefer to pay more and know that it was installed properly.

 

[Lacero]

Anybody venture to guess when the next mini upgrades are due? I can't imagine the minis taking a year to update. Every 6 months seems to be a safe bet so another 2-3 months tops for another refresh of the line. Perhaps a better video card?