iMac or Mac Mini

[TheHoffmeister]

I have a lot of spare time these days, so I took up photography for a hobby at Christmas. At the moment I am using a Vaio notebook to do all of my touch-ups etc.. This is incredibly slow at everything.
I spoke to a friend and he said get a Mac!! So decided to.

Now which one? Would the two in topic be just as good as each other for this kind of thing?

TIA!

 

[Trip.Tucker]

Do you mean the Mac mini?

 

[TheHoffmeister]

Sorry yes, thats the one

[now edited thanks]

 

[Tomorrow]

For minor touch-ups, etc., you will be able to use either machine.

If you decide on the Mini, the prevailing thought is that these are due for a refresh soon. Also don't forget the monitor, mouse, and keyboard - these are included with the iMac.

 

[Trip.Tucker]

For photo retouching, editing, etc both machines are very capable and comparable. The decision will be more about when you compare the two. For a complete experience I'd recommend the iMac. If money is tight and you are happy with your current display, keyboard, etc then the Mac mini is a fantastic machine.

I still have my first Mac mini G4 from several years ago running as a media center. My wife uses an intel Mac mini daily for photo processing as well as layouts (Pages for flyers and newsletters) and email.

 

[TheHoffmeister]

Money really isnt an issue with it all. I am using a laptop with 11" screen at the moment so everything needs to be bought from ground up.

It will be used for minor touch-ups for now, but who knows where it will all lead to.

I just dont want to get the wrong thing at the begining and wished I got the other. If the Mac mini will do it all then that would be fine.

Thanks

 

[Trip.Tucker]

Money really isnt an issue with it all. I am using a laptop with 11" screen at the moment so everything needs to be bought from ground up.

It will be used for minor touch-ups for now, but who knows where it will all lead to.

I just dont want to get the wrong thing at the begining and wished I got the other. If the Mac mini will do it all then that would be fine.

Thanks

In that case I'd suggest going with the iMac, either the '20 or '24. As the iMac has a much better graphics chip than the Mac mini, if you should consider playing the odd game in the future, this will make it a far more enjoyable experience. Additionally, with Snow Leopard and the CL API, the GPU will be available to applications coded to utilize it and having too much horsepower is better than not quiet enough.

The specifications on the iMac's are higher than the Mac mini so you get more grunt for your dollar.

You also get the whole experience with the iMac as you will be using all Apple equipment that works together and why not get a complete solution after all.

Possibly my favorite point is that if you opt for the wireless keyboard and mouse, you have a very very tidy computer setup with no cables or wires. Couple that with a wireless base station (the Airport Extreme) and you have a very elegant solution.

 

[TBi]

Unless the mini gets an update (or you get it dirt cheap) then i wouldn't get it. It's severely outdated. The cheap 20" iMac would be a much better machine.

 

[kitch95]

If budget is not an issue you could consider a macbook pro. Portable so you can take it with you in the field and has a big enough screen to use at home and you could also buy the led 24" cinema display to use at home. If not I would suggest the Imac I have one that I use photography and its awesome with the big screen.