mac mini recycling....

[whyrichard]

Hello!


my old ibook just died.

i'm thinking of replacing it with a used mac mini, and hooking it up around the house to use as a dvd player/internet connection/itunes source.


I had a few questions:

-the older mac mini's, can i install the airport card from my ibook g4 in the mac mini?

-can i use the hd from my ibook (upgraded to an 80 gig) into the mac mini?

thanks,
r.

 

[EricNau]

It is not easy to open up the Mac minis.


Here's what MacWorld said...

Q: Could I rip out the hard drive and install a new one?
A: Probably, although it would be a huge amount of work, requiring the removal of the Mini's black plastic drive/fan enclosure, and then some scary removal of items from said enclosure in order to get to the screws on the right side of the drive.

Q:Can I add Bluetooth, AirPort, or both to the Mac mini later if I didn’t buy my system with any pre-installed wireless options?
Not easily. The Mac Mini’s wireless options live on a small daughtercard attached to the system’s motherboard (see photo below). If you order a Mac mini with no wireless options, you don't get a daughtercard or any external antenna. If you ordered a Mac mini with just Bluetooth, you could perform some serious surgery and install an AirPort card later -- but you might need to hack your own antenna for it. It's probably not worth the drama. You can always seek professional help from an authorized Apple specialist or an Apple retail store if you need to install either or both after the fact.