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Mac mini using an ibook as a display?

M

moot

macrumors regular
Original poster
I have a G3 white ibook. It's great but sometimes I just need more. And so I've been thinking about getting a Mac mini.

The thing is, I dont want a desktop. I usually use my ibook in the same place every day, but when I'm not using it I put it away. I really dont want a desktop which is too inconvienet to move out of the way. The place I use my ibook is actually also the place where I study and eat. So I cant put a big desktop there.

However, sometimes G3 just doesn't cut it anymore. Also I want to burn DVDs and would like wireless as well. An old airport card would set me back $150 (that's the auction price in Japan) and a DVD burner another $100 or so. So a mac mini makes a lot of sense to me.

Can I get a mini and use my ibook as a monitor and keyboard. Maybe connect up via firewire? I could put the mini away on a shelf and just buy a long firewire cable. That way I would have a much better system, be able to burn DVDs, and still be able to put my ibook away when it's dinner time.

Would this work? Any thoughts would be great. 🙂
 
You can't really do this. You could use Apple Remote Desktop or something similar to display the screen from the Mini in a Window on the iBook but you cannot just us the iBook as a keyboard, mouse and display for the Mini.
 
robbieduncan said:
You can't really do this. You could use Apple Remote Desktop or something similar to display the screen from the Mini in a Window on the iBook but you cannot just us the iBook as a keyboard, mouse and display for the Mini.
Click to expand...

Oh well, 🙁 it was worth a thought. 😱

Would the Apple Remote desktop way be too slow to be worth considering? 😕
 
moot said:
Oh well, 🙁 it was worth a thought. 😱

Would the Apple Remote desktop way be too slow to be worth considering? 😕
Click to expand...

YES, it will be slow. 🙂
 
🙁 Ok, I'll give up on that idea.

Still want a mini though 🙂 , maybe I'll just have to try to find a monitor that's easy to move around.
 
moot said:
🙁 Ok, I'll give up on that idea.

Still want a mini though 🙂 , maybe I'll just have to try to find a monitor that's easy to move around.
Click to expand...


Buy the mini, I know some places have a promo where you get a free keyboard and mouse (i believe via a mail in rebate), choose a decent 17" LCD screen and you will have no problems. 🙂


Connect the iBook to the mini and you have a secondary system to off load or share the processor load (some software might be needed). 🙂
 
By the time you spend $500 on a Mini and another $250 or so on a monitor/keyboard/mouse, you'll be halfway to a new iBook.

Why not sell your current G3 iBook - and put the cash towards getting a new iBook with superdrive? No hassle with taking up too much room either.
 
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