Macbook as PVR?

[eoren1]

Hey guys,
Got a friend who is interested in moving to the Mac but had been hoping for a mini refresh. His goal is to 'try out' OS X and Ubuntu while having the 'safety net' of XP. The benefit of the mini was he could turn it into a PVR in a few years and not feel that this was a wasted exercise. Given the lack of a mini refresh and the questions of whether this will be an end of life product, I suggested a Macbook instead. Seems to me that it can do all the mini can and then some. He can use it in clamshell mode as a 'desktop' now and, later, as a pvr. Any thoughts on this setup? Anyone use the macbook with the EyeTV as a PVR?
Thanks a lot!
E

 

[esaleris]

I recommended this to a friend, and it ended up having feet and following him wherever he went . Essentially, he couldn't keep his paws off of it, so he's going to get a Mac mini in addition to his Macbook for his needs.

Kinda silly, I know, but it's a legit thought. Also, remember when you clamshell it, the heat plays a significant factor as it doesn't have a direction to vent upwards.

I actually own both, and use the Macbook to VNC (Screen Share) into the Mac mini to control some things, otherwise, it's all Apple remote via EyeTV/Front Row. It's pretty awesome.

 

[steeler]

I'm actually waiting for a mini refresh to use the new models as a home audio machine -- possibly video too. If they discontinue the mini, I'll just get a slightly used one somewhere, but the expectation is that an update will occur soon. I'm in no hurry and don't need it immediately, so I can wait.

If your friend wants to play with OS X, he could get a refurbished MacBook from the Apple Store, and if he doesn't like it, sell it later on -- even possibly sell it and buy a mini (assuming they are refreshed).