Mini Mac core 2 duo?

[jburrows500]

I need a new machine to do video editing of home movies.. Although I am convinced that migrating to mac is the way to go, I find that the hardware to do so is limiting... I want to be able to select my own monitor and not be tied into a 17 or 20 inch monitor for the next 5 years.. so I thought a mac mini was the way to go for me.. I can live with the fact it only has 512.. I would go 2GB before leaving the store... another 200 on top of the 800.. so now I am a 1,000 for the little box... ok. But to spend 1,000 and get a core duo and not a core 2 dou seems like I am not making a smart move.. I feel like if I buy now, I am buying yesterdays technology... and with the chatter of a new os just around the corner, I feel like I might have a dud on my hands in 6 months from now... I hate to have to go buy a 20" imac only because there is nothing else to buy... almost makes you say, oh well.. maybe in another 3 years and buy another windows machine...

 

[MovieCutter]

You do know you can add a 2nd display to the iMacs right? An iMac would be much cleaner and more powerful for your needs, along with more hard drive space and RAM from the beginning...AND...it's already a Core 2, as if it makes THAT much of a difference for your home movie editing. Besides, a Core Duo Mac Mini is far from a "dud" once Leopard comes out.

 

[aristobrat]

Hi, welcome to the site.

At the top of the web page here should be a row of tabs.

If you haven't already noticed the "Buyer's Guide" tab, .. take a look at what it says about the mini.

 

[jklps]

I need a new machine to do video editing of home movies.. Although I am convinced that migrating to mac is the way to go, I find that the hardware to do so is limiting... I want to be able to select my own monitor and not be tied into a 17 or 20 inch monitor for the next 5 years.. so I thought a mac mini was the way to go for me.. I can live with the fact it only has 512.. I would go 2GB before leaving the store... another 200 on top of the 800.. so now I am a 1,000 for the little box... ok. But to spend 1,000 and get a core duo and not a core 2 dou seems like I am not making a smart move.. I feel like if I buy now, I am buying yesterdays technology... and with the chatter of a new os just around the corner, I feel like I might have a dud on my hands in 6 months from now... I hate to have to go buy a 20" imac only because there is nothing else to buy... almost makes you say, oh well.. maybe in another 3 years and buy another windows machine...

If you want more ram from Apple order the computer online, as it's cheaper. When you want more ram in the store you "keep" the original ram, which is pretty much useless. There is also an installation cost. The store treats it like you've bought the computer then brought it back to add more to it.

 

[jburrows500]

I have read the buyer guide and understand that the imac has a dedicated graphics card and a faster processor than the mini.. larger HD and more ram right off the bat.. but its getting married to the 17 or 20 inch box that bothers me.. I love the new 22" HD wide screen monitors that are starting to come out.. and for under 400 bucks.. Plus, I can go wireless with the mini (and yes, the imac as well) and have a clean desk top..

Does anyone know of a link that compares an equally equipped core duo vs a core 2 duo.. Am I splitting hairs here or is it something I should be concerned with?

Oh, and I didn't mean to offend anyone with the choice word of "dud" to describe the mini.. sorry.. I

 

[jburrows500]

Question... could I put a 17" imac (the one with the super drive) on a desk in my office with the hard wired key board and mouse and run from that a dv cable to feed a monitor in my living room (distance is about 16 feet). The keyboard and mouse for the living room would talk to the imac via blue tooth.. again.. about 14 to 16 feet away..

 

[MovieCutter]

but its getting married to the 17 or 20 inch box that bothers me..

Again, you can add your coveted 22" display to the iMac, thus not only giving you a 17 or 20" screen that you're "married" to, but also giving you the 22" screen as well. As for CD to C2D comparisons...heres a link that shows CD MacBooks and C2D MacBooks with iMovie results:

http://barefeats.com/mbcd8.html

As for the iMac vs. the Mac Mini...the reason to go with an iMac if you're going to be using the iLife suite will become very apparent once Leopard and iLife 07 is released. iLife 07 is going to be full of Core Animation and more advanced Core Video technologies, something that a dedicated GPU craves. You'll be able to do things much smoother and quicker with a machine that has a dedicated GPU.

 

[aristobrat]

Oh, sorry. By pointing to the Buyer's Guide, I meant to point out that the mini is listed as "Buy only if you need it - Approaching the end of a cycle", which I thought agreed with your concern about "yesterday's technology".

 

[jburrows500]

Benchmarks don't indicate a significant difference between core and core 2 duo at all when looking at imovie only.. gee.. maybe I should just buy a macbook with 1gb of ram and throw it on a 22" monitor and call it a day.. but I see the mac book has shared memory and no dedicated graphics card.. ummm... life is full of compromises...

 

[roland.g]

but I see the mac book has shared memory and no dedicated graphics card.. ummm... life is full of compromises...

so does the Mini.

Shared graphics will be fine for the video editing as long as you don't do any 3D animation.

I use iMovie all the time on my mini. Use an external drive. The internal is a 5400RPM 2.5" notebook drive. If you want to save some money do what I did, get a 1.66 Core Duo Mini from Apple's refurbished section of their store for $649 (the one with the Superdrive). Then get 2GB RAM from OWC for $225. You could even swap out the internal drive while you are at it, though I would just get an external say 320, 400 or 500 and use the internal for OS and apps and the external for DV footage and music. You can of course get external enclosures cheap, or get a newertech miniStack v2 from OWC w/o drive for $75 or with drive $259 for the Seagate 500GB. If you can't wait another two or three weeks to see if the Mini gets upgraded, get it now, like the stats show C2D isn't that big a performance jump, you can always buy the chip later and upgrade it yourself, as it is pin compatible. The memory and HDD swaps on the Mini are very easy, there is even a video online at OWC. The chip may be a little trickier, but still very doable as many already have.

Lastly, if you order prior to March 24 or 31, not sure which, you can get Final Cut Express HD for $99, regularly $299. Great deal.

 

[jburrows500]

Roland-thanks for the tip.. I think I will put the decision on hold for a month and hope that apple updates the mini with a core 2 duo.. but if not, then I will probably go the route you suggested... It's too bad I couldn't try one out for a night or two to see how well it performs doing video editing... the lack of a dedicated graphics card scares me a little... but I hear what you're saying. Thanks.

 

[roland.g]

Roland-thanks for the tip.. I think I will put the decision on hold for a month and hope that apple updates the mini with a core 2 duo.. but if not, then I will probably go the route you suggested... It's too bad I couldn't try one out for a night or two to see how well it performs doing video editing... the lack of a dedicated graphics card scares me a little... but I hear what you're saying. Thanks.

Look at all the MacBooks out there. Prior to the C2D upgrade, the MacBook and Mini had virtually identical specs. Same graphics, same CPU, same HDD, etc. Remember that the Mini can drive a 23" Apple Display. It supports up to 1920 x 1080 or something like that.

 

[jburrows500]

I'll tell ya.. I have thought about going the macbook 2.0ghz, w/2gb of ram with a nice external monitor more than a few times... 1299.00 might be the best of both worlds..

 

[roland.g]

Yeah, I can't bring myself to do the laptop thing, I don't like all the hooking and unhooking, unplugging the battery and reconnecting to keep it from being plugged in all the time, something that big on my desk when the 2nd screen is what I use for a main, extra keyboard and mouse or at least mouse and all that. The only use I have for the portable it taking it into the living room so I can surf while I watch tv, really I can run in the office when need be, or use my wife's old 12" PB, the only downside of which is the battery is shot so you always have to plug it in - some portable!