refurb imac or mac mini

[iSaygoodbye]

Should i get this refurb imac

or the top of the line mac mini?

This will be my main machine for years to come.Also,my brother in law gos to a community college so if i get him to "buy" it how much of a discount does he get?Also,which of those two machines has the better video card?Id like to be able to play some games on them

 

[scienide09]

The refurb iMac you tried to link is the link to the Mac Mini in the Apple store.

Please don't scam the education discount. The more people abusing it, the more likely it is that Apple will take it away. That being said, the education discount doesn't apply to refurbished products.

If you're comparing, the video capability of the two upper-tier iMacs (2.93 and 3.06GHz) will outperform that of the Mini. The two lower-tier iMacs have the same graphics processor as the Mini, and so there's no significant advantage.

If you plan on gaming, seriously consider a PC, or at least consider running Windows through Bootcamp. Macs are not gaming machines. What else will you be using this computer for?

 

[J&JPolangin]

...I was looking at a current gen mini but decided on a prev gen iMac and so far its been great...

 

[iSaygoodbye]

The refurb iMac you tried to link is the link to the Mac Mini in the Apple store.

Please don't scam the education discount. The more people abusing it, the more likely it is that Apple will take it away. That being said, the education discount doesn't apply to refurbished products.

If you're comparing, the video capability of the two upper-tier iMacs (2.93 and 3.06GHz) will outperform that of the Mini. The two lower-tier iMacs have the same graphics processor as the Mini, and so there's no significant advantage.

If you plan on gaming, seriously consider a PC, or at least consider running Windows through Bootcamp. Macs are not gaming machines. What else will you be using this computer for?

sorry for the bad link.theyve taken the one i was gonna get out of the refurb store now.im not scamming the education discount,im using it.Gaming isnt my main objective with this machine.Im learning photoshop,itunes,internet,ichat,and maybe someday video editing

 

[statik13]

I have a two generation old Mac Mini and a current generation iMac. Both are great machines. Both were purchased as refurbs.

Either way you can't go wrong as both computers will handle the tasks you listed. Just ask yourself what form factor is better for you.

 

[ditzy]

If you have a display keyboard and mouse which you are happy with, the mini will do all that you've said you need it to. If you are planning to buy all the above listed items, it would be much better value to buy the iMac, which while it has the same graphics, it has a much better CPU and is significantly more powerful.

 

[scienide09]

sorry for the bad link.theyve taken the one i was gonna get out of the refurb store now.im not scamming the education discount,im using it.Gaming isnt my main objective with this machine.Im learning photoshop,itunes,internet,ichat,and maybe someday video editing

In your original post you indicated that your brother-in-law is a student, and you would go through him to get the computer. To me, this suggests that you are not a student and you don't qualify. If you're using his student status to purchase a computer for yourself, but you don't qualify for the discount, then yes indeed you're scamming the discount.

If you're serious about Photoshopping and video editing, then you may want to look at the iMacs. If really serious, then an MBP or a Mac Pro would suit you better, at least for the video work.

If your photo and video editing will be a hobby, then the Mini will be fine.