Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Should I Buy A 'Mac mini' Now?

I need to move some stuff around, find how to move my Apps to an external drive safely, move my home folder, and anything else.

I have 2 1TB external drives now, I use 1 as a Time Machine drive and the other holds all of my music and movies and a few other items.
 
Alright, I bit and ordered it. Now I need to find how to move all of my Apps to an external drive and anything else. Or maybe put my Parallels Windows on an external if possible, although I rarely use the dang thing, I've grown to hate Windows so much.
 
I would suppose that some people like the Mini because of it's small size, and then putting a relatively small SSD in it, so that you're gonna have your data storage elsewhere, kinda screws that. Atleast if you're plugging in an external harddrive that's on the same table/desk.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I'd recommend making a backup of your current hard drive to insure you won't lose anything on your journey of moving things around :p

I keep ALL of my applications on my SSD (to take advantage of the speed of course). My home folder is still on my mini as well. With apps and the / folder, I'm only using around 29GB of the available 60GB on my SSD.

I do Time Machine backups to my server every few hours, and have my music, movies, etc. (currently on my FW800 1TB drive as well) backed up to it as well. That way, I have immediate access to my media files if I WANT via FireWire, but if anything was to go wrong it would all be on the server while my drive would be getting serviced.

I'd definitely say that the highlight of an SSD is 'no waiting in line'. Things just load so much faster, no lag. The best way to take advantage of all the speed is to keep all your Apps and documents you need immediately on SSD, with media and everything else you don't need right this second kept externally and/or on a server.

Btw, I assume you all know this, but just in case. If you go with an SSD, and want any files externally, the fastest speeds come from eSata, and FireWire 800. The eSata requires hacking to install a port (no Macs have them by default), yet most Macs have FireWire 800. Take your pick and do what's necessary for you.

Personally I think Internal SSD, and FireWire 800 is the greatest combination for the Mini, and it requires only having your SSD put in. If you're a speed demon, the eSata hack may be your way to go.
I'm too much of a wuss to mess with my machine, and I'm happy with FW800 :)

Sorry if formatting is wrong, replying via iPhone is a pain!

-Alex :apple:
 
Last edited:
alexreich said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I'd recommend making a backup of your current hard drive to insure you won't lose anything on your journey of moving things around :p

I keep ALL of my applications on my SSD (to take advantage of the speed of course). My home folder is still on my mini as well. With apps and the / folder, I'm only using around 29GB of the available 60GB on my SSD.

I do Time Machine backups to my server every few hours, and have my music, movies, etc. (currently on my FW800 1TB drive as well) backed up to it as well. That way, I have immediate access to my media files if I WANT via FireWire, but if anything was to go wrong it would all be on the server while my drive would be getting serviced.

I'd definitely say that the highlight of an SSD is 'no waiting in line'. Things just load so much faster, no lag. The best way to take advantage of all the speed is to keep all your Apps and documents you need immediately on SSD, with media and everything else you don't need right this second kept externally and/or on a server.

Btw, I assume you all know this, but just in case. If you go with an SSD, and want any files externally, the fastest speeds come from eSata, and FireWire 800. The eSata requires hacking to install a port (no Macs have them by default), yet most Macs have FireWire 800. Take your pick and do what's necessary for you.

Personally I think Internal SSD, and FireWire 800 is the greatest combination for the Mini, and it requires only having your SSD put in. If you're a speed demon, the eSata hack may be your way to go.
I'm too much of a wuss to mess with my machine, and I'm happy with FW800 :)

Sorry if formatting is wrong, replying via iPhone is a pain!

-Alex :apple:
Click to expand...

You make a compelling case, sir. I've always thought the slow laptop drive was always the achilles' heel of the mini (and probably done so deliberately), and the 2010 model in particular. Decent LCD monitors are relatively cheap and plentiful these days, I believe that a mini with a little bit more capacity and pizazz would seriously cut into iMac sales. An ssd will put the mini into base model iMac prices, but I could see how people who already own a usable LCD would make that choice.

It remains to see how the impending refresh of the mini will effect this equation. Presumably it will keep the same basic design and use the i series cpu architecture and intel hd3000 graphics. I'll bet Apple will hobble the storage size and speed of the new model to keep the equation the same. OTOH, an ability to easily use an external SSD via TB could make this a lot more appealing.
 
I love Apple, but $700 for a 2+ year old CPU, 2GB of RAM, and low end graphics is highway robbery. No matter what kind of enclosure it's in, and no matter what OS it is running.
 
Good points!

clyde2801 said:
You make a compelling case, sir. I've always thought the slow laptop drive was always the achilles' heel of the mini (and probably done so deliberately), and the 2010 model in particular. Decent LCD monitors are relatively cheap and plentiful these days, I believe that a mini with a little bit more capacity and pizazz would seriously cut into iMac sales. An ssd will put the mini into base model iMac prices, but I could see how people who already own a usable LCD would make that choice.

It remains to see how the impending refresh of the mini will effect this equation. Presumably it will keep the same basic design and use the i series cpu architecture and intel hd3000 graphics. I'll bet Apple will hobble the storage size and speed of the new model to keep the equation the same. OTOH, an ability to easily use an external SSD via TB could make this a lot more appealing.
Click to expand...

I definitely agree on your outlook on the new Mac Mini's. I'm not expecting much of an upgrade here. Just an iX processor.

Personally, I wouldn't be suprised if 2011 Mac Mini (entry level) had a dual Core i3 2GHz, 2GB RAM, 320-500GB HDD for entry level, and a 2.2-2.6GHz i3/i5, 4GB RAM, dual 500GB (maybe dual 750GB) HDD in the Server model (no change in shape, same unibody). Same RAM, same horrible 5400rpm HDD. I really believe that the hard drive is the speed killer in non-SSD Macs. I mean, 8GB RAM helps quite a bit, but an SSD really helps things along drastically.

I also agree with your statement on the HDDs. Though I hadn't thought about it before, the typical end user of a computer knows nothing about hard drives, RAM, Processors, bla bla bla. They just think it's fast or slow. If you make your cheap computer (in Apple's spot, the $699 Mac Mini) slow (5400rpm HD), the average person will spend more money for 'speed' found in a i5 iMac or MacBook Pro. Very good sabotage Apple :)

It's people like us that can take advantage of our knowledge. Getting the most of our computers, penny-pinching all the way. :p

About the monitors, I'm currently using two 21.5 Samsung monitors with my Mac Mini. I prefer it this way, until I can afford a Cinema Display. Once I buy my Cinema Display, I'll only be buying new Mac Mini's every 1-2 years until the monitor fails (if it ever does). No need for an iMac if I own a 27" Apple Monitor that can put out 2560x1440 resoultion via Mini DisplayPort. Buying a new Mac Mini would save money in the long run, in comparison to a new iMac every few years.
 
alexreich said:
About the monitors, I'm currently using two 21.5 Samsung monitors with my Mac Mini. I prefer it this way, until I can afford a Cinema Display. Once I buy my Cinema Display, I'll only be buying new Mac Mini's every 1-2 years until the monitor fails (if it ever does). No need for an iMac if I own a 27" Apple Monitor that can put out 2560x1440 resoultion via Mini DisplayPort. Buying a new Mac Mini would save money in the long run, in comparison to a new iMac every few years.
Click to expand...

I agree that the new Mini will likely only have a mb/cpu upgrade, but it will be faster. They should put SSD's in them.

As for your monitor situation, have you considered a nice HDTV instead of a Cinema Display? They are less expensive and more versatile. I use a 37" Vizio as my main monitor, but I can also use it as a regular TV when the Mini is off. But it also has far more inputs than a Cinema Display, which makes it great for hooking up multiple computers, gaming systems, cable TV, etc. I also use a 24" Gateway as my second monitor if I need/want an App at a higher resolution than the 1080p of the HDTV, or just want the screen space of a second monitor.
 
Can the Mini take a 7200 rpm 2.5" HD? When I say take it I mean power wise or will it overload the PSU and what about the extra heat, again will the dissipation be good or will it set the fans on overload?
 
Q: Should you buy it now?
A: NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo...........!!!

Wait a little longer. The new one will be out VERY soon. So they say. :)
 
alexreich said:
Personally, I wouldn't be suprised if 2011 Mac Mini (entry level) had a dual Core i3 2GHz, 2GB RAM, 320-500GB HDD for entry level, and a 2.2-2.6GHz i3/i5, 4GB RAM, dual 500GB (maybe dual 750GB) HDD in the Server model (no change in shape, same unibody). Same RAM, same horrible 5400rpm HDD. I really believe that the hard drive is the speed killer in non-SSD Macs. I mean, 8GB RAM helps quite a bit, but an SSD really helps things along drastically.
Click to expand...

Seeing as how 2 GB is the bare bones minimum for Lion, I don't see how Apple can get away with that little memory in a CPU that ships with Lion (and can't run anything lower, probably). But their hubris has surprised me before.
 
Tulpa said:
Seeing as how 2 GB is the bare bones minimum for Lion, I don't see how Apple can get away with that little memory in a CPU that ships with Lion (and can't run anything lower, probably). But their hubris has surprised me before.
Click to expand...

They'll get away with it if people keep buying it with those specs (and some will pay even more exorbitantly for more ram from Apple).

I can also see apple putting the smallest, slowest hard drive they can get away with in it, and either a) not putting TB in it, or b) doing some BS firmware that would keep it from booting off of an external drive.
 
Thanks for all the ideas, guys! I'm guessing I'm going to wait. If or when the next generation comes out, though (hopefully before next semester 'cause I will need one for my job at Rogers TV), I will be purchasing the lowest configuration and piece-by-piece upgrading it. I'm tight on money right now, however, I will likely be doing upgrade how-tos on my upcoming channel, using the base configuration. And yes, I will atleast wait until Lion comes out since it comes out this month, anyways. Any ideas on the next generation specs?:D
 
I want to buy one now (2.66ghz, SSD upgrade, 8 GB ram). But with the refresh I can get a Sandy Bridge processor but it will come at the cost of intergrated Intel graphics which I don't want. So should I wait?
 
Vrism said:
I want to buy one now (2.66ghz, SSD upgrade, 8 GB ram). But with the refresh I can get a Sandy Bridge processor but it will come at the cost of intergrated Intel graphics which I don't want. So should I wait?
Click to expand...

Yes, 320M's performance isn't all that much better than HD3000's. In fact, they're quite comparable under OSX, but if you're bootcamping Windows it appears that the 320M has a bigger lead. I think 8GB RAM may well be cheaper after the upgrade because 4GB will probably be baseline..
 
Can all these Mac mini and MBA threads be locked until we get some real evidence of a product refresh? All these spin off rumors and tidbits are driving me crazy. :eek:
 
Lankyman said:
Can the Mini take a 7200 rpm 2.5" HD? When I say take it I mean power wise or will it overload the PSU and what about the extra heat, again will the dissipation be good or will it set the fans on overload?
Click to expand...

the 2009 mac mini can run 2 750gb 7200 rpm scorpio blacks in the 2.53ghz server model.

the problem with the redesigned 2010 is the hdd connectors are downright fragile . swapping in hdds are a much more delicate procedure. the 2010 server has a pair of 500gb 7200 rpm hdds.

the real problem with the minis is the cpu is outdated. the 2009 has a better hdd setup and worse graphic graphic card. the 2010 has a better graphic card and worse hdd setup.

the 2009 mac mini can be turned into this


https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1178755/


this is a nice setup. can't do it with the 2010.
 
The 2010 Mac mini Server can have 2 750 GB HDD's, too. It's just a pain in the ass and fragile procedure to undergo.
 
My SSD arrived today and I just installed it, very fast now, nice. I'd recommend it to anyone. I bought a firewire external case, put the SSD in that, used Carbon Copy Cloner to make a copy of my boot drive, then took the Mini apart and put the SSD in and it's working like a champ. Even surfing the Internet is faster because pages load faster. Very interesting.
 
philipma1957 said:
the problem with the redesigned 2010 is the hdd connectors are downright fragile . swapping in hdds are a much more delicate procedure.
Click to expand...

I can verify that. I fought with those little connectors putting an SSD in. It's not for the faint of heart, I would say that if you haven't built a computer before, have an Apple Certified Tech put an SSD in for you. It would be very easy to break one of those connectors. I had the connector come loose from the wires on one and the connector went flying and I haven't found it yet. It's soooo tiny. It turns out it's for the hard drive activity monitor sensor for the power light, so everything works without it but I have no power light at the moment. I'll have to see if I can buy that incredibly tiny part from Apple.
 
cocacolakid said:
I can verify that. I fought with those little connectors putting an SSD in. It's not for the faint of heart, I would say that if you haven't built a computer before, have an Apple Certified Tech put an SSD in for you. It would be very easy to break one of those connectors. I had the connector come loose from the wires on one and the connector went flying and I haven't found it yet. It's soooo tiny. It turns out it's for the hard drive activity monitor sensor for the power light, so everything works without it but I have no power light at the moment. I'll have to see if I can buy that incredibly tiny part from Apple.
Click to expand...

That's what would put me off upgrading the HDD in a Mini. I have fingers like sausages and when I watched the upgrade process on Youtube my first thoughts were "you have got to be joking". :eek:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back