Your impression about mac mini

[blackscooby]

Mines fab, just used as a Media Server with a 500Gb external drive plugged in to store Movies and TV programmes and browse the net like I'm doing now.

It's on 24x7, 7 days a week. Just sits there either downloading stuff or on in the background.

If it failed I've no idea what I'd replace it with. Fits my requirements faultlessly.

Small form factor was essential so it could sit under my TV without looking like a PC. Runs FCE and sees much more use than my AMD server in my office. Downside it's got an on-board graphics so I won't be running games on it... so what I knew that when I bought it !

 

[scaredpoet]

I used to have a Mini G4 but I sold it on ebay (you gotta love ebay)it was basically useless and I barley used it and it was slow so I got an iMac

So basically, you're comparing the model from three years ago to the Mac mini of today. Since then:

- The CPU architecture has changed to Intel, has gone dual-core, and the CPU clock speed has nearly doubled.

- The maximum memory configuration has increased by a factor of 12

- The GPU, while not top-notch, has improved significantly

- The Geekbench rating for the mini has increased from 700 to 2594.

- The price has remained remarkably stable for the improvements put in.

I don't think you're making a valid assessment.

I will say this, I looked at the Mac mini when it first came out and laughed at it. But a LOT has changed since then.

 

[dbam987]

Potential Mac Mini buyer here...

After reading all the posts in this thread, I am now looking at the Mac Mini seriously as a replacement for my desktop PC computer. I just have a few questions, that I'd like current owners of the latest iteration of Mac Mini's to answer:

1. Does the Mac Mini support playing WoW with maxed video settings?
2. What is the max supported screen size that the Intel graphics support?
3. What kind of hard-disks does the Mac Mini support? (i.e. does it use 3.5'' drives or 2.5'' drives? Does it support EIDE hard-drives?)

One thing that I'm glad to know is that the Mac Mini supports running CS3 quite well.

 

[OllyW]

I think that the Mini should be discontuined it use less

I used to have a Mini G4 but I sold it on ebay (you gotta love ebay)it was basically useless and I barley used it and it was slow so I got an iMac

I used to have a dual 2.0 G5 Power Mac and that was slower than my new mini. Technology moves on and comparing the latest mini to your old G4 (which was hopelessly out of date at the time it was released anyway) is pointless. Like I said earlier in the thread, most critics of the mini are judging it's performance based purely on it's specifications without ever using one properly.

The same is happening now with the MacBook Air with loads of people criticising it's performance, even though only a handful of customers have actually got their hands on one. Those who have actually got one seem quite happy with them and it is the same with mini owners. Have a look on this thread, most of the posters who do own a mini seem more than pleased with them.

 

[OllyW]

After reading all the posts in this thread, I am now looking at the Mac Mini seriously as a replacement for my desktop PC computer. I just have a few questions, that I'd like current owners of the latest iteration of Mac Mini's to answer:

1. Does the Mac Mini support playing WoW with maxed video settings?
2. What is the max supported screen size that the Intel graphics support?
3. What kind of hard-disks does the Mac Mini support? (i.e. does it use 3.5'' drives or 2.5'' drives? Does it support EIDE hard-drives?)

One thing that I'm glad to know is that the Mac Mini supports running CS3 quite well.

1. No idea
2. It will power a 23" Apple Cinema Display with ease (1920 x 1200)
3. 2.5" SATA. At the moment 320GB is the biggest and 200GB - 7200 RPM the fastest.

 

[MacsAttack]

After reading all the posts in this thread, I am now looking at the Mac Mini seriously as a replacement for my desktop PC computer. I just have a few questions, that I'd like current owners of the latest iteration of Mac Mini's to answer:

1. Does the Mac Mini support playing WoW with maxed video settings?
2. What is the max supported screen size that the Intel graphics support?
3. What kind of hard-disks does the Mac Mini support? (i.e. does it use 3.5'' drives or 2.5'' drives? Does it support EIDE hard-drives?)

One thing that I'm glad to know is that the Mac Mini supports running CS3 quite well.

I played around with the old G4 Mac Mini for 18 months running CS2 - and it as a nice little machine.

The Intel version is not very different from my MacBook (just like the G4 was an iBook folded up onto a box, the Intel version is essentially a MacBook squished into the same space). My MacBook runs CS3 very well. Not as good as the Mac Pro I replaced the Mini with - but it's no slouch.

1. I think you are pushing it a little.
2. 1900 by 1200
3. 2.5 inch SATA - and look out for the drives thicker than .95 cm as they will not fit. There are a number of Mac Mini form-factor external HDs that work quite well over FireWire. When I had 2Tb of storage hanging off the back of my old Mini I concluded the time had come to get a Mac Pro...

The Mini is a nice machine. If I didn't need the extra storage I'd be happy to use one as my primary system. Oh - and the extra memory I can get in the Mac Pro is kind of handy. And the FireWire 800 ports. But apart from that - I'd be quite happy using one.

 

[richmlow]

Well...all I can say is that I'm quite happy with my Mac Mini G4.

Here are the specifications:

Mac Mini PowerPC G4
1.5 GHZ
1GB RAM
80GB Hard Drive
ATI 9200 GPU, 64MB VRAM
Airport Card, Bluetooth
Mac OS X 10.4.11 (Tiger)

I do a ton of stuff on my Mini: surfing, web design, playing (older) games, word processing, typesetting mathematics research, Mathematica programming, creating research presentations, etc.

It's a rock-solid machine.

Please write something abou using mac mini, because o apple.com always are written only good things but i want to see real comments on using this mac.
Is it easy to open it and to replace some deatails or to repair?
Thanks

 

[marclapierre13]

Im planning on getting a mac mini for my sister, because of the ease of use, and reliabilty. something she can plug in to her TV, and check her mail when needed

 

[mbrydone]

can you swap out the hard drive for a way bigger capacity than the ones apple offers...like 1 TB perhaps?

 

[dbam987]

I don't think 1 TB 2.5'' disks are available yet unfortunately. The max disk size of the 2.5-inch breed is about 320 GB at the moment. Mac Mini's can only fit 2.5-inch disks in their chassis.

 

[Cave Man]

The Mini has real problems. Here are just a few.

• It's too cheap. I really want to spend more money than is necessary.
• It's too quiet. I just can't stand silence.
• It's too small. If I can't see my computer, how do I know it's even there?
• It can only do 5.1 surround sound. I mean, come on!
• It can only do 1080 HD video. Sheesh. Even the theaters have 4320 now.
• With Leopard, it's only slightly better at DVD upscaling than the best upscaling DVD players currently available.
• It doesn't come with its own display. I had to go out and buy a projector for my home theater Mini and also a 22" NONGLOSSY display for my photo processing Mini.

I wouldn't buy one, if I were you.

 

[Cave Man]

I don't think 1 TB 2.5'' disks are available yet unfortunately. The max disk size of the 2.5-inch breed is about 320 GB at the moment. Mac Mini's can only fit 2.5-inch disks in their chassis.

WD should be releasing a 500 gig drive any day now, and Samsung will have one in March.

 

[dbam987]

lol, that was a funny read cave man.