What to get on my Mini?

[ignus]

ok the mini is pretty much exactly what i needed to push me over the edge into Mac ownership, so now i ask you Mac gurus for what to get. remember, im gonna use this for experimentation, maybe some server stuff, maybe some low-end games, and some Garageband and Photoshop use.

First step: $499 or $599?
Now, that extra $100 is a decent chunk for all the more you get. the extra 40gb hdd space is nice, but i doubt ill be using up a lot of the drive space like i do on my pc (movies, lots of mp3s, huge games). and the cpu upgrade seems negligible. would that $100 be better spent elsewhere...
EDIT: just saw that you can upgrade the hdd on the $499 one for $50. is the cpu upgrade worth $50 as well?

Second step: RAM?
... on something like more RAM? 256mb seems low, im pretty sure ill go w/ 512mb, since 1gb is outrageously expensive right now 8O

Third step: Wireless?
i dont have any wireless in my place yet, so it would be a bit useless right? but since it sounds a bit expensive to put in later, im thinking maybe adding the Airport extreme card from the start, just in case. i may want to move this mac around since its so tiny ^^ and i dont have any Bluetooth devices, and if i get wireless input devices for it, ill use my Logitech combo that uses USB.

Fourth step: Input devices?
first off, the standard one-button apple mouse is ****e. no way am i buying an apple kb/mouse of any sort. i have a MS USB scroll mouse i can use, but the spare kb i have is PS/2. should i just get an adapter for it, at least to start with? and does anyone know if i wanted to get another (newer?) Logitech wireless combo, would the two interfere if they were in close proximity (which they will be)?

thanks for your help :D

also if anyone here gets an ipod shuffle, make sure to let us know how good it is. im prolly getting the 40gb one, and might get the cheaper shuffle for running or places i dont want to lug my $400 ipod too

[ignus]

my sis gets a college discount, how does that work if im paying and its coming to my house?

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-183-004&depa=0 < this looks promising, plus the use of a KVM would allow me to have 1 pc and 1 mac monitor up at the same time, then switch back to 2 pc, use my wireless kb/mouse, and possibly replace this bad monitor with my other good one. good idea roland! :)

and im pretty much totally relying on sources like yourself for software 'purchasing' roland ;)

[Vygramul]

Be careful... if you start adding all the options, you'll soon get something that hits $1000. For $1000 you can get an iMac with a 1.6GHz G5 and a 17" monitor, but with 64megs of video RAM. It's only really worth it if you really don't need much. 512 megs would be the minimum for any real use, IMO. And I'd get airport since the rest of my network is.

[Demonite]

I'll just warn you not to lose your mini-mac under your big mac or suchlike.... :|

[ignus]

Be careful... if you start adding all the options, you'll soon get something that hits $1000. For $1000 you can get an iMac with a 1.6GHz G5 and a 17" monitor, but with 64megs of video RAM. It's only really worth it if you really don't need much. 512 megs would be the minimum for any real use, IMO. And I'd get airport since the rest of my network is.

Or he could get an eMac for $800.

Yep, the only "option" I would get is wireless. Of course you can wait for that until you need it.

As far as educational discount, most of the time the school just has a link to the Apple educational sales site and you buy it through there. Apple doesn't really care where the system goes, they make a sale.
However, some colleges make you purchase through their compus computer store. Get the details. Usually the educational discount is around 10%.

actually, if you click the 'educational' link on the apple site, it asks for your school, then i click my sister's school from the list, and poof! all prices are cut by 10%. havent tried ordering yet though...

and my mac isnt going to be anywhere near $1000. more like 700. which is about all i want to spend on it and still get an ipod. and emacs suck, i dont have room for another CRT sitting around here...

EDIT: actually i just visited the store again, and they only discount $20 from either Mini model or the larger iPod Shuffle, and no discount on the smaller Shuffle. the other iPods and computers seem to be 10% though

[Vygramul]

$20 for the iPod shuffle just made it worth my buying. Sorry, Demonite, that iPod meets or exceeds all MY needs, and I really like iTunes.

[Demonite]

$20 for the iPod shuffle just made it worth my buying. Sorry, Demonite, that iPod meets or exceeds all MY needs, and I really like iTunes.



they only discount $20 from either Mini model or the larger iPod Shuffle

I think you may have misread that slightly... :roll:

[Vygramul]

No, I did mean $130 for the iPod shuffle 1 gig, and a $20 discount. I didn't think $150 was worth the extra 512 megs, but $130 is.

[Demonite]

No, I did mean $130 for the iPod shuffle 1 gig, and a $20 discount. I didn't think $150 was worth the extra 512 megs, but $130 is.

my bad. I already thought iPod shuffle was a nice looking piece of kit, and a damn site cheaper, plus it's very attractive. I would look into getting one but what to do with my 20GB of music :cry:

[Brad]

Whats an iPod shuffle?

Edit: What the hell. Now this is taking it kind of far..

[Vygramul]

Brad: are you aware that almost 75% of the visual space of your post is your sig?

[Demonite]

Brad: are you aware that almost 75% of the visual space of your post is your sig?

it's okay, he can pay his ass out, what else counts? :wink:

[LionRampant]

Christ, it's hardly worth you having that Xfire sig, Brad... 3 hours total? :roll:

[Demonite]

Christ, it's hardly worth you having that Xfire sig, Brad... 3 hours total? :roll:

yeah, playing a lot this week! :lol:

[Brad]

Shut up you four, lol.

[SauerKraut]

Brad: are you aware that almost 75% of the visual space of your post is your sig?

He learned it from Sauer...... :roll: ;)


you and your endless drivel.

You sound like my dad when he complains that his DVD controller is too complicated for his simpleton brain and would feel a whole lot better if technology hadn't improved since the 4 slice chrome toaster. I don't hear the guys with the 800Mhz computers complain about my sig images, which are usually always within server regulations.

[Angry Kid]

mmmm . . . toast.

http://www.randi.org/images/060702-toaster.jpg

[TedHershey]

ahhhwwww, it's a baby cube... and about the same specs as my powerBook. Must have one for the living room.

If you get the bluetooth you can go wireless keys and mouse. The apple keyboards are nice, tactile boards. I'm thinking about getting the macally ice key keyboard which has scissor keys on it so you don't get that weird adjustment period going from the desktop to laptop.

Bluetooth mousies are great! I use a Kensington pocketmouse bluetooth all the time now and love it. (get rechargeable batteries). It has 3 buttons and a scroll bar and is an excellent weight in a small mouse which I prefer.

[ignus]

ok after reading the Apple warranty stuff, and having the only guy i know locally that owns Macs, we've concluded that adding third-party RAM after purchase voids the warranty :( so now im gonna upgrade to 512mb from Apple, then wait to do more until after the warranty is up, since i dont want to drop over $400 on 1gb 8O

[Iggy]

Why oh why must I download and install iTunes just to get QuickTime? That is a very M$ thing of them to do. :x

[Angry Kid]

Why oh why must I download and install iTunes just to get QuickTime? That is a very M$ thing of them to do. :x
DivX player (http://www.divx.com/divx/download/) will play mp4's (kinda).

And QuickTime Alternative (http://www.free-codecs.com/QuickTime_Alternative_download.htm) is handy for avoiding the nagging from Apple about upgrading your lowly free version of QT.

[Vygramul]

But why uninstall iTunes? It's quite good. feh. To each his own, I suppose. I do agree that it's a fairly obnoxious thing to force on someone.

[FinalDream]

I seem to recall managing to install QT without iTunes... It was kinda like installing divx without the player. Actually I think I just selected windows 98 as my os and that did it.

[ignus]

i only use iTunes for buying their music and then playing it, but after i burn and rip into mp3s, i dont use it anymore ;)

and there wasn't a video there roland...

[Vygramul]

Of course, this won't stop asshats from saying, "You must've broken it when you opened it to upgrade your RAM."

[Demonite]

I wouldn't blame 'em if they did...

[ignus]

A comprehensive review of the Mini and how it compares to other macs. (http://www.macintouch.com/macmini/review.html)

nice find roland. good to know that it outranks iBook's in everything, which is what i had originally wanted.

[TedHershey]

Saw one of these in the Apple store yesterday - pretty sweet!