Buying New Mini

[theoldsalt]

After much deliberation I'm buying a new Mini with 2.6GHz intel and have OWC install a 480 GB SSD on top of the HD. To get this accomplished I have to do the following. I got all this from researching this forum for hours. I even found out how to use my iMac for the monitor. When Mini arrives I have to hook up to iMac, download CCC or Superduper, make a clone of hard drive to my 40 GB Firewire external drive & test. Send Mini to OWC for install of SSD. Upon receiving Mini back I have to copy the Clone back to the SSD OR should I boot to the recovery partition(?), open DU and let DU "repair" both drives into a fusion drive; then reboot from the cloned drive and transfer the contents to the now fusion drive? Should I erase the OS from the 1TB HD? I have disks of all my applications and will do a fresh install and transfer my iMac content via Migration Assistant? This Macrumor forum is awesome but at times too much info is confusing. On a fusion drive is therre some kind of separation from the SSD and HD? How do I install parrallells on the HD when it all is now one fusion drive? Any wise word would be appreciated. Thanks for any help

 

[biggd]

I apologize, this thread will go better when you define:
a) reason why your buying mac mini
b) what you use iMac from
c) why ur dumping so much cash into mac mini in upgrades
d) why parallels?

 

[macman05]

After much deliberation I'm buying a new Mini with 2.6GHz intel and have OWC install a 480 GB SSD on top of the HD. To get this accomplished I have to do the following. I got all this from researching this forum for hours. I even found out how to use my iMac for the monitor. When Mini arrives I have to hook up to iMac, download CCC or Superduper, make a clone of hard drive to my 40 GB Firewire external drive & test. Send Mini to OWC for install of SSD. Upon receiving Mini back I have to copy the Clone back to the SSD OR should I boot to the recovery partition(?), open DU and let DU "repair" both drives into a fusion drive; then reboot from the cloned drive and transfer the contents to the now fusion drive? Should I erase the OS from the 1TB HD? I have disks of all my applications and will do a fresh install and transfer my iMac content via Migration Assistant? This Macrumor forum is awesome but at times too much info is confusing. On a fusion drive is therre some kind of separation from the SSD and HD? How do I install parrallells on the HD when it all is now one fusion drive? Any wise word would be appreciated. Thanks for any help

I didn't know OWC offered this installation service for the mac mini 2012. What are they charging you for this?

 

[theoldsalt]

I am getting a Mini because I do not want another iMac. I am WA state Admin Spec for AARP TaxAide. I have more spreadsheets that carter's pills. I also make up posters and brochures from pictures, movies, etc. for various volunteer organizations. My iMac is really getting slow. I have deleted all un-necessary Apps. docs, etc and it still is slow. RAM is maxed out. Therefore the upgrade on the mini and when a future major upgrade to mini comes out all I have to do is replace the mini (if I am still upright and taking sustenance, I'm 77). My TBD will still be good. All IRS tax software runs on PC. I used to use bootcamp but went to parellells so I could have both Windows open along side of the OS. I need to see what I am doing. Actually my upgraded Mini through OWC is only a couple hundred more than the fusion MAC Mini drive upgrade and I am getting a SSD three times the size. I use Photoshop and Office 2011 along with some ancillary Apps. Sorry for the length but you asked.

Also OWC charges 99$ for the installation service.