So I have an old mid 2010 Mac Mini, the unibody model that still had a superdrive, and I'm thinking of enlisting it as a media centre device so I can reliably watch stuff from my computer in my living room, as well as replacing my DVD player with it (I'm also hoping to swap the superdrive for a Blu-Ray drive in future).
Anyway, I'm wondering mainly what OSes people prefer for this?
I have Media Central for OS X from some bundle or other, but personally I find OS X pretty slow on this machine, specifically when it comes to the start-up time. While my intention is to keep the machine asleep rather than shutting it down, I'm thinking something more lightweight may be better, as I don't plan to install a new hard-drive anytime soon.
I'm also curious about recommendations for remotes; I didn't get one with the Mac Mini at the time, and I don't think there's an IR port on this model, so I expect any Bluetooth remote should do? At present I have none, unless a smart phone with an appropriate app can be used as a stand-in? But I'm interested in recommendations all the same, so others can use the machine as well
Anyway, I'm wondering mainly what OSes people prefer for this?
I have Media Central for OS X from some bundle or other, but personally I find OS X pretty slow on this machine, specifically when it comes to the start-up time. While my intention is to keep the machine asleep rather than shutting it down, I'm thinking something more lightweight may be better, as I don't plan to install a new hard-drive anytime soon.
I'm also curious about recommendations for remotes; I didn't get one with the Mac Mini at the time, and I don't think there's an IR port on this model, so I expect any Bluetooth remote should do? At present I have none, unless a smart phone with an appropriate app can be used as a stand-in? But I'm interested in recommendations all the same, so others can use the machine as well