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Convince me to buy a mini (apple gave me a big discount, but have no use for a mini?)

student_trap

student_trap

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 14, 2005
1,879
0
'Ol Smokey, UK
Hello all

This is really odd, but after giving me some major hassle in December, Apple have given me £150 off a new mac, in addition to my already large HE discount!

I have until the 31st of March to use the credit.

I was initially giving the £150 discount to a family member, however they can no longer make a purchase, and so I am wondering whether I could find a use for another mac!

The prices are as follows:

Low end (stock) = £309 (Usual price 509) therefore 40% off
High end (stock) = £446 (Usual price 663) therefore 33% off

However, I already own:

Mac Pro 2.8 octo (Early 2008)
Macbook 2.13 (Mid 2009)
Playstation 3 & Wii
iMac G3 that I use as an itunes machine

I really love the design of the mac mini, and have a spare apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse, however I can't buy it just because it looks nice (I will be stretching my finances significantly by buying it), but would be happy to if I could find a good enough use for it.

Can anybody give me any ideas to what it could be used for?

Also:

1. If it matters, my girlfriend and I will be moving in the next 6 months and will need to furnish a new home - so could perhaps be useful down the line for something?

2. My girlfriend currently shares my computers, but does not have her own. She would prefer a laptop but we cannot stretch our budget to the low end macbook, and anyway, she can't really see the point in getting a mac just for her, as we already have two computers for day to day stuff
 
Thanks or the replies

Bennieboy© said:
buy the high end one and use it for media playing and Hi-Def?
Click to expand...

I think that even the high end model would be pushing my budget, would the lower stock model suffice for media playing and high def?

stridemat said:
Buy one and sell it????
Click to expand...

I have considered this, although for the small amount that I would earn, it doesn't seem to be worth my time.

Any other ideas
 
Get the mini + apple IR remote.

Its the best HTPC setup available, flawless 1080p decoding, and only 10w power usage when idle.
 
wilycoder said:
Get the mini + apple IR remote.

Its the best HTPC setup available, flawless 1080p decoding, and only 10w power usage when idle.
Click to expand...

can you explain the whole HTPC thing please? Would I only able to use the itunes store to buy programming?

I ask as we probably won't have a tv for awhile when we move so this may be a good way to get content.

In this case, would 2GB ram and 160GB hard drive be enough?

I do also have a PS3, does that make any difference to things?
 
student_trap said:
can you explain the whole HTPC thing please? Would I only able to use the itunes store to buy programming?

I ask as we probably won't have a tv for awhile when we move so this may be a good way to get content.

In this case, would 2GB ram and 160GB hard drive be enough?

I do also have a PS3, does that make any difference to things?
Click to expand...

you can rip all of your DVDs using Handbrake.
 
mstrze said:
You have to buy a Mac? Can't be any item from the Apple Store?
Click to expand...

Afraid so. It is a good will gesture and has already been specified as for a new computer.

It would be a waste to not use such a large discount, and at another time I would have put the funds towards a laptop or new desktop that I actually needed, however it has to be now, and all that i can afford at this moment is a mac mini.

Are there any other uses for the mac mini?
 
Sell your macbook and upgrade to a 13" macbook pro?

You'd probably end up spending very little money and have a nice new laptop to play with.
 
reebzor said:
Sell your macbook and upgrade to a 13" macbook pro?

You'd probably end up spending very little money and have a nice new laptop to play with.
Click to expand...

I am very happy with my macbook as my portable, so am really looking for ways in which I could make a mac mini useful.

Any other ideas?
 
Personaly i would use it as a media center

CHeck out the application Plex, it stores all your movies and gets all the THeatrical information from the Web including Cover art, realllly nice visual easy to use, and it plays just about any video format.

And if you need extra space you could eventualy get a 1tb hard drive, or less, for under $100.

If i had the money thats what i would use for my tv's media center.

Look at videos on it on youtube.
 
If you're going to be stretching your finances to afford one, even with the discount, then don't get it. If you can't figure out a use for it, then there's no point spending the money just because there's an extra discount.
 
Keleko said:
If you're going to be stretching your finances to afford one, even with the discount, then don't get it. If you can't figure out a use for it, then there's no point spending the money just because there's an extra discount.
Click to expand...

This is the wisest advice I've seen. I can't seem to relate furnishing a new home with buying a Mini.

OP, since you seem to imply you need to save money for this house and furnishing project, ignore the discount and move on.
 
I totally want to buy a Mac Mini at the moment. You could let me have the discount? :p
 
Keleko said:
If you're going to be stretching your finances to afford one, even with the discount, then don't get it. If you can't figure out a use for it, then there's no point spending the money just because there's an extra discount.
Click to expand...

belvdr said:
This is the wisest advice I've seen. I can't seem to relate furnishing a new home with buying a Mini.

OP, since you seem to imply you need to save money for this house and furnishing project, ignore the discount and move on.
Click to expand...

Hey guys, thanks for the input, this is indeed what I was thinking. I suppose what I wanted was a list of uses that the mini could be put to in order to see whether it could fit in somewhere.

It would be a real shame to not use the discount.

Any other ideas? Otherwise I think I will go in search of someone who would like the £150 and actually needs a new mac
 
student_trap said:
Hey guys, thanks for the input, this is indeed what I was thinking. I suppose what I wanted was a list of uses that the mini could be put to in order to see whether it could fit in somewhere.

It would be a real shame to not use the discount.

Any other ideas? Otherwise I think I will go in search of someone who would like the £150 and actually needs a new mac
Click to expand...

I'd give it away to someone. If you need to save money, using this discount is only going to spend it, not save it.
 
1 thing that has just crossed my mind is that I will be turning my hand to website making when I move, and I will be doing it as a full time job.

Would the mini be useful in any way for this (perhaps as a machine to test windows compatibility?).
 
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