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Dilema - Upgraded to Top Spec Windows Machine but still "Want" a Mac

zombierunner

zombierunner

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 18, 2011
1,850
2,763
UK
So I have a crappy toshiba laptop which just wasn't good enough ... so I went ahead and bought a dell xps 8300 .... core i7 2600, 6gb ram, amd 1gb video card .... windows 7 .. excellent machine ... also bought logitech peripherals .. really good .. everything is good .. im using a lg 27 inch display as an all in one for pc and xbox ... everything i ever wanted is here ......

I had initially thought of buying imac 27inch but the costs involved made me go for dell .... now my problem is i crave the mac os experience ... there is absolutely nothing wrong with my current setup .. just i need that apple interface... (DONT WANT TO HACKINTOSH IT )

so do you think i should get a mac mini (when its updated) .. it would fit in well with my all in one setup .... i just cant justify having another computer since i already own a top spec windows pc .... i mean WHAT WILL I USE THE MAC MINI FOR ?

please tell me if i should give into my craving and buy the mac mini or be happy with my current setup ..

here is my setup .. note .. all of this except the xbox and screen were purchased 2 weeks ago

http://imageshack.us/f/191/cimg2321b.jpg

PS-thought the mac mini would fit where the white headphones are in the pic
 
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Nah I tried that .. I don't want something that looks like a mac .. I want the real deal ... You know what .. I will buy the mac mini when it gets updated ... The OS .. App store .. And iLife are Reasons enough to justify the purchase
 
I use a spec'd-out Dell E4310 for work and a Mac Air 13" for home. I like the Dell with Win7/Office10 with a 24" display for managing office docs and spreadsheets, and the Air for browsing, media, reading at home.
 
Sell the Dell and buy a Mac.

One thing to keep in mind though, even if the Mini gets upgraded to a Core i3 or even i5 this summer, it's not going to be as powerful as your Dell. But it will run a far better OS :)

My 2010 Mini isn't the most powerful Mac out there, but it does everything I need and then some. My Hackintosh is actually faster, but I never use it anymore.

I was a Windows guy for 20 years, but my Mini makes for a far better media center than the Windows 7 Quad Core behemoth I built a couple of years ago. The Mini's media center options are easier than Windows, work better, don't cause headaches, etc. I have many friends who still swear by Windows and I'm always suckered into repairing them every time I visit, so I get to "experience" Windows regularly still and it makes me want to pull my hair out.
 
Be happy with your current set up. There's nothing at all wrong with Windows 7.

If you need the "Mac Experience" so bad, then buy that mini, more power to you :), but to be honest you're paying $700+ to use the Macintosh UI when you already have an excellent computer lol
 
I am afraid I will mess up the system if I hackintosh it .. I am not a pro anyway .... my skills are limited ... meh .. just going to get the Mac Mini when its updated ... why go Mac or PC when you can go MAC and PC lol

when will it be updated? june i hope
 
Hastings101 said:
Be happy with your current set up. There's nothing at all wrong with Windows 7.

If you need the "Mac Experience" so bad, then buy that mini, more power to you :), but to be honest you're paying $700+ to use the Macintosh UI when you already have an excellent computer lol
Click to expand...

I second the above post - you have a first class setup and Windows 7 will do everything that OS X does. You just have a case of "the grass is greener on the other side" I'm afraid and you know what, when you get over to the other side you'll find out it isn't. Save your cash and enjoy the fine computer set up you have already.

I begining to doubt the Mini will be updated this time around due to issues with the SB CPU TDP in such a confined space. I think we will have to wait until IB which is supposed to have much better TDP.
 
You're all set for now - enjoy your Bluray and USB 3. Wait and see what Lion is like... to me it looks very restrictive (very bad) almost like the iPhone interface.

Another thing to wait for is Apple's next generation filesystem, something like ZFS. That may be a reason to switch back to Mac, but I wouldn't bother now with the computer you have.
 
bootcamp / parallels

since you dont want to Hackintosh it i would sell the Dell, buy a Mac Mini or Macbook Pro. then buy Parallels 6 or just bootcamp win 7 on your mac. this way you will have a mac and the option of switching to windows if you want.

one of my Mac is a mac mini 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 GB of ram, running Parallels on it is no problem.

just my opinion... hope this helps
 
vsamv said:
since you dont want to Hackintosh it i would sell the Dell, buy a Mac Mini or Macbook Pro. then buy Parallels 6 or just bootcamp win 7 on your mac. this way you will have a mac and the option of switching to windows if you want.

one of my Mac is a mac mini 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 GB of ram, running Parallels on it is no problem.

just my opinion... hope this helps
Click to expand...

Miniscule HD capacity is a bit of a bummer though were the poster to go with that option. If Apple do nothing else with the Mini this time around they should use 500 gig as standard with option to upgrade to higher capacity HD.
 
Lankyman said:
Miniscule HD capacity is a bit of a bummer though were the poster to go with that option. If Apple do nothing else with the Mini this time around they should use 500 gig as standard with option to upgrade to higher capacity HD.
Click to expand...

very true. i have a NAS system on my network to compensate for HDD space. Mostly the mini is for guest... i dont like people going into my computer room to use a computer, so i got a mini and hooked it up to the hdtv in the living room + bluetooth keyboard and mouse. instead of an Apple TV i use the mini.
 
zombierunner said:
I am afraid I will mess up the system if I hackintosh it .. I am not a pro anyway .... my skills are limited ... meh .. just going to get the Mac Mini when its updated ... why go Mac or PC when you can go MAC and PC lol

when will it be updated? june i hope
Click to expand...

If you go here and follow the instructions....
http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2010/04/iboot-multibeast-install-mac-os-x-on.html
Remove your current OS drive and put a clean drive in. If it doesn't work, swap back to your windows drive. Won't screw up your windows disk. Or, install Ubuntu as a dual boot to run Linux. Allot of similarities.
 
Map your craving into needs and then evaluate. You don't have to be unemotional about it, but you need more clarity on your wants than you seem to have. No one here can tell you that you need a Mini (at least with the information you provided). Also, if you have plenty of disposable income, you could buy one, see if it works for you, and resell it if not.
 
Outrigger said:
is it me or did no one see that sentence? he doesn't even know what he's going to use it for... :eek:
Click to expand...

I think that about sums up Apple in this day and age. All things Apple are "cool" right now and people want to just be near it in the hopes it'll rub off. Hey, whatever works to get more market share for Macs, right? :)

Personally I'm thinking about getting a miniMac as well, and I have only vague ideas for what I'd use it for. I'm resisting the urge to go to my local Apple Store and pick one up on a day-to-day basis, heh. Soon as the new miniMacs are out, and Lion is released, I'm probably going to give up and stop resisting.
 
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