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How good is Mac mini for a new Mac user
- Thread starter asifnaz
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You can use any external monitor with a MDP, DVI or HDMI input and with the appropriate adapter even a VGA input.
You can use any keyboard and mouse connecting via USB, though if you use some keyboard/mouse with special keys/button, you might not get to use them, if no Mac OS X drivers exist.
You can use any keyboard and mouse connecting via USB, though if you use some keyboard/mouse with special keys/button, you might not get to use them, if no Mac OS X drivers exist.
I have an acer 27" LED which connects to PC through VGA port . I don't know about other outputs you mentioned . I will like to use apple mouse and keyboard .
At what price I can get a refurbished Mac mini capable of running Lion ..?
You may have to look here every day, but any Mac mini from 2007 onwards can run Lion, though the 2010 Mac mini is better with replacing RAM, and Lion likes to have 4 GB of it.
Btw, is that 27" LED display a TV or a real computer display with 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution?
I just ask, as VGA is an analog video interface and while capable of such resolution, a digital interface like DisplayPort is better suited.
That is a computer display . Since most PCs use VGA port I didn't look for other inputs . Is there a Mac mini under 400$..? for my needs
Probably, but for that you have to look at eBay or the Apple Refurb Store on a daily basis.
no only under 500 with real apple support.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC270LL/A
this mini is out of stock, click this link over and over and over plus get the refurb me notice service. if you get one of these buy this ram
http://www.jr.com/pny/pe/PNY_MN8192KD310/
total cost is 510 or so and you will have snow leopard. you need to buy lion from the app store for 30.
to get under 400 you need an ebay seller. I will put a few links up in a min. ;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mac-Mini-A1...le_Desktops&hash=item3f121a3668#ht_500wt_1413
this may be okay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Mac-M...le_Desktops&hash=item4160fcbf33#ht_500wt_1413
this is a better model but the seller is new
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Mac-M...le_Desktops&hash=item416101193a#ht_500wt_1413
this is also decent. your price point of 400 is very hard to find any that I would use.
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I bought a Mac Mini as my first Mac back in October and am typing on it as we speak. I love it! I upgraded the RAM from 2 GB to 8 GB and the 5,400 RPM hard drive to a Samsung 470 SSD.
You'll need to get an adapter in order to use a VGA monitor with a Mac mini. With the current generation mini (2010 and newer) you'll want a Mini Display Port to VGA adapter. Something like this:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10428&cs_id=1042802&p_id=5107&seq=1&format=2
Eventually it might be worth upgrading to a nicer monitor to use with your mini, but as cost is obviously an issue then that's something you can put off until later once you've decided if it's worth it.
One thing is that I would definately recommend getting a 2010 or newer mini, and I would suggest getting a refurbished one directly from Apple. It will carry the same warranty as a new Apple product and you'll benefit from the features introduced with the 2010 redesign. Apple's supply of refurb Mac mini's changes daily, so check there often and be ready to buy once the machine you want becomes available because it probably won't be there for long.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10428&cs_id=1042802&p_id=5107&seq=1&format=2
Eventually it might be worth upgrading to a nicer monitor to use with your mini, but as cost is obviously an issue then that's something you can put off until later once you've decided if it's worth it.
One thing is that I would definately recommend getting a 2010 or newer mini, and I would suggest getting a refurbished one directly from Apple. It will carry the same warranty as a new Apple product and you'll benefit from the features introduced with the 2010 redesign. Apple's supply of refurb Mac mini's changes daily, so check there often and be ready to buy once the machine you want becomes available because it probably won't be there for long.
As the others have indicated, you would need a Mini Displayport to VGA adaptor.. it costs about $30 from Apple, but I am sure 3rd party vendors will have it cheaper.. As for the Mac mini, there isn't really one in the Apple Refurbished Store online for under $400, there are some between $400-$500, but for $519, this sounds like a better deal..
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC815LL/A
If you want to get anything under 400, your likely going to be stuck with the older Core 2 Duo models, and most likely will have to take a look around eBay.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC815LL/A
If you want to get anything under 400, your likely going to be stuck with the older Core 2 Duo models, and most likely will have to take a look around eBay.
Hello,
bought my first Mac Mini on boxing day and it's probably the best computer I've owned so far. You can use any monitor that has a DVI input or HDMI. You could get a DVI to VGA converter but in this day in age I would recommend DVI or HDMI, and better yet the new Thunderbolt display (albeit it's a bit expensive right now).
You can use any existing mouse and keyboard. If you go the wireless route I would recommend bluetooth wireless mouse and keyboard since the Mac Mini has built in bluetooth.
I currently have our Mac Mini hooked up to our Sony Bravia television and it works great. As other people suggested I would get at least 4 gig of ram, and if you can afford it, an SSD hard drive. You'll see the best real world performance increase with the faster hard drive upgrade.
bought my first Mac Mini on boxing day and it's probably the best computer I've owned so far. You can use any monitor that has a DVI input or HDMI. You could get a DVI to VGA converter but in this day in age I would recommend DVI or HDMI, and better yet the new Thunderbolt display (albeit it's a bit expensive right now).
You can use any existing mouse and keyboard. If you go the wireless route I would recommend bluetooth wireless mouse and keyboard since the Mac Mini has built in bluetooth.
I currently have our Mac Mini hooked up to our Sony Bravia television and it works great. As other people suggested I would get at least 4 gig of ram, and if you can afford it, an SSD hard drive. You'll see the best real world performance increase with the faster hard drive upgrade.
I am looking to buy a Mac mini . I will look for a refurbished one (which could run Mac OS X Lion ) . Do I need some special Monitor to plug into Mac mini what about keyboard and mouse etc ..?
any suggestions
i bought 8gb of ram for $40
http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Memo...TF8&coliid=I2ZWCIDRTIDZRX&colid=3KJPXBSUJOU4M
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
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\=Its a great machine to start off with . I just bought mine from best buy for $394 open box. Its a base model 2010. Then I upgraded the ram to 8 gigs for $40.
http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Memo...TF8&coliid=I2ZWCIDRTIDZRX&colid=3KJPXBSUJOU4M
I love the mac mini. I download final cut pro X and logic pro 9 for the low
. Its great. I run my mini to an insignia 42" led tv with walmart's onn brand keyboard and mouse. They work seamlessly.Don't be fooled into thinking you need an iMac or macbook pro or mac pro. First think about what you are using your mac for. For me it was logic and final cut pro and with 8 gigs of ram it just works wonderfully.
\=Its a great machine to start off with . I just bought mine from best buy for $394 open box. Its a base model 2010. Then I upgraded the ram to 8 gigs for $40.
http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Memo...TF8&coliid=I2ZWCIDRTIDZRX&colid=3KJPXBSUJOU4M
I love the mac mini. I download final cut pro X and logic pro 9 for the low
. Its great. I run my mini to an insignia 42" led tv with walmart's onn brand keyboard and mouse. They work seamlessly.Don't be fooled into thinking you need an iMac or macbook pro or mac pro. First think about what you are using your mac for. For me it was logic and final cut pro and with 8 gigs of ram it just works wonderfully.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Thanks for the info, I know that wasn't aimed at me but I'm buying my first Mac Mini tomorrow.
How many bluetooth devices can you connect wirelessly to the Mac Mini at once?
Cheers
I've had my Keyboard / trackpad and a old nokia connected, apple say the bluetooth spec say 7 but 3 -4 devices is a practical limit. It can depend on the data throughput of the devices
I don't know what the theoretical limit is but I've had keyboard, mouse, trackpad, and headset connected all at once without issues. At the same time I had several inactive devices in the system (file transfer, different keyboard, different mouse etc). Bluetooth is not very high bandwidth so you'd likely run into performance issues before you ran out of connections.
Thanks, as long as I can connect an Apple magic mouse, keyboard and trackpad I'll be OK.
Shall I buy Photoshop from Adobe.com or via the app store?
Do I need any anti virus on the Mac?
Thanks
Where shall I download Photoshop from? The app store or shall I buy it from Adobe?
Thanks
I think it's cheaper to buy the retail version, plus I think you get more with the retailer version (by retail I mean not from Mac App store - the Adobe d/l should be the same as the boxed version)
Do you have a link in where I can download a free trial of Photoshop CS5.5 for OSX? I cannot find the link from Adobes website.
(I'll buy it after the trial is over.
Thanks ^_^
Riverrun is correct. For more details:
You don't need any 3rd party antivirus app to keep your Mac malware-free. Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released 10 years ago. You cannot infect your Mac simply by visiting a website, unzipping a file, opening an email attachment or clicking on a web link. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which cannot infect your Mac unless you actively install them, and they can be easily avoided with some basic education, common sense and care in what software you install. Also, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Lion have anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.
You can't get a Mac virus, period, since none exist. If you download and install pirated apps, you could be installing a trojan, so don't steal software and you'll be fine. Read the link I posted to understand the difference between a virus, trojan, worm, etc.OK thanks for the info
Can you get viruses by download torrents a Mac?
Just something to consider, the current generation Mac Mini does not have an optical drive, so you can't use CDs or DVDs.
You'll need an external DVD player or a previous generation Mini.
You'll need an external DVD player or a previous generation Mini.