i have been a pc user for about 10 years. i have no beef agains bill gates or microsoft because im one of the smarter users that know what they are doing so i dont get viruses and very little if no spyware. i kind of want to switch to the Mac for a few reasons. one i am majoring in IT and would like to be familiar with both platforms, two osx just looks beautiful and is easy to use from my experiences at apple stores, and three im bored with widows. i was wondering if i should buy the 17 in imac or the mini with a dell 20 in display. the only problem i have against the mini is that it doesnt come with a keyboard or mouse. im currently using a laptop so i dont have an extra keyboard but i do have a mouse. also the mini is very limited on usb ports. do you guys recomend that i buy the 17 in imac or the mini? will be probably looking to invest in a new machine around spring or summer. thank you for responding.
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imac or mac mini for me?
- Thread starter nikeballa09
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Mac mini
Since you seem to be using your Mac more as a trial computer, I would reccomend the Mac mini. However, I STRONGLY urge you to wait until mid-January to make your purchase. New Mac minis are in the pipeline, and the latest rumors make the update sound like a very good one (Intel, DVR Functionality, etc.)
Since you seem to be using your Mac more as a trial computer, I would reccomend the Mac mini. However, I STRONGLY urge you to wait until mid-January to make your purchase. New Mac minis are in the pipeline, and the latest rumors make the update sound like a very good one (Intel, DVR Functionality, etc.)
Bah! There is no such things as a Mac 'trial computer'. Once you've got one, you'll never use a PC again!
I'd go for the iMac. Tidy, more power and an awesome screen.
I'd go for the iMac. Tidy, more power and an awesome screen.
I went for a mini to use as a music/backup server as my first Apple foray. Thought I would eventually add an imac as the main machine if I was happy with the Apple world.
Well I'm very happy with the Apple world (come from a linux/windows background) but still only have the mini. It's been that good. Will eventually add something with more power but there is no rush. The mini is now the only machine I'm running.
Well I'm very happy with the Apple world (come from a linux/windows background) but still only have the mini. It's been that good. Will eventually add something with more power but there is no rush. The mini is now the only machine I'm running.
First off, congrats to you nikeballa09 for your contemplation on purchasing a Mac. I would recommend that you purchase an iMac G5. The iMac's have gorgeous built-in LCD's, plenty of horsepower under the hood, and are just plain gorgeous to look at. Plus, if you go with one of the new iMac G5s, you get a built-in iSight videocam and photobooth- capable of providing hours of entertainment! 
what upgrades do u guys think the mini will recieve in jan/feb, cause thats about the time where im looking into ivesting in a new computer. also when will the imacs receive another upgrade. one major thing is that i want a 20 in widescreen display but i cannot afford the 20 in imac, so thats my reasoning for the mac mini. i mainly use a computer for photo editing (photoshop cs2), word processing, powerpoint presentations, internet, music, and watcing dvd's and videos i download. hopefully this helps u guys in helpin me out with my purchase decision. thanks for all the responses.
nikeballa09 said:
I am in a similar boat. I have an aging PowerBook which rarely leaves the desk. My computing needs are mostly casual, most demanding being iMovie HD (editing 16x9 480i60 DV home movies), iPhoto (5000 photos bring my PowerBook to its knee), and encoding H.264 videos.
I am looking to replace it with Intel-based 20" iMac or Mac mini with 23" ACD (hopefully ACD will be revised as well). I would prefer to go with Mac mini, because I really want 1920x1200 resolution, but at the same time, I don't want a wimpy computer that current Mac mini is.
No one outside Apple knows for sure what the next revision would bring, but rumors point to:
- Intel Yonah CPU (probably single core variety but who knows)
- 3.5" SATA hard disk
- iPod dock
- Remote control integration (Front Row 2.0?)
- TV DVR capability
- HDMI video output
- Combo analog/digital audio output
If you ask me, none of these rumors are all that substantial and it's best to just sit tight and wait for official words from MacWorld SF in January.
nikeballa09 said:
Get a refurb imac 17" (min. REVB). (950 /SD one). unless you want some odd mobility that mini offers. updates the mac mini DVR seems to be quite out there but they could release an updated mini in Jan. if you have the edu discount and want a mac now get the new 17" for improved specs (200$ probably is worth it). *NEVER BUY A REV-A APPLE PRODUCT* -(they are just not worth it - better specs come for half the price in 6months and they are generally crappy 12"867 PB, imac G5, the powermac G5, and the list goes on! )
oh stuff like EYE TV 500 (HDTV version) need a G5 so if you want HD stuff better get a imac G5 (there is still a lag here and there but if i bump my RAM from the stock 512, imight do better). There is not much of a huge diff in time taken for DVD->mp4 conversion on my imac and mac mini (except for the noise G5 makes!). From the reviews Yonah's FP is not that great so ripping and stuff might be worse -DiVX/WMV/MPG4 test at anandtech (but i am not an expert on this).