Should I sell my ipod touch 3rd gen 32 gig and my old PC laptop for an ipad or an mini mac? I used the ipad at a store and I really really like it. Should I?
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iPad or mini mac?
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It depends what your use is. If you are into surfing, email, web browsing, media, and light productivity then the iPad will suit your needs.
If you are into real productivity than a media tablet will not do.
If you are into real productivity than a media tablet will not do.
I have a Mac mini and soon...iPad 3G. If you could, I would get both like me. The Mac mini serves my desktop needs, it holds all my files, photos, apps, music, etc. I can then sync my iPhone 3G and iPad 3G and choose certain apps, etc. separately.
The Mac mini has been great. I had the earlier version when it ran on Tiger (OS 10.4). Now its upgraded to Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.3) just in time to be compatible with the iPad 3G!
The Mac mini has been great.
I had the earlier version when it ran on Tiger (OS 10.4). Now its upgraded to Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.3) just in time to be compatible with the iPad 3G! 
I have an pc besides the one that i am going to sell, and I have put all of the new pc operating systems on so I have a computer that will work with the ipad. Which one is a better user experience? I love macs, but I do not have enough money for both.
I would recommend the Mac mini as a first Mac. The iPad can wait. If I had to choose between an old windows box plus an iPad or a Mac mini and wait for the iPad, I'd go for the mini. I guess I just have windows fatigue cuz I have to use it at work. Ymmv.
I recommend you stick with both. A computer & an iPad.
The iPad is awesome companion but it does not substitute a computer at all.
I still use my windows 7 & mac mini for a lot of things.
Like using iphoto to organize your pics for either picasa, mobileme etc.
I use itunes to organize all my music videos, movies.
There are primal things that unfortunately the ipad does not handle.
The iPad is awesome companion but it does not substitute a computer at all.
I still use my windows 7 & mac mini for a lot of things.
Like using iphoto to organize your pics for either picasa, mobileme etc.
I use itunes to organize all my music videos, movies.
There are primal things that unfortunately the ipad does not handle.
I don't want to discourage you, but there are some things you won't be able to do with just an iPad. If the things you plan to do with any computer are limited to email, web browsing and occasional editing documents, the iPad can be your "only" computer. Check out ipadalone.com to see details on making do with only an iPad.
I found the Mac Mini worked well for me. I had keyboards and monitors lying around from years of home built pc's so I got up and running in seconds. If you don't have a monitor and keyboard lying around, a Mac mini doesn't seem like as good a deal as the iPad which is (almost) usable out of the box (after you hook it up to a real computer running iTunes).
I think you want an iPad but you need a Mac mini.
You have a tough decision. I have a Mac mini and an iPad. If I had to choose one it would be my Mac mini, even if I had another computer like you do.
Reason is that pc is more likely to die on you than a Mac mini would. Then you could end up with no computer to sync your iPad to.
You would do well to switch to the Mac first and get the iPad later.
Maybe think about selling that other computer also and getting an iPad and a Mac mini? Only you know how important that machine is to you though.
More than half of my windows and Microsoft products have died on me.
Zero of my
products have died on me.
Macs really are that good.
Maybe it's not an issue for you, but that's my advice to anyone.
You have a tough decision. I have a Mac mini and an iPad. If I had to choose one it would be my Mac mini, even if I had another computer like you do.
Reason is that pc is more likely to die on you than a Mac mini would. Then you could end up with no computer to sync your iPad to.
You would do well to switch to the Mac first and get the iPad later.
Maybe think about selling that other computer also and getting an iPad and a Mac mini? Only you know how important that machine is to you though.
More than half of my windows and Microsoft products have died on me.
Zero of my
products have died on me. Macs really are that good.
Maybe it's not an issue for you, but that's my advice to anyone.
I sold my iPod touch, but only because it seemed silly to have an iPod touch and an iPad. The iPad will not replace the iPod touch as my music player so by selling my 8GB iPod touch and buying a Yellow iPod Nano 5G 8GB I pretty much traded in one for the other since the price was about the same. Glad I did.
thanks for your help. I am probably going to go with the mini mac and get an ipad later. I do not like my pc and I have had problems with it so I gess that I had better change that first. And If I am lucky they will drop the price in a year when they release the second gen ipad! I may just wait till then to get one.
Rules!
Rules!thanks for your help. I am probably going to go with the mini mac and get an ipad later. I do not like my pc and I have had problems with it so I gess that I had better change that first. And If I am lucky they will drop the price in a year when they release the second gen ipad! I may just wait till then to get one.
Good choice. Check the buyers' guides here at Macrumors to see where you are in the Mac Mini lifecycle so you can time your purchase to reduce the possibility of having a new Mini show up the next day after you bought yours.
It is a huge pain (4 putty knives!) to get the Mini apart to upgrade it so make sure you get everything you want even if you have to go for the higher end model. I'm still using my 4+ year old G4 Mini (as a backup machine) but I had to pry the thing apart to install enough RAM to run Leopard. I had AppleCare and Apple would have done the labor for me for free but their RAM price at the time was about 4 times what Crucial was charging so I ordered it from Crucial and installed it myself (and hurt myself getting the thing apart, too
).