Mac mini (2011) or iMac i7 2.93ghz (2010)

[tears2040]

This will be used mainly for editing HD Videos/Movies as well as photography + normal computer applications.

I have an idea of getting a base model Mac mini for $599 and spending the rest on upgrades.


Monitor $200
240gb ssd Drive $400
500 gb 7200rpm sata drive $90
Ram 8gb $50
mouse $50
keyboard $60


That puts me around $850. I can maybe sell the hard drive and ram it comes with for about $50 which would still be about $800 I spent.


Compared to this iMac which Macmall is selling for $1499
http://www.macmall.com/p/Apple-iMac/product~dpno~8811819~pdp.gididgg




Or my Final option which I really don;t know if I want to do is finding a way to upgrade my current computer which I own that is in my sig. iMac 3.06ghz 8gb of ram 500gb internal hd with multiple external firewire 800 drives that I have.

The problem with this computer is I want a faster cpu as I do a lot of encoding. Second is I want to be able to have two internal hard drives so I can read and write data faster. As we all know iMacs are not easy to get into......


Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

 

[philipma1957]

the base mini route is not a good idea



http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC813LL/A



this is a 2011 refurbished iMac, it will allow you to use this


http://store.apple.com/us/product/H7150ZM/A/lacie-little-big-disk-thunderbolt-series-hard-drive,


you could also use this


http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/MEQMH0GBK/

this is hooked up via fw800

 

[tears2040]

the base mini route is not a good idea



http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC813LL/A



this is a 2011 refurbished iMac, it will allow you to use this


http://store.apple.com/us/product/H7150ZM/A/lacie-little-big-disk-thunderbolt-series-hard-drive,


you could also use this


http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/MEQMH0GBK/

this is hooked up via fw800

If a hard Drive is installed internally isn't it faster than any thunderbolt, firewire , etc connection?

 

[DustinT]

This will be used mainly for editing HD Videos/Movies as well as photography + normal computer applications.

I have an idea of getting a base model Mac mini for $599 and spending the rest on upgrades.


Monitor $200
240gb ssd Drive $400
500 gb 7200rpm sata drive $90
Ram 8gb $50
mouse $50
keyboard $60


That puts me around $850. I can maybe sell the hard drive and ram it comes with for about $50 which would still be about $800 I spent.


Compared to this iMac which Macmall is selling for $1499
http://www.macmall.com/p/Apple-iMac/product~dpno~8811819~pdp.gididgg




Or my Final option which I really don;t know if I want to do is finding a way to upgrade my current computer which I own that is in my sig. iMac 3.06ghz 8gb of ram 500gb internal hd with multiple external firewire 800 drives that I have.

The problem with this computer is I want a faster cpu as I do a lot of encoding. Second is I want to be able to have two internal hard drives so I can read and write data faster. As we all know iMacs are not easy to get into......


Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

The thing you are forgetting here is the iMac includes a very expensive monitor with an IPS Panel. You've got $200 budgeted for a monitor in your first post and what you'd get in the iMac is closer to a $1000 monitor. This Samsung monitor from Newegg would be comparable and its priced at $899.00 on sale.

The iMac is a great deal. You're getting a Monitor that sells for $1000 and for only $500 additional you get the entire computer integrated.

 

[philipma1957]

If a hard Drive is installed internally isn't it faster than any thunderbolt, firewire , etc connection?

this is not true in many cases. the thunderbolt lacie 1tb or 2tb is faster then any hdd that goes into an iMac.. not any ssd any hdd.

the thunderbolt promise pegasus 4 bay and 6bay have been boot tested to be faster then ssd's but they are costly.


the owc unit is faster then the stock hdd in many cases. If you get the empty owc unit put in a pair of 64gb ssds in raid0 it will be a very fast osx disk faster then an internal hdd as an osx disk. not as long reads and writes. i have tested a lot of hdds enclosures raids etc.


I like mac minis and for my use they make sense.
For your tasks the iMac may be better it has a far better gpu and a far better cpu then the base mini has.
With thunderbolt it now has better speed options for hdds and ssds.




this iMac is smaller but has the same gpu and same cpu

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC812LL/A



this may be the best bet of all