Mac mini? Can I use it?

[Zytrus]

My father won't buy me a macbook or imac in a cuople of years. I have a Compaq Pressario V4000 and want to buy a mac mini. Can i use the laptop as a monitor and keyboard, the mac mini, and still use XP and Leopard? (When using it without the mac mini, I want XP, and when using it with the mac mini i want a normal mac mini with my 120GB, the NVIDIA graphics like if i use other monitor)

 

[GoCubsGo]

You can install XP on a mini but you cannot use (to the best of my knowledge) the CPU of your mini and the monitor and keyboard of your Compaq laptop. It is a laptop right? Basically you're talking about the functions of a KVM switch without the KVM.

 

[txnoob]

What you are suggesting is not possible. If money is a factor, then look for a
used or refurb Mini, then you can get a 19" LCD for about $120 or less, and a keyboard for $10.

 

[rtrt]

what about running vnc on the laptop and screen sharing on the mini?

i don't speak from experience - just thought that vnc and screen sharing did what the OP was looking for.

of course you'd need to have a screen and keyboard to configure the mini in the first place and how you'd go about installing updates etc later i have no idea.

 

[ymmv]

You *can* use vnc on the laptop to connect to the mini... but it'd be a spectacularly bad idea to use this as your primary means of using the mini.

If it's about money, look on Craigslist or at yard sales for a cheap or free old CRT monitor. Add a generic, $5 USB keyboard and mouse from Micro Center or Fry's. This will run circles around using vnc on the laptop.