Mac Mini Killer?

[corvus32]

Over which kind of connection? Internal SATA?

SATA 6Gb/s

My mITX motherboard has 4 x SATA ports, so four 512GB Crucial MX100 SSDs in a RAID 0 array would provide 2TB of extremely fast storage for ~$820.

An external 2TB Thunderbolt SSD array will cost ~$1500.

 

[crazzapple]

POSIX compatibility, ability to "pipe" output from one program into another, CUPS, command-line syntax, SSH…

Sure OS X isn't trouble-free, but at least there are solutions, not least including paying a visit to the nearest Apple Store. Try that with Windows.

Even in its castrated current state, it is right.

Back when I used windows, before switching to linux, I used the Cygwin tools. It provided a unix like environment and looks like it's still available. Possible solution if you need that. Might even have ssh built in.

My mom has a dell computer. They come with onsite warranty as standard. I'd say that's better than having to pay a visit to the apple store.

 

[flyinmac]

If it can't run OSX, it can't kill MacMini. That's the main reason why I haven't bought a PC and waited.

Ok... Fair enough. You do have a point... It is Apple's computers that run OS X which are killing the mini and other Macs.

If Apple made financial sense, offered competitive machines, had features that actually worked reliably, etc. Then, perhaps you'd need a competing machine that ran os x to kill the mini.

But, Apple's doing all the work for their competitors by killing the mini themselves.

----------

Focusing on the ram, you want enough memory to future proof your purchase. Apple should have set the base at 8gb then the 500$ Mini non upgradable ram isn't a question. Then set 16gb to a hundred bucks for the option. That would resolve the backlash Apple is under for the 2014 Mini.




You can't drive a car without a steering wheel. Using a pair of pliers won't help. There are some things you don't cut corners on as life's too short for the alternatives.

Lol... Brings back memories of the vice grips in place of a steering wheel that I remember from years ago. It works. Just hope they don't come loose in an emergency.

 

[Cubytus]

SATA 6Gb/s

My mITX motherboard has 4 x SATA ports, so four 512GB Crucial MX100 SSDs in a RAID 0 array would provide 2TB of extremely fast storage for ~$820.

An external 2TB Thunderbolt SSD array will cost ~$1500.

Sure you can have high capabilities when you forgo small form factor, silence and low power consumption. This was actually a project of mine trying to build a reasonably-priced NAS, but all combinations I tried on paper / screen ended up costing about the same as a dedicated NAS, with less efficiency and much more noise.

And I never ever saw a mITX motherboard with 4 SATA ports on it. But things change fast in the tech world. But for the Crucial SSD you quote, I can tell you right away that $820 for a complete machine with 4 of these is a lie (unless you happen to have access to wholesale prices). I am calculating just shy of $1k just for the SSDs, without motherboard, without CPU, without RAM, without power supply nor case. Again, for a NAS holding backups, pure speed isn't that important once the Gigabit link is saturated. But I was looking (unless I'm mixing topics) for a box that would link to a Mac, locally. AFAIK a complete "computer" / NAS can't do that.

Back when I used windows, before switching to linux, I used the Cygwin tools. It provided a unix like environment and looks like it's still available. Possible solution if you need that. Might even have ssh built in.

My mom has a dell computer. They come with onsite warranty as standard. I'd say that's better than having to pay a visit to the apple store.

I remember Cygwin as a complicated software to install, configure and maintain, and that wouldn't communicate well with the OS underneath due to its limitations.

Never bought a Dell for myself, so can't say for onsite warranty. But if their service stops where Windows-related problems begin, it won't be of much help I'm afraid.

 

[mtneer]

If anything is going to be a Mini killer it will be Apple's apathy.

 

[lowendlinux]

You say Windows is getting better, but you still don't even think for a second about running it on a PC other than in a VM running over a "proper" OS (Linux).

OS X is IMO still the very best OS for a personal workstation at this moment in time.

I sorta agree depending on needs, desires, and skill levels. On a purely performance basis Phoronix just ran a 10.10.1 v Ubuntu 14.10 and OSX was beaten handily. Which says to things to me Ubuntu has come a long way and Apple seems not to be optimizing.

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=osx10_ubuntu1410&num=1

I know not everyone can/should/will run Linux but it seems to me Apple needs to focus again on refining OSX and stop adding features.

 

[corvus32]

And I never ever saw a mITX motherboard with 4 SATA ports on it. But things change fast in the tech world.

Most have four, and I don't think I've ever seen one that didn't have at least two.

But for the Crucial SSD you quote, I can tell you right away that $820 for a complete machine with 4 of these is a lie (unless you happen to have access to wholesale prices).

I'm not sure where you got $820 for four 512GB SSDs and a complete computer, but it wasn't from me.

 

[Cubytus]

Most have four, and I don't think I've ever seen one that didn't have at least two.

I only saw boards with two SATA ports in the mITX form factor.

I'm not sure where you got $820 for four 512GB SSDs and a complete computer, but it wasn't from me.

That's indeed from you, post 51. As my plans were going south, so was my $300 budget for a mITX, RAM, CPU, 4 SATA ports (no drives), power and optionally, case I wanted to build a home NAS on.

I sorta agree depending on needs, desires, and skill levels. On a purely performance basis Phoronix just ran a 10.10.1 v Ubuntu 14.10 and OSX was beaten handily. Which says to things to me Ubuntu has come a long way and Apple seems not to be optimizing.

On the other end, Ubuntu 14.04 has received heavy criticism from previous users, including about its sluggishness and too much integration with cloud providers who don't respect privacy (sounds familiar?)

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=osx10_ubuntu1410&num=1

I know not everyone can/should/will run Linux but it seems to me Apple needs to focus again on refining OSX and stop adding features.

And stop this nonsense yearly release, as John Gruber pointed out.

 

[flyinmac]

I only saw boards with two SATA ports in the mITX form factor.

That's indeed from you, post 51. As my plans were going south, so was my $300 budget for a mITX, RAM, CPU, 4 SATA ports (no drives), power and optionally, case I wanted to build a home NAS on.

On the other end, Ubuntu 14.04 has received heavy criticism from previous users, including about its sluggishness and too much integration with cloud providers who don't respect privacy (sounds familiar?)
And stop this nonsense yearly release, as John Gruber pointed out.

Perhaps you should reread his post. He doesn't say $820 for the whole computer with the drives.

 

[lowendlinux]

I only saw boards with two SATA ports in the mITX form factor.

That's indeed from you, post 51. As my plans were going south, so was my $300 budget for a mITX, RAM, CPU, 4 SATA ports (no drives), power and optionally, case I wanted to build a home NAS on.

On the other end, Ubuntu 14.04 has received heavy criticism from previous users, including about its sluggishness and too much integration with cloud providers who don't respect privacy (sounds familiar?)
And stop this nonsense yearly release, as John Gruber pointed out.

I'm not advocating it just pointing it out. 14.04 is an LTS so it's supported for 6 years and is not sluggish that I've experienced though it uses a scheduler I don't like. That Privacy stuff can be turned off with a toggle and is supposedly out of 14.10 but I don't use it so I don't know.

 

[Cubytus]

Perhaps you should reread his post. He doesn't say $820 for the whole computer with the drives.

That's what he wrote:

My mITX motherboard has 4 x SATA ports, so four 512GB Crucial MX100 SSDs in a RAID 0 array would provide 2TB of extremely fast storage for ~$820.

Either way, 4 MX100 SSDs or 4 SSDs+machine is still far above the quoted $820. $1K+ for the drives alone. But I don't see the point of having a backup machine based on SSDs.

I'm not advocating it just pointing it out. 14.04 is an LTS so it's supported for 6 years and is not sluggish that I've experienced though it uses a scheduler I don't like. That Privacy stuff can be turned off with a toggle and is supposedly out of 14.10 but I don't use it so I don't know.

Surely you do know more about Ubuntu than I do.

 

[flyinmac]

Perhaps you should reread his post. He doesn't say $820 for the whole computer with the drives.
Originally Posted by flyinmac

That's what he wrote:
My mITX motherboard has 4 x SATA ports, so four 512GB Crucial MX100 SSDs in a RAID 0 array would provide 2TB of extremely fast storage for ~$820.

Either way, 4 MX100 SSDs or 4 SSDs+machine is still far above the quoted $820. $1K+ for the drives alone. But I don't see the point of having a backup machine based on SSDs.
Originally Posted by Cubytus

I'm not advocating it just pointing it out. 14.04 is an LTS so it's supported for 6 years and is not sluggish that I've experienced though it uses a scheduler I don't like. That Privacy stuff can be turned off with a toggle and is supposedly out of 14.10 but I don't use it so I don't know.
Originally Posted by lowendlinux

Surely you do know more about Ubuntu than I do.

Try reading his post again. The computer was not included in his estimate. Only the drives.

And his notation mark is a universal symbol for approximate.

And, it is very likely that you may be comparing prices from different vendors and packaging options.

 

[lowendlinux]

That's what he wrote:


Either way, 4 MX100 SSDs or 4 SSDs+machine is still far above the quoted $820. $1K+ for the drives alone. But I don't see the point of having a backup machine based on SSDs.

Surely you do know more about Ubuntu than I do.

Probably not I live in my own little world most of the time. If it's not Linux in general or Arch or Gentoo related I really don't pay much attention.

 

[Cubytus]

And his notation mark is a universal symbol for approximate.

And, it is very likely that you may be comparing prices from different vendors and packaging options.

I headed straight to the cheapest vendor on average: NCIX. I read and re-read the post, and at the very least there's confusion in the wording, especially as it's compared to a TB enclosure which does include drives.