Mac Mini or imac?

[teerexx52]

I have to choose between the following and would appreciate input.

1. Mac Mini 1.42 512mb superdrive hooked to a 20" Apple Cinema Display

2. imac 17" (not the 20)

Which system would be better for surfing, email, photo and dvd burning, slide shows, home movies?

Thanks

 

[superted666]

Imac

I have a mini now and my new Imac arrives on thursday if that answers your Q.

imac will be quicker niicer all round package

 

[teerexx52]

17 or 20"?

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

I have to choose between the following and would appreciate input.

1. Mac Mini 1.42 512mb superdrive hooked to a 20" Apple Cinema Display

2. imac 17" (not the 20)

Which system would be better for surfing, email, photo and dvd burning, slide shows, home movies?

Thanks

They both can do what you want no problem, what you should be thinking about is long term. I Like the idea of a seperate monitor, monitors last for years and years computers dont. The new 1.5/64mb video is a very sweet machine as is the iMac. Imac will be faster but you wont see it doing mail,internet and photo's/ My wife loves her Mini and iam thinking of getting one justs so i dont have to run this big powerful Alienware all the time. That mini is near silent, very reliable and all proven tech, iMac has had its share of problems. Plus a Mini & 20 " is going to look better then that ipod looking iMac in my view. Now if you are talking gaming i would say iMac would be better.

 

[mad jew]

iMac will be much faster.

I'd only get the mini if you already had a good display or if you wanted to replace it later on without having to replace the entire computer + screen package (like you would with an iMac).

 

[AlBDamned]

It's gotta be the iMac. The mini is a good machine and would indeed look great with a 20" ACD, but the iMac has so much more to offer. Stretch to the 20" if you can.

 

[fayans]

With built-in iSight and FrontRow, I would have chosen iMac over Mini. And I have made my choice.

Seriously speaking, mini with 20" ACD looks very sexy on display.

 

[teerexx52]

The 20" ACD does look good with the mini!!

 

[AlBDamned]

The 20" ACD does look good with the mini!!

But looks shouldn't be a main driver in this decision. The mini is old tech in a nice box, the ACD is a Dell in a nicer frame. In terms of buying a computer, the iMac is a better buy IMO.

 

[teerexx52]

I agree...Are the screens on the 20" and 17" very different except for size. How would they stack up against the ACD?

 

[AlBDamned]

I agree...Are the screens on the 20" and 17" very different except for size. How would they stack up against the ACD?

Depends who you ask on the diff. between 17" and 20". Some say (including ,apparently, Applecare) that the size is the only difference. Others say the 20" is actually a better quality screen from a different manufacturer.

Compared to the ACD? The ACD will be better, but the iMac screen is seriously nice to use anyway. Very clear, sharp, colourful. I'd put it on par with a stand alone screen worth about £250-300+.

 

[fayans]

...The mini is old tech in a nice box, the ACD is a Dell in a nicer frame...

Well said! I didn't know that ACD is Dell in disguise.

 

[oober_freak]

Well said! I didn't know that ACD is Dell in disguise.

I'd put it in a better way.. both apple and dell use the same LG panel in their 20" LCDs

 

[pionata]

If this can help you make a choice, Im getting a 23" Cinema with a mac mini becose I dont want to invest a lot before the intel switch. This way also, when the Intel powermac or powerbook get released, I'll be able to keep my monitor and will have lost less money.

If you want a computer for more than 1 year and a half, then get the Imac. Also, the Imac seems to run games well and is much more powerfull, it is what i wanted to buy in the first place, but the screen is too small for my needs. In term of value/price, its the best little computer.

I know for sure I'll buy the next gen (intel), so I prefer having a good monitor ready and waiting for thoses.

 

[Subliving]

I would personally go for the Mac Mini and the Display. The display, if you can afford it, is very tasty looking, and the price of the Mini allows for upgrading periodically as new technology comes along when you see something that really catches you eye.

My vote goes to the Mini!

Subliving

 

[mduser63]

I'd go for the iMac. Its a much better deal than the Mac mini, IMO. Unless you already have a nice display that you're not using with another computer. In that case the mini might be OK, but still, the iMac is a much better computer.

 

[pna]

Mini, all the way, for what you're talking about doing. Pick up a mini and the dell 2005fpw (basically the same as the 20" ACD but priced far less -- $400 or so), and you've got a totally sweet, *modular* machine that will do everything you want it to, for about half the price. The mac mini is has specs that are higher than the powerbook I use daily for everything you describe, and much, much more. It's plenty fast. If you later find you need more space, buy a cheap external firewire hard drive. And if you later wish you had decided to go portable, you've still got a nice extra monitor to plug in to when you're at home.

My 2 cents. The mini's a great machine, and not having it tied to the display is a big benefit.

 

[teerexx52]

Thanks for all of the great advice. I just got back fro the Apple Store. I played with the 17" imac. They did not have a 20" on display. I decided to go for the 17" only to find out they had sold out. I am working on my 12" ibook which I have had for about a month. Wish I could use the 20" ACD with my ibook. The store is going to call me when they get more 17's and 20's in. With Intels coming I am wondering if the imac makes sense?

 

[Gregory]

Thanks for all of the great advice. I just got back fro the Apple Store. I played with the 17" imac. They did not have a 20" on display. I decided to go for the 17" only to find out they had sold out. I am working on my 12" ibook which I have had for about a month. Wish I could use the 20" ACD with my ibook. The store is going to call me when they get more 17's and 20's in. With Intels coming I am wondering if the imac makes sense?

The imac G5 is a good choice, because when the intel Macs come out, what about the software. . . the software is going to take a while, just like before when the G4 changed to G5 it took a whole One year for software to be available and longer to get the bugs out and become stable. . . so a new imac G5 will last 3 years with out worrying about upgrading so soon. . .

 

[Gregory]

Thanks for all of the great advice. I just got back fro the Apple Store. I played with the 17" imac. They did not have a 20" on display. I decided to go for the 17" only to find out they had sold out. I am working on my 12" ibook which I have had for about a month. Wish I could use the 20" ACD with my ibook. The store is going to call me when they get more 17's and 20's in. With Intels coming I am wondering if the imac makes sense?

I think you made a good choice with the imac G5, I plan myself to get a 20inch imac next week, the mac mini is very old tech in a nice case, beside you will have alot more power will the imac, for cool things like video web cam of mutli- people, games, videos, HD Quicktime movies and encoding DVD's alot faster, than the mac mini. . . I plan on making alot of DVD's for the holidays for family and friends and Front is Cool to show off your computer. . . along with Tiger. . .Cool Stuff. .

 

[teerexx52]

Well its a hard choice. i spent time looking at everything in the Apple Store. i was very happy with the screen on the 17" imac. The 20" is nice but maybe too large for me. I'll wait until they call me from the Apple Store to let me know they have them to make a final decision. Gonna be a tough one.