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Mac Mini - what do we expect?
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Mac Mini is appealing to me and don't how it could be otherwise to others. The aesthetics are like no other desktop. Small, elegant profile, unobtrusive, whisper quiet, yet powerful and versatile. And if you want an HTPC, the Mini is the perfect solution to place in your A/V rack with its low profile. I personally can't swallow the thought of a monster metal tower sitting next to my feet constantly whirring trying to keep cool... now that's unappealing.
The mini is basically a laptop in a box, without the keyboard and display. Why don't I just buy a laptop computer for my desk, then I also gain the option of mobility?
If you don't care about mobility, and want a true desktop, the mini is underpowered for all but the most basic tasks. Sure, if all you do is play with iTunes and browse the web, then yea the mini is great. But some of us use our computers for a lot more than that, and consequentially we need beefier hardware.
That said, I do have a Mini, it's hooked up to me PC in the living room. I rarely use it except to play DVD's from ripped .iso image files. HTPC sort of thing.
Good point. But many of us don't like the ergonomics of laptops... squeezed-together keys on a small, unmovable keyboard which creates an uncomfortable working experience at the desk (at least for me), smallish dedicated fixed monitor that eliminates choice and freedom to upgrade. And it's an all-in-one unit, something many Mini owners reject for the same reason as the iMac. You can't swap in memory and drives into a laptop. And the Mini can do just about anything the iMac can... to say all it's good for is iTunes and the web is misguided at best. The Mini is low profile and portable, but with the versatility and comfort of a traditional desktop yet not confining like a laptop... is how I'd put it..
I use my mac mini as a DVR system, running with ElgatoTV and a DroboPro for iTunes Storage.
For leaving on 24/7 recording and then importing into iTunes for watching on the TV then it is perfect. I also have the Turbo264HD stick for speeding the encoding up.
Laptop would not be suitable as the mobility is not needed, and I also use the Mac Mini for email, web etc.
When I want to do some real work I fire up the i7 EFI-X system, but wouldn't leave that running 24/7 with the power drain compared to the mini.
For the next upgrade I would expect a wait for the i5 to be shrunk to 32nm and mobile parts then seeing a Quad Core mini arrive. As I don't use the mini for playback then the GPU onboard doesn't really matter if Intel and next to useless.
The mini works as it is so doesn't need to change that much.
There will always be people that want/need more power then the mini offers and the mini isn't aimed at them. Thats why the Quad Core Hackintoshes are popular after all.
For leaving on 24/7 recording and then importing into iTunes for watching on the TV then it is perfect. I also have the Turbo264HD stick for speeding the encoding up.
Laptop would not be suitable as the mobility is not needed, and I also use the Mac Mini for email, web etc.
When I want to do some real work I fire up the i7 EFI-X system, but wouldn't leave that running 24/7 with the power drain compared to the mini.
For the next upgrade I would expect a wait for the i5 to be shrunk to 32nm and mobile parts then seeing a Quad Core mini arrive. As I don't use the mini for playback then the GPU onboard doesn't really matter if Intel and next to useless.
The mini works as it is so doesn't need to change that much.
There will always be people that want/need more power then the mini offers and the mini isn't aimed at them. Thats why the Quad Core Hackintoshes are popular after all.
2.26Ghz C2D with 4GB RAM underpowered for all but basic tasks - are you kidding? My Mini is good for just about anything I throw at it, including video editing. I will say that for about 95% of things people do on their computers you don't need anything more than a Mini.
Show me a MacBook that sells at Mini's price-point. And good luck building a Hackintosh that comes anywhere near Mini in ergonomics, power consumption, noise, and features (FW800 anyone??)
- 5 USB ports
- 2 display ports
- adequatly cools itself with case closed
- cheaper
- smaller footprint
I would echo that statement. I have a 2.0ghz w/ 4gb of ram and the Mini has handled everything I've thrown at it with aces (all while running dual monitors).
While yes there are other machines with more power - the Mini is a very capable machine.
Video Editing? You can't be serious. Maybe the most basic of standard-def iMovie projects. The mini is a great little machine - but lacking two features that are very important to some folks.
1. Disk I/O. It's got a slow 5400 rpm laptop hard drive. I do video editing on my MBP, and I assure you that even the 7200 rpm 320 GB drive I swapped into it isn't sufficient to handle the I/O load. I've got a FW800 external RAID array just to satisfy the I/O requirements.
2. 3D graphics. Yes, the 9400m is a big step up in this department (compared to the intel IGP) but even 9400m is barely enough to run WoW, much less a more demanding game or 3D app.
Both of these two drawbacks would be easily addressed in a "normal" desktop system. Of course then you lose the ergonomics and design of the mini. It's all a trade off I suppose, and that's exactly my point - that the mini is not the "one desktop to rule them all". Where it fits, it fits well, but it's not the right tool for everyone.
This post is full of assumptions. I couldn't help but reply. Have you tried to use a Mini for video editing? It doesn't sound like it, it sounds more like you are making up facts to support your claim. Why not ask what type of video before ridiculing the poster? Maybe it is standard-def, but get the facts straight before being a dick.
1. Disk I/O. You do realize that many people upgrade their Mini beyond what Apple provides? At the very least, I am sure more people want to do more serious work with their Mini, upgrade it themselves with a faster drive and RAM. When I got both of my Mini's I turned them on to make sure they were working, then popped it open and tossed in a 120GB SSD and 4GB of RAM.
I find it sort of comical that you mentioned having a FW800 RAID array to satisfy your I/O requirements, yet you dismiss the Mini? Do you realize it has the same potential? Hence you could do the same thing with a Mini, and cheaper than a Macbook Pro and get at least equal performance? Did I mention it would be cheaper, you could even get a bigger display!
2. 3D graphics. This has very little to do with video editing. Unless of course you are producing 3D graphics, in which case I am guessing you would have a more powerful machine, more powerful than you MBP I am sure. There is no doubt there are better GPUs in Apple's lineup, yet the 9400M would be fine for video editing, even HD, especially since it supports OpenCL.
You end with more assumptions. The poster you replied to didn't say the Mini is the only desktop you will even need, on the contrary, he or she was pointing out that the Mini is a capable machine and would be fine more many people. You can get of our high horse now, there was really no need to mount it in the first place.
LOL. Thanks calderone for comprehensive takedown of his strawman argument. Indeed no one has ever said that the Mini is the right desktop for all purposes and all uses. I was simply responding to the statement that "mini is underpowered for all but the most basic tasks" - which is a ridiculously misguided statement, and surely coming from someone who has never used a modern Mini.
And yes, my Mini is upgraded to 4GB RAM and 7200rpm hard drive. While I don't do complex 3D/HD video rendering or high end gaming - I am what most would consider a power user. And I have never felt that my Mini is "underpowered" for anything that I do.
Anyone who wants to spend $3K on Mac Pro to play WoW - go crazy. Or buy an ugly Dell tower to keep your feet warm. I will take my tiny energy-efficient Mini any day over those machines.
And yes, my Mini is upgraded to 4GB RAM and 7200rpm hard drive. While I don't do complex 3D/HD video rendering or high end gaming - I am what most would consider a power user. And I have never felt that my Mini is "underpowered" for anything that I do.
Anyone who wants to spend $3K on Mac Pro to play WoW - go crazy. Or buy an ugly Dell tower to keep your feet warm. I will take my tiny energy-efficient Mini any day over those machines.
It sure does. I have a 2.0GHz one with only 1GB of RAM and I can run Hulu Desktop, Plex, iTunes, Netflix, surf the internet, check my emails, and generally any other thing I throw at it. I don't run 10 apps all at once, but then again I don't have to when it's sole purpose is for media. But it does perform when I need it too. Not to mention it's silent and super small.
You really shoud stick another GB of memory in there, not only will it make your machine more efficient, it is great fun opening the mini up
You really shoud stick another GB of memory in there, not only will it make your machine more efficient, it is great fun opening the mini up
I know.
I want to soon. If I do I'll just go all out and put 4GB in there.