New Mac Mini Queries!!!!

[movie1313]

Hi,

I am planning to buy a mac, my first one, and am not sure which one I should go for. I need a computer for surfing web, watching movies and little bit of photo editing. Being a photographer by hobby I do need extra power when am editing my photographs on photoshop or corel but am not a heavy user at all! I am also not into gaming - have ps3 to sort that! Currently, I use asus netbook for my routing work but this little gem is no good when it comes to photo editing.

After giving a thought I have narrowed down on mac mini (refreshed whenever its launched) but need to get answers for below queries before I buy:

Is mini compatible with any flat screen tv? It will always be plugged with TV not a monitor. Is that an issue?
Can I use any wireless keyboard/mouse or I have to use only apple?
How does the audio work with mini, do I need seperate cable if I use HDMI to connect?
Any issues with installing win xp on mini, does it work fine?

A MBP 13" suits my need as well but only reason I am not going for it is that I can use seperate keyboard/mouse on mini while editing photo which is more comfortable, mini will also have a big screen then just 13". Mobility is not an issue as I can use my current asus netbook.

Any other suggestions / warnings are always welcome.

Thanks in advance,
Rik

 

[tanker5]

Mac mini is very powerful

The Mac mini is a very powerful machine. It is compatible with any hdmi tv. Any standard hdmi cable will work and support both audio and video. I use mine as a hd media center. It is hooked up to my tv all the time. It handles hd movie content flawlessly. It will also be compatible with any Bluetooth keyboard or mouse. Keep in mind that the Mac mini does not come with a keyboard or mouse included. As far as running XP on it, it will work fine. However, keep in mind that you will have to partition your hard drive in order to install it. Make sure you allocate enough space for both operating systems and their associated files. For this reason you might want to consider the model with the larger hard drive.

You can also use any Bluetooth keyboard or mouse with the 13 inch MacBook pro. Also, the mini display port on the MacBook pro transmits both audio and video. You can connect a MacBook pro to any hdmi tv via a mini-display port to hdmi cable -- http://store.apple.com/us/product/H4637ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MjA4NjU2MjY -- or adapter -- http://store.apple.com/us/product/H1824ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA3Ng&mco=MTgwOTAzMjI -- just make sure the adapter you purchase supports audio and video (some older adapters do not support audio).

Good luck on your purchase.