old Mac Mini versus new Mac Mini

[rydenfan]

I am about to pull the trigger on a Mac Mini for a server. I have heard grumblings that I want to buy the last gen model as it has Firewire 400 while the new ones have Firewire 800. Firewire is what i care most about as that is the output to my DAC. Would love to hear from those that know more than me.

 

[Decrepit]

I deployed a new Mini as a 10.5 server a couple of weeks ago.

I had to "upgrade" to server because the 10.5 Server media wouldn't boot in the Mini. So be careful if you're using old 10.5 media on a newer system.

I have an external 7200 rpm FW800 drive as the boot drive and am using the slower internal drive for a Time Machine.

The customer hasn't complained since the deployment. We're letting it sit for a few weeks of regular use before we start doing iCal deployments and such.

 

[300D]

Using a FW400 device with 800 only needs a $8 cable or plug adapter.

The only advantage the old mini has is the ability to upgrade the CPU. The new mini is much better in every other way.

 

[stukdog]

The big benefit of the new one is the extra RAM. If you plan to use a large database on it, enjoy that extra/faster RAM.