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Seemingly stupid question about a mini

N

Nevpaurion

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 25, 2008
101
0
Seattle/Houston
So my parents now 8 year old computer is on it's last plastic hip. I'm thinking about getting them a mac mini, but I'm confused as to what monitor choices I have. Am I stuck buying the overpriced apple displays, or will a regular lcd flatscreen from newegg or fry's work with it?

Thanks and please, dont laugh at my question :p
 
The Mac min has a regular DVI port and also comes with a DVI to VGA adapter so a normal LCD monitor will work fine. I would not get a mini right now though since it is way overdue for an update and the iMac is much faster.
 
True the Imac is faster, but the mini will certainly be faster than an 8 year old PC. I'd be willing to bet they are not planning to much heavy duty computing.

Plus the mini is cheaper, especially if you already have keyboard, mouse & display.
 
Thanks for the help :D
Yes I know the iMac is a whole lot faster, I have a 24 inch aluminum iMac and I love it. My main reasons for wanting a mini is space saving and price. I can get a decent LCD monitor and the mini for less then the base iMac with my student discount, and I can't use my discount on another iMac for another year since I just bought mine. Also, my parents don't plan on doing anything beyond reading emails and online perusing, so I'm sure the mini will suit them well. Thanks again for the replies!

BTW, is it possible to upgrade the ram in a mini by myself like I can with my macbook and iMac, or is it near impossible and I should order it with apple doing the upgrading?
 
Nevpaurion said:
BTW, is it possible to upgrade the ram in a mini by myself like I can with my macbook and iMac, or is it near impossible and I should order it with apple doing the upgrading?
Click to expand...
It takes maybe 15 minutes, one or two putty knives, and a phillips screwdriver (preferably with a magnetic head). OWC has a great video on how to do the upgrade. I have done this twice (1GB -> 2GB, then 2GB to 4GB ... only 3.3GB usable.)
 
Nevpaurion said:
Thanks for the help :D
Yes I know the iMac is a whole lot faster, I have a 24 inch aluminum iMac and I love it. My main reasons for wanting a mini is space saving and price. I can get a decent LCD monitor and the mini for less then the base iMac with my student discount, and I can't use my discount on another iMac for another year since I just bought mine. Also, my parents don't plan on doing anything beyond reading emails and online perusing, so I'm sure the mini will suit them well. Thanks again for the replies!

BTW, is it possible to upgrade the ram in a mini by myself like I can with my macbook and iMac, or is it near impossible and I should order it with apple doing the upgrading?
Click to expand...

It is possible, but it is a very tricky process and likely voids the warranty as well as doing it yourself runs the risk of damaging something. I would recommend getting the Ram from apple.

Here is a guide that shows the process if you want to see it:
http://www.methodshop.com/gadgets/tutorials/macmini-ram/index.shtml
 
Also check refurb store

Nevpaurion said:
Thanks for the help :D
Yes I know the iMac is a whole lot faster, I have a 24 inch aluminum iMac and I love it. My main reasons for wanting a mini is space saving and price. I can get a decent LCD monitor and the mini for less then the base iMac with my student discount, and I can't use my discount on another iMac for another year since I just bought mine. ....
Click to expand...

Also keep checking the refurb store, especially if you can hold off purchasing for upto a few weeks. Check daily, even a couple of times a day since things get added and removed all the time. I know that there are some that will tell you there is a schedule to refurb site updates, but I don't think there is. It seems random to me. I've seen current Minis go on sale for close to 40% off, though usually the discount is less than that. A friend bought a MB off refurb for less than the education discount. Just be patient, check often, and be prepared to pounce. You'll likely get a good deal.

I did bunch of reading about upgrading the ram in a Mini. If you are handy it doesn't seem to difficult. The middle way is to buy ram from an Authorized Apple reseller (not an Apple store). They will likely sell you the ram for cheaper than Apple, and if you are buying some software (or a display, etc) install it for cheap or free.

Good Luck

Love my Mini, its been retired to music server use....
 
well the apple stores showing a refurb 2.0 dual core mini right now 679 but i want the lower entry level one so gonna pass :)
 
A refurb mini along with a Dell LCD (DVI not analog) makes a very nice & moderately priced system.
 
a local guy is sellign hs core 2 duo 2ghz mini for $500 should i jump on this deal guys? I mainly wnat it as a remote pc so i don't have to keep my imac on all day long.

Thanks
 
The other thing that you should look at for your parents is if they are infrequent users it might be better to use their current TV (or get them to buy a new one). Attach it to the Mini using the HDMI or VGA input. A S-Video or composite adapter is available for older TVs but the picture isn't that good.
 
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