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Why is the Mac mini so expensive?
- Thread starter matt3839
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Thanks.
I've been going around and around in circles over a new Mac decision. I currently have a nice NEC LCD3090 monitor; it's a good photographer's monitor. My computer is a PowerPC G5. I need to upgrade to an Intel Mac. I could sell my monitor and get a 27" iMac, but just cannot click the "buy" button for a glossy monitor. Perhaps it'll be just fine, but . . .
So recently I've decided to just get a new Mac Pro. It's overkill, being that I only dabble in photography (side business), using Aperture and Photoshop as my most CPU intensive programs. But at least I can readily use my numerous eSATA drives and associated enclosures.
At $1000 the Mac Mini is too expensive. But at $600 a 2009 refurb may fit my needs and price. Can I put 8GB of ram into a 2009 Mini? Is it worth waiting for the 2011 models? For speed and my needs, where is the bottleneck for the mini compared to a Mac Pro? How well does the Mini drive a 30" monitor?
Thanks for your help.
It looks like 4GB is the max RAM for the 2009 model. Is this enough for Photoshop work + Aperture + MS Office + Mail + Web browsers all open at once (my work habit)?
Is the 2009 2.53 GHz Mini Refurb for $589 a good deal for my needs (Apple website)? If so, can RAM be added? Also, other threads suggest a HD upgrade. Suggestions? And what's the best method for changing-over my external eSATA drives to use on the Mini?
I've been going around and around in circles over a new Mac decision. I currently have a nice NEC LCD3090 monitor; it's a good photographer's monitor. My computer is a PowerPC G5. I need to upgrade to an Intel Mac. I could sell my monitor and get a 27" iMac, but just cannot click the "buy" button for a glossy monitor. Perhaps it'll be just fine, but . . .
So recently I've decided to just get a new Mac Pro. It's overkill, being that I only dabble in photography (side business), using Aperture and Photoshop as my most CPU intensive programs. But at least I can readily use my numerous eSATA drives and associated enclosures.
At $1000 the Mac Mini is too expensive. But at $600 a 2009 refurb may fit my needs and price. Can I put 8GB of ram into a 2009 Mini? Is it worth waiting for the 2011 models? For speed and my needs, where is the bottleneck for the mini compared to a Mac Pro? How well does the Mini drive a 30" monitor?
Thanks for your help.
It looks like 4GB is the max RAM for the 2009 model. Is this enough for Photoshop work + Aperture + MS Office + Mail + Web browsers all open at once (my work habit)?
Is the 2009 2.53 GHz Mini Refurb for $589 a good deal for my needs (Apple website)? If so, can RAM be added? Also, other threads suggest a HD upgrade. Suggestions? And what's the best method for changing-over my external eSATA drives to use on the Mini?
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Id get a USB to eSATA adapter for your drives... and if the 2009 Mac Mini isnt maxxed as far as RAM is concerned, then it can be added
- For a HD Id get either a 7200rpm HD or a SSD (Im pretty sure you need a 2.5" SATA drive)No, this isn't a good deal.
I picked up a brand new 2010 Mac mini with 320M, 2.4ghz for $599 shipped. Bought it from pcconnectionexpress.com (authorized Apple retailer) a few weeks before Thanksgiving.
It came with 2GB of ram. I bought 4GB (2GB x 2) for about 50 bucks shipped, but i'm not really sure if I need it, since I am using this as an HTPC.
1) Apple actually wants to profit a bit from it.
2) It is small, which adds some cost relative to a cheap tower.
3) It is not made of the cheap trash bargain basement PCs tend to be made of.
2) It is small, which adds some cost relative to a cheap tower.
3) It is not made of the cheap trash bargain basement PCs tend to be made of.
so you paid 10 dollars more for a 2.4GHz cpu vs a 2.53GHZ cpu. you also laid out 50 for ram so you are now at 649 vs 589.
2010 cpu 2.4 ____ 2009 cpu 2.53
2010 ram 4gb____ 2009 ram 4gb
2010 dvd vs 2009 dvd__________ the 2009 is faster and more durable
2010 warranty 1 year_________ 2009 warranty 1 year
2010 hdd 320gb __________ 2009 hdd 320gb
2010 graphics _____________2009 graphics
2010 has 1 less usb port 2009 has no sd slot
as for the sd slot it cost 10 bucks for a dongle. it also means 5 usb for the 2009 vs 4 for the 2010
the only clear win for a 2010 is the graphics card.
the 2009 mini is faster and allows easy hdd upgrade vs the 2010.
I modded many of them for sale on ebay under philipma1957. You may like the 2.4ghz 2010 but it is not a better machine then the 2009 2.53ghz . I like the looks of the 2010 but not how it works. I am typing this on a 2.53ghz mini and I would not trade you for a 2.4 2010. The 2009 mac minis all use 8gb ram. Anyone you buy from apple refurb should have the efi mod done that allows 8gb ram.
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The Mac Mini is expensive because it's about 1/10 the size of a normal desktop PC. Useful in environments where space is an issue, also where power consumption is an issue, it being the worlds most energy efficient desktop. In that respect it's extremely good value, powering two monitors, two hard drives with the server version, endless daisy chained drives over fast FireWire 800, digital audio in/out, and Wireless N + Bluetooth from a box the size of a medium sized book.
It's simply not comparable to a full sized desktop.
It's simply not comparable to a full sized desktop.
its not expensive at all , you can buy a mini today for £612 , oklast year before the vat rise it was cheaper , never mind thats anyway not the point , the resell value is the point !
you buy your Mac mini today for £612 with 1 year warranty , after 1 year you can easy sell it at ebay for around £550 +(no scratches )and get a new one again for only about £60 , thats how that works in apple world , its not like in pc world where people buy a pc for £1000 that lost a month later already more then half its value , and after a year can be picked up for £150
thats why you see people buying a new Mac every year , not because they are rich , its because they have to pay next to nothing after selling their old , and if for sentimental reasons they want to keep it longer they buy apple care and sell the same mini that did cost £612 but 3years later still sellable for about £450-500 , so the loss is marginal , it has nothing to do with extreme high quality or such its just people for whatever reason think its a privilege when they are allowed to buy a Apple Mac on ebay , so they pay any price you ask or even outbid each other like they would never have the opportunity to get one again
for example i bought a mini G4 1.42 ghz for £140 last spring , the mini as cute as it is didn't work for me (nothing to do with performance really just the form factor , i like all in one computers more ) so i decided to sell it in summer and i even did mention that i just bought it 3 month ago , but bought a iMac so it had to go and all i want is the money back i payed , so i set the reserve to £140 and even have written it in the listing , then it went somehow for some reason out of control and they did bit over £230 for a G4 mini from 2005 while a brandnew one last year did just cost double that
i even discovered extraordninary things when a mate did the same , he bought a brandnew mini , but did want a iMac ,short of the cash he only bought the mini at apple for £599 ,after i told him about my sell of the G4mini with profit he did put his brandnew one the day it arrived on ebay for £750 , still in box not even opened and it sold within a day ,now he had the cash to get a refurb 21.5 iMac base model
people are crazy , they pay any price to get a Mac, some even more as the Mac would cost direct from apple
you buy your Mac mini today for £612 with 1 year warranty , after 1 year you can easy sell it at ebay for around £550 +(no scratches )and get a new one again for only about £60 , thats how that works in apple world , its not like in pc world where people buy a pc for £1000 that lost a month later already more then half its value , and after a year can be picked up for £150
thats why you see people buying a new Mac every year , not because they are rich , its because they have to pay next to nothing after selling their old , and if for sentimental reasons they want to keep it longer they buy apple care and sell the same mini that did cost £612 but 3years later still sellable for about £450-500 , so the loss is marginal , it has nothing to do with extreme high quality or such its just people for whatever reason think its a privilege when they are allowed to buy a Apple Mac on ebay , so they pay any price you ask or even outbid each other like they would never have the opportunity to get one again
for example i bought a mini G4 1.42 ghz for £140 last spring , the mini as cute as it is didn't work for me (nothing to do with performance really just the form factor , i like all in one computers more ) so i decided to sell it in summer and i even did mention that i just bought it 3 month ago , but bought a iMac so it had to go and all i want is the money back i payed , so i set the reserve to £140 and even have written it in the listing , then it went somehow for some reason out of control and they did bit over £230
for a G4 mini from 2005 while a brandnew one last year did just cost double thati even discovered extraordninary things when a mate did the same , he bought a brandnew mini , but did want a iMac ,short of the cash he only bought the mini at apple for £599 ,after i told him about my sell of the G4mini with profit he did put his brandnew one the day it arrived on ebay for £750 , still in box not even opened and it sold within a day ,now he had the cash to get a refurb 21.5 iMac base model
people are crazy , they pay any price to get a Mac, some even more as the Mac would cost direct from apple
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people are crazy , they pay any price to get a Mac, some even more as the Mac would cost direct from apple
aaahhhh the joys of ripping off the less well-informed.
You all made some great points; I know specifications aren't the only thing that will affect my experience (I use a Unicomp keyboard so I couldn't care less if it's quiet), but that's where most of the price comes from. I'm a Windows/Linux guy by nature, so it's what I try to look for.
And no I'm not a troll. I know much less intelligent online Apple communities than this and I very much like MacRumors itself, I wouldn't waste my time here on that.
I think I'll look for an older refurbished unit from 2008-9, judging by the specifications it'll be great for the price, and I like the old model's shell better anyway; it should be a great media player box! Thanks for all of your help!
And no I'm not a troll. I know much less intelligent online Apple communities than this and I very much like MacRumors itself, I wouldn't waste my time here on that.
I think I'll look for an older refurbished unit from 2008-9, judging by the specifications it'll be great for the price, and I like the old model's shell better anyway; it should be a great media player box! Thanks for all of your help!
Well I disagree.
First off, I would assume the 2009 2.53 GHz refurb that wacomme is referring to comes with 2GB of memory just as the 2010 2.4 GHz does. So now you are talking $589 for a refurbished, almost 2 year old model, vs. $599 for a brand new, less than 1 year old 2010 model with only a .13 difference in speed, which I am not sure makes any real world difference whatsoever. And then the 2010 Mac mini has the better video, the 320M.
So I think the new 2010 Mac mini base model for $599 is a much better value. Its also the 'latest' Mac mini and it looks better than the 2009. I am sure the majority would agree.
You also have to consider the resale value of the 2009 Mac mini vs. the 2010 Mac mini. I could command a higher price for a 2010 model vs a 2009 model just as you could sell a 2011 car for a higher price than a 2010 car of the same make and model.
The decision between a brand new 2010 Mac mini for 10 bucks more than a 2 year old refurbished 2009 Mac mini seems like a no-brainer to me.
don't forget to mention the mileage , it can have a big impact on the life expectancy
there is a difference if you buy from private or form a corporate environment
and heavy usage is not the big issue there , most companies care for their Mac's , as they depend on them ,some even go as far as getting still working parts replaced in regular intervals , like optical drives,harddrives,ram ...and cleaned inside as a precaution , while privately owned Mac's most times only get opened when they are complete dead
its like with a car , it makes a difference if it was regular serviced, and opening a Mac only to clean it inside from dust on a regular basis can have a huge impact on its life expectancy too
yes that is true, but most people dont see it that way , there are still people out there who just look at the price tag , not because they are ignorant , only because they have to calculate with pennies in their life , and most of them only do surf the web and send some emails , so spec's can be neglected really
they just see a small computer in the mini and see for example a dell zino (ok it's a big bigger and has a bit lower spec's ) for half the price and start wondering why the mini is so overpriced
and to be honest the processor manufacturers and graphics card manufacturers dont make it easy for the customer to decide which processor or graphics card is really better with their numbers and names that don't really give a clue
and it doesn't end there , next is the ram and bus speed which have a impact too
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the original reference made to the 2.53ghz refurb was by me and it is a link for a 4gb ram machine. so once again I am at 589 the new 2010 is at 599 he spent 50 on ram he is at 649 my machine is 589 so I am 60 bucks ahead. both machines come with 1 year warranty. if the 2.53 dies apple has to give you an equal cpu or better equal ram or better and equal hdd or better. so if you return it to apple and they can't repair it you get a 2.66 2010 machine with 4.gb ram and a 320gb hdd. simply put don't buy a 2.4 2010 unless you like the looks. either buy a 2.53 refurb if available or wait for the 2011. you are paying for the money spent to build the case. the fist year with the new case involves new assembly line costs. Of course it is your money so if you want to spend it on a 2010 feel free to do so.
one more thing changing hdds on the new mini is hard to do the attaching wires are weak and flimsy. On the 2009 it is much easier.
look at install video for 2010 hdd change is rated challenging
http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/mac_mini2010/
rating for 2009 is advanced
http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/mac_mini_2009/
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You left out the fact that the NEW model has better graphics, the 320M, and I guess while we are at it, I can add in that the new Mac mini is more 'energy efficient'.
Anyway, I think most people would rather buy a NEW, CURRENT model Mac mini, with the better graphics and 2GB RAM for 10 bucks more than a way OLDER 2009 REFURB with lesser graphics and 4GB RAM.
I just fail to see your logic on any end.
So I guess we can agree to disagree here.
And the only reason you are defending this rather absurd logic of yours is because you SELL these 2009 upgraded Mac minis TO MAKE A PROFIT. The only way you can make money is by reselling NON-CURRENT Mac mini models that you upgraded with RAM you bulk purchased at a discount.
So I am sure next year, when the 2011 model comes out, you will sell the 2010 REFURB model with "8GB of RAM!!", and talk about how much of a better deal the 2010 REFURB is than the new 2011.
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The extra 2GB RAM will easily make the graphics issue go away - The graphics performance isnt worth sacrificing 2GB of RAM for. Oh, and in the scheme of things, the 2009 Mac Mini isnt "way old". "way old" is a PowerBook G3 from 1998.
I actually paid $40 for my 4GB RAM for my 2010 Mac mini. I just threw out $50 as an 'average' price.
Would you rather buy a BRAND NEW 2010 Mac mini 2.4 GHz with 4GB RAM for $639 delivered, or a REFURB 2009 Mac mini 2.53 GHz with 4GB RAM for $630 delivered (figuring in 7% sales tax which you will have to pay when ordering from Apple)?
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REFURB. Faster CPU + Okay GPU (Not stellar, but good enough) > Slower CPU and ever so slightly better GPU. For what the OP wants, the older Mini is a much better choice.
I have never seen any company do this (from 10 to 150,000 employees); it seems to be more of a practice of individuals.
Replacing working parts is not guaranteed to do anything to its service life.
You know a 2009 2.53 isnt as fast as a 2010 2.4? A bigger number doesnt mean faster, processors almost double in power each year.
Not sure why you'd figure that. The 2009 is an Intel P8700 while the 2010 is a P8600. They both have the same architecture, amount of cache, and bus speed. The main difference is the multiplier.
It has been my experience that a better GPU will almost always win out in a comparison against similar processors. I haven't checked out benchmarks on these computers so I'm not sure about the differences in these GPUs, but if there is a worthwhile difference, and other changes don't change the consideration, I would expect the GPU to throw up more limitations than the CPU going forward (and in real-world circumstances today).
For durability issues the refurb is a better deal if you buy applecare. here is why. lets say the 2009 was first made in oct 2009. whatever was wrong got fixed jan 2011. so the machine is mostly 1 year and 3 months old. if you buy applecare it is covered until jan 2014. if your refurb breaks under applecare and apple no longer stocks repair parts they will replace the machine. In the case of the 2009 you had a 2.53ghz cpu apple must give you a machine with an = or better cpu. so if the machine breaks in 30 months the chances are apple will replace rather then repair it. why ? because it is the plastic older model. this means you would get a 2.66 GHz 4gb 320 aluminum model. I know this is policy because this happened to me with a 2.53gh model. I was given a new 2.66ghz 4gb 320gb model as a replacement.
the next case is the 2010 machine if you have apple care and it breaks they will repair or replace it. so say it is 30 months and it breaks since it is the newer model chances are parts will exist and you will get a repair not a replacement.
right now all this is true because 200 to 250 in price on the new model is redesign of the case. a 2010 2.4 ghz model will never be a good deal until it drops quite a bit under the 2009 2.53ghz model. I am not even bringing the hdd factor and the ability to make a setup like this.
you can make this for under 300. giving you 4tb and a pair of 2tb hdds seen as internal hdds.
foot print is 9 by 7 height is 5 inches. it is a double esata hack. you can not do this with a 2010 due to the internal changes apple has done.
As for the 2010 gpu being better it is important in some cases. if you are a gamer it will help but why game on a mac mini. if you want to use an acd display with a 27 inch screen the 2010 mini is an improvement.
basically if you use it for netflix on a 1080i tv or a 1080p tv the gpu does not come into effect. why do I say this one i looked at many movies with the 2008 the 2009 and the 2010 .
it is night and day when you compare the 2008 to the 2009 or the 2010. when you compare the 2009 to the 2010 on an hdtv watching netflix you would be hard pressed to see a difference.
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