So I am debating on buying a Mac Mini.

I have a lap top right now but I am using my dining room table as a computer desk...I don't have much space in my apartment so I am debating on getting a Mac Mini and connecting it to my TV.

I'm not sure if I want so spend that much money but is their a comparable PC option thats cheaper but also small?

12/26/2007 3:41:33 PM

unless you have an HDTV, forget about it.

If you have an hdtv, its worth considering

12/26/2007 3:48:46 PM

I do...I bought a Sharp Aquos in Sept.

12/26/2007 3:52:58 PM

A friend of mine has a Mini hooked up full time to his 30" HDTV (a crt nonetheless) and it works pretty well for him.

He makes liberal use of OS X's zoom feature (hold control and move scroll wheel) which actually works pretty well.

This was his first Mac too, btw.

So, it's very doable, if you are willing to think a little outiside normal computer paradigms (sorry I had to use that word).

Of course, he has a bluetooth kb/mouse and is too far for a wired keyboard. If you're close enough to just sit in front of your TV and use it as a monitor, that works too.

12/26/2007 6:58:39 PM

works well, my uses his hd sony w/ his powerbook doing cad stuff all the time... BIG SCEEN

12/26/2007 7:50:33 PM

I love mine, I'd get one if I were you

12/26/2007 8:56:00 PM

PC deals are great right now.

have fun out there finding decent software for macs.. except for the run of the meal $500 package they try to sell you when you buy it with imovie and some other gay stuff

12/26/2007 10:39:19 PM

that rock you're under sure is heavy isn't it?

12/26/2007 10:47:12 PM

^^ It's easier to find decent software for Macs for most things, that PCs, IME.

There's a LOT of crapware for PCs because any idiot who writes a program is going to write it for Windows. It's hard to filter through the noise to find something that's not garbage.

[Edited on December 26, 2007 at 10:48 PM. Reason : ]

12/26/2007 10:47:52 PM

-nvrmnd

[Edited on December 26, 2007 at 11:49 PM. Reason : -]

12/26/2007 11:39:27 PM

I have a Mac mini hooked up to the TV in my bedroom. I love using Front Row to play music. It's also nice to be able to download movies and TV shows without having to burn them to a DVD. I use it to surf the web while laying in bed sometimes too.

To be honest though, I don't think I'd want it to be my ONLY computer though. I don't think I'd want to write a paper or spend long amounts of time on it unless I had a seat and some kind of table to rest the keyboard and mouse on.

Quote :

"He makes liberal use of OS X's zoom feature (hold control and move scroll wheel) which actually works pretty well."

THANK YOU for posting this. I've had my mini since last summer, and I never knew about the zoom feature. It definitely makes reading stuff from across the room a lot easier.

12/30/2007 9:52:29 AM

Quote :

"I don't think I'd want to write a paper"

I plan on not going to grad school so I won't have to do that again...I have my lap top hooked up to my TV Screen right now and I wish we had the zoom feature because to read something really tiny sucks

12/30/2007 11:58:41 AM

the Mac Mini looks pretty fucking sweet

I'm considering a Macbook for a future laptop purchase

12/30/2007 1:24:07 PM

it's laptop not lap top

12/30/2007 1:57:42 PM

MAC: Hi, I'm a Mac.
PC: And, I am a PC.
MAC: Hey PC, What'cha doin?
PC: Playing a video game.
MAC: Really? Which one?
PC: ALL
MAC:

12/30/2007 4:01:29 PM

that zoom feature is really handy. windows has something of the same sort the best i remember, other than magnifier.

always remember being told about jason schwartz(sp?) having a dell monitor on his desk in daniels hall, but he secretly had a mac mini hooked up to it in his desk

[Edited on December 30, 2007 at 11:49 PM. Reason : ]

12/30/2007 11:48:59 PM

Quote :

"MAC: Hi, I'm a Mac. PC: And, I am a PC. MAC: Hey PC, What'cha doin? PC: Playing a video game. MAC: Really? Which one? PC: ALL MAC: "

There is a thing called boot camp which you can run Windows (more stable than a PC can), and play all the games too.

12/31/2007 8:32:57 AM

pretty much

I highly doubt you'd find a pc for the size of the mac mini, i suppose you could, but you'd probably end up paying more and the new mac mini's can do windows as well now... sooo... yeah.

[Edited on December 31, 2007 at 11:05 AM. Reason : s]

12/31/2007 11:04:38 AM

^not true. I had a PC almost 7 years ago that was the same size as the Mini and only cost me about 750 bucks at the time

12/31/2007 11:09:06 AM

6.5x6.5x2 ? for "starts at $599"

nice find then!

[Edited on December 31, 2007 at 11:12 AM. Reason : s]

12/31/2007 11:10:17 AM

If you get a decide to pull the trigger, definitely check out Apple's refurbished site. I've seen Mac minis as low as $429, and you still get a one-year warranty. You have to check the site regularly though 'cause they sell out FAST! I bought mine refurbished and spent another $50 maxing out the RAM to 2 GB. It's a great little computer.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=44BD9AA1&nclm=CertifiedMac

12/31/2007 4:28:58 PM

^Def, I maxed out at 2gig too


Did you put a ^7200rpm drive in it?

12/31/2007 5:12:50 PM

Quote :

"Did you put a ^7200rpm drive in it?"

Nah, I'm still using the original one.

12/31/2007 5:32:31 PM