[kottier]

MacMini is also on my mind. I don't think I will like the glossy screen on the iMac, so I don't think I'll go for that. If Apple would offer a MacMini with a (small) SSD hard drive and 8 GB RAM...
Right now, I'm managing with my current (6 year old) PC laptop. Waiting for the update to the MacMini (and iMac) of this year.

[dugrant153]

After some very intense research, some of the cheaper PCs I’ve found at computer vendors (mine is NCIX) come with a lot more hardware power for the price compared to the Mac Mini. Hmm… I’m starting to think of this as a future investment - with the money I have now (not a lot). The Mac Mini seems like a “I need it right now” compromise whereby my upgrade path will be quite limited and future potential power will be limited and will end upgrading again in a year and a bit. I think it’s time for me to step up to something higher and more than just ‘enough’ to run what I need as I’ve been doing that for years but then just end upgrading after a year and a bit... or running programs very slowly.

I’m a very heavy comp user always running multiple apps and am probably wanting to run photoshop and lightroom at the same time…hmm…

Anyways, for a detailed view – here are the specs I’m getting for the price:

Mac Mini ($649)

2.26 ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
160 GB hard drive
2 GB Ram
1 x Firewire 800 and 5 USB ports (plus others)
Integrated Nvidia Geforce 9600M
Mac OS X Snow Leopard
A very small and quiet box


Acer Aspire AX1800-EQ8300A ($500)

2.5 Ghz Intel Core 2 Quad Core
640GB Hard drive
4 GB Ram (And I know Lightroom is a RAM hog)
1 x E-sata, 1 x Firewire, USB ports
Integrated Nvidia Geforce 7100
Windows 7 Home
A bigger box, but $149 savings – could use this for a secondary hard drive (scratch disk?) on E-sata.

Curious on what you folks think?

I don’t mean to turn this into a Mac vs a PC war, but I’m starting to see my budget come into play and what I can get for it. Just need a newer system that’ll do my job very quickly and efficiently so I can go and do other things – like book photoshoots and buy a new place

Just want to know if I can justify the price of a Mac Mini now... especially compared to competition.

[stevebrot]

If you are handy, you could build your own box. I built my last two PCs with components from the local geek shop and have been incredibly happy with the results. You might even be able to reuse some of your existing stuff (enclosure, CD/DVD, card readers, etc). I forget how much I spent on this current workstation (quad core Intel, a little over a year old), but I can guarantee you that it was less, including OS, than the cost of a Mac mini.

Steve

[dugrant153]

haha... I built my own computers before but I kinda dropped out of it a while ago so don't really know the whole deal with computers. With my focus being photography, just looking for a computer that works and gets my Lightroom moving!

Has anyone gone the route of purchasing a base model Mac Mini and then upgrading slowly over time? Thinking of just going in with a base model and then upgrading slowly to 4GB RAM... and... well, that looks to be the only option for upgrades...

Also, for those who have the Mac Mini... I'm thinking that if I go with it, I would connect two drives to it: #1 drive for documents/photos/music/Lightroom Catalogues,
#2 drive for backing up of files (copy of #1 drive) and the Main hard drive for programs only... Uh... curious on how I would go about doing this?

Sorry, it has been a long time since I was really into computers. Need a refresher!

---

Last edited by dugrant153; 05-21-2010 at 10:16 PM.

[Ahab]

haha...

Also, for those who have the Mac Mini... I'm thinking that if I go with it, I would connect two drives to it: #1 drive for documents/photos/music/Lightroom Catalogues,
#2 drive for backing up of files (copy of #1 drive) and the Main hard drive for programs only... Uh... curious on how I would go about doing this?

Sorry, it has been a long time since I was really into computers. Need a refresher!

You could use two drives by plugging one into the Firewire and the other into the USB or plugging both into two of the USB ports. I like the Firewire option for faster back-ups.

[legacyb4]

Double up the RAM from the start and save yourself the time and hassle (and possible warranty voiding by cracking the case; I don't believe the Mini is designed to be user serviced).

Dual drives will work out well in the following configuration:

Mac Mini - programs
Drive #1 (at least Firewire) - documents & photos
Drive #2 (USB 2.0) - set as Time Machine backup drive (automated backups) covering the main machine and drive #1

haha... I built my own computers before but I kinda dropped out of it a while ago so don't really know the whole deal with computers. With my focus being photography, just looking for a computer that works and gets my Lightroom moving!

Has anyone gone the route of purchasing a base model Mac Mini and then upgrading slowly over time? Thinking of just going in with a base model and then upgrading slowly to 4GB RAM... and... well, that looks to be the only option for upgrades...

Also, for those who have the Mac Mini... I'm thinking that if I go with it, I would connect two drives to it: #1 drive for documents/photos/music/Lightroom Catalogues,
#2 drive for backing up of files (copy of #1 drive) and the Main hard drive for programs only... Uh... curious on how I would go about doing this?

Sorry, it has been a long time since I was really into computers. Need a refresher!

I have mac mini 2.53 hz with 4 gigs of RAM and it is plenty. I use aperture and CS4 and while it is not blazing fast it is more than adequate.

[Steve Beswick]

This is a violation of the EULA. While Apple does not take M$ like draconian measures to prevent it is clearly against the license. The $29 version of Snow Leopard is an UPGRADE from Leopard and is only legal on Apple computers.

The EULA is a contract, not a law, therefore installing OS X on a generic computer by yourself is not illegal. It is merely a breach of contract, and there is some debate if said contract is legal in the first place.

[raider]

I just upgraded from a lowly celeron dual core E1200 to the dual core E6500 and up the ram from 1GB to 3GB (running in single channel mode). I find the box is much more snappy now and using PSE with now more than 12000 pictures is a much better experience.

Maybe u can just upgrade your motherboard, ram and cpu and leave the rest of your components intact...that will save a bit of money.

Hope this helps

[Steve Beswick]

After some very intense research, some of the cheaper PCs I’ve found at computer vendors (mine is NCIX) come with a lot more hardware power for the price compared to the Mac Mini. Hmm… I’m starting to think of this as a future investment - with the money I have now (not a lot). The Mac Mini seems like a “I need it right now” compromise whereby my upgrade path will be quite limited and future potential power will be limited and will end upgrading again in a year and a bit. I think it’s time for me to step up to something higher and more than just ‘enough’ to run what I need as I’ve been doing that for years but then just end upgrading after a year and a bit... or running programs very slowly.

I’m a very heavy comp user always running multiple apps and am probably wanting to run photoshop and lightroom at the same time…hmm…

Anyways, for a detailed view – here are the specs I’m getting for the price:

Mac Mini ($649)

2.26 ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
160 GB hard drive
2 GB Ram
1 x Firewire 800 and 5 USB ports (plus others)
Integrated Nvidia Geforce 9600M
Mac OS X Snow Leopard
A very small and quiet box


Acer Aspire AX1800-EQ8300A ($500)

2.5 Ghz Intel Core 2 Quad Core
640GB Hard drive
4 GB Ram (And I know Lightroom is a RAM hog)
1 x E-sata, 1 x Firewire, USB ports
Integrated Nvidia Geforce 7100
Windows 7 Home
A bigger box, but $149 savings – could use this for a secondary hard drive (scratch disk?) on E-sata.

Curious on what you folks think?

I don’t mean to turn this into a Mac vs a PC war, but I’m starting to see my budget come into play and what I can get for it. Just need a newer system that’ll do my job very quickly and efficiently so I can go and do other things – like book photoshoots and buy a new place

Just want to know if I can justify the price of a Mac Mini now... especially compared to competition.

Well I would bring up the "how much is your time worth" argument in favor of the Mac again, but then at least three members of this forum would tell you that I'm 100% wrong, and that they can build a computer in 5 minutes for $50 that can calculate the meaning of life the universe and everything in 2.2 seconds.

Instead I will say this - make sure that you calculate the actual cost of ownership.

First of all, the Mini is widely regarded as a computer that consumes very little electricity - some say it is the lowest consuming computer on the market. This is probably at least partly the result of the heavy use of laptop style components in it's construction. You can actually look up the specs at Apples website. Depending on how much you use the computer, that cold make a noticeable difference in your monthly electric bill.

The second factor is resale value. History has shown that the Mini looses on average $75 or less in value for each year of ownership, with the first year closer to $100. I highly doubt that the Acer will fare so well. A considerable benefit of replacing (and selling the old) Mini every couple of years is that you will get whatever is the current version of the OS and iLife (iPhoto, iMovie, etc.) thrown in for free with the new model. A huge benefit is not needing to mess with upgrading the system - just plug in the new one, restore your software from backup (easy with Time Machine), and go.

For what it is worth up until very recently I was of the mindset that you used a computer until it was completely worthless, upgrading parts along the way, because that was the only way that you got the maximum value out of it. Now I'm of the opinion that you use it for a year or two, sell it on eBay, and then buy a new one. The one thing I would do is plug it full of aftermarket RAM. Apple overcharges for RAM by a long shot.

One other factor, if it is the sort of thing you care about, is the environmental impact. There is a PDF that Apple put out listing environmental impact data for the Mini. It can be found here. I do not know if Acer has anything similar.

[boriscleto]

Well I would bring up the "how much is your time worth" argument in favor of the Mac again, but then at least three members of this forum would tell you that I'm 100% wrong, and that they can build a computer in 5 minutes for $50 that can calculate the meaning of life the universe and everything in 2.2 seconds.

That would be 42.

Or is it what is Six times Seven.

Or maybe "How many roads must a man walk down?"

The idea that Bill Gates has appeared like a knight in shining armour to lead all customers out of a mire of technological chaos neatly ignores the fact that it was he who, by peddling second-rate technology, led them into it in the first place.--Douglas Adams, on Windows 95

[George Lama]

Resale value on computers is in my opinion a moot point. It's not at all like concerning yourself with the resale value of your car or camera equipment. If you plan on keeping your computer over a certain amount of years, typically 4-5, it's not worth considering resale value as a consideration for purchase.

Computer technology depreciates fast due to frequent updates on hardware. After 4-5 years, anything you can sell it for is considered a bonus.

So a Mac Mini may or may not have a better resale value in 4 years, but ask yourself - will anyone care about its by-then-crippled dual core processor when the let's say 24 core processor Mac Super Mini is available?

I'd certainly consider total cost of ownership, warranty, quality of build, and in the case of Mac Minis, their ultra-compact size, practically silent operation, and elegant looks - a combo unique to the Mini.

If you opt to go with the Mac, I'd suggest spending a little more money and getting the 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4 GB of RAM. It will be much more expensive later to upgrade the RAM because you have to get rid of the two 1 GB chips it comes with, then buy two chips 2GB each to replace them.

[Steve Beswick]

Resale value on computers is in my opinion a moot point. It's not at all like concerning yourself with the resale value of your car or camera equipment. If you plan on keeping your computer over a certain amount of years, typically 4-5, it's not worth considering resale value as a consideration for purchase.

Computer technology depreciates fast due to frequent updates on hardware. After 4-5 years, anything you can sell it for is considered a bonus.

When 2005 PPC 1.25 ghz G4 Minis regularly sell anywhere from $175 - $300 I would consider that a huge bonus, especially considering that these models originally sold for $499. Let's meet in the middle and say that it can be easily sold for close to half it's original price 5 years later. I'd say that is a factor worth considering.

So a Mac Mini may or may not have a better resale value in 4 years, but ask yourself - will anyone care about its by-then-crippled dual core processor when the let's say 24 core processor Mac Super Mini is available?

Well the real question is if they are selling 5 years down the road, which they are, so...

I'd certainly consider total cost of ownership, warranty, quality of build, and in the case of Mac Minis, their ultra-compact size, practically silent operation, and elegant looks - a combo unique to the Mini.

If you opt to go with the Mac, I'd suggest spending a little more money and getting the 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4 GB of RAM. It will be much more expensive later to upgrade the RAM because you have to get rid of the two 1 GB chips it comes with, then buy two chips 2GB each to replace them.

You are definitely buying your ram in the wrong place. Crucial has a 4gig kit for the current Mini for $113, and that was the first place I tried. I do agree on some level however, because at that point the bigger hard disk and faster processor are probably worth the extra money.

[George Lama]

When 2005 PPC 1.25 ghz G4 Minis regularly sell anywhere from $175 - $300 I would consider that a huge bonus, especially considering that these models originally sold for $499. Let's meet in the middle and say that it can be easily sold for close to half it's original price 5 years later. I'd say that is a factor worth considering.

Well the real question is if they are selling 5 years down the road, which they are, so...

Both very valid points. People will certainly pay if the product is still desirable.

You are definitely buying your ram in the wrong place. Crucial has a 4gig kit for the current Mini for $113, and that was the first place I tried. I do agree on some level however, because at that point the bigger hard disk and faster processor are probably worth the extra money.

I agree that I am buying it in the wrong place. I'm an avid NewEgg shopper and certainly don't like to overpay, however Minis don't ship without RAM and neither do they ship with a single 2 GB chip. So you're in fact tossing away both chips to upgrade to 4 GB. That's why I said, hey - why bother, might as well spend just the extra $100.

And I must say - thanks for the intelligent counterpoints. Certainly refreshing



-----------------------------------

As a little side story, today we had a guest trainer at work who was having problems connecting to our secure wireless. I knew he used a MacBook so I was telling him what settings to check, to make sure he was typing the access key properly, make sure he was connecting to our network, not the half-dozen other secured networks in our area...

Turns out he was running Win7 on bootcamp and he couldn't get Win7 to connect

[Steve Beswick]

As a little side story, today we had a guest trainer at work who was having problems connecting to our secure wireless. I knew he used a MacBook so I was telling him what settings to check, to make sure he was typing the access key properly, make sure he was connecting to our network, not the half-dozen other secured networks in our area...

Turns out he was running Win7 on bootcamp and he couldn't get Win7 to connect

Absolutely priceless!

How hard were you laughing at the time?