03-12-2009, 04:57 PM

i am looking into purchasing one of the new mac mini's. i am a biological scientist, so am looking to use it primarily for making figures for manuscripts using adobe cs4 and a few other statistical programs, etc. also, since some of these programs are only compatible with windows, i was hoping to also be able to install windows and a few programs on it. my question is: is the mac mini powerful enough to perform all these tasks without being frustratingly slow or freezing? any input would be great. i am hoping not to have to spend the money for a pro. thanks.

03-12-2009, 05:35 PM

G'day and welcome to the forums.

Guess you are going to have to wait until a respondent comes online who has even got the new Mac Mini.

For what is is worth personally would go for a Mac Pro with 3.5" HDD, superdrive, upgradeable graphics card etc as you are no doubt a power user and the multi core processors will be the go.

03-12-2009, 05:40 PM

Without knowing exactly what the statistical programs you have require in the way of processor power and memory, it's difficult to say. The new Mini does have a more powerful processor and GPU, but will it suffice for you...?

You might be better off with a MacBook Pro or possibly with a top of the line unibody aluminum MacBook. Both more expensive than the Mini, but much more capable.

Regards.

03-12-2009, 05:42 PM

While this may not be the best advice you get (not being a mini or pro owner myself), take a look at the system requirements (recommended requirements would be better than the minimum) and match it up with the specs of the mini and pro.

03-13-2009, 03:11 AM

With many biological computer applications like DNA mapping and folding, sure many lower spec'd computers can do the job. They just take ages because of the intense processing power needed. I'm not saying a new mini will fail at this task. I'm just saying what will be the best use of your time.

If I were you I'd look on the net and ask google to find other mac users of the various biological applications you want to use. And see their responses. And I think the same would go for if you needed to use a 3D rendering app to design some molecule or structure.

But for stuff like photoshop and bootcamp and other such things the new mini should fly.

03-15-2009, 02:44 PM

I use a mac mini and I am in the medical field and it suits me just fine. As a matter of fact I recently upgraded my ram to 2GB and I have a 160GB external hard drive to back up my mac mini hard drive. It's a great little machine...invest in it!

ultratech54

Originally Posted by ras61l

i am looking into purchasing one of the new mac mini's. i am a biological scientist, so am looking to use it primarily for making figures for manuscripts using adobe cs4 and a few other statistical programs, etc. also, since some of these programs are only compatible with windows, i was hoping to also be able to install windows and a few programs on it. my question is: is the mac mini powerful enough to perform all these tasks without being frustratingly slow or freezing? any input would be great. i am hoping not to have to spend the money for a pro. thanks.

03-16-2009, 11:01 AM

Thanks for the responses. They have been helpful. Any recommendations as to whether the upgrade from the 2.0 GHz to the 2.26 GHz is worth the investment?