mini - Will the mac mini work for me? - Mac-Forums.com

07-24-2006, 10:41 AM

I'm a graphic designer, so I'll be using the Adobe Creative Suite/Web Studio frequently.

I've been told that the 80GB mac mini would be work for me, but I plan on adding an external hard drive and maxing out the RAM. I already have two 17" studio display monitors. We also have a PC to which I'll be network via wireless router.

Do you think this would work for me? I'd really like the G5, but the cost is a bit much and I need the machine ASAP because projects are waiting.

Thanks for your advice!

dogboy443 · 07-24-2006, 10:46 AM

I have a Mac Mini and I love it. I have the original 1.25 so I'm maxed out at 1 Gb of RAM. The Intel's have two RAM slots so you can go 2Gb. Adding an external will help with storage, however I don't think you can add the dual monitor set-up. There is only one monitor output connection and you can't add to it. Beyond that, it's a great machine.

Mark

jc1350 · 07-24-2006, 03:00 PM

If you buy a new mini, it will have an Intel chip. If Adobe hasn't updated Creative Suite/Web Studio with a Universal binary, it will run via Rosetta (emulation software built in to OS X). It will be invisible to you, but it will run slower than a version written for the Intel CPU.

I'm new to the Mac scene, but apparently Adobe has been rather slow with releasing universal binaries.

Ed_monster · 07-24-2006, 04:04 PM

I think I'm getting lukcy, I've been wanting a mac for a while, My buddy bought a mac mini intel 1.5ghz version a few months ago and then 3 weeks later bought a macbook. He's not using his mac mini so he offered it to me for $300.00. I just have to check my finances and then give him a yes. Looks like I might finally be getting my Mac. Do you guys think it'll be fine to run the game World of Warcraft?

yogi · 07-24-2006, 04:18 PM

As you said, you'll max out the ram so these apps should run fairly well even under rosetta.

BlindingLights · 07-25-2006, 01:12 AM

Yeah, with 2 gigs of RAM Photoshop should run fine in a Mac Mini. Go for it, although I say you go for an iMac with 2 gigs of ram

deus_ex_machina · 07-25-2006, 02:54 AM

Plenty of RAM is a great solution - Mac mini will do well even under Rosetta, just not as snappy as a G5 on rendering Photoshop effects. RAM will make all the difference, especially if you do like I do, go back and forth between PS, Illustrator, Imageready, and Dreamweaver

RAM is your friend.

07-25-2006, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed_monster

I think I'm getting lukcy, I've been wanting a mac for a while, My buddy bought a mac mini intel 1.5ghz version a few months ago and then 3 weeks later bought a macbook. He's not using his mac mini so he offered it to me for $300.00. I just have to check my finances and then give him a yes. Looks like I might finally be getting my Mac. Do you guys think it'll be fine to run the game World of Warcraft?

Yes and no. Yes, it'll run... and you should have beyond the minimum reqs, but you probably want more ram for a MMORPG.

07-25-2006, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lyrkalas

I'm a graphic designer, so I'll be using the Adobe Creative Suite/Web Studio frequently.

I've been told that the 80GB mac mini would be work for me, but I plan on adding an external hard drive and maxing out the RAM. I already have two 17" studio display monitors. We also have a PC to which I'll be network via wireless router.

Do you think this would work for me? I'd really like the G5, but the cost is a bit much and I need the machine ASAP because projects are waiting.

Thanks for your advice!

My Mac mini on the left has Photoshop CS for OS X and then Photoshop CS2 for PC... the load time is horrendous in OS X but otherwise basic operations are tangable. If I really want to do some photoshopping I just reboot to my WinXP (Bootcamp) and run it. As they've said, CS3 should have universal binaries and take away the lag you get with CS2 on OSX. But honestly, if you're a graphics designer you may want to take a closer look at the video card you're using on a Mac Mini. The only one they offer is an intel built-in 64mb vid card... If you're doing anything above 2d (3d, movies, animation etc) you'll notice the crappiness of the laptop vid card equiv.. I do, at least.

If you go MacBook I would say at least buy a MacBook Pro JUST for the ATI Mobile vid card. If you're willing to fork the couple hundred more bucks, you're getting a much better vid card (best of all macs listed above) with an iMac. But for 2d? They all can handle it.

Negrophiliac · 07-27-2006, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed_monster

I think I'm getting lukcy, I've been wanting a mac for a while, My buddy bought a mac mini intel 1.5ghz version a few months ago and then 3 weeks later bought a macbook. He's not using his mac mini so he offered it to me for $300.00. I just have to check my finances and then give him a yes. Looks like I might finally be getting my Mac. Do you guys think it'll be fine to run the game World of Warcraft?

Well I'm running world of warcraft on my duo and it's been nearily perfert. I've yet to upgrade my ram to atleast 1 gb, which you'll want to do if you're in any heavy populated servers. Besdies that my mini tanks WoW quite wonderfully.

And to answer the topic of this thread, It seems that I've got my mini for the same reasons you want to. The loading on programs such as photoshop or macromedia flash isin't as best it could be, but they run fine inbetween all of that. Like stated before I've yet to upgrade my ram, I plan to add 1 gig on top of my 512. Any as for any computer, tripling your ram basically solves any problems or discomforts.

With that aside I love every feature that mac has to offer, although this is my fist one I've already never gonig back to any pc.

Once you go Mac you never go back.

leecho7 · 07-29-2006, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Negrophiliac

Once you go Mac you never go back.

I have both Mac and PC. I use them both for two different reasons. The PC I use for gaming mostly. I use the Mac for school and productive stuff like MS Office and Final Cut Pro. I currently have an iMacG5 (which I'm planning to sell starting next week) and love it except for the fan noise, which gets pretty loud in my stuffy little apartment room with very ineffective AC.

To stay on topic, I think the mac mini for $300 is great. I just ran into a thread in this forum about it's ability to upgrade to a core duo 2gigs and all that sort. So you can pretty much beef up that mini once the finances come along.