06-25-2007, 11:35 AM

Ok, I seek the wisdom of all on macforums. I currently have a mbp core duo nad my fiance owns a blackbook. Now i use my mbp for my side business as well as personal use. I use typical ps dreamweaver, ect. and i need a desktop. I obviously want a mac pro, but alas cant afford it right now. I already have a 23 inch hd monitor so i cancelled out the imac. I like the thought of getting a mac mini beacuse of the price. It will mainly act as a personal omputer and i will still do all my business on the mbp. Another reason for th epurchse is that my fiance and i are trying to condese our itunes library to keep updating ipods easier. Now the questions start.

1. Is it easy to add ram to the mini. If it is i would rather get the min ram and upgrade later and cheaper.
2. programs...i still want to install ps and dreamweaver on the mini for tyhe shear fact that it is connected to the 23 inch monitor.
3. I currently have 2 external drives aas backup to mt mbp running firewire. THe mni only has one slot, and i plan on adding another drive. Any way to condese this to one cable or is there a firewire hub.
4. well just any experince you would like to share if you have had a similiart experince.

06-25-2007, 01:51 PM

Just because you have a moniter doesn't mean you should go with the lower-end computer. You can connect your monitor to your iMac. In either case, sell the monitor and get a 20 or 24 inch iMac.

06-25-2007, 02:07 PM

Thanks for your input title. I was thinking of the mini as i am going to be upgrading to the pro in about a year, but need a stable desktop (y i want to keep the screen).

06-25-2007, 03:16 PM

The Intel Mac Mini will run everything you mentioned without a hitch. Since you are planning on upgrading down the line to a Mac Pro, it would be a good system for now. I have one and it is more than fast enough for what you want to do.

Installing the RAM is not the easiest thing to do, but there are guides all over the net.

06-25-2007, 03:49 PM

Agreed, and if you need to update the mini, it's not really that hard. Heck, I love my mini here at work (2.33 C2D, 2GB)...some days it's better than my gaming pc back home.

(I honestly believe that if I can put the RAM into it, anyone can.)

06-25-2007, 04:22 PM

Hey mike,

looking on apple i cant find the 2.33 c2d. where did u get it?

06-25-2007, 04:26 PM

Doesn't the mini use a slow laptop hard drive? That kills me. I have a mini at work and the hd is definitely a bottleneck. Get a 'real' desktop, not an entertainment center toy... unless you want it for that reason of course.

06-25-2007, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by gomez1018

Hey mike,

looking on apple i cant find the 2.33 c2d. where did u get it?

He upgraded the CPU on his own.

The minis at currently CD, not C2D computers.

06-25-2007, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by giulio

Doesn't the mini use a slow laptop hard drive? That kills me. I have a mini at work and the hd is definitely a bottleneck. Get a 'real' desktop, not an entertainment center toy... unless you want it for that reason of course.

For $600 I assume they're tossing in slow HD's.

My opinion:
Buy a cheap version on eBay. If you're going to upgrade later, start saving now and buy a G4 or something. I assume you will be selling the Mac Mini when you get the Mac Pro, right? Why not get something a little less expensive and upgrade that some.

Bryan

06-25-2007, 11:40 PM

i would say your PS and DW experience will be amazing i have iMac running Adobe CS3 Whole suite and mac is just the god of all PC and other OS i guess i am loving my new mac

06-27-2007, 02:29 AM

Get a basic iMac. You won't be sorry. Just put the old monitor away, and use the iMac

06-27-2007, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Sobe

He upgraded the CPU on his own.

The minis at currently CD, not C2D computers.

Yup. We (the company I work for - see signature below) upgraded it on our own...it's not that difficult.

07-06-2007, 03:39 PM

Other than getting ones hands on a C2D processor, and disassembly of the Mini, how difficult is the install of a C2D on say a 1.66GHz early 2006 Mini? Just pop it in and reboot, or are there other steps involved? Thanks!
Dave

07-07-2007, 02:31 PM

Its plug and play, but extra cooling is something worth thinking about

But I think that an iMac would be better, costing just a bit more, its got a far faster C2D, and if you hook it up to your display, you have your 23" and a 17" Display side by side, which is FANTASTIC. You also get an apple keyboard and mighty mouse which you can re sell for quite a bit.

You also get isight, a better resale value and front row!

07-13-2007, 10:04 AM

Did the C2D upgrade to my Mini without a hitch. Truly amazing speed AND it runs cooler. Possibly due to the lower voltage. Anyhow, the Mini used with various upgrades is a fun project and well worth the effort in my opinion. If you can put together a stereo system or change your car's battery, you can work on a Mini and add RAM, a CPU, airport extreme and disks (both optical and HDD's). Buy a cheapo Core Solo at auction for $300 and build what you want. Prices on RAM, etc are only getting lower. Oh, and Firewire hubs work just fine, though you can daisy chain devices just as easily with Firewire. Just my thoughts.
-Dave