Can the Mac Mini run Google Earth?

My mom has the first model of Intel Mac Mini, and it runs Google Earth sloooooooooooooww. Painfully. Pitifully.

Does anyone know if the latest Mac Mini (if there IS a newer one) can run Google Earth any faster?

Google Earth is like my mom's #1 app, and she'd like to upgrade to a better Mac Mini (full IMacs are just too expensive, so we have to put forth the smaller amount of dough), but only if it can run Google Earth smoothly (and a few other apps that chug. Can't even run Office2008 and multiple Firefox windows at once without lock-up)... otherwise, she's just staying on the current system.

Anyone know what the deal is? How does the newest Mac Mini add up?

First, what specs is her MacMini? Maybe she doesn't need a new system maybe more RAM would do the trick.

Newer macminis are very fast (not for graphic work) and will run google earth very very very comfortably. I used to have an old G4 MacMini and it was so so so slow. It had just 256mb of RAM (that was standard) when I went to a 1GB RAM it changed my life. I think this could be the same for you.

First, what specs is her MacMini? Maybe she doesn't need a new system maybe more RAM would do the trick.

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It has a 1.5 ghz CPU, and 2gb RAM (we upgraded it, because it could barely run Firefox and one other program before).

Newer macminis are very fast (not for graphic work) and will run google earth very very very comfortably.

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Hmm, okay. Btw, do you know first-hand, or are you assuming? Because even my PC with an nVidia 8800 GTS / AMD 6400+ X2 doesn't run Google Earth faster than 50 fps (30 at times) ever since the update that added the new atmosphere.

I haven't used it recently. I have a macmini at work and it is fast as **** for a lot of things but I used google earth on macbook which is pretty much the same machine, it was fine. I will try it on my MBP now for you.

I just tried. I am not sure how to check my frame rate. It was alright not super smooth but I checked the UK (my high school) and Japan (where I am now). I have a mega fast connection, do you think it could be the connection?

I have a MBP 2GB Ram with 256VRAM (2.33 GHz C2D)

The connection speed won't slow down the framerate, but Google Earth DOES stutter a bit, no matter what specs you have.

Your MacBook, however, is wayyy more powerful than my mom's Mac Mini, and has more video RAM as well.

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Nobody else has a 1.5ghz Mac Mini?