iMac, mac mini or iBook

Hey guys. Iam a soon to be switcher as i really want to get my first mac. I have read so much about apples and they seem to be heaps beter then a windows PC.
Heres my problem, i would like to get the mac mini as a cheap first mac but for me it ends up being around AU$1200. For an extra $200 i could get a 12' iBook, but i keep hearing that you have to upgrade the ram in the mini but never about upgrading the ibook. I checked out the apple site and the iBook has a slower FSB and memory then the mini(i think). any help would be much apreciated. Or for an extra 300$ on that i could get a 17' 1.8GHZ iMac (sexy). I dont know which one to get as a first mac, i will be using it for internet, movies, school, video-editing and getting into drawing and 3D animation.
If you guys could provide any help for a future switcher it would be much appreciated. Also any tips would be welcome
Thanks

Regardless of which machine you get you'll need to update the RAM. That's pretty much true of any computer regardless of who makes it.

As for your choice it just depends on what you want/need. If you need portability, get the iBook. If you want a cheap desktop replacement get a mini, if you want a powerful desktop replacement that costs more, get an iMac.

If there is a way to swing it i would recommend the iMac G5. Great machine for the money and will go with you for quite a while. Of course if you need the portability then the iBook would be the one. You will want to upgrade the ram, 256 just simply is not good enough. Get it to at least 768, 1 gig better.

First thing, upgrading the memory on the iBook if anything is easier then the upgrading it on the mini. Though neither are hard, the mini you have to be careful with scraping up the bottom of it.

Having said that all 3 are great machines (I own a mac mini and iBook but have used a iMac in the store).

If you need portablilty the iBook is the hands down choice, even how small the mini is, it might be a little hard to keep a lcd monitor in your carry on :Mac:

The mini is a workhorse for the money. I was amazed when I first starting doing some tasks on the mini, it handles them with minimum slowdown. I also upgrade my mini to 1gb of ram and I can maintain 20+fps for World of Warcraft most of the time. Great bang for the buck, especially if you are like me and have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse

The iMac is a great all in 1 package and with a G5 proc it's a awsome package. If you don't have the monitor, keyboard, and mouse and can spare the extra coin for it. Go 4 it! I didnt buy it because I connect other laptops / (sigh) a pc to my monitor and the iMac has no video input to share the monitor and my desk is too small to efficently have 2 monitors on at once.

As said they are all great machines, and tailored to somewhat specific needs. Hope this helped a bit.

Thanks guys
At the moment i`m looking more at the ibook and and iMac as i dont have a monitor, keeboard or mouse. Is the imac really worth the price.
The iMac would probobly suit me the most as i`m really into 3D modeling which is processor heavy. If any one knows any good reviews or sites on the imac it would be much apreciated.
Thanks Millsy05

If I didn't already have a nice 20" widescreen...I'd have gone for the iMac myself (with the recent updates to the iMac line...that's one sweet system and IMHO would blow the poor little iBook or Mini outta the water performance-wise)...but I've been relatively happy with the mini that I got so far...(I would trade/sell/pawn it/whatever in a heartbeat if they'd come out with one with a better video system in it however!)

Since you do a lot of 3D modeling i would go with the iMac...unless you absolutly need portability, then get the ibook. The G5 is much better then the G4 and the G5 will last you longer seeing as it is the newer technology.

I just bought the 17in iMac and it screams. I maxed out the ram (really was overkill ) and there is nothing slowing this thing down now. The iMacs are a really good deal especially with the updates they just did.

prostuff1 said:

Since you do a lot of 3D modeling i would go with the iMac...unless you absolutly need portability, then get the ibook. The G5 is much better then the G4 and the G5 will last you longer seeing as it is the newer technology.

I just bought the 17in iMac and it screams. I maxed out the ram (really was overkill ) and there is nothing slowing this thing down now. The iMacs are a really good deal especially with the updates they just did.

Click to expand...

I agree with this but I'd like to add to it. The ibook would be a nice choice but I bealive the Powerbook would be better for portability because for a little more you can have the professional line of Apple's laptop. This has a little more advantages. Also I noticed that you were going to go with Mac mini, iMac, or iBook. Why don'y you try a professional desktop they may be a little expensive but if it is for your job,it is good. They maybe expensive but if you can afford it then go for it. Some professional products are the Powermac G5 which has dual processors and the Powerbook a G4 but still it is very helpful and cool. I don't know if you already knew this or not so just think about it.

go imac , the best deal for what u get ,it cost a good amount but u get a very good computer( in my opion the secound best only to the powermac line)

i would advise against going with the powerbook over the ibook if you are going to be getting a portable. you can save several hundred dollars and use it to max out the ram. if you need a machine to do things that are seriously intensive, you should go with the imac.

Buy the best computer that you can afford. Look at all the stats, take your budget, and find out whats the best you can get. at least between the mini and iMac. I'd personally take an iBook over the mini, and compare the iBook and iMac. However, it really depends on how important portability is for you. For me, I wanted lots of Power, a big screen, and portability, and I could afford the 17" PB. Take a look at what you can afford.

Thanks guys, i didn`t realise that getting a Apple meant that i get to talk to all these nice people. At the moment i`m looking at either a iBook or powerbook but it will probobly be an iBook (powerbooks look sweet but).
If any one can provide any tips on using OS X as i wouldnt know where to start when i first turn it on. The apple site has some good information for first time mac users.
you guys are awesome
Thanks Millsy05

I just switched a few days ago. I got the 20" iMac G5 and I love it. As for Mac OS X, it is pretty simple to use. The only thing that took me some time to get used to was not having menus on each window, like in MS. Instead the menus are always on the top bar beside the little blue Apple logo.

Other than that, get ready to be impressed. I'm still amazed how everything just seems so well designed, from the actual hardware, to the software, everything seems high quality, and it just seems intuitive after a while. For instance, my mac is in my bedroom. when I put it to sleep a little white glow comes from it. When i turn off the lights in the room, the little white light dims, so it doesn't keep me awake. It's just in the details that everything seems to be well thought out.

I was a little hesitant to switch, but so far I have no regrets, and I'm loving the Mac! Have fun!

I am also considering a switch. I have sold my PC but won't close the deal for another month. I was all set to get a p/book for power, portabilityt etc but I might be able to get a windows laptop thru work soon so it got me to thinking about the mini.
This will be my first mac and I can get the mini for 1/2 the price of the p/book. I would use it for the general things along with photo editing and possibly video at a later date.
Does anyone know if the mini runs things faster or slower than p/book? If I get a mini I will have to get keyboard and mouse and hook it up to tv. Is there any reviews comparing mini to p/book and is there any difference in terms of what comes with each (software)?

The Powerbook & Mini come with the same software package (OS X & iLife 05) but the powerbook is the definiate high performer.

Review / Benchmarks on the Mini:
http://www.macworld.com/2005/01/reviews/macminireview/index.php

Review / Benchmark on the Powerbook:
http://www.macworld.com/2005/02/reviews/powerbookg4rev/