Replacing PC with Mac... Help! (iBook/Mini)

A

Anio

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I'm considering changing my current PC (which has sounded like it's about to die for a couple of years now!):
- XP2500
- 1.5gig RAM
- 2x 120gig HDD
To a Mac :) The PC isn't really top of the range by any means! and is now really only used for the internet and sometimes Photoshop. My parents bought a Mac Mini a few weeks ago, and i think it's great. OS X just works in the way i want it to, and everything seems so much more logical!

My current thoughts are to either get a Mac Mini, or a 12inch iBook. I already have a TFT, keyboard and mouse, so both machines would be hooked up to these, but the iBook would offer more flexilibilty as i'd be able to take it out with me.

I'd probably be looking at the cheapest of each, and with student discount these come to roughly £320 and £620 respectivly.

How would the iBook cope with being used a desktop style computer most of the time? and are there any problems you can forsee with this idea?


Thanks
 
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iPad 32 GB 3G
The specs on the two are pretty similar, but remember that the iBook has built in bluetooth and airport, while on the Mini it is an option, though adding it would still give you a system at a cheaper price. Also, with the Mini there is only one memory slot and it is not easy to upgrade. With the iBook you can get the lowest base memory and upgrade later for cheaper than you can buy it from Apple.

I don't see much of a downside of using the iBook as you describe, and as you said, you have greater flexibility with the iBook. At this point though, if you can wait, I'd wait until April 1st to see if new models of either come out (there is lots of speculation stemming from Steve Jobs' April 1st reference in the keynote). Possibly intel versions of both the Mini and the iBook by then based on the Core Solo chip, but that's just wild speculation ;).
 
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Black Colorware PowerBook 1.67 GHz G4, 2 GB DDR2, 100GB 7200 RPM
My iBook worked great as a desktop machine. Wonderfully reliable. Also, if you use that TFT with Screen Spanning Doctor and the little VGA adapter that comes with your iBook, you'll get two screens on one computer, as opposed to the Mac mini, with which you'd only have one.
 
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UncSki1218

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ibook...more versatile...pretty much the same specs. ihave an imac g5 but everyone i know has an ibook. they all love them, im getting one this summer.
 
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it depends on what your doing, look at the specs...

standard ibook 12"

1.33GHz PowerPC G4
512K L2 cache @1.33GHz
512MB memory (DDR333 SDRAM)
12.1-inch TFT Display
1024x768 resolution
ATI Mobility Radeon 9550
32MB DDR video memory
40GB Ultra ATA hard drive
Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
Built-in AirPort Extreme
Built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Scrolling Trackpad
Sudden Motion Sensor

Standard mac mini


1.25GHz PowerPC G4
512MB DDR333 SDRAM
ATI Radeon 9200
32MB DDR video memory
40GB Ultra ATA hard drive
Combo drive (DVD/CD-RW)
DVI or VGA video output
Optional AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth
Built-in 56k Internal Modem

____________________________


The mini has 1.25 and the ibook has a 1.33

tiny difference... ibook is a bit more powerful...

hope this helps..
 
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A

Anio

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The Mini's are 1.33gig now too :) (my parents bought a 1.25gig a few weeks ago, and it's actually 1.33!).

Anyway, i have a few questions about the iBook:
- How would it cope with being on for ~15hrs a day
- Can i run it with the lid closed?, or would i have to have it fully open? (heat issues with it closed too?)
- Can i use 1280x1024 on the 2nd screen?
- What's the quality going to be like on the 2nd screen?
- Can i use mirroring to show the screen on my external TFT, and if i do this how much memory would be given to each screen? and would it be able to handle all the flashy OS X stuff?


Thanks :)
 
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I wrote an article about upgrading the Mac Mini, available here:

http://mini.wiredby.com

If you're a student, however, I'd suggest going with the iBook since it's more portable. There are plenty of upgrades you can do to an iBook as well. I would start out with the $999 12" iBook, which has a 1.33ghz processor, 512mb ram, 40gb hard drive, Bluetooth, and Airport Extreme.

The first upgrade I would do would be to add a 1gb stick of Crucial ram. Apple wants $300 for 1.5gb; if you get the stock 512mb, buy Crucial, and install it yourself, then it only costs $191.57. Instant savings of $100.

Next I would upgrade the hard drive. The stock iBook drive is only 4200rpm. Seagate has an excellent 100gb 7200rpm laptop hard drive out now, although it is quite expensive at nearly $300. Hitachi also offers several 7200rpm hard drives in 60, 80, and 100 gig flavors. You'll only lose about 5 minutes of battery life with these upgrades, nothing to worry about. If you require more storage, Seagate also has a 120gb drive out. Although the 120gb is only available in 5400rpm, not 7200rpm, that is still an improvement over 4200rpm. I know that they announced 160gb drives as well, but I don't know if the iBook has a limit of 120gb or not. Make sure you get the ATA version and not the SATA version of the drive if you decide to upgrade. Also, you can drop the stock 40 gig drive into an external Firewire/USB enclosure to use as backup. Here's a good enclosure for $35:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817146604

You can also add a SuperDrive to the iBook, although not from Apple.com. MCE charges $149 for their 8x dual-layer DVD burner upgrade, available here:

http://www.mcetech.com/ibg4dvdr8dl.html

I'm not a fan of touchpads; I prefer mice. RadTech has a great mini Bluetooth mouse that will work with OS X. It's even available in white to match your iBook:

http://www.radtech.us/Products/BT500.aspx

So if a 12" notebook with 1.5gb ram, a DVD burner, a 7200rpm hard drive and a wireless mouse sounds good to you, then by all means get one :p
 
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Anio

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If i get an iBook it NEEDS to be able to work well with my TFT/keyboard/mouse as when it's on my desk i don't want to be using a 12inch screen :p
 
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Anio said:
If i get an iBook it NEEDS to be able to work well with my TFT/keyboard/mouse as when it's on my desk i don't want to be using a 12inch screen :p

What are the brands and models of your TFT/keyboard/mouse?
 
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Anio said:
Why would that matter?
TFT is an LG1780u, Mac keyboard, MS mouse

I don't know why it would matter; you were the one asking! :)

If the keyboard and mouse are USB, great, the iBook has two USB ports. If not, you can get a USB-to-PS/2 adapter for under $20. If the TFT is VGA, great again, since the iBook has VGA output. If it's DVI, you'll need a VGA-to-DVI converter, available for $299 here:

http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=1310
 
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Anio

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Only reason i'm questioning is because i've heard that there are problems with the iBooks output, ie. it can't do more than the screen res of it's internal 12inch screen...
 

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