OK, I'm thinking of switching over, after too many headaches dealing with new programs, hardware, reboots, BIOS, etc. And I've always drooled over the design of Macs. Just wanted to clear up some things before I do.
I mainly use my computer for browsing, email, office, etc., as well as for watching movies and for photo organization and editing (with Lightroom).
1. I'm looking at a Mac mini, especially because of a)the price and b)I have a relatively new monitor, keyboard and mouse. I'm guessing that if my older PC can handle what I do, any new computer will, too. Right? I see that "New" mac minis have come out recently; what are any upgrades? Are the previous generation of Intel minis very different?
2. I was planning on using my current HDD's as external drives, then was reading about different formatting systems. So, if I use my PC to convert the formats from NFTS (sp?) to FAT32 (after copying the files back and forth between the two drives), then pop them in external enclosures and hook em up to a mac via USB, they will work? I don't need to convert them to Mac's format system?
3. With Minis, if you want to add a new HDD, can you only replace your current one or use external? I imagine there isn't a whole lotta room for add-ons in the case, and I'm trying to determine what size HDD to get.
4. Is Mac RAM different from PC RAM? I was thinking of getting the base RAM then adding some from a secondary vendor for savings. Can you mix PC and MAC and DDR/DDR2/DDR3 and speeds?
5. Does the Mini have a separate graphics card, or is it just integrated? Is there a DVI out? Is there any other video out for connecting to a TV?
6. Is neoffice similar to Open Office? Is this what most people use as a free office suite?
That's all I can think of for right now. I'm sure there will be more to come. I've found parts of different answers on different sites, but want to make sure I have everything straight before taking the plunge. Thanks a lot in advance for any and all help!
-brian
I mainly use my computer for browsing, email, office, etc., as well as for watching movies and for photo organization and editing (with Lightroom).
1. I'm looking at a Mac mini, especially because of a)the price and b)I have a relatively new monitor, keyboard and mouse. I'm guessing that if my older PC can handle what I do, any new computer will, too. Right? I see that "New" mac minis have come out recently; what are any upgrades? Are the previous generation of Intel minis very different?
2. I was planning on using my current HDD's as external drives, then was reading about different formatting systems. So, if I use my PC to convert the formats from NFTS (sp?) to FAT32 (after copying the files back and forth between the two drives), then pop them in external enclosures and hook em up to a mac via USB, they will work? I don't need to convert them to Mac's format system?
3. With Minis, if you want to add a new HDD, can you only replace your current one or use external? I imagine there isn't a whole lotta room for add-ons in the case, and I'm trying to determine what size HDD to get.
4. Is Mac RAM different from PC RAM? I was thinking of getting the base RAM then adding some from a secondary vendor for savings. Can you mix PC and MAC and DDR/DDR2/DDR3 and speeds?
5. Does the Mini have a separate graphics card, or is it just integrated? Is there a DVI out? Is there any other video out for connecting to a TV?
6. Is neoffice similar to Open Office? Is this what most people use as a free office suite?
That's all I can think of for right now. I'm sure there will be more to come. I've found parts of different answers on different sites, but want to make sure I have everything straight before taking the plunge. Thanks a lot in advance for any and all help!
-brian