Mac mini for beginners?

[prodigalSon]

Hi guys,

Would like some advise here. I've been using windows practically since i touch a computer in the early days. Ive never used a mac before. However, now i am considering to get an imac as according to some friends, it is very very user friendly and easy to use. especially if one does a lot of photo editing and photography which i do.
I did some research and found that the price for a mac is indeed more expensive but the specs are just quite average as compared to most other platforms.
A friend of mine suggested going for the mac mini which is cheaper and according to him "good for beginners" on the learning curve. Just curious, is the mac mini really for beginners as i found that the specs are quite the same as the imac only that it is an external "cpu" without monitor, mouse and keyboard. Question is should i get the mac mini? And is it as good as getting an iMac jus minus monitor, keyboard n mouse? And how is the performance? i know its ram is upgradeble to 16G but does it makes a differnce?

Thanx in advance guys.

 

[szeli]

u shud go to those apple resellers n try out e OS see if u like it. I started my mac journey with a macmini too since i already had a monitor back then n it was e most affordable mac. I dun really play games so e specs r fine for me.

 

[davidktw]

u shud go to those apple resellers n try out e OS see if u like it. I started my mac journey with a macmini too since i already had a monitor back then n it was e most affordable mac. I dun really play games so e specs r fine for me.

No. Mac Mini is by no means a beginner machine. There is nothing called a beginner machine. If you want the best user experience starting with a Mac. Start with either the iMac or a MBP.

 

[prodigalSon]

u shud go to those apple resellers n try out e OS see if u like it. I started my mac journey with a macmini too since i already had a monitor back then n it was e most affordable mac. I dun really play games so e specs r fine for me.

Actually went a few times to funan to see and try the OS. I find that it shuldnt be too hard to learn. Jus need time to get used to Im only wondering if the performance are as good as the iMac as i don't want it to lag especially when im doing multi-tasking. And mostly i will do surfing and image processing.

The other thing that impresses me about the iMac is the retina monitor display which is awesome. Dis brings me to another concern...would i be able to achieve the same resolution on a third party monitor if i were to purchase the mac mini?

 

[prodigalSon]

No. Mac Mini is by no means a beginner machine. There is nothing called a beginner machine. If you want the best user experience starting with a Mac. Start with either the iMac or a MBP.

So are u saying i should skip the mac mini and just go for the iMAc? Meaning iMac is better in terms of performance although both shared almost the same specs?

 

[szeli]

Actually went a few times to funan to see and try the OS. I find that it shuldnt be too hard to learn. Jus need time to get used to Im only wondering if the performance are as good as the iMac as i don't want it to lag especially when im doing multi-tasking. And mostly i will do surfing and image processing.

The other thing that impresses me about the iMac is the retina monitor display which is awesome. Dis brings me to another concern...would i be able to achieve the same resolution on a third party monitor if i were to purchase the mac mini?

hmm, actually e iMac is not retina. check out e specs
Apple iMac Desktop Computer - Buy iMac, the Ultimate All-in-One - Apple Store (Singapore)

if u do alot of multi-tasking, u might want to max out e ram or upgrade to ssd/fusion drive or both. never hurts to get a ssd.

 

[borealiszio]

The entry price for both iMac and Mac mini is actually similar ~.~ Mac mini does not come with keyboard mouse and monitor. With either iMac/Mac mini just change it to fusion drive for better performance and maybe update the ram.

 

[prodigalSon]

hmm, actually e iMac is not retina. check out e specs
Apple iMac Desktop Computer - Buy iMac, the Ultimate All-in-One - Apple Store (Singapore)

if u do alot of multi-tasking, u might want to max out e ram or upgrade to ssd/fusion drive or both. never hurts to get a ssd.

oh ok. Thanks for pointing out bro Ive checked the specs. If i were to upgrade the ram to the fullest and upgrade to the ssd drive the cost is still much cheaper than getting the iMac. Plus the new mac mini is able to support the quad core i7 which is all in all quite a good deal.

 

[prodigalSon]

The entry price for both iMac and Mac mini is actually similar ~.~ Mac mini does not come with keyboard mouse and monitor. With either iMac/Mac mini just change it to fusion drive for better performance and maybe update the ram.

Hmm.. more or less i think ur right. If compared between both cpu minus off the monitor keyboard n mouse, price will be about similar. Guess its more like mac mini is catering for those who already have a monitor and keybord wanting to get a Mac yet wants to spend lesser.

 

[negativzero]

FYI, the Mac Mini is NO WAY comparable to a iMac spec wise. For one, the Mini uses mobile versions of Intel CPUs which are put in laptops and mobile devices.

You're awfully wrong if you're assuming that you're going to get comparable performance with an entry-level iMac when maxing-out your Mini.

 

[davidktw]

So are u saying i should skip the mac mini and just go for the iMAc? Meaning iMac is better in terms of performance although both shared almost the same specs?

There is no need to consider Mac MINI unless you really wanted a super small form factor system. If it is a desktop you are looking at, then go for iMac for it has similar price range between the entry level of iMac and Mac Mini on very similar spec with Mac Mini less a discrete graphic card which is essential for fluid interface animation on Mac OS X and other graphical intensive application.

Also for iMac you get to go for much better spec i7 3Ghz option if you really want to enjoy a whole good experience on Mac OS X. Go to Apple and do up the system and you will see the difference in pricing and the spec easily.

Personally I don't like having parts of the system littering all over. If you could have all the external interfaces, good LED monitor and the whole CPU model into a sleek piece of art placing right infront of you, why bother to have wire running all over the places between your monitor and cpu and so forth ?

Retina is good to have at the moment, the graphical component still cannot keep up with it nicely.

 

[ysl060704]

I currently owe an iMac. I love it but it with only 1TB of harddisk, diskspace is limited. Yes an iMac will save quite a bit of table space but I would still prefer a Mac Mini.

For 1, I do not use the isight camera hence save quite a bit of cost.

Also, I was thinking if I have a Mac Mini, upgrading the harddisk and ram will be simple as I can bring to Sim Lim and ask pple to help me install. Moreover, I can hang my Mac Mini under my desk to keep it out of sight to save space. I was even thinking if ever I want to upgrade my computer, I can use my old Mac Mini as a HTPC.

Having a 27 inch iMac is hard to upgrade without the proper tools and troublesome to bring to Sim Lim to resell in future or to upgrade.

Hence, maybe for me personally I would prefer a Mac Mini due to pricing, ability to upgrade and portability.

PS. No regrets getting the 27 inch iMac

 

[prodigalSon]

I currently owe an iMac. I love it but it with only 1TB of harddisk, diskspace is limited. Yes an iMac will save quite a bit of table space but I would still prefer a Mac Mini.

For 1, I do not use the isight camera hence save quite a bit of cost.

Also, I was thinking if I have a Mac Mini, upgrading the harddisk and ram will be simple as I can bring to Sim Lim and ask pple to help me install. Moreover, I can hang my Mac Mini under my desk to keep it out of sight to save space. I was even thinking if ever I want to upgrade my computer, I can use my old Mac Mini as a HTPC.

Having a 27 inch iMac is hard to upgrade without the proper tools and troublesome to bring to Sim Lim to resell in future or to upgrade.

Hence, maybe for me personally I would prefer a Mac Mini due to pricing, ability to upgrade and portability.

PS. No regrets getting the 27 inch iMac

Hi, u mentioned that iMac is hard to upgrade. I did ask around and found out, say if u purchase an iMac basic model of i5 processor, there is no way to upgrade it to an i7, is dat true? What about the Mac mini? apart frm ram and drives, can the processor be upgradeble?

 

[negativzero]

Hi, u mentioned that iMac is hard to upgrade. I did ask around and found out, say if u purchase an iMac basic model of i5 processor, there is no way to upgrade it to an i7, is dat true? What about the Mac mini? apart frm ram and drives, can the processor be upgradeble?

Processors can't be upgraded in all Macs

 

[Errz]

there's good and bad

imac
- anything faulty, u have to bring the whole thing to service center
- 21.5" iMac Has No User-Upgradable RAM, 27" Has Four Accessible RAM Slots.
- if u wish to change hard disk urself to save cost, it might not be that easy . iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2544 Repair Manual - iFixit
- only the 21.5-inch: 2.9GHz can upgrade CPU to i7(from apple customize Configure - Apple Store (Singapore))
- very nice screen (love it..am still using imac 2010)
- better graphic card


mac mini
- using mobile CPU.
- graphic card not as good as imac
- easy DIY upgrade (change to ssd/addtional hard disk / add ram)
- portable.. u can plug it to TV screen via HDMI.

u can try get a mac mini (S$ 1,088) and
- get a ssd ($1xx to $3xx), DIY fusion drive together with the 1TB
- upgrade ram urself (SimplyMac SG — 2012 MacMini (Nov) - 1600MHz 16GB $179.. u can get other brand and might be cheaper)
- total cost $1666 + monitor if u do not have any($1088 + $399 Samsung 840 Pro 256GB + $179 ram) as compare to 21.5" 2.9GHz upgrade to i7 + fusion drive +_ 16gb ram ..S$ 2,997.99

 

[Da_Vinci]

warranty for IMAC, if any problem occurs, give apple a call, they will send a technician down to diagnose the problem and fix it if it is within repair, otherwise, they will bring it back to repair and after which send it back to you.

That was my experience with imac repairs. carry in, i presume is only for macbooks etc.

 

[prodigalSon]

Guys, thanx a lot for all e advice. Went to check the imac at a nearby store yesterday and was comparing betwn the 21.5 inch and 27 inch. It seems resolution wise, 27 is supposedly better wth a 2560 x 1440 pix. How i wish the 21.5 inch has the same resolution. The 27 inch is way too big to pair with my small desk space meaning viewing distance will be too near. i have had a look at the mac mini as well. I think if one needs portability, the mini is a very good choice just dat without a better graphics card plus monitor keyboard and other stuffs. Well i guess theres pros n cons....

 

[unfinished07]

Hi guys,

Would like some advise here. I've been using windows practically since i touch a computer in the early days. Ive never used a mac before. However, now i am considering to get an imac as according to some friends, it is very very user friendly and easy to use. especially if one does a lot of photo editing and photography which i do.
I did some research and found that the price for a mac is indeed more expensive but the specs are just quite average as compared to most other platforms.
A friend of mine suggested going for the mac mini which is cheaper and according to him "good for beginners" on the learning curve. Just curious, is the mac mini really for beginners as i found that the specs are quite the same as the imac only that it is an external "cpu" without monitor, mouse and keyboard. Question is should i get the mac mini? And is it as good as getting an iMac jus minus monitor, keyboard n mouse? And how is the performance? i know its ram is upgradeble to 16G but does it makes a differnce?

Thanx in advance guys.

you think too much about specs

 

[Errz]

warranty for IMAC, if any problem occurs, give apple a call, they will send a technician down to diagnose the problem and fix it if it is within repair, otherwise, they will bring it back to repair and after which send it back to you.

That was my experience with imac repairs. carry in, i presume is only for macbooks etc.

just check the warranty
Apple - Support - AppleCare - Mac and Apple Display
Onsite repair for desktop computers: Request that a technician come to your work site1

paiseh for the wrong info.

 

[stevenpoon]

Hi guys,

Would like some advise here. I've been using windows practically since i touch a computer in the early days. Ive never used a mac before. However, now i am considering to get an imac as according to some friends, it is very very user friendly and easy to use. especially if one does a lot of photo editing and photography which i do.
I did some research and found that the price for a mac is indeed more expensive but the specs are just quite average as compared to most other platforms.
A friend of mine suggested going for the mac mini which is cheaper and according to him "good for beginners" on the learning curve. Just curious, is the mac mini really for beginners as i found that the specs are quite the same as the imac only that it is an external "cpu" without monitor, mouse and keyboard. Question is should i get the mac mini? And is it as good as getting an iMac jus minus monitor, keyboard n mouse? And how is the performance? i know its ram is upgradeble to 16G but does it makes a differnce?

Thanx in advance guys.

Its more expensive... but it really last much longer than other platforms' hardware..

I got my first iMac 27" in 2009, not a single problem I encounter. I have my windows/linux desktop also in 2009 but in 2011 power supply spoilt, main board faulty. My wife's macbook from 2007 still alive till now and in use.

You can "research online" about the Mac are more lasting than other windows platforms so the time/price is more worthy. a mac can easily last 4 - 6 years if not more, windows platforms on average only 3 - 4 years.

Depend on your usage, a macbook air might be enough to start learning which cost about $1300+ and come with LCD keyboard and trackpad and more portable (I using a 11" for ios development previously and am doing fine)

For ram max it if you can, those model (macbook pro, imac, mac mini) can be open easily than go sim lim sq to buy and upgrade yourself... its much much much cheaper. Do note that macbook air cant upgrade ram after you buy it as it is inbuilt.