Mac mini for beginners?

[kopicc]

you think too much about specs

I'm am using both an iMac and Mac Mini and also use Windows 7 at work. Do lots of photo editing, using Photoshop CS6, with the Mac Mini with maximising the RAM (to 16GB).

Let me just say that the MM does not disappoint. At all. Do not pay too much attention to spec comparison. The MM is more than adequate for photo-editing. Plus you can customise your monitor size to suit your budget and space availability. Price of entry ? Around $700.

 

[limpe84]

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.

To be fair, Macs can and do break down as well. My imac had screen issues about 18 months after I bought it, but thanks to their excellent warranty, the repair was quick and effortless.

What I did realise is that windows PCs tend to have a short honeymoon period when everything runs quickly and smoothly, but then begins to slow down over time, and all sort of errors start popping up. And this was with me running antivirus and all sorts of maintenance software like disk defrag and systemcare. My imac is still running as well as the day I bought it without me having to do anything extra to maintain it. I am a self-professed tech-noob and appreciate that my tech just works without me having to spend hours on end troubleshooting issues.

That's what I like about OSX (the Mac operating system). You can just focus on using it and not really have to worry about fixing this registry error or missing some odd driver. To me, this is well worth any premium I forked out.

Also, you will find that macs aren't really that expensive for what you get. Take the 27" imac for example. A 27" 2560x1440 monitor of that quality alone sets you back by over $1k. You get an all-in-one solution that saves space on your table. Only issue is that if you want to later upgrade your mac, you have to change the whole thing; you can't just keep the screen and ditch the CPU. It's okay for me because I am prepared to keep my imac for at least 5 years (now close to 2 years and still going strong).

The mac mini is good if you want a "taste" of OSX and already have all the supporting peripherals. What you can do, is to buy one online, try it out, and you have 14 days to return it if you don't like it.

 

[B772ER]

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.

onsite technician can be sent down for hardware repairs as diagnosed by the applecare tech support people.. software issues are resolved thru phone troubleshooting. and yep, onsite is for iMacs and Mac Pro only.

 

[prodigalSon]

thanx again 4 e input guys. Hmmm ok, i didn't know that you can buy and return it within 14 days if you dont like. Das mean if i buy the imac 27 inch and decided that its too big i can return it and switch to the 21 or even e mini?
Another concern i do have is the learning curve of the interface. My thinking is dat it shud b easy to get use to right after meddling ard with it at least say a few weeks.

How would u guys rate the learning process, is taking classes or workshop advisable? cos i know apple provide this for their first time customers. Or do most of u guys just self-exploration? I guess its the most common "fear" one would face before deciding to switch to Mac. Its like i'm so used to windows all this while and will i ever be able to like or get used to something different.

 

[szeli]

thanx again 4 e input guys. Hmmm ok, i didn't know that you can buy and return it within 14 days if you dont like. Das mean if i buy the imac 27 inch and decided that its too big i can return it and switch to the 21 or even e mini?
Another concern i do have is the learning curve of the interface. My thinking is dat it shud b easy to get use to right after meddling ard with it at least say a few weeks.

How would u guys rate the learning process, is taking classes or workshop advisable? cos i know apple provide this for their first time customers. Or do most of u guys just self-exploration? I guess its the most common "fear" one would face before deciding to switch to Mac. Its like i'm so used to windows all this while and will i ever be able to like or get used to something different.

i find e OSX interface much easier to use especially with mission control n multi-touch gestures. once u get used to it shud b no problems. in fact i think yr workflow will be faster.

some of e base apps i install straightaway r:
- 'bettertouchtool' for customizing gestures n window snapping
- 'quicksilver' for keyboard optimized app launching, file opening (i'm more of a keyboard person)
- 'xtrafinder' for finder with tabs

 

[stevenpoon]

To be fair, Macs can and do break down as well. My imac had screen issues about 18 months after I bought it, but thanks to their excellent warranty, the repair was quick and effortless.

Of coz anything is possible to break down, but count on average life for the product comparing Macbook and any windows laptop is very obvious, unless you willing to spent more on brand like Lenovo Thinkpad series which cost around the same as Macbook as well.

 

[kwok0037]

Mac Mini are not mainstream computers. They are home-threaters computers. You can't do much video/photo editing on a Mac computer w/o discrete graphics. Mac experience don't get through a mac mini.

If you want a Mac experience, perhaps a Macbook Air. If you don't like it, resale value is high. If you don't like your mac mini and wants to sell, demand not as high as those mac laptops.

You could connect mac mini to a bigger HDTV, watching Netflix or plex It and it would be so much nicer in front of a 27" or 32" monitor.

My advice because for my case.
My mac mini'12 turns into a white elephant and now i put it to good use for just watching movies and light usage with wireless keyboard and touchpad from the crouch. THATS the mac experience I get.

 

[trento]

the mini is a good way to start as it's the cheapest model off the line. Just get an apple wired keyboard and plug a wired mouse with it. It'll cost u ard $100 at most.

a mac mini is like using a 13"mbp. u will get by if yr mainly on office work, plus some light graphics. It performs admirably and the ram is so easy to change.

For imac, it's impt to get applecare if u intend to use it for more than a year. The hassle of carrying it to the svc ctr is just too troublesome.

For me, other than functions, the imac is a good item to place in the living room as it has a great design. but if u don't need that extra specs & it's meant for yr room, u could save some money by getting the mini.

A tip: use the thunderbolt port for monitor connection. I didn't get very good colors when I connected HDMI to a monitor. Dell S or Ultrasharp series worked well for me.

 

[clokwerk0]

Mac Mini are not mainstream computers. They are home-threaters computers. You can't do much video/photo editing on a Mac computer w/o discrete graphics. Mac experience don't get through a mac mini.

If you want a Mac experience, perhaps a Macbook Air. If you don't like it, resale value is high. If you don't like your mac mini and wants to sell, demand not as high as those mac laptops.

You could connect mac mini to a bigger HDTV, watching Netflix or plex It and it would be so much nicer in front of a 27" or 32" monitor.

My advice because for my case.
My mac mini'12 turns into a white elephant and now i put it to good use for just watching movies and light usage with wireless keyboard and touchpad from the crouch. THATS the mac experience I get.

last i checked, MBA has no discrete graphics as well.

so in what way does a current dual-core MBA trumps a current quad-core Mini in Mac experience?

 

[petetherock]

Actually after you add the monitor and other accessories, it's almost as pricey as a basic desktop iMac. So check the specs and prices.

the mini is a good way to start as it's the cheapest model off the line. Just get an apple wired keyboard and plug a wired mouse with it. It'll cost u ard $100 at most.

a mac mini is like using a 13"mbp. u will get by if yr mainly on office work, plus some light graphics. It performs admirably and the ram is so easy to change.

For imac, it's impt to get applecare if u intend to use it for more than a year. The hassle of carrying it to the svc ctr is just too troublesome.

For me, other than functions, the imac is a good item to place in the living room as it has a great design. but if u don't need that extra specs & it's meant for yr room, u could save some money by getting the mini.

A tip: use the thunderbolt port for monitor connection. I didn't get very good colors when I connected HDMI to a monitor. Dell S or Ultrasharp series worked well for me.

 

[limpe84]

last i checked, MBA has no discrete graphics as well.

so in what way does a current dual-core MBA trumps a current quad-core Mini in Mac experience?

If you are going to hook a Mac to a desktop, may want to consider making it a laptop, so you can unplug it for when you want to bring it outside with you. Essentially, your MacBook becomes your CPU at home.

 

[clokwerk0]

If you are going to hook a Mac to a desktop, may want to consider making it a laptop, so you can unplug it for when you want to bring it outside with you. Essentially, your MacBook becomes your CPU at home.

???

in no way was my post about solicitin for suggestions on getting a portable or desktop mac.

if you to the time to read and comprehend my post, it was a retort to another's poster view on Mac experience.

It's not as if there's a single definitive Mac experience. I believe each line of Mac serves it's own users' requirements.

I owned/owns MBP, iMac, Mac Mini and each served/serves specific needs at a point in time.

 

[trento]

Actually after you add the monitor and other accessories, it's almost as pricey as a basic desktop iMac. So check the specs and prices.

actually, if u add in the other stuff, it's still about $600 cheaper.

iMac - $1788
Mini - $788. Apple wired keyboard- $78. Logitech wired Mouse- $40, Dell 21.5 monitor- $200

Total less than $1100. We're talking about saving costs as a good way to start with the mini, so let's not compare specs cos one get indeed get started on the mac experience for a low budget. & for most windows users, they would already have a monitor and mouse.

It's no point jumping straight to an imac as the price is hefty and if u don't like it, thats quite a lot to part with.

 

[davidktw]

actually, if u add in the other stuff, it's still about $600 cheaper.

iMac - $1788
Mini - $788. Apple wired keyboard- $78. Logitech wired Mouse- $40, Dell 21.5 monitor- $200

Total less than $1100. We're talking about saving costs as a good way to start with the mini, so let's not compare specs cos one get indeed get started on the mac experience for a low budget. & for most windows users, they would already have a monitor and mouse.

It's no point jumping straight to an imac as the price is hefty and if u don't like it, thats quite a lot to part with.

Lets just put it simpler, the user experience of using a iMac and Mac Mini will be very very different. So if it's just about price, then don't bother go Mac, stick with Windows.

Want to know what Mac experience is about, get the iMac.

 

[trento]

Lets just put it simpler, the user experience of using a iMac and Mac Mini will be very very different. So if it's just about price, then don't bother go Mac, stick with Windows.

Want to know what Mac experience is about, get the iMac.

how different? it's still the same OS. spec wise, it's also similar to Air, MBP 13.

Some are price conscious are unsure about taking the next step. A budget mac os experience opens a window of opportunity for them to try.

 

[davidktw]

how different? it's still the same OS. spec wise, it's also similar to Air, MBP 13.

Some are price conscious are unsure about taking the next step. A budget mac os experience opens a window of opportunity for them to try.

You say the Mac Mini Spec is same as MBA, I was comparing with the iMac. In the very first post from TS, the discussion is with regards to between Mac Mini and iMac, so it will be more appropriate to just stick with these 2 in this discussion.

The user experience of Mac is more than just a bunch of equipments, if that's all you count Mac is on, then it's not the Mac experience. Of course, it depends on what one wanted after all.

The beauty of Mac is a holistic experience from the beauty of the machine all the way into the beauty of the OS. That is the reason why I was attracted to it more than 10 years ago when OS X first launch. Obviously the experience of the OS on a Mac Mini will not be very different, but it could be given the Intel HD4000 isn't exactly one would call a wonderful graphic processor. iMac has a discrete GPU to pump the required graphical experience that one would get out of the machine. This part, I'm sure you would already knew.

Next is the integrated experience of a iMac without cabling all over the place, the nice aluminium beautiful large display right in front of the user. Tell me this has no difference to a Mac Mini with a DELL display, hard to believe. Of course the Mac Mini user can go for the Apple Display which would easily achieve the same thing for a much higher price tag, that's another avenue to proceed, just not ideal.

All in all, I think those that supported the iMac as a better entrance into the Apple world come from a holistic approach looking at how a beautiful machine makes you want to sit right in front of it daily and work on your stuff. Where else the Mac Mini serve a different role in the product line for the purpose of a less powerful unit that can hide away, but I doubt, one will call a 3rd party display a good user experience to convince a newcomer into the community.

Your concern about the price tag being hefty is valid, but likewise, if you spend $600 less and did not get the WOW experience that $600 more could get you, then you lose more than just $600. It's not like after you spend on the Mac Mini, and the next day you love it and you would get a iMac immediately, basically the user experience is locked in to what Mac Mini can offer. You can say Mac Mini is enough, but is it true for everyone ? I don't know.

But from my perspective, I know and have experience what iMac can impress to a new user as oppose to what Mac Mini can do, that's why under no circumstances would I recommend Mac Mini as the first hand experience.

Well we can go on with this debate with no conclusion. There is no right or wrong approach, just a matter a preference. I suppose I'm just bringing out what could be missed if the alternative is taken. After all it's TS's prerogative.

My view is if one want cheap, go use Windows. Apple is not a cheap product, but I think existing user will know what is the value of Apple in this IT industry. The effect it has on users are like Macdonald. After 3 decades selling more or less the same thing, yet people still welcome the food. It's not the food that is fantastic, it's the atmosphere and the ecosystem. Apple is a premium product, but its one that will make you feel that you have made a good investment.

If you just want to play games and use some products that only exist in Windows, don't come aboard. If you want a powerful OS that does more than just a pretty skin, you have found one. That is the main reason why I have been using it for 10+ years.

 

[trento]

The Apple display achieves no difference in terms of cabling compared to any other display. So it's still aesthetics & it's better to go with iMac if one were to get a mini and a Apple display.

While not disputing the beauty of imac, the purpose of the mini was to present an opportunity to Win users to try a mac. That's what it was created for. Cos Win users more or less know how an imac looks like, and if they wanted to convert and pay that hefty price tag just cos of the way it looks, they would have done so ages ago.

Going back to what Jobs did for the mini. It was like telling Win users, "Hey, u have a pc. Try this cube out with an amazing OS. It's not going to cost u a lot & u get to continue with yr existing monitor and keyboard!" Most ppl especially the later generation thought the mini was made for theater system. That wasn't the original intent.

This is not a debate. I'm just trying to stress that as an entrance to the mac platform, without any idea how it works other than how it looks, asking someone to just go all the way is not the best start. It may have worked for u but whatever it is, let's just remember y it was made in the first place. The Apple management obviously realised there's a gap to be filled. And hopefully, lead up to selling more pure mac machines. & btw, I agree the full Mac experience is about beauty of the machine and its OS. But sometimes to convert someone, one has to go down to his level.

Lastly, i think it's not true if want cheap, go Windows. It's no longer cheap these days.

 

[davidktw]

The Apple display achieves no difference in terms of cabling compared to any other display. So it's still aesthetics & it's better to go with iMac if one were to get a mini and a Apple display.

While not disputing the beauty of imac, the purpose of the mini was to present an opportunity to Win users to try a mac. That's what it was created for. Cos Win users more or less know how an imac looks like, and if they wanted to convert and pay that hefty price tag just cos of the way it looks, they would have done so ages ago.

Going back to what Jobs did for the mini. It was like telling Win users, "Hey, u have a pc. Try this cube out with an amazing OS. It's not going to cost u a lot & u get to continue with yr existing monitor and keyboard!" Most ppl especially the later generation thought the mini was made for theater system. That wasn't the original intent.

This is not a debate. I'm just trying to stress that as an entrance to the mac platform, without any idea how it works other than how it looks, asking someone to just go all the way is not the best start. It may have worked for u but whatever it is, let's just remember y it was made in the first place. The Apple management obviously realised there's a gap to be filled. And hopefully, lead up to selling more pure mac machines. & btw, I agree the full Mac experience is about beauty of the machine and its OS. But sometimes to convert someone, one has to go down to his level.

Lastly, i think it's not true if want cheap, go Windows. It's no longer cheap these days.

Points Noted.

 

[maxell_555]

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.

Get either a iMac or MBP. Forums have some good deal. New and used available.

Buy AppleCare from forums. Cover yourself for 3 years in total.

 

[ahkaiz]

with mac mini u can choose your own monitor size and design, what kind of speak u would like to pair it with.
is more about customization to your own preference.