I run XP on my mini with 512MB of ram and am pretty happy with it, but I don't do a lot in windows. I play some videos with VLC and use IE6 (via Virtual PC), IE7 and Firefox for testing via VNC. Sadly windows is much better for my uses on this machine as a media machine (due mostly to the advanced features only available with the windows video drivers to set different color curves for the video overlay -- something OSX doesn't have).
Mac Mini -- Windows Only
I'm currently considering a purchase of a mac mini.
I currently enjoy my mac setup, but sometimes there is a need just flick my old PC back on. Lately, I've been thinking that it might be time to replace the old PC (it's actually about 7yrs old .. hehe)
My needs really do not call for a high performance PC, and so I was thinking about getting one of those tiny PC cases just to have a piece of "more recent" technology. I checked out some of the prices and was shocked to see how much it would cost for me to basically build a 'back-up' computer system.
The next thing that came to mind was that maybe I could just purchase a mac mini (intel), and have it run windows entirely (since I've got a separate mac setup). Of course, i'd leave OS X in there to do it's regular updates, but that would be basically all i'd use OS X on the mini for. Then even my "PC" will look nice with the rest of my mac setup
Now I won't have to hide the "PC" in another room .. hehe
I thought about installing a usb hacked windows onto a 3.5" hard drive and putting it into an external drive so that i can boot it up from my mac setups, but i thought maybe not .. i'd like to make use of my extra monitor/keyboard/etc that's with my PC setup ... so I was thinking of using bootcamp on the mac mini for this ..
i see the current gen mac mini 1.66GHz stock components going for $680 on apple's site.
edu discount brings it down to $658.
compusmart is closing and clearing stock, selling it for $680-$80, and using a Visa card discount coupon, i get another 10% off, bringing it down to $540.
all prices CDN.
is there something else out there that I could be more happy with, cheaper?
ram boost necessary (stock is 512mb) to run windows xp, and maybe in the future .. vista ?
I currently enjoy my mac setup, but sometimes there is a need just flick my old PC back on. Lately, I've been thinking that it might be time to replace the old PC (it's actually about 7yrs old .. hehe)
My needs really do not call for a high performance PC, and so I was thinking about getting one of those tiny PC cases just to have a piece of "more recent" technology. I checked out some of the prices and was shocked to see how much it would cost for me to basically build a 'back-up' computer system.
The next thing that came to mind was that maybe I could just purchase a mac mini (intel), and have it run windows entirely (since I've got a separate mac setup). Of course, i'd leave OS X in there to do it's regular updates, but that would be basically all i'd use OS X on the mini for. Then even my "PC" will look nice with the rest of my mac setup
Now I won't have to hide the "PC" in another room .. heheI thought about installing a usb hacked windows onto a 3.5" hard drive and putting it into an external drive so that i can boot it up from my mac setups, but i thought maybe not .. i'd like to make use of my extra monitor/keyboard/etc that's with my PC setup ... so I was thinking of using bootcamp on the mac mini for this ..
i see the current gen mac mini 1.66GHz stock components going for $680 on apple's site.
edu discount brings it down to $658.
compusmart is closing and clearing stock, selling it for $680-$80, and using a Visa card discount coupon, i get another 10% off, bringing it down to $540.
all prices CDN.
is there something else out there that I could be more happy with, cheaper?
ram boost necessary (stock is 512mb) to run windows xp, and maybe in the future .. vista ?
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paradime, you were reading my thoughts
i've been eyeing that same system, found on RFD
Comp - Dell Dimension C521 $399 - RedFlagDeals.com Forums
I'm not sure if i'd be too excited about a new mini with upgraded specs which probably is overkill for my purposes. but the mini would actually look nice with everything else i have
I saw on the apple site about packaging bootcamp along with leopard, but boot camp as it is, in public beta, has been doing fine from a lot of feedback that i hear elsewhere. Obviously for more hardcore uses, you'll find bugs.
I'm on the fence for this one .. but i'm leaning a little closer towards the dell system just because it's cheaper, and it's going to be doing what it was meant to do.
Thanks everyone for the input!
edit: oh yeah, the above dell system can be had for $489 ($90 more) with Vista Premium and 320gb HD .. all else the same, even the slim tower. In terms of the form factor, i would have liked to have a shorter case, like a half tower, or a cube, rather than a tower that's pretty much the same height as any other, but just slimer .. to me, it just doesn't seem like much of a space saver
i've been eyeing that same system, found on RFD
Comp - Dell Dimension C521 $399 - RedFlagDeals.com Forums
I'm not sure if i'd be too excited about a new mini with upgraded specs which probably is overkill for my purposes. but the mini would actually look nice with everything else i have
I saw on the apple site about packaging bootcamp along with leopard, but boot camp as it is, in public beta, has been doing fine from a lot of feedback that i hear elsewhere. Obviously for more hardcore uses, you'll find bugs.
I'm on the fence for this one .. but i'm leaning a little closer towards the dell system just because it's cheaper, and it's going to be doing what it was meant to do.
Thanks everyone for the input!
edit: oh yeah, the above dell system can be had for $489 ($90 more) with Vista Premium and 320gb HD .. all else the same, even the slim tower. In terms of the form factor, i would have liked to have a shorter case, like a half tower, or a cube, rather than a tower that's pretty much the same height as any other, but just slimer .. to me, it just doesn't seem like much of a space saver
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
