Posted on 01/11/2005 2:03:19 PM PST by 1stFreedom
For all us Windows fans who felt Macs were just too pricey, now there is good news. Apple has released the "mini Mac" for $499.
While the $499 model doesn't come with a keyboard or mouse, standard USB keyboards and mice (including two button wheel mice) will work with the unit.
See http://www.apple.com/macmini/ for more details.
No, it doesn't, it comes with the adapter. Here is a graphic of the input/out puts of the mini from Apple's website:
They also state:
"Connect your USB keyboard and mouse. Then hook up your DVI or VGA display (adapter included)."
I had problems with USB when I used Windows machines. That was before XP, so I can't speak to how well it works with USB, USB2 or firewire, but Windows ME, NT, 98 and 2000 were not good on USB support.
>>For 500 bucks I could build something that absolutely blows that machine off the map. And with a better OS to boot in Linux.
I'd like to see what you propose. Granted this isn't a G5, but he first mistake most people make is to compare clockspeed. 1.25ghz G4 is not like a 1.25ghz Pentium 4 -- it's much faster.
And as far as Linux being better, that is subjective. What can you do on Linux that you can't on a Mac? I've run FreeBSD programs on an IMac..
The Imac is headache free compared to building your own machines. I've built for our five machings by now and I'm tired of it and complete systems are low enough to make building it yourself not as much of a savings as it used to be.
Finally, the form factor is much nicer. I'd like to see you build something as sexy and small. (No, the Shuttle or mini itx doesn't compare.)
Thanks for the ping! Must have been announced at the show?
quote:
The specs are pretty OK for the price:
Mac mini houses a 1.25 or 1.42GHz G4 processor, 40 or 80GB hard drive, a slot-loading CD-R/DVD-ROM optical drive, 256MB DDR SDRAM and ATI Radeon 9200 graphics chip with 32MB dedicated DDR SDRAM all whisper-quiet.
THE SPECS ARE GREAT, Apple is great, and so on, but only those know that, who use(d) both a Mac and a PC.
Pay more, get more - It's like real life.
... another one?
PCs are SHlT - get a Mac and give your PC to the Politically Correct.
Only if one considers their purchases political.
Thank gawd I don't, for I am happy as can be with my new $4800 Dell.
Charles, I didn't even realize it, Apple is selling this as an "extension" to ITunes and IPod, who''s going to want a stock barebones integrated sound card for that? No one who knows the difference. This isn't elitist to others reading, the difference is as little as $20.
I looked at one of those, just for giggles mind you cause the 20D took enough change as it was, but I'm just transitioning from film to digital. By the time I'm ready to upgrade I figure the Mark III or IV will probably be out. Now I gotta figure out if I'm going to keep my T-90 and Elan 7e. Yea, I think I will, it's hard to give up old friends.
I see this as not only a nice beginner's machine, suitable for use with your old PC's monitor, keyboard and mouse, but also as a great little server. I think that a few million of these will be running office websites very soon. You can connect it to an existing network of PC's, then VNC into it from the administrator's system - nothing else to buy!
I debated Mac or upgrade on my CPU. Just last week I bought an Athlon 64 and a Gigabyte K8 triton motherboard.
I'm happy.
And when Mono gets going, you'll be able to do that on Macs as well.
That "pathetic" video is still a whole lot faster than the $499 Dell, which features an integrated Intel video chipset. Even Dell only claims it's good enough for 2D games.
(1) I have no idea what I'd do with it, and (2) By the time I pay tax, shipping, and get appropriate upgrades, this thing will probably cost over $800.
A basic one would make a great home server (small, quiet, takes little juice), and you wouldn't have to buy anything extra. Just borrow KVM from an existing computer, and set it up for whatever you want to do (firewall, NAT, mail, web, FTP, music server, etc.). Then set it up for remote administration and put your KVM back onto the other system. From then on you can control it remotely.
For $599 you can double that disk capacity to 80G. Now consider that you get not only Apple hardware build quality but a better GUI than Windows and a better Unix than Linux, and you can run them both at the same time. Try doing that with a PC.
Very nice, I'm a big fan of Mr Rebenack.
It's always hard to compare apples and oranges (no pun). Your system has a bigger hard drive and more memory, but the VIA integrated graphics are no match for ATI. The audio is low-end too. You need to swap that DVD for a CD/RW+DVD ROM combo drive. You can save some money by ditching the floppy, but you need to buy a Firewire card. The Mac comes with much more useful software, and you also need to use Windows XP Pro to get even close to OS X (so add $100 there). Now you have to get the cool box.
I can get a used PC with these specs for $100 at a local used computer store. I looks like you're paying $400 for an OS. That may or may not be worth it depending on how well you like Macs. I don't want to get into the Mac v. PC argument, I've always thought one should just use what they like best. If you like it and it gets the work (or play) done which you want done then it is the computer for you. I'm just not sure that a computer with no monitor, keyboard or mouse with these specs at $500 is necessarily a good deal.
True, but I was replying to a question regarding if one could program the 2nd button to do other functions besides the default cmd-click.
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