Mac Mini with 2 x 24" or 27" iMac?

citycm

citycm

citycm

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I had myself all psyched up for getting a Mac Mini and using 2 x Dell (or other TN based) 24" Screens. All I was waiting for was the Mini's to be updated.

However, now that the iMac had a quad core, I'm very tempted. There's only 2 things that put me off:

1. The 27" Screen (Seems too big for a single desktop monitor for me).
2. The inability to have 2 IDENTICAL displays.

So I would like your advice. Which configuration would you go for?

The 2.53GHz Mac Mini with 2 x 24" TN displays (or 2 x Dell 2209WFP's)
or
The 2.66GHz Core i5 27" iMac
 
The iMac will obviously be markedly faster at everything. What's the cost of the top mini (£650) + keyboard & Mouse (£103?) + the two screens you're considering?

Weigh it up, cost/performance.
 
The iMac still has a ton of pixel real estate.

IMO multiple monitors are less desirable on OS X than on Windows.

On Windows, you are (most likely) often maximizing applications, and having >1 distinct areas for maximize actions to snap to is helpful.
 
I'm not (yet) a mac user but I do have a 30" screen on my Windows/Linux machine. The resolution is fantastic and I wouldn't go for a smaller dual screen setup. I realise you're talking about a 27" but the principle is still the same.
 
PardonTheWait said:
The iMac will obviously be markedly faster at everything. What's the cost of the top mini (£650) + keyboard & Mouse (£103?) + the two screens you're considering?

Weigh it up, cost/performance.
Click to expand...

With HE discount, the top mini is £584. I already have an Apple Wireless Keyboard and depending on whether I stick with my current screen, I have one of the 2 screens. The Magic Mouse will cost £49 (HE Price) and a 2nd monitor would be £240, so total cost could be £873

If I went with the Core i5 iMac, that would be £1375 with HE discount. If I sold my current wireless keyboard and monitor, I could possibly get about £200, so the total cost would be about £1175 - £1200. However, this is for a quad core vs dual core, an extra 680GB Hdd and nice 27" screen.

wush said:
The iMac still has a ton of pixel real estate.

IMO multiple monitors are less desirable on OS X than on Windows.

On Windows, you are (most likely) often maximizing applications, and having >1 distinct areas for maximize actions to snap to is helpful.
Click to expand...

To be honest, I've never used dual displays on a Mac so I don't know, but yeh, the 2nd display is useful in Windows. Even on my hackintosh though, I still like to have programs open filling the screen.

Hades said:
I'm not (yet) a mac user but I do have a 30" screen on my Windows/Linux machine. The resolution is fantastic and I wouldn't go for a smaller dual screen setup. I realise you're talking about a 27" but the principle is still the same.
Click to expand...

Never considered 2 x 30" screens? lol
 
Hades said:
Actually I have, but money is an issue :(
Click to expand...

That's a setup I'd be jealous of.

I feel like 27" would be too big (but then 24" looks 'normal' to me now). Can't wait for the local Apple store to get them in so I can have a proper look :D
 
citycm said:
With HE discount, the top mini is £584. I already have an Apple Wireless Keyboard and depending on whether I stick with my current screen, I have one of the 2 screens. The Magic Mouse will cost £49 (HE Price) and a 2nd monitor would be £240, so total cost could be £873

If I went with the Core i5 iMac, that would be £1375 with HE discount. If I sold my current wireless keyboard and monitor, I could possibly get about £200, so the total cost would be about £1175 - £1200. However, this is for a quad core vs dual core, an extra 680GB Hdd and nice 27" screen.
Click to expand...

In your situation you may be right about the mini then.

BUT I do agree with what was said above - the way Mac OS tends to work, multiple monitors are certainly less of an advantage than on Windows, but if you really like them maybe the Mini is the best way to go.

I love my Mac Mini, but I just tend to think for how quick they are they price themselves out as desktop machines - however with the update they've definitely got a bit more grunt and have become much more viable as desktops.
 
Of course, it would be worth mentioning thay I originally wanted a Mac Pro before the Mini supported dual displays.

I do agree with what's said. I just don't know if I'd use the power in the iMacs (my current PC is a 2.4GHz Q6600 system).
 
Well if you don't want the power of the iMac (or need it) and twin monitors in a neat matching setup are important to you (which is fine), the Mac Mini seems a perfectly reasonable way to do it.

The minis aren't slouches, especially the new top one is a very good little machine, and seeing as you've got the keyboard and one screen already it's not going to be super wasteful.

I say go for it if it makes you happy :)
 
Another thing to consider is the iMac uses an LED backlit IPS whereas the dual screens are inferior TN panels, it's considerably faster and will look a lot nicer.

You could save about £250 by going for the 3.06ghz Core 2 Duo one, it's still a fair bit faster than the Mini.
 
Raikiri said:
Another thing to consider is the iMac uses an LED backlit IPS whereas the dual screens are inferior TN panels, it's considerably faster and will look a lot nicer.

You could save about £250 by going for the 3.06ghz Core 2 Duo one, it's still a fair bit faster than the Mini.
Click to expand...

Thanks. My TN panel is a LED backlit Dell monitor, which while it's not IPS, it's ok for a TN panel.

Yeah, I hadn't considered the 3GHz iMac, but then, it's still a question of the screen sizes.
 
wush said:
The iMac still has a ton of pixel real estate.

IMO multiple monitors are less desirable on OS X than on Windows.

On Windows, you are (most likely) often maximizing applications, and having >1 distinct areas for maximize actions to snap to is helpful.
Click to expand...

I'd agree actually, can't quite put my finger on why but I almost can't use a windows machine without dual screens whereas I've never really felt the need on my macs. I suspect spaces helps a lot for my uses, I use them fairly extensively.

Personally I think I'd take the 27" imac myself, partly because of that and partly because of the better graphics/faster processor - probably justifies the cost...
 
bigredshark said:
I'd agree actually, can't quite put my finger on why but I almost can't use a windows machine without dual screens whereas I've never really felt the need on my macs. I suspect spaces helps a lot for my uses, I use them fairly extensively.

Personally I think I'd take the 27" imac myself, partly because of that and partly because of the better graphics/faster processor - probably justifies the cost...
Click to expand...

Thanks, Yeah I see where you're coming from. My idea was to have Windows set up in Parallels (using the wnd monitor). Just really not sure if that's needed now parallels has coherence mode.
 
We got our demo ones in at work today. Stunning, I'm completely in love with both models. Fantastic screens, love the magic mouse (although it'll definitely take some getting used to), and the truly one piece aluminium body means they're as pretty from the back as the front!
 
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