Mac Mini, Should I

I tried Mac and found OSX awful, but that's my opinion. Now ditched windows and am using Arch linux full-time.

I didn't like the apple GUI. Also when I first got my macbook it took me hours to workout how to "install" an application. It turns out you simply drag it into finder lol but the internet doesn't tell you this lol, I guess they assume it's so easy it isn't really mentioned.

It's always hard to judge by posting on forums, especially a mac sub-forum where you unlikely to hear much negative about Macs.

Hope you like it and get on with it, if you don't you should get most of your money back anyway, or just install win7 on it.

You could have just built a Mini-itx box if you wanted, would have got a better spec. Anyway hope you like it!
 
yeah i did spec up a better doze box, but i thought i would give Mac a try. A few people at work have Macs and rave about them, so I figured i would give it a bash :)
 
Oxy said:
Also when I first got my macbook it took me hours to workout how to "install" an application. It turns out you simply drag it into finder lol but the internet doesn't tell you this lol, I guess they assume it's so easy it isn't really mentioned.
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Someone didn't look very far ;) :p Seriously though, it's everywhere. I knew how to install applications before I'd even tried a Mac just from casual browsing.

It's not for everyone though, I agree with that. The kids love it, Mrs. Feek isn't keen. Yet :D
 
Feek said:
Someone didn't look very far ;) :p Seriously though, it's everywhere. I knew how to install applications before I'd even tried a Mac just from casual browsing.

It's not for everyone though, I agree with that. The kids love it, Mrs. Feek isn't keen. Yet :D
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hehe didn't think to look on ocuk at the time.

As has already been discussed I really don't like OSX lol. The dock still keeps me up at night lol.
 
Kol said:
Personally I would recommend plex.
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I would choose XBMC over Plex everytime for the following reasons :

1. XBMC has a larger support community
2. As a result of this you get new features implemented faster
3. Also any bugs get picked up earlier

Plex is a fork of XBMC but as it is only forked on one platform you have less people working on it.
 
Mmmm, not keen on the clogged up desktop - but for something on the toolbar take a look at iStat Nano... also install growl for notifications.
 
spudbynight said:
I would choose XBMC over Plex everytime for the following reasons :

1. XBMC has a larger support community
2. As a result of this you get new features implemented faster
3. Also any bugs get picked up earlier

Plex is a fork of XBMC but as it is only forked on one platform you have less people working on it.
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Got to agree with that, big time. I had PLEX on for a while, but couldn't take all the updates happening at a rapid rate on XBMC! so switched over and love it! :D
I'm using a C2D 2.0 with 2GB ram on 10.5.8 as my media machine. Great little box. :D
 
CrispyXUK said:
Plex has more feature, runs better and looks better. It also has the media server app.
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1. Both of them have as many features. You can install plugins for XBMC
2. I personally don't think it runs better - anything to back that up?
3. How does it look better? Both are fully skinnable. Mediastream is the default skin on Plex and it originated on XBMC. There are far more skins available for XBMC.
 
No data, it just runs much smoother for me. I'm aware mediastream is used on both, it just more polished in certain areas compared to XBMC.

Also;

1) It actually scrapes the metadata for my files properly
2) Seamless integration of local and remote iTunes libraries
3) Their 'App Store' is genuinely useful and provides quite a few useful plugins for streaming media.
4) Plex Media Server.

5) The fragmented community on XMBC can be a pain to find information sometimes.
 
I've used both and prefer Plex for the scraping features (as mentioned by CrispyXUK)

I wouldn't judge the appearance of Plex on the default skin. I personally use "Plexaeon" which originated from XBMC, because Mediastream is so basic.

 
well its arrived, and first impressions are...a bit..."meh"

Ive set up adium which is ok. Bluephone elite just keeps syncing my phone then disconnecting it.

Ive had a quick play with safari and installed plex, and thats....it.

Bit bored now, run out of things to do! I guess im out my comfort zone a bit with this, whether i'll stick with it or not, remains to be seen. I just dont know what the hell im doing really!

How do i get safari to maximise to the whole of the screen? the only res i can use is 1280x1024 and safari just sits in the middle of the screen. I want it to fill the screen :(
 
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James_N said:
well its arrived, and first impressions are...a bit..."meh"

Ive set up adium which is ok. Bluephone elite just keeps syncing my phone then disconnecting it.

Ive had a quick play with safari and installed plex, and thats....it.

Bit bored now, run out of things to do! I guess im out my comfort zone a bit with this, whether i'll stick with it or not, remains to be seen. I just dont know what the hell im doing really!

How do i get safari to maximise to the whole of the screen? the only res i can use is 1280x1024 and safari just sits in the middle of the screen. I want it to fill the screen :(
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You'll just have to drag the window to make it fill the whole screen. Or you can download Firefox, which will take up the whole screen when you press the green + button.

Any other problems, post them up and someone will be able to help. :)
 
The green button isn't a maximise button in OS X, it's a zoom button so you'll need to drag the window to full screen.

But it's just like any other computer, you need to know what you want to do and find the appropriate software. Think what you'd do on your PC and go hunt for Mac software to do the same thing.

I was always exactly the same when I tried different operating systems, I'd install them to try and then go "now what?". When I switched over to OS X I didn't have a Windows system near me at all so when I wanted to do something I had to find an application to do it.
 
Well im installing office 2008 for Mac now.

My 320GB extrernal drive for some reason now is not showing up in OSX when its plugged in. dunno why. I was going to dump all my TV shows and stuff on that and use it through plex untill i could afford a firewire drive,
 
cheers Feek :) sorted the browser now. Simple stuff when you know how hey!

/edit - sorted the hdd now too. didnt "eject" it in doze properly!

Now to get safari to store all my passwords!

Dont really want to use firefox, its a bit of a memory hog (on windows at least!)
 
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