Mac Mini hits the right spot.

Faustus · 11 Oct 2010 at 22:52

You will know if you have followed my posts on my ownership of a 21.5" iMac that I haven't been overly impressed with it. We have now had the iMac for quite some time and my view of the iMac has got worse not better. I just don't like the shiny screen, if I wanted to be on the telly I would try for a screen test and not settle for my own reflection. :rolleyes:

However, I haven't had time to post for the past few weeks because I've been having to much fun with a Mac Mini that I have had the loan of. Now this is a machine I could really like/do like. I can use my own 24" matte screen (joy of joys) plus keyboard and mouse (I don't like the magic mouse much either). The Mini is everything the iMac isn't, it's fun to use, OS X just looks better on my Matte monitor, it's very chic and stylish and it really is totally silent. I would say that 2gig of RAM for Snow Leopard is not enough but apart from that what's not to like about it.

I used to think that the aesthetics of the iMac were second to none, not anymore, give me the Mini any day. I'm going to be very sad when my niece returns from working in Canada and I have to return her Mini. I think I may just purchase one for myself when that day comes, even though my head tells me it doesn't represent good value for money.

icedbullet · 11 Oct 2010 at 23:03

My 15" MBP has the shiny screen. I often hook the MBP up to my 26" Samsung T260 monitor which has a matt screen. Side by side I actually prefer the MBP's screen as it is brighter and the colours look nicer.

Outside though, the shiny screen does get annoying. If you crank the backlight up to full, its so bright that you cant really see reflections...but then that has implications for the battery...

ic1male · 11 Oct 2010 at 23:16

Is it purely the display you're not happy with then, Faustus? You're quite pleased with Mac OS X itself?

Faustus · 11 Oct 2010 at 23:59

ic1male said:
Is it purely the display you're not happy with then, Faustus? You're quite pleased with Mac OS X itself?

I know I should love the iMac but I don't and it's hard to pin it down to any one thing, some things are like that but the screen doesn't help. With the Mini I have taken the time to fine tune OS X to my liking and I now find it a much more pleasurable experience. I would be happier though if they reduced the Mini by a £100 which would at least pay for the extra RAM it clearly needs.

ic1male · 12 Oct 2010 at 00:04

Faustus said:
I would be happier though if they reduced the Mini by a £100 which would at least pay for the extra RAM it clearly needs.

I'm curious - why do you say it needs more RAM? I run with 2GB right now. Since this morning I've been doing all kinds of opening/closing this, that and the other. Looking at Activity Monitor after 14 hours of work, I still have 466MB free. :confused:

Faustus · 12 Oct 2010 at 09:22

ic1male said:
I'm curious - why do you say it needs more RAM? I run with 2GB right now. Since this morning I've been doing all kinds of opening/closing this, that and the other. Looking at Activity Monitor after 14 hours of work, I still have 466MB free.

The previous model had 4 gig of RAM which was cut to two in the latest version. Obviously a profit/cost cutting exercise. The Mini is now the only machine in the Mac line up with a paltry 2gig. I have had the beach ball effect any number of times since borrowing this unit and it will only get worse with age. Snow Leopard really can use the extra RAM and although you say you are managing just fine with 2 gig I would say install 4 gig and see just how much finer you manage then, your Mini will be much quicker. All the reviews I have read on the Mini criticise the amount of RAM it has as standard.

The other negative is the HD size. If you want to use boot camp for a Windows install then 320 gig is just too small. However, Apple will charge you £80 for the upgrade whereas you can get a good quality HD from OCUK for £45. The obvious downside is that you will void your warranty if you replace the HD yourself plus it is a tricky install. To give the Mini a good set of clothes it will set you back £809 - base price of Mini £649 > RAM £80 for 4 gig option > 500 gig HD £80 = £809. That's a pill that takes a lot of swallowing but I have to confess I much prefer the Mini to my iMac.

bloodiedathame · 12 Oct 2010 at 10:00

I've not understood why Apple persist with shiny screens, luckily my MBP has a matte one before a finish was an option.

Glad your having a better experience now.

Caseh · 12 Oct 2010 at 10:08

I am honestly very shocked. I just got my first iMac, and I'm in love with it!

But, atleast you have found a machine you do like.

glitch · 12 Oct 2010 at 11:50

Faustus said:
I think I may just purchase one for myself when that day comes, even though my head tells me it doesn't represent good value for money.

That's because it doesn't.

I'm a huge fan of Apple hardware, having switched over sometime last year, but an almost identically specced Mini costs more than an iMac and you're getting a 21.5" screen with the iMac. Absolute madness.

I'd rather buy an iMac and plug a separate screen into it than buy a Mini. Hell, I'd prefer to buy a Macbook Pro and run it in clamshell mode than buy a Mini - at least that way I get a portable machine into the bargain.

Faustus said:
I just don't like the shiny screen, if I wanted to be on the telly I would try for a screen test and not settle for my own reflection.

I'd be amongst the first to moan about the shiny screen on the MBP range and I found it to be impossible to use on the move and on location, but the iMac is a completely different story. I can sit it in just the right place and even though the screen is a mirror when its off, it's fine when its on.

CrispyXUK · 12 Oct 2010 at 12:04

Love my mini, it's awesome. Couldn't bring myself to ever buy a desktop with a potentially redundant monitor.

Got 4GB in mine, well worth the upgrade.

Faustus · 12 Oct 2010 at 13:32

CrispyXUK said:
Love my mini, it's awesome. Couldn't bring myself to ever buy a desktop with a potentially redundant monitor.

Got 4GB in mine, well worth the upgrade.

Well that's the thing really isn't it, computer goes down screen useless, screen goes down computer useless.

Faustus · 12 Oct 2010 at 13:35

I'd be amongst the first to moan about the shiny screen on the MBP range and I found it to be impossible to use on the move and on location, but the iMac is a completely different story. I can sit it in just the right place and even though the screen is a mirror when its off, it's fine when its on

You have picked up on the fact that I already own an iMac haven't you? If you will have picked up on the fact that I don't get on with it and the main issue for me is the screen.

Faustus · 12 Oct 2010 at 14:48

I'm a huge fan of Apple hardware, having switched over sometime last year, but an almost identically specced Mini costs more than an iMac and you're getting a 21.5" screen with the iMac. Absolute madness.

2.4 GHz base Mini (moving up to the 2.66 CPU is not worth it for the negligible increase in performance so we will forget that one) with 4 gig of RAM and a 500 gig HD is £809 albeit the HD is 5400 rpm. However, with the way OS X keeps apps in memory plus the 4 gig of RAM then the speed is more than respectable.

The most basic iMac with 4 gig of RAM and a 7200 rpm 500 gig HD is £999. That is almost £200 the difference in favour of the Mini so that's hardly more than an iMac now is it? The screen for me is a minus not a plus.

The reason the Mini only has the C2D CPU is because it uses the NVidia discrete graphics chip. NVidia cannot make the chips for the Intel i CPU family. That would have meant Apple would have to have gone for a three chip solution with the Mini. Big problem with that scenario is that there isn't enough room either on the logic board or in the enclosure to do that plus heat and noise would also have then come into play. Things aren't always black and white when you delve into them (as I have done).

Logsi · 12 Oct 2010 at 15:18

Damn Apple making me use their own mouse, keyboard and dare i say it...screen...

...O wait?!

glitch · 12 Oct 2010 at 15:30

Faustus said:
Well that's the thing really isn't it, computer goes down screen useless, screen goes down computer useless.

If the computer 'goes down' the computer is useless in either scenario which is the important thing. If the screen 'goes down' you just plug another monitor in to the Mini and have a useless piece of metal with the iMa... oh no, you just plug another screen into it.

Faustus said:
2.4 GHz base Mini (moving up to the 2.66 CPU is not worth it for the negligible increase in performance so we will forget that one) with 4 gig of RAM and a 500 gig HD is £809 albeit the HD is 5400 rpm. However, with the way OS X keeps apps in memory plus the 4 gig of RAM then the speed is more than respectable.

The iMac has a 3.06Ghz i3 processor so its only fair to compare that with the upgrade to the 2.66Ghz Core 2 Duo in the Mini.

Faustus said:
The most basic iMac with 4 gig of RAM and a 7200 rpm 500 gig HD is £999. That is almost £200 the difference in favour of the Mini so that's hardly more than an iMac now is it?

A Mini with a 2.66Ghz processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard-drive, mouse and keyboard comes in at £11 more than an the iMac.

And before you argue that you don't need a mouse and keyboard, that's irrelevant. The overwhelming majority of people would and as we're talking about value for money, that's who we're aiming for.

Faustus said:
Things aren't always black and white when you delve into them (as I have done).

They are as black and white for others as they aren't for you.

If you want to pay more money for a Mac Mini than you would for an iMac with a 'free' screen that's your money to spend as you wish. Personally I think you'd have to be mad to consider it.

CrispyXUK · 12 Oct 2010 at 15:56

Faustus said:
Well that's the thing really isn't it, computer goes down screen useless, screen goes down computer useless.

Although when I do come to upgrade, I'll probably upgrade the screen too, haha!

This thinking was sort of why I stopped bothering about the upgradability of macs as everytime I upgraded the PC I ended up doing the lot

Faustus · 12 Oct 2010 at 16:48

If the computer 'goes down' the computer is useless in either scenario which is the important thing. If the screen 'goes down' you just plug another monitor in to the Mini and have a useless piece of metal with the iMa... oh no, you just plug another screen into it.

You can't run another screen from the iMac without running the iMac. If Mini goes down still got my PC if Monitor goes down still got another two spare ones in the attic.

The iMac has a 3.06GHz i3 processor so its only fair to compare that with the upgrade to the 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo in the Mini.

Most human beings in the known universe would not see a difference moving from the 2.4 to 2.6 GHz C2D that is why I said most fair minded people would not include that as an option and neither will I.

A Mini with a 2.66GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard-drive, mouse and keyboard comes in at £11 more than an the iMac.

Already answered the processor argument, the mouse and keyboard is another non issue as you bring your own that's why it's called a BYOKDAM.

If you want to pay more money for a Mac Mini than you would for an iMac with a 'free' screen that's your money to spend as you wish. Personally I think you'd have to be mad to consider it.

You're not listening are you? I already own an iMac and it doesn't impress me one little bit whereas the Mini is a great fun alternative. Do you always buy on value or because you like the product?

P.S. And when I want to move on I can always put the Mini under the TV as a HTPC, now let me see you do that with your iMac.