Mac Mini + vista?

maddness

maddness

maddness

Soldato
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Hi there, im not really clued up with macs tp be honest

im wondering is it as simple as just inserting the vista cd and installing vista on it? or is it more complicated than that?

i like the idea of a a mac mini purely for the compactness and it looks cool, but dont really fancy giving its OS a try, i prefer to use vista on it

ive got my eye on this:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17883298

i rmember in the past you had to use a virtual environment to use windows
have times changed now?

any help / advice would be greatly appreciated :)

thanks
 
I bought my gf an iMac recently and I have always been a windows boy personally. I must say the OS is fantastic (albeit very alien) and I have to resist using her machine over my own. Despite how alien it feels to begin with, there are plenty of videos you can watch on line and always ask here (the Mac guys here are superhelpful and very patient with switchers!). So give OSX a try mate, you may find Windows gets relegated to a needs-must basis.
 
Purchase Mac Mini (2GB of RAM seeing as you insist on Vista), plug in, go through OS X setup, run Bootcamp from Applications -> Utilities, partition hard drive, reboot with Vista DVD in drive, install Vista, install Driver disk. Enjoy.

Why do you want a Mac Mini? Media Centre? Small foot print PC? The biggest question is why would you buy a Mac Mini over say a Shuttle if you have no interest in OS X? OS X is included in the price.

Seriously, give it a try and if you need Windows applications get VMWare Fusion or Parallels Desktop and run them under OS X.

If you don't game (and a Mac Mini isn't a gaming machine) then OS X is just so much better. If the plan is to have a Media Centre (like me) then XBMC for OS X is great, combine this EyeTV and you have a (almost) perfect Media Centre PC.

Just keep in mind that OS X does things very differently to Windows and it may take some getting used to but it is worth it in the long run. Less crashes, more ease of use.
 
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I'm a week into my switch to a mac and I can't fault it one bit. Everything is so fast, got so many things going on at once without a hint of slowdown. And I think i've grasped the OS now, probably still plenty I don't know but I feel fairly confident after a week.
 
What LordSplodge said basically.

I've got a Mac Mini, I was a switcher too. OSX just does everything so simpler than I could have wished for on windows. It's very quick and I've never had a system crash :). I no longer play games anymore, got consoles for that. Mac minis will be able to handle almost anything, with the exception of most games, and some photoshop/video editing.

Don't think it's underpowered though.
 
Scythe said:
What LordSplodge said basically.

Mac minis will be able to handle almost anything, with the exception of most games, and some photoshop/video editing.

Don't think it's underpowered though.
Click to expand...

*blushes*

Mac Minis certainly aren't underpowered and will do everything you need, hell my MacBook with 2GB of RAM runs Photoshop CS3 and Aperture 2.0 with no problems, haven't tried Final Cut Express yet...
 
thanks guys, looks like this ones sold :(

what about those older types, 1.25GHz G4 ones? someones offered me one for £125

i was looking to use it for a media centre, as its a small system and almost has everything built in. I'd give OSX a try 1st but if i dont like it vista is an option atleast

then again i dont think that one would really handle vista?
 
<maddness> said:
thanks guys, looks like this ones sold :(

what about those older types, 1.25GHz G4 ones? someones offered me one for £125

i was looking to use it for a media centre, as its a small system and almost has everything built in. I'd give OSX a try 1st but if i dont like it vista is an option atleast

then again i dont think that one would really handle vista?
Click to expand...

nah, that is a 2 year old spec iirc, and it is not a intel processor so it can't run windows.

you need a intel (newish) mac to run windows

out of interest, what other applications will you run on it?

as a media centre with basic usage, osx is the way to go. it has front row which uses the apple remote, so you can use it whilst you're lying in bed or on sofa etc.
 
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<maddness> said:
thanks guys, looks like this ones sold :(

what about those older types, 1.25GHz G4 ones? someones offered me one for £125

i was looking to use it for a media centre, as its a small system and almost has everything built in. I'd give OSX a try 1st but if i dont like it vista is an option atleast

then again i dont think that one would really handle vista?
Click to expand...

Stay clear of the non-Intel ones and the Intel Core Solo ones. Pony up the cash for a new one, you won't regret it.

It has been said, but I'll repeat (as us old people are prone to doing... :p ) OS X is far better as a Media Centre.

Check out these links:

OS X XBMC : http://www.osxbmc.com/
Youtube Video of XBMC on OS X: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tGdihkA5FK4
EyeTV: http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/home.en.html
Video of EyeTV: http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/home.en.html
From the Horses Mouth: http://www.apple.com/getamac/

Trust me, once you have had Mac you won't go back...
 
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