Thread: Mac Mini..anyone running one?

You might recall my Imac blew its Logicboard and it is too costly to replace.

I miss having a larger monitor for bigger projects so I want to get another desktop. I am thinking about another iMac 21" @$1199 but then I saw the Mac Mini was $699.00 and I can get a $200.00 24" monitor. It will be $300.00 savings , I already have wireless keyboard and mouse and I will be getting a larger monitor. Thoughts on the Minis?

Phil, I've got both a 21 inch imac and a mac mini... as well as a couple of other mac. My mac mini is hooked up to my 42 inch HDTV and works great, I've actually had fewer issues with it than I have with my imac.

I'm about done with my 450 MHz G4 and am interested in Mac Mini input too.

Any suggestions for a "best value" 24" monitor?

Originally Posted by Flexon Phil

Any suggestions for a "best value" 24" monitor?

I recently picked up a Dell u2311H. it's an inch off from what you asked (I wanted a 24" too, but settled), but I think it's pretty much the best value for an E-IPS monitor (better viewing angles and, I think, color accuracy) out there right now. I also really like that it has a height adjustable stand. The one downside for home use is there's no HDMI input or speakers. I think it's always under $300 but there's usually a coupon out there getting it down to the low $200s.

If the macmini works for you, you can save some additional money by buying a refurbished one at the Apple store. This also works for an Imac. Just as good as new, if not better, same warranty, etc. The macminis that are refurbished sell pretty fast, but the site is updated throughout the day. There's also another site, which I can't think of right now, that tracks how often refurbished macminis (or macbooks) appear on the apple site.

I love the minis.

I got one when they were first introduced. I ended up needing a larger hard drive than the 40GB it came with (when they were introduced 40GB was small, but storage of media was not so demanding as it is now) so rather than buying an external HD, I opted for a new mini a couple years ago with the 2Ghz core duo and 300GB HD since I had all the peripherals anyway.

I thought it was kind of funny picking up a couple hundred $ for my old mini on CL since a PC would have been junked.

Minis hold their value like nothing else I know. You'll give close to $400 for a 2-3 year old one today, and in a few years it will still be worth a couple hundred. You do give up some graphics performance vs an imac but if that's not important then why not?

Mac Minis are solid little computers if you don't need super graphics performances and don't care about using a non-Apple branded monitor. As for monitors, the Dell 2209wa (little smaller I know) is very well regarded. I believe the Dell 2410 is also very good, but quite a bit more expensive.

Originally Posted by Flexon Phil

Any suggestions for a "best value" 24" monitor?

Dell has IPS monitors for under $300

IPS > TN, but that doesn't mean that there aren't nice TNs out there

Originally Posted by wren

Mac Minis are solid little computers if you don't need super graphics performances and don't care about using a non-Apple branded monitor. As for monitors, the Dell 2209wa (little smaller I know) is very well regarded. I believe the Dell 2410 is also very good, but quite a bit more expensive.

I just bought a 2209wa and couldn't be happier. New for under $200 shipped (off FleaBay), it was a freakin' bargain.

Running a mac mini for at least 5 years now. upgraded the operating software about 18 months ago. Never have had any problems with it. My PC before that crashed constantly and was your typical POS microsoft garbage. Very happy with the mac mini.

05 mac mini, still going strong. Getting the spinning wheel a little more often now, but it's still good.

Just pulled the trigger on a mini today.$549 referbished on the apple canada site. Ive never really used one. Looking forward to it.
.

I used to have one at work and I had no complaints. Ran with a Dell monitor.

my mac mini is in the end of its life cycle..... 4 highly used accounts and ~5 years of heavy family use and it is really starting to slow down.

youtube does not work anymore (it has framerate issues)
but we also have this "eye tv" which works really really well.

I was happy with how it started off but it really slowed down the past year.

my primary computor is now this macbook (the black one if that means anything)