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the BBC have a
similar story comparing the MAC MINI to the same DELL
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Posted: 2005-01-20 12:52:29
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Yeah, I saw that BBC article too. It's a little inconsistent at times:
"the machine's specifications lack the horse power for tasks such as high-end video editing or games."
However, it's not aimed at those markets! That's like saying a Ford Fiesta lacks the power for Formula One racing!!!
But, with Firewire and the supplied iMovie it is perfectly suitable for home video editing from DV cameras, and the Mac mini comes with a couple of commercial games and will run pretty much all current Mac games fine.
The DELL doesn't have Firewire as the Mac does, so you'd have to add it to do home video editing, along with buying the software to edit.
The DELL comes with a cut-down 'Home' edition of Windows XP not the full 'Pro' edition.
The JAL is £60 - £130 more expensive! Add that to the cost of the Mac and you can get some of the 'extras' its missing!
The JAL also has no Firewire, or Ethernet.
The home-built PC isn't aimed at Joe Public, its for techies who have the knowledge and expertise to make their own PC.
For the Mac they say "The lack of a DVD burner is an omission in the age of backing-up important software." but don't make the same comment about the DELL.
However, they do make some good comments:
"Apple computers are famously user friendly and offer much better network security, which means fewer viruses. (it should say NO viruses & spyware though!)
The package of software that comes with the machine is the best money can buy."
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Posted: 2005-01-20 13:25:55
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agreed which is pretty much why I didn't post it previously
I personally think the mac mini is good value for money and look forward to giving it a go with an open mind and since my kids use macs at school I have no doubt that they will be teaching me a thing or two on how to use it
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Posted: 2005-01-20 13:30:28
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Just remember to get at least an additional 256mb of RAM for it at purchase (it only has 1 RAM slot)! I can't recommend that enough!!!
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Posted: 2005-01-20 13:32:17
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yeah I saw your comment on that but it seems to be fairly standard pc2700 ram as I recall so presumably it should be easy for me to do myself (and probably cheaper)?
edit: oh! I missed "only 1 RAM slot" so I'd have to ditch the supplied one. maybe its better to get the extra memory at purchase time after all
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Unless I'm very much mistaken...
my reviews:
V800 K700i (coming soon: V3, JAM)
[ This Message was edited by: masseur on 2005-01-20 12:36 ]
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Posted: 2005-01-20 13:35:30
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I don't think anyone has mentioned the biggest difference between MS and Apple (sorry if they have!), the issue of malware, spyware and viruses - Apple is virtually unaffected and although precautionary steps are always recommended, at work I spend around an hour every day updating the AV products and sweeping for spyware and "unwanted applications" on my Windows laptop, which severely affects my productivity. My dad's home PC is virtually unusable, it is stinking with nasties, and he's not technically minded enough to understand best practice for keeping his machine clean or maintain AV software (which can cost a fair bit don't forget). At home, I get on with doing whatever I want to do, on my iBook. And it came with amazing stuff built in - last week I uploaded NYE photos to iPhoto, then exported them as a slideshow style movie, complete with a soundtrack from iTunes. The whole process took minutes, and there I was with a video file to share with people! Love it.
[ This Message was edited by: davio on 2005-01-20 12:42 ]
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Posted: 2005-01-20 13:39:57
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A review of the Mac mini from the Wall Street Journal is here:
http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20050120.html
Conclusion:
"Overall, the Mac mini is a good choice for Windows users on a budget who are tempted to switch. It's not a technological breakthrough, but it may just be one of Apple's smartest business moves."
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[ This Message was edited by: JoolsG4 on 2005-01-20 16:20 ]
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Posted: 2005-01-20 17:09:23
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A few more reviews:
PC World: Mac mini would be great starter system
PC World senior editor Rebecca Freed says the low-cost Mac mini handled everything she threw at it, and says she would
recommend it to new computer users. "Though it's small--more compact than the average lunchbox--this system isn't rickety. It handled most tasks I tried gracefully, without hesitating or freezing," writes Freed. "The 512MB of RAM and the solidness of OS X 10.3 have a lot to do with that, but the 1.25-GHz G4 CPU also makes a difference. I opened half a dozen applications and switched among their various windows without any slowness... My bottom line? If I were recommending a starter system to someone (who hadn't already taken a side in the Mac versus Windows holy war), I wouldn't hesitate to send them in the direction of the Mac mini."
CBS: Mac mini cheap enough for PC users, but still a Mac
CBS technology columnist Larry Magid says he was
pleasantly surprised by Apple's new Mac mini. "Hearing the hype about Apple's new US$499 Macintosh gave me pause. Could Apple, which is known as the BMW of computer companies, really come out with a machine cheap enough to tempt Windows users yet still 'Mac' enough to satisfy Macintosh aficionados? After unpacking and setting up the new machine, the answer is a qualified yes," writes Magid. "While the Mac mini won't suddenly make Macs a more popular platform than Windows, I think it may tempt many Windows users who are curious about the Mac and/or frustrated with Windows which is far more prone to spyware, viruses and security problems. Some Windows users might wind up liking the mini so much that they wind up becoming life-long Mac users while others may use it as their second computer--perhaps to surf the web, check email and edit digital photos."
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Posted: 2005-01-24 23:02:55
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And another:
http://www.macworld.com/2005/01/news/macminihandson/index.php
And an article on opening it up to install RAM yourself:
http://www.macworld.com/weblo[....]005/01/macminiinside/index.php
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[ This Message was edited by: JoolsG4 on 2005-01-25 09:47 ]
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Posted: 2005-01-24 23:20:27
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Good news if you're thinking of buying one of these...
"Apple has quietly lowered the price of some of its build-to-order components on the Mac mini as well as offering a faster version of its optical SuperDrive. The Apple Store is now offering the combination SuperDrive reads DVDs at 8x, writes to DVD-R at 4x, writes DVD+/-R at 4x, writes DVD+RW at 2-4x, reads CDs at 24x, writes to CD-R at 16x, and writes to CD-RW at 8x. Bluetooth/AirPort Extreme upgrade for $100 ($30 drop), while offering the Bluetooth upgrade separately for $50. Apple is also offering 1GB RAM upgrades for $325 ($150 drop) and offering a faster 8x SuperDrive (with both DVD+/-RW functionality) for the same $100 upgrade price as its previous 4x SuperDrive. A hard drive upgrade to 80GB (from 40GB) is now $50 ($40 drop). The estimated ship time on BTO and standard configuration Mac minis is 3-4 weeks. Update: The BTO SuperDrive combines a 4x/2x/8x DVD+/-RW mechanism with a 16x/8x/24x CD-RW mechanism."
Prices have also been lowered on the UK Apple Store...
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Posted: 2005-01-25 23:55:34
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