Is anyone using a mini as their primary computer? I think I'd like to move to a mac. I'm an OTR fleet owner and mostly live on the road. In my truck I have limited space. I have a nice 17" flat screen mounted to the wall. I was thinking a mini with wireless kbd/mouse might be a nice setup taking minimal space and easily stored when not used. Any/all comments appreciated.
Mac mini capabilities?
- Thread starter LDB415
- Start date
That would work great...
Just realize the limiting factor on the mini is the graphics capability.
Just realize the limiting factor on the mini is the graphics capability.
I believe the mini is limited to 2gb of ram. Not a deal breaker but the Mac OS thrives on RAM. I was amazed the difference a upgrade from 2 to 4gb made in my MBP
That's one of the things I've been wondering about as I think more ram trumps a higher processor speed (if it's like the 2.4/2.5 choice in some of them). If only I'd been born rich instead of so good looking I could have the baddest MBP on the block. 
Start a modeling career ... hee hee
I started on the Mac Mini when I was was still considering whether I should make the full switch from PC to Mac. At the time it was the G4 Mac Mini that I purchased, so a lot less powerful than the models available today, but I was surprised at how powerful it was, compared to a comparable PC. I eventually switched to the PowerMac (and if all goes well will upgrade to a MacPro today) and use a MacBook Pro for my work.
In my opinion Mac OS allocates memory very sensibly, and Photoshop has better memory management on mac than it does on Windows. But again, with the cost of memory being so low you will see obvious benefits by maxing the Mac mini with 2 Gig.
I guess it really depends what applications you want to use with it. If you are going to be editing videos, then the answer would be no, go for something more powerful, but if you using it for light photoshop and internet purposes, it is a great machine at a fairly low cost. And with a 17" screen you wouldn't be taxing the graphics processor too much. My G4 MacMini was powering a 20" wide screen with no problems. Note if you are into heavy action games, the MacMini will have its limitations regarding maximum frame rate.
I'm not sure what the power possibilities are like on your truck, but a number of people have converted their Minis to use on 12v within their vehicles, primarily as media centers. If you search on google you will find various sites that explain exactly what and which converters you need to purchase.
The bluetooth mouse and keyboard also works very well. The original versions didn't have great battery life, but the newer ones seem to have improved on that greatly.
In my opinion Mac OS allocates memory very sensibly, and Photoshop has better memory management on mac than it does on Windows. But again, with the cost of memory being so low you will see obvious benefits by maxing the Mac mini with 2 Gig.
I guess it really depends what applications you want to use with it. If you are going to be editing videos, then the answer would be no, go for something more powerful, but if you using it for light photoshop and internet purposes, it is a great machine at a fairly low cost. And with a 17" screen you wouldn't be taxing the graphics processor too much. My G4 MacMini was powering a 20" wide screen with no problems. Note if you are into heavy action games, the MacMini will have its limitations regarding maximum frame rate.
I'm not sure what the power possibilities are like on your truck, but a number of people have converted their Minis to use on 12v within their vehicles, primarily as media centers. If you search on google you will find various sites that explain exactly what and which converters you need to purchase.
The bluetooth mouse and keyboard also works very well. The original versions didn't have great battery life, but the newer ones seem to have improved on that greatly.
I don't play games other than maybe a hand of solitaire once every few weeks. I don't have any need or even any thoughts/intention to do video of any sort. I just want something that's good for photos and from all I hear a Mac is better for photos than a PC. I can't jump in too deep on the money side but would like to get the benefits of a Mac. That was my reasoning for thinking about the Mini.
I bought my daughter a Mini when I was debating on wether to get my Mac Pro or stay PC. It has been her primary computer for almost 2 years now.
I have used Aperture, Photoshop, Illustrator and other "higher end" software and it works fine. She uses Garage band on it and has authored two CD's from it. My Mac pro runs faster as you would expect, but I am surprised that it isn't a bigger differential. I suspect you would do fine with a high end Mini.....
Her machine is a 1.83 Ghz intel with 1 GB of 667 Ram. I am not a Mac fanatic, however, my daughter would not be happy if I took her Mini away and replaced it with a PC....I guess she is another Koolaid drinker *sigh*
I have used Aperture, Photoshop, Illustrator and other "higher end" software and it works fine. She uses Garage band on it and has authored two CD's from it. My Mac pro runs faster as you would expect, but I am surprised that it isn't a bigger differential. I suspect you would do fine with a high end Mini.....
Her machine is a 1.83 Ghz intel with 1 GB of 667 Ram. I am not a Mac fanatic, however, my daughter would not be happy if I took her Mini away and replaced it with a PC....I guess she is another Koolaid drinker *sigh*
I also bought the mini about 3 yrs ago as my get my feet wet mac. It is the G4 version with 512 MB memory, and I'm still using it right now. I'm not a power user by any stretch, so for me it has been the best computer I've had to date. I bought elements a few mons ago, and it runs fine on it.
The newer intel minis are much more powerful, and you can add a lot more memory to them. It used to be that adding memory yourself was tricky, due to opening the unit and it being so compact inside. Not sure if they have made this easier or not.
The newer intel minis are much more powerful, and you can add a lot more memory to them. It used to be that adding memory yourself was tricky, due to opening the unit and it being so compact inside. Not sure if they have made this easier or not.
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