I'm going to be a first time Mac user who will use it along with PC. I'm not going to game on it. Should I get a Mac Mini? or do you guys recommend something else from eBay?
I'm going to be a first time Mac user who will use it along with PC. I'm not going to game on it. Should I get a Mac Mini? or do you guys recommend something else from eBay?
Welcome to AppleInsider!
If you already have a PC, and you want to share your keyboard, mouse and monitor, get the mini. It's the cheapest way to give the Mac a try, and unlike with eBay, there's no risk, and there is a warranty.
If you decide to get a mini, consider splurging on 512MB of RAM, but choose the other options conservatively. Apple makes their money on the bells and whistles, so if you load it up to the gills it's not cheap anymore.
The second most desirable thing is the SuperDrive, if you have any interest in taking Apple's excellent movie and DVD authoring software (which comes free with the machine) for a spin. But you don't need the SuperDrive to burn DVDs.
You can also buy AppleCare (the extended warranty) any time within the first year of ownership, so you can save yourself that up-front expense too, if you want.
If you're more interested in a second system, consider the iBook (which at least gives you something other than another desktop) or the iMac (which at least doesn't take up much space, for a complete system).
And, of course, feel free to ask questions.
That said, I'm going to move this to General Discussion, where purchasing advice belongs.
If you're going to be browsing the web, checking e-mail, using iTunes, Office, and so on... the Mac mini will be fine, but order it with 512 MB of RAM! Apple is okay for ordering RAM in this case, since the 512 MB upgrade costs roughly what it would to buy a stick yourself after the fact.
If you intend to be a little more serious, and need something beefier for higher-end photography, video editing, and similar activities, then I'd get an iMac G5 (it can be a 17" model unless you crave the sheer screen area) and bump it up to at least 512 MB of RAM from a 3rd-party source.
You can also buy AppleCare (the extended warranty) any time within the first year of ownership, so you can save yourself that up-front expense too, if you want.
careful-- if you want your apple cinema display to be covered under the same warranty (effectively saving 200+ dollars) the applecare for the mac, the mac, and the display have to be on the same receipt (or invoice).
Before I make this purchase, I want to have as much information as possible. First of all, can I use regular PC keyboards and mice on Macs? What does the Superdrive do anyway? How much upgradability is there with the Mac Mini? Can I run any monitor on it? Thank you! This place is warm!
Before I make this purchase, I want to have as much information as possible. First of all, can I use regular PC keyboards and mice on Macs? What does the Superdrive do anyway? How much upgradability is there with the Mac Mini? Can I run any monitor on it? Thank you! This place is warm!
yes your PC keyboards and mice work fine (assuming theyr usb). if they arent, get a PS/2 to USB adapter at radioshak. Superdrive is a dvd burner. it burns dvd+/- r/rw's, and the same for cd's obviously. The mac mini doesnt have a whole lot upgradeability except for when you build it in the online apple store. i would add everything there. if you wanna max out ram, but 3rd party and try your luck at installing it yourself. if you screw up, you lose your warranty, but you can save hundreds if you're going to 1 GB of ram. it comes with a DVI port and a DVI-VGA adapter. So basically all montiors will work with it.
Comments
Originally posted by megadeth
I'm going to be a first time Mac user who will use it along with PC. I'm not going to game on it. Should I get a Mac Mini? or do you guys recommend something else from eBay?
Welcome to AppleInsider!
If you already have a PC, and you want to share your keyboard, mouse and monitor, get the mini. It's the cheapest way to give the Mac a try, and unlike with eBay, there's no risk, and there is a warranty.
If you decide to get a mini, consider splurging on 512MB of RAM, but choose the other options conservatively. Apple makes their money on the bells and whistles, so if you load it up to the gills it's not cheap anymore.
The second most desirable thing is the SuperDrive, if you have any interest in taking Apple's excellent movie and DVD authoring software (which comes free with the machine) for a spin. But you don't need the SuperDrive to burn DVDs.
You can also buy AppleCare (the extended warranty) any time within the first year of ownership, so you can save yourself that up-front expense too, if you want.
If you're more interested in a second system, consider the iBook (which at least gives you something other than another desktop) or the iMac (which at least doesn't take up much space, for a complete system).
And, of course, feel free to ask questions.
That said, I'm going to move this to General Discussion, where purchasing advice belongs.
If you're going to be browsing the web, checking e-mail, using iTunes, Office, and so on... the Mac mini will be fine, but order it with 512 MB of RAM! Apple is okay for ordering RAM in this case, since the 512 MB upgrade costs roughly what it would to buy a stick yourself after the fact.
If you intend to be a little more serious, and need something beefier for higher-end photography, video editing, and similar activities, then I'd get an iMac G5 (it can be a 17" model unless you crave the sheer screen area) and bump it up to at least 512 MB of RAM from a 3rd-party source.
Originally posted by Amorph
You can also buy AppleCare (the extended warranty) any time within the first year of ownership, so you can save yourself that up-front expense too, if you want.
careful-- if you want your apple cinema display to be covered under the same warranty (effectively saving 200+ dollars) the applecare for the mac, the mac, and the display have to be on the same receipt (or invoice).
Originally posted by megadeth
Before I make this purchase, I want to have as much information as possible. First of all, can I use regular PC keyboards and mice on Macs? What does the Superdrive do anyway? How much upgradability is there with the Mac Mini? Can I run any monitor on it? Thank you! This place is warm!
yes your PC keyboards and mice work fine (assuming theyr usb). if they arent, get a PS/2 to USB adapter at radioshak. Superdrive is a dvd burner. it burns dvd+/- r/rw's, and the same for cd's obviously. The mac mini doesnt have a whole lot upgradeability except for when you build it in the online apple store. i would add everything there. if you wanna max out ram, but 3rd party and try your luck at installing it yourself. if you screw up, you lose your warranty, but you can save hundreds if you're going to 1 GB of ram. it comes with a DVI port and a DVI-VGA adapter. So basically all montiors will work with it.