macbook versus mini for desktop (macbook power usage & operation closed)
I'm putting a computer in my kitchen that anybody in the house can use (kids & parents). It will be hooked up to a 24" LCD and also act as a small file server, dvd player and perhaps eyetv dvr.
I like the mini because it is small (can hide in the cabinet where spills won't get it), is cheap and uses only 13W when idle. But when I think down the road, 4 year old laptops seem a lot more useful than 4 year old mac minis. So I'm a bit torn.
So my questions are:
- Does anybody know how much power the macbook uses when "idle" (just running finder).
- Can the macbook be run with the lid closed? (I know old powerbooks used to vent hot air through the keyboard.)
(Then again, I have the computer in the kitchen so I can watch my kids on the computer. In 4 years they'll be 5 years old and probably want a laptop they could have in their own room - exactly what I want to avoid. And I'll probably upgrade my macbook pro by then anyway.)
I like the mini because it is small (can hide in the cabinet where spills won't get it), is cheap and uses only 13W when idle. But when I think down the road, 4 year old laptops seem a lot more useful than 4 year old mac minis. So I'm a bit torn.
So my questions are:
- Does anybody know how much power the macbook uses when "idle" (just running finder).
- Can the macbook be run with the lid closed? (I know old powerbooks used to vent hot air through the keyboard.)
(Then again, I have the computer in the kitchen so I can watch my kids on the computer. In 4 years they'll be 5 years old and probably want a laptop they could have in their own room - exactly what I want to avoid. And I'll probably upgrade my macbook pro by then anyway.)
Comments
I'm putting a computer in my kitchen that anybody in the house can use (kids & parents). It will be hooked up to a 24" LCD and also act as a small file server, dvd player and perhaps eyetv dvr.
I like the mini because it is small (can hide in the cabinet where spills won't get it), is cheap and uses only 13W when idle. But when I think down the road, 4 year old laptops seem a lot more useful than 4 year old mac minis. So I'm a bit torn.
So my questions are:
- Does anybody know how much power the macbook uses when "idle" (just running finder).
- Can the macbook be run with the lid closed? (I know old powerbooks used to vent hot air through the keyboard.)
(Then again, I have the computer in the kitchen so I can watch my kids on the computer. In 4 years they'll be 5 years old and probably want a laptop they could have in their own room - exactly what I want to avoid. And I'll probably upgrade my macbook pro by then anyway.)
The MacBook automatically goes to sleep when you close the lid. There are programs that can go around this. If you hook it up to an external mouse, keyboard, and display It will wake back up without extra software.
However, there are conflicting reports over heat. I don't think I would make a permanent solution as it won't dissapate heat as it should (generally sucks cool air in thru the keyboard and pushes it out the rear which can be blocked by the hinge when closed).
Power usage I do not know... I do know the power adaptor is rated 65W. Also you have to consider the life of your battery. If you never use it, it may reduce unaturally (being topped off every once in a while when it drops below 95% but never actually being used).
I would recommend the Mac Mini for you needs, as it costs less to start and actually I find used Mac Minis to be harder to find then iBooks/MacBooks. I would pay attention to the heat with it though, make sure your cabinent does make it excessively hot for it or that it vents somehow. I don't know the heat output of the MacMini but the new ones at 2.0 Ghz and 9400 could start to put out some heat if playing a game or alot of HD content.
But when I think down the road, 4 year old laptops seem a lot more useful than 4 year old mac minis. So I'm a bit torn.
Your laptop battery will likely need replaced by then; plus, in 4 years, the computer industry will look quite a bit different form how it does now. Just next year, Intel plans to introduce 6-core mobile processors vs the 2-core we have now.
In 4 years, who knows what we'll have. Intel showed a protoype of an 80-core chip in 2007 that could be ready for production in a 5 year timeframe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97uSsjjoSNM
That lands round about the end of 2012.
Not to mention, touch screens may be far more prevalent by then too.
I would say get the cheaper and more suited Mac Mini and think about what you do in 4 years when that time comes and we see the advances that have been made. You can install fan software to kick up the speeds sooner to keep it cool but still make sure it's ventilated.