Mac mini uses besides your average desktop computer?
I'd be interested in seeing how many different uses we could adapt the Mac mini for based on its size and low price. I'm talking about stuff outside of the standard machine that we all use on a regular basis. I'll go first:
Home Audio/Video Center -- Hook one up to your entertainment center with attached EyeTV device and bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and you have an all-out multimedia station including music, movies, TV shows, and computing right from your couch. Liked the new episode of The West Wing? Burn it to DVD RIGHT AFTER you're done watching it. Ooooohhhhhh......
8)
Home Audio/Video Center -- Hook one up to your entertainment center with attached EyeTV device and bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and you have an all-out multimedia station including music, movies, TV shows, and computing right from your couch. Liked the new episode of The West Wing? Burn it to DVD RIGHT AFTER you're done watching it. Ooooohhhhhh......
8)
Comments
pleasepleaseplease!
Originally posted by CosmoNut
Home Audio/Video Center -- Hook one up to your entertainment center with attached EyeTV device and bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and you have an all-out multimedia station including music, movies, TV shows, and computing right from your couch. Liked the new episode of The West Wing? Burn it to DVD RIGHT AFTER you're done watching it. Ooooohhhhhh......[/B]
IMO, the hard drive is too small for video. But it is perfect for a File Server/iTunes Server/iPhoto Server/Airport Base Station/Print Server/Web Server.
I wonder if it can take advantage of Airtunes. (e.g. connect the Mac mini to your stereo and control the playback of music from another remote computer via airport)
it would fit easily into a car audio stereo
rack space (2"x7").
Apple could take over car computing with this
- add pop out LCD, gps and navigation software
- plays DVDs
- music server syncs to house iTunes when you
drive near your house
- bluetooth phone coordination with speakers, mics and
keypad
- wireless communication between ipod in pocket
and stereo
- games for kids in back seat
- automatically connects to any available local wireless
network for internet access,
- etc
That's the excuse I'll use to get one later on down the line.
and another one later later on down the line
and another one later later later on down.....
Originally posted by Guartho
Render Farm.
That's the excuse I'll use to get one later on down the line.
and another one later later on down the line
and another one later later later on down.....
That's precisely what I thought when I saw the picture of the stack of Mac minis put up against the HP tower (in addition to someone in Temporary Insanity): with xGrid and an ethernet hub, the Mac mini could do well as a poor man's Xserve.
Originally posted by rampancy
That's precisely what I thought when I saw the picture of the stack of Mac minis put up against the HP tower
I can't wait for all the 3rd party periherals that will come stacking along..
Originally posted by BeigeUser
IMO, the hard drive is too small for video. But it is perfect for a File Server/iTunes Server/iPhoto Server/Airport Base Station/Print Server/Web Server.
I wonder if it can take advantage of Airtunes. (e.g. connect the Mac mini to your stereo and control the playback of music from another remote computer via airport)
I guess you will see some 3rd party
HD offering pretty soon, which are
going to match the design of the
Mac mini. I like Piles...
Originally posted by BeigeUser
IMO, the hard drive is too small for video.
Yes, arguably the 40GB is, but the 80GB drive should be able to fit quite a bit of DV quality video.
1.)Server appliance, running Yellow Dog Linux, NetBSD or MorphOS.
a.Firewall
b.Web Server
c.File Server
2.)Lan parties
a.Warcraft III
b.SpaceQuest.
3.)Computer for my Plasma
a.DVD to Divx encode
b.Media Server
c.Web Surfer
Originally posted by e1618978
A fellow on slashdot had the idea that
it would fit easily into a car audio stereo
rack space (2"x7").
Apple could take over car computing with this
- add pop out LCD, gps and navigation software
- plays DVDs
- music server syncs to house iTunes when you
drive near your house
- bluetooth phone coordination with speakers, mics and
keypad
- wireless communication between ipod in pocket
and stereo
- games for kids in back seat
- automatically connects to any available local wireless
network for internet access,
- etc
that would be cool
Originally posted by e1618978
A fellow on slashdot had the idea that
it would fit easily into a car audio stereo
rack space (2"x7").
Apple could take over car computing with this
- add pop out LCD, gps and navigation software
- plays DVDs
- music server syncs to house iTunes when you
drive near your house
- bluetooth phone coordination with speakers, mics and
keypad
- wireless communication between ipod in pocket
and stereo
- games for kids in back seat
- automatically connects to any available local wireless
network for internet access,
- etc
I was thinking along the same lines. But, how would you access the ports for non bluetooth devices?
Originally posted by LiquidR
I was thinking along the same lines. But, how would you access the ports for non bluetooth devices?
The car space is 1" too wide for the imac mini, you could
put all the ports on a side plate (3rd party mounting kit
with matching brushed aluminum...), and extender cables
to attach those ports to the rear of the computer.
Originally posted by CosmoNut
Yes, arguably the 40GB is, but the 80GB drive should be able to fit quite a bit of DV quality video.
To do video seriously you should use a second harddrive- that can be achieved with an external firewire one.
That is not to say that the mini cant do video without extras. I have edited 20-30 minute DV movies on a 500Mhz titatnium laptop. That only had a 20 (or 30 gig drive)