Mac Mini v. iMac G5
I use both Windows and the Linux operating systems and I would first like to say to avoid any flying fists that I am not a Anti-mac person.
I want to purchase a Apple of some sort but I have no experiance with macs and I do not know the speeds of a G4 vs a G5 prosessor.
I need a Mac that will handle the abuse handed to it by My family. We will install Virtual PC on the computer as well.
Nick
PS a shout out to Lt.Commander Meyers for the retirement and the move, Good luck
I want to purchase a Apple of some sort but I have no experiance with macs and I do not know the speeds of a G4 vs a G5 prosessor.
I need a Mac that will handle the abuse handed to it by My family. We will install Virtual PC on the computer as well.
Nick
PS a shout out to Lt.Commander Meyers for the retirement and the move, Good luck
Comments
The 256 MB of RAM included with the mini will probably be insufficient for your needs. The talk of running Virtual PC and other "abuse" suggest that you'd want to install at least 512 MB of RAM, if not 1 GB. 256 MB of RAM would be a big performance hit.
The second big hit to performance on the mini is the inclusion of a laptop hard drive. It's generally slow and has the tendency to head park after a short period of inactivity. While this would be desired in a laptop, it causes an annoying latency when the drive is needed again. Given that you imply that you want performance out of the computer, an upgrade to a faster drive, whether internal or external, seems to be in the cards.
Another consideration would be the two USB ports on the Mini. I would recommend getting a USB hub or a Bluetooth module to extend that functionality. Here, we have an Apple USB keyboard, a mouse, a digital camera, two printers, an iPod Shuffle and a USB MIDI keyboard to plug into the Mini. Apple USB keyboards have built-in two-port USB hubs, so the mouse, digital camera and keyboard use one USB port. Everything else, though, currently has to be swapped around. It's not difficult, but it's something you may want to think about.
Even with a RAM upgrade, a new keyboard and mouse, speakers and a good DVI monitor, our mini ended up being a fair bit cheaper than an iMac. But of course, the costs of the mini can add up if you try to turn it into something else. First, think about whether the mini would stand up to the abuse you intend to put it through. Think of everything you'd need to buy with the mini, then compare that with what you'd get with an iMac. Perhaps treat the mini as you would a Vespa. It gets light work done. It's cheap. Despite the allure of having a fun little machine like that, when you get to the point where you're installing five seats, a cargo rack and a canopy over it, you might ask yourself why you didn't just get a car.
So for you, my recommendation would be to get an iMac. It would deliver the performance you'd want out of the box. You wouldn't have to worry about getting a monitor. You wouldn't have to worry about upgrading it right away. You wouldn't have to worry as much about future upgrades, either. It'd be a much simpler buying decision.
Originally posted by dfiler
My opinion is that the mini would run virtual PC so slowly that you would end up not using virtual PC at all.
Yes : I bought virtual PC one, and I stop using it. It was darn slow, and I become quickly bored.
Originally posted by Powerdoc
Yes : I bought virtual PC one, and I stop using it. It was darn slow, and I become quickly bored.
I actually haven't used Virtual PC, but unless it's required for some reason, you might consider keeping an old PC around instead.
Originally posted by dfiler
My opinion is that the mini would run virtual PC so slowly that you would end up not using virtual PC at all.
My iBook G4 1.2 Ghz runs VPC fine. I even run AutoCad 2005 LT on it.
I talked to a friend at the Law Office who's wife loves mac but he can't stand it. If it becomes that I can't stand the mac operating system My sis would be more than happy to pry it form my hands