[circa02]

Registered: Jan 2005
Posts: 1
From: _ posted 01-29-2005 11:30 PM _ _ _ _ _ _
I need some advice guys. I'm gonna buy a new Mac soon, my first upgrade from my 2001 imac, which is showing it's age and doesn't work very well with os X. I have two choices: The mac mini or the imac. the first thing I need to decide though is house much RAM I'll need. I don't play games or do any movie making/playing. I will use the DVD burner every once and awhile to back up my music. The only programs I use are mail, web browser, Instant Messenger and itunes. I run the first three virtually 24/7. So is 512 enough or should I go for a gig? Also I will be paying using Apple's credit program, which if I understand it correctly is like leasing, a certain amount each month until it's payed off. Now I've done the calculations which are:

mac mini- $1,400- with 1 gig ram and all necessary accessories

imac- $1,893- with 1 gig ram

Also are the speakers that come with the imac alright for listening to music, or would i need a third party set? Thanks in advance. Oh, and my name is Mike

[Mafia]

get the imac, and becareful with apple's credit program, isn't the interest a lot? i dunno i've never used it but i'd get the imac personally i love that thing.

[mintcake]

For what you want to do there, you don't really need a G5. A G4 with 768mb RAM would do you fine. So, question is, do you need the screen? What kind of screen do you have, or would you get, to use with a Mini? If you need a screen then by all means get an iMac. If you have a decent screen, seems to me you're wasting your money if you get an iMac.

[circa02]

mintcake
Senior Member

Posted on : 01-30-2005 08:41 PM __
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For what you want to do there, you don't really need a G5. A G4 with 768mb RAM would do you fine. So, question is, do you need the screen? What kind of screen do you have, or would you get, to use with a Mini? If you need a screen then by all means get an iMac. If you have a decent screen, seems to me you're wasting your money if you get an iMac.

I will have to buy a screen, but having added it up, it will still be cheaper by about $400.

[mintcake]

Oh, OK. And I take it the screen would be similar to the screen in the iMac?

Well then I guess you have to ask yourself whether you need a G5 and/or whether it's worth $400 extra to you?

Another advantage of going with the Mini plus screen is that it leaves you with an independent screen should you decide later to upgrade to something else.