[Tim916]

Hi guys,

I was wondering how you think how well a mini would work processing ~7mb raw images in Photoshop Elements? This would be the most rigorous task that the machine would have to perform.

Right now I am using a 15" 1.67ghz powerbook, which is obviously faster than the mini, but do you think I would notice a huge difference? How much better off would I be getting a G5 iMac? I am looking for an inexpensive machine that I can leave at my office because I am sick of lugging the PB back and forth. I have a 17" Dell LCD that I could use w/ the mini.

Thanks.

[MichiganRich]

A bit of a gulf there as far as 'inexpensive machine' between the mini and the iMac. You don't sound like you've done much serious thinking about it yet.

I think a mini would suit you fine, and you wouldn't have to sink much money into it to find out. I've always thought the mini was priced at a point (and has the requisite desirability) that would allow you to 'buy and try' one, and be able to sell it to a friend or co-worker (at a not-so-huge loss) if it was not what you expected.

DealMac is advertising the 80gig MiniMate drive/port hub for just over a hundred bucks if you wanted to uhm... pump it up a bit.

[ph0ust]

well, i can't say how well the mini will work, but i do the same type of work on an 17" imac g4 1ghz. the new minis have a bit more horsepower, but my imac does have a bit more ram (1.5gb) and my harddrive is faster.

here's the deal, processing raw files (i shoot a canon 20d) is no big deal until you start batch processing a lot (e.g. hundred+). at that point, the batch renaming is fast, but the raw conversions take about 30 seconds a piece. if you convert to tiff it will be slower obviously, as they will become around 50mb files.

so, if you aren't processing large numbers of files, i think the mini will work fine, but would STRONGLY recommend maxing the thing out. you have to max out ram, and i would recommend replacing the harddrive with a 7200rpm drive. no matter what, it won't be blazing fast, but if that is not a concern you are fine.

anyway, that's my $.02. good luck.

btw - i do process a lot of files and my imac sux big time (i.e. damn slow). i want to replace it but hate buying computers.... so i am bumming.

[Tim916]

I forgot to mention that I already have an external 160gb 7200rpm HD so that helps out a lot right there. I do not do batch processing so it sounds like the mini should be more than adequate. I do plan on maxing out the ram (how difficult is that to do yourself on a mini?).

Sorry for the noob-ish question, but I'm still relatively new to the mac world so I don't have a good grasp on the performance differences between the various models and what their capabilites are.

I think I will order a mini once the supposed update hits.

[ph0ust]

the external drive is great for backing up and all, but remember that if you are doing work the data transfer for an external hard drive slows things down a lot. not saying that will bother you or not, that's your call, but all your apps and all the processing will be done on the local, albeit damn slow, internal harddrive. like i said though, you can easily replace that with a better 7200 internal drive for not much $$$.

[bitjumper]

On my Mac Mini,

Photoshopt Elements 2 opens raw files in 25 seconds, JPG files in 4 seconds.
iView Media Pro opens raw files in 3 seconds, JPG in 1. (Which is amazing to me!. Cool trick!)

The files are Nikon .NEF files of about 5.5 megabytes. The JPG are about 3 MB.

- Mac Mini 1.42
- 7200 RPM internal drive
- Installed 1 Gig RAM

Works well.

Erik

[Agent69]

Bitjumper,

Did you install the 7200rpm drive yourself? How hard would you rate the install?

[ph0ust]

Originally Posted by bitjumper

On my Mac Mini,

Photoshopt Elements 2 opens raw files in 25 seconds, JPG files in 4 seconds.
iView Media Pro opens raw files in 3 seconds, JPG in 1. (Which is amazing to me!. Cool trick!)

The files are Nikon .NEF files of about 5.5 megabytes. The JPG are about 3 MB.

- Mac Mini 1.42
- 7200 RPM internal drive
- Installed 1 Gig RAM

Works well.

Erik

whoa, it takes 23 seconds to open a single raw file?!?! holy cr@p! my imac, which has a slower processor (1ghz), same speed hard drive and 512mb more ram opens a raw file (canon cr2 file is ~8.3mb)in cs2 in about 1 second.

that implies the mac mini has some serious bottlenecking or that cs2 is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay faster than elements. i wonder which it is, but i find it hard to imagine it is elements.

this makes me offiicially uninterested in the mini. i was considering one or a while since it would let me get the 23" acd, but i want something faster than my imac. damn.