[wvx]

My brothers and I love to play old SNES,NES,Genesis, etc games on the computer. Sometimes we even hook my little brother's eMac up to the big screen and it looks great. Using graphics filters available in most emulators that the consoles didn't have the games actually look better. USB gamepads work great too.

Just another fabulous use fro the mini in the living room or media room or wherever.

[Cubeoid]

Yea, I'm dissapointed Steve didn't push "native SNES support"

[Millennium]

Actually, I see one problem with the Mini's form factor when it comes to emulators: all of the ports are in the back. If they'd included a front-mounted port or two, it would have been better.

This may, of course, be solvable with a simple USB hub; use a short cable between the Mac and the hub, and you can bring the ports out to the front. I wonder if they make a hub that has suction cups or something similar on the bottom.

Other than that, you're right; it would make a great emulator box. I was thinking about getting a used XBox and modding the bejeezus out of it for a similar purpose, but I may need to rethink that idea now...

[teszeract]

I haven't looked in any great detail at the minimac, but can't you just call the back the front and turn it around?

[wvx]

Originally posted by Millennium:
Actually, I see one problem with the Mini's form factor when it comes to emulators: all of the ports are in the back. If they'd included a front-mounted port or two, it would have been better.

This may, of course, be solvable with a simple USB hub; use a short cable between the Mac and the hub, and you can bring the ports out to the front. I wonder if they make a hub that has suction cups or something similar on the bottom.

Other than that, you're right; it would make a great emulator box. I was thinking about getting a used XBox and modding the bejeezus out of it for a similar purpose, but I may need to rethink that idea now...

Well... if you wanted to be crafty, you could get a USB hub, some hot glue and foam core and slap together a usb hub holding slab that the Mac mini could sit on top (I've seen very slim 4 port laptop usb hubs) that would give you four ports right on the front... I actually would do something like this... as I have thought about this too... I would go a step further and add other components and make a more robust homemade enclosure... including my EyeTV box, flash card reader, extra firewire drive, keyspan receiver etc...

or if you wanted to put more time into it then do some fabrication... like how I made a dock that fit my 2nd gen iPod...

http://www.vasher.com/site_more.php?id=155_0_4_0_M

[The Godfather]

Originally posted by teszeract:
I haven't looked in any great detail at the minimac, but can't you just call the back the front and turn it around?

How would you insert a CD then?

[wvx]

Originally posted by The Godfather:
How would you insert a CD then?

And also you have at least the big honkin power cable hanging out the front.

[C.J. Moof]

I'm confident that right now someone is designing a USB2 hub made to match the finish and stack under the mini. Wait a few weeks, and it'll come.....

[olePigeon]

Originally posted by C.J. Moof:
I'm confident that right now someone is designing a USB2 hub made to match the finish and stack under the mini. Wait a few weeks, and it'll come.....

Like the iPod, Mac Mini = LOTS of accessories.