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Uisce · Jul 5, 2011, 12:00 PM

Hey all, figured I'd post this here since its more about a computer to use OS X than any specific model...

I have an aging mini, 2GHz Core Duo, and its under strain with use any more for some of the heavier apps like iPhoto, more serious stuff with PS, etc. Originally it replaced a G4 back when I did more serious computer work, and its been good for that, but to me it seems Apple is neglecting the mini anymore and there's nothing with the power I'd like that isn't an iMac these days, and I don't need (can't use) the attached screen...

So, given that the minis are not powerful enough, the iMacs come with additional screens I don't want, and a new mac Pro is a shade under $3,000, I'm thinking of buying a used Mac Pro. What is a good option for me with 10.7 on the way, that might fall in the $1-1.5k price range?

This would be mainly for photo editing, but I'm getting back into video, so rendering horsepower, maybe some light gaming... plan to install 10.7.

Thanks in advance,

is not · Jul 5, 2011, 01:02 PM

Mac Mini refresh is imminent

P · Jul 5, 2011, 01:50 PM

Only the original Mac Pro series might be had in that price range, and I would strongly recommend against buying one of them. They use very expensive FB-DIMM RAM, so getting it up to a reasonable amount of RAM will be prohibitively expensive - and they are way slower than a modern iMac.

In your price range, there are three options:

1) Mac mini after the next refresh. If it gets the CPU-power of the 13" MBP, which seems likely, it will be a HUGE step up from what you have, and it will be cheaper than your range.
2) 13" MBP. Only advantage compared to mini is that it's available today - and that it's a laptop, of course.
3) An iMac. Even if you don't need the screen, in your range it's by far the best bang for your buck. Even the low-end model has a quadcore, and you get 3.5" HD, 4 RAM slots and a real discrete GPU which none of the others can deliver. You don't HAVE to use the screen - let it face the wall or something.

A potential issue with any new Mac is that they have glossy screens. Some photo editors can't stand them - YMMV.

ccrider · Jul 5, 2011, 05:35 PM

What about a refurbished macbook pro?
Apple has a few refurbished online in your price range-
Now you've got a portable mac and if you don't want the screen, use it with cover closed.
good specs too:

Originally released February 2011
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1280-by-800 resolution
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM
$1,269.00

AppleStore Deals link

Uisce · Jul 5, 2011, 06:44 PM

Thanks for the replies. If a new mini comes out with a decent update, that would be the best option, but other than the usual rumors, is there any kind of solid date? I heard the Air is being held for 10.7, but nothing on minis...

Sad to hear that the old Mac Pros aren't a decent option, but what I'm really looking for is good horsepower. Apple's never had a very robust product line up but the gulf between a mini and a Pro is ridiculous imo - not everyone wants a mac with a monitor stuck to it.

An iMac or a MBP would be two options but I really need a desktop only, so the mobility would be wasted on me (have a laptop and an iPad) and an iMac ... I've not really thought about it since I already have a 32" screen. A 21" iMac is simply a downgrade.

I can wait for a new mini, or go with a refurb 13"MBP and stick it on a shelf; two options I guess.

angelmb · Jul 6, 2011, 02:41 AM

The Mac mini update is long overdue. Safest guess is it would be available this month, either as soon as Lion ~~ships~~ becomes available at the App Store, or the week after.

Or the week after next as worst… I mean, a new Mac loaded with Lion is a better selling point than a Mac loaded with that two years old Snow Leopard with no iCloud goodness whatsoever…

Thirty two inches, is that a TV set?, the Mac mini comes with HDMI.

If mobility was an option, which I understand is not, I would go for the 15" MacBook Pro with antiglare Hi-Res widescreen display (1680 x 1050 pixel). Anything below that is, IMHO, too a low resolution nowadays.

P · Jul 6, 2011, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by Uisce

Sad to hear that the old Mac Pros aren't a decent option, but what I'm really looking for is good horsepower. Apple's never had a very robust product line up but the gulf between a mini and a Pro is ridiculous imo - not everyone wants a mac with a monitor stuck to it.

An iMac or a MBP would be two options but I really need a desktop only, so the mobility would be wasted on me (have a laptop and an iPad) and an iMac ... I've not really thought about it since I already have a 32" screen. A 21" iMac is simply a downgrade.

So connect your existing display to the iMac - with an adapter, if you have to. You can use both together.

You seem to be very opposed to the iMac as an option, and I don't really understand why. The current iMacs use desktop processors and chipsets - the old MBP-minus-the-battery have been gone for years - and rival even the current MP for many operations. The only important part of the iMac that is still a laptop part is the GPU, which you don't seem to be interested in anyway. There is absolutely no downside compared to the mini, and many advantages - not the least of which is the full 3.5" HD instead of the 2.5" model in the mini.

OreoCookie · Jul 6, 2011, 07:06 AM

The current breed of iMacs are excellent desktops: they're faster than the low-end Mac Pro, allow you to install copious amounts of memory and offer an SSD option in addition to the internal 3.5" harddrive.

Regarding the 32" screen: are you sure it's a high-resolution screen or is it just a full-HD screen? If the answer to the latter is yes, then a 27" iMac's screen roughly has twice the number of pixels, an advantage I wouldn't underestimate.

Waragainstsleep · Jul 6, 2011, 07:11 AM

I'm guessing the OP subscribes to Sierradragon and Veltliners school of thought on displays.

Uisce · Jul 6, 2011, 09:22 AM

Ha no, just no room for both and the 32" does double as a tv in the room. Afaik no iMac can do that even though the specs are in the area of what I'm looking for. And no, its not a bigger has to be better mentality, I am using a mini afterall...

I will definitely wait and see what Apple releases between now and August - thanks for the heads up. a used MBP is an option on the space front, and an iMac would be if anyone knew how to run an HDMI to it and input a signal. Last round of buying HDMI was no where to be seen on a Mac, so it wasn't an option then; maybe something else has changed that I'm not aware of.

I can come around on the iMac, but that requires bigger changes. Maybe I'll get what I want in the next few weeks.

OreoCookie · Jul 6, 2011, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by Uisce

Ha no, just no room for both and the 32" does double as a tv in the room. Afaik no iMac can do that even though the specs are in the area of what I'm looking for.

Of course you can use a Mac as a TV, just get a USB TV stick. I have one and it works beautifully. I can pause TV programs, record them, check the TV program digitally and schedule recordings …

Originally Posted by Uisce

and an iMac would be if anyone knew how to run an HDMI to it and input a signal.

All you need is a $5 adapter and an HDMI cable.

Uisce · Jul 6, 2011, 09:58 AM

Oh nice - thanks, maybe an iMac will be it then. It will just pick up a signal from a satellite box?

OreoCookie · Jul 6, 2011, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by Uisce

Oh nice - thanks, maybe an iMac will be it then. It will just pick up a signal from a satellite box?

I don't know, because I don't know where you live (the standards depend on the region, e. g. Europe or US). Elgato has a wide range of Mac-compatible TV sticks. I have an older elgato stick running eyeTV 2. I'm pretty sure they have something that suits your needs.

Waragainstsleep · Jul 6, 2011, 02:58 PM

Sky is trickier. Check out Slingbox.