Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

thursdaythrice · Mar 20, 2006, 06:03 PM

As of now and always I was a microsoft user. But becuase of the word and many of my friends having an apple computer i decided to look further into them. I noticed many of the good things like very user friendly, very stylish, very durable computers and also the lack of viruses.
Since i am in high school and have a part time job i decided on purchasing a new mac which i think would be the best for me.
---------------------
MAC MINI
699$ (canadian)
1.5 ghz
512 mb
60gb
Intel core
----------------------
IMAC
1499$(Canadian)
17 inch screen
1.83 ghz
512 mb
160 gb
Intel core
----------------------
I would mostly use the computer for school homework, i am a musician so alot of work on garage band, internet, email, ichat, and some of the extra programs here and there.
Since mac mini does not have screen and other features those have to be added

macmini+isight+bigger hard drive+monitor+keyboard/mouse=2600 Can. (roughly, and with all apple products) But i could also buy cheaper less quality monitors/webcams/keyboard for about 1200.

But if i buy the iMac i dont know if this will be too much things i need and space.

Thanks alot,
Mateo.

harrisjamieh · Mar 20, 2006, 06:17 PM

The iMac will be the superior option by far:

Better graphics
Faster hard drive
Overall faster system
Dual Core v the single core you priced up
Compact design.

Not much going for the mini really when you look at it like that...

BikerJonTN · Mar 20, 2006, 06:22 PM

If you have 1500CAD to spend on a computer, the iMac is clearly the better buy.

Don't forget that the iMac is a machine with essentially two processors, and the mini has only one. You will notice a difference in speeds between the two machines, all else equal.

The iMac is designed for persons who need a complete computing solution. The Mac mini is for those who already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. While I have no delusions that Apple is losing money on each iMac sale, it could be described as Apple's "loss-leader" as it is what they use to attract new customers. The value of the iMac line is much more competitive than that of the Mac mini.

Recap: iMac is faster, has more goodies, better value.

thursdaythrice · Mar 20, 2006, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by BikerJonTN

If you have 1500CAD to spend on a computer, the iMac is clearly the better buy.

Don't forget that the iMac is a machine with essentially two processors, and the mini has only one. You will notice a difference in speeds between the two machines, all else equal.

The iMac is designed for persons who need a complete computing solution. The Mac mini is for those who already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. While I have no delusions that Apple is losing money on each iMac sale, it could be described as Apple's "loss-leader" as it is what they use to attract new customers. The value of the iMac line is much more competitive than that of the Mac mini.

Recap: iMac is faster, has more goodies, better value.

Thanks.
I have heard somewhere from a friend or something, that soon they are updating the iMac in a couple months..Have you heard of this or is he just making up crap?

JKT · Mar 20, 2006, 06:32 PM

Regardless of pricing and other considerations, here's another way to think about it:

The mini is a good option if 1) you already have a monitor, mouse and keyboard or 2) you plan to get a reasonable quality display, mouse and keyboard (not necessarily from Apple) with plans to upgrade to a PowerMac (or Mac Pro or whatever they get called after they too switch to intel) or even a PC at a later date. In other words, the mini gives you a degree of flexibility that you don't have with the all-in-one iMac - you may not want to keep it for more than a couple of years before you upgrade and then you will only need to buy a new tower (or the next generation mini) at that point as you already have the other hardware.

The iMac is a good option if you plan to keep the same machine for the next three to five+ years but when you come to replace it, you are going to be hit for all the hardware again.

BikerJonTN · Mar 20, 2006, 06:36 PM

The iMac just received an "update," and as such will not be updated in the next few months. Please note that the update to which I refer is the Intel switch, and that was quite significant. Some people speculate that update cycles will occur more frequently now that Intel is in the picture, but I would put an iMac update at 8 to 12 months away.

Recap: Your friend is "just making up crap."

JKT · Mar 20, 2006, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by thursdaythrice

Thanks.
I have heard somewhere from a friend or something, that soon they are updating the iMac in a couple months..Have you heard of this or is he just making up crap?

This is something of an unknown with the switch to intel. Historically, due to the relatively large gaps between faster revisions of the PPC chips, particular lines of Macs have only been updated every 6 to 9 months. With Intel, we may see updates happening more frequently. However, I seriously doubt it will be in a couple of months. What is possible is that we may see some price reductions as the Intel chips get cheaper, but even that is pure speculation.

In other words, who knows. If you need it now, buy what you can afford. If you can wait, then wait, but be aware that you can always wait and wait and wait and there will always be that bright new thing just around the next corner. Having said that, do expect some form of product release at the beginning of April - Apple turns 30 on the 1st so it is highly likely that something will be happening then in celebration. It could just be some iPod related announcement or a new version of the iBook (which is long overdue an upgrade). Maybe, just maybe, it will be some new celebratory type of Mac...

thursdaythrice · Mar 20, 2006, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by JKT

In other words, who knows. If you need it now, buy what you can afford. If you can wait, then wait, but be aware that you can always wait and wait and wait and there will always be that bright new thing just around the next corner. Having said that, do expect some form of product release at the beginning of April - Apple turns 30 on the 1st so it is highly likely that something will be happening then in celebration. It could just be some iPod related announcement or a new version of the iBook (which is long overdue an upgrade). Maybe, just maybe, it will be some new celebratory type of Mac...

Yes. I have heard about the 30 years of Apple on the 1st, and most likely being something new. Becuase of the people that have posted i am thinking of the Imac more now, but once you brought up the Ibook, i searched some things on the internet and on macrumors.com it said that maybe they will have the new intel and bigger Ibook, do you think this could be a good product for me becuase it will probably be somewhere between the iMac and the mac mini for performance and cost.
What could possibly be bad about the apple ibook?

MacOS-Fan · Mar 20, 2006, 07:34 PM

Don't forget that you are comparing a CoreSolo Mini to a CoreDuo iMac. If you want a more even comparison look at the iMac and the CoreDuo Mini. They are a little closer in stats.

However if you need a keyboard, mouse and monitor and don't mind an all-in-one design, the iMac is probably the better value.

Commodus · Mar 20, 2006, 07:36 PM

GarageBand? Get the iMac. GarageBand can be pretty demanding when there are several tracks in play, and a 1.83 GHz Core Duo will decimate a 1.5 GHz Core Solo in just about everything. You'll probably also want the larger hard drive - 160 GB will give you much more scratch space for your music.

Originally Posted by thursdaythrice

As of now and always I was a microsoft user. But becuase of the word and many of my friends having an apple computer i decided to look further into them. I noticed many of the good things like very user friendly, very stylish, very durable computers and also the lack of viruses.
Since i am in high school and have a part time job i decided on purchasing a new mac which i think would be the best for me.

...

I would mostly use the computer for school homework, i am a musician so alot of work on garage band, internet, email, ichat, and some of the extra programs here and there.
Since mac mini does not have screen and other features those have to be added

macmini+isight+bigger hard drive+monitor+keyboard/mouse=2600 Can. (roughly, and with all apple products) But i could also buy cheaper less quality monitors/webcams/keyboard for about 1200.

But if i buy the iMac i dont know if this will be too much things i need and space.

Thanks alot,
Mateo.

BikerJonTN · Mar 20, 2006, 09:46 PM

Before considering the iBook, ask yourself one question: Do you need a portable? If you're only considering an iBook as a step between the Mac mini and the iMac, then you're considering it for the wrong reason. The iBook is the value notebook much like the iMac is the value desktop.

Recap: Need a portable? Yes/No gives you the solution.

Stolfi1 · Mar 21, 2006, 03:05 AM

I am going to be different from everyone else by saying you should get the mac mini. In 4 years the imac will be useless so will the mini but the monitor you buy for the mini will still be usable on another machine. A mini and a 20' display is around the cost of a imac.

DCapple · Mar 21, 2006, 03:52 AM

you have to choose its either economy or quality....
economy if you dont have enough budget to get the expesive one but if i were you ill choose the quality..

iREZ · Mar 21, 2006, 04:35 AM

get the imac

dale · Mar 21, 2006, 06:20 AM

Originally Posted by Stolfi1

I am going to be different from everyone else by saying you should get the mac mini. In 4 years the imac will be useless so will the mini but the monitor you buy for the mini will still be usable on another machine. A mini and a 20' display is around the cost of a imac.

This was also a big consideration for me.

I wondered how I would retain some of the "locked in" value of the 20" screen built into the iMac. After a lot of consideration (mini vs. iMac), I went for the iMac.

The reason: think how large LCD screens were 4 years back, and how expensive they were. Chances are that a brand new 20" screen of similar quality in 4 years time will only cost about £200 ($375 US) anyway.

I will retire my iMac in about 4/5 years, by which time I expect technology will have moved on significantly.

By then, I might have decided thet working on a monster sized iPod (current iMac) is a good thing after all

CheesePuff · Mar 21, 2006, 10:36 AM

In 4 years do you still want to be using the same LCD though? Right now they have ViewSonic professional series 20" widescreens for $429. Last year they were $599. Just wait what 4 years will bring. To recap, I would go with the iMac especially since you will be using GarageBand which reads and writes a lot of data from the hard drive so you will excel with the 7200 RPM drive. Not to mention the dual cores.

thursdaythrice · Mar 21, 2006, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by Stolfi1

I am going to be different from everyone else by saying you should get the mac mini. In 4 years the imac will be useless so will the mini but the monitor you buy for the mini will still be usable on another machine. A mini and a 20' display is around the cost of a imac.

But how will i use the monitor on a new machine?...Unless i get an updated mac mini, or just buy the machine. Which then i would most likely buy a laptop becuase i will be in college or whatever, so it is a big decision.

BikerJonTN · Mar 21, 2006, 06:41 PM

An iMac will be no more useless in 4 years than any 17" LCD you buy. It is a fallacy to believe buying separate, but equal, parts will result in a lower net loss in the future.

Also consider that in any span of time (1 year, 2 years, or 3617 years), the residual value of the iMac will be higher than a set containing a 17" LCD, mouse, keyboard, and Mac mini. The depreciation on commodity hardware such as LCDs is extremely high.

MacOS-Fan · Mar 21, 2006, 10:09 PM

It's also a fallacy to say that a Mac Mini isn't "quality" (as stated in an above post).

BikerJonTN · 10:28 PM

Hi there.

MacOS-Fan · Mar 21, 2006, 10:24 PM

Lighten up

I wasn't referring to you. I apologize for the confusion.

BikerJonTN · Mar 21, 2006, 10:28 PM

Alright my bad.

24klogos · Mar 24, 2006, 11:13 AM

get a mac mini, its a long shot before these machines come out of the transition stage from ppc to intel, and if you rely on third party apps and you like the style of the machine (plus if you want to save further and you have a monitor, keyboard etc etc) its the best bet. Unless you push them both to their limits you won't even feel a difference in performance; with these MacTels you're better off saving money and waiting to see what the field is going to be in a year or two (when any new mac - or any machine - will be somewhat due to be replaced), so keep it real and play it safe, worse comes the worse you could turn the mac mini into a pretty cool ashtray and get a REAL pc once Apple realizes money is found in building pianos.

talisker · Mar 24, 2006, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by Stolfi1

In 4 years the imac will be useless

Why? My four year old ibook 600 is far from useless. In fact, I'm using in right now. Sure, Peter Jackson isn't beating a path to my door to use it to render his next CGI extravaganza, but it's more than useable for email, web browsing, word processing, photos, itunes etc.

FunandBlindness · Mar 26, 2006, 12:20 AM

My Powermac G3 450 is far from useless. It has been running 24 hours a day for 6 years. Does basic tasks just a well as any current mac.

Gordio · Mar 26, 2006, 02:32 AM

Do you have a monitor? If so, get the mini. I have a Dell 2405 so I got the mini. The mini is also smaller and cheaper.

PS I was a mac convert 8 months ago. I HATED macs since forever, since I had problems w/ them from elementary, middle, and high shcool. My computer science freshman friend introduced it to me my last semester of college, and I was immediately wow'd. Ironically, seeing the mini on the page was what impressed me enough to open my mind and give OSX a chance. Now I got the intel mini, and although it looks normal to me, I forget how impressive it is till I see the reaction of friends when I show them my mini.

Maflynn · Mar 26, 2006, 08:05 AM

I'm leaning towards the mini myself. I think the form factor and price is delta is such that its an attractive choice.

The benchmarks that I've seen so far ars and macworld lead me to believe its not too much slower then the iMac. That is the speed increase isn't worth 600 dollars to me. I already have a monitor to I'd not need to spend any money on that.

Mike