Well, you make a good point, but, you need to check current configurations.
You can get a mini with 320GB drive, 4GB ram and a 2.53GHZ processor for $799. Yes, if you have to buy a keyboard, mouse and monitor, the price jumps. However, a lot of us came over from windows and already had those devices. The bottom line is that for $400 less your only giving up a faster drive and a tiny bit of CPU speed. Yes, the monitor is included and will make things more compact. if I were sighted, I would have jumped at the IMac, the monitor is beautiful. Unfortunately,I have an older mini and they only offered 2GB of ram at the time. Over all though, I will admit that a Imac would have been a better deal for me. On Apr 3, 2010, at 12:23 AM, Bryan Smart wrote: > The only things that the Mini has going for it are that it is the least > expensive Mac, and that it is the smallest Mac. > > Being inexpensive doesn't mean that it is a good bargain, though, only that > it is the least expensive way to get some kind of Mac. > > Being small is important for some special situations, like if you want it to > be a component in a living room entertainment center, or if you plan to stash > it away on a shelf in a closet. > > Neither of these things make it a good desktop Mac, or even a good deal. If > you have no idea if you'll even like a Mac, it is the cheapest commitment to > try it out. If you're sure that you want to use a Mac, though, it doesn't > make financial sense. > > The entry level iMac, the 21.5 inch model with the 3Ghz Core Duo CPU, 4GB of > memory, 500GB hard drive, and accessories, costs right at $1200. This iMac > comes with the full Apple desktop experience. You have a real Apple keyboard > and a Mighty Mouse. You don't need to worry about a monitor, because it's > built in. Its still a very small computer. The difference is that your Mini > lays down on your desk, and the iMac stands up. In some ways, this actually > saves you desk space over the Mini. > > What do you need to get a Mini like that? The Mini doesn't even have a 3Ghz > CPU. The 2.66Ghz is the best you can get, and that Mini starts at $949. Pay > another $100 to get a 500GB hard drive, like on the iMac. Of course, you'll > need a keyboard and mouse like are included with the iMac, and so add an > Apple keyboard and magic mouse. Your Mini has no monitor, though, and you'll > have to buy one, so you'll need a video adaptor. Final check out is > $1,196.00, the exact same thing that you would have paid for the iMac. Not > only that, but unlike the iMac, you still don't have a monitor. You can go > buy a 20 inch one new for $70 at an office supply store, but it will be a low > quality LCD, not the nice wide screen LED display in the iMac. Everything > together will cost you almost $1,300. > > So, when you're finished, you've spent more than you would on an iMac, you > have a slower CPU, a slower hard drive, and a lower quality monitor. Not only > that, but you have a separate monitor/CPU, instead of a combined unit. That > means that your Mini with monitor and keyboard is far less portable than the > iMac would have been. > > Also, for almost the same amount of money, you could have purchased a MacBook > with 4GB memory and a 500GB hard drive for $1,249. That would have matched > the Mini's performance, since the Mini uses laptop guts anyway, except the > MacBook would be extremely portable. > > Even if you got the cheapest Mini, but still got a $70 cheap-o monitor and > accessories, you'll spend over $800. Yes, you saved $400 over getting an > iMac. But you have a 2.26Ghz CPU instead of 3Ghz, you have 2GB of memory > instead of 4GB, and you have a tini tiny 160GB hard drive. To me, that's > pretty much cutting the Mini's performance to half the level of the cheapest > iMac, and only saving $400. Not a deal at all. > > Of course, if your goal is to spend as little as possible on a Mac, then this > will do it. It most certainly, though, is not a deal. > > Bryan > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dan Roy > Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 9:17 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: My Mac Mini > > Brian, the mini uses a 2.26GHZ processor and, while that isn't as much as the > 3.06GHZ that the IMac uses,it's certainly close. Yes, the internal drive is > a laptop drive, therefore, it runs at 5400 RPM instead of 7200RPM, however, > for some people who just use the internet , listen to music, rip CD's, and > occasional word processing, it's enough. > > Your right though, it shouldn't be such a big deal, but, with the other > supposed limitations, we knew about them before we bought our mini's, but, > the monitor thing, well, it would have been nice to know. > > On Apr 1, 2010, at 9:25 AM, Bryan Smart wrote: > >> I think that people are getting the concept of the Mini all wrong. >> >> The Mini is not a laptop. If you try to use it like some sort of portable, >> then you're of course free to try, but Apple has not designed it to be a >> portable computer, and so, if it doesn't work like that, they won't care >> that you can't make it suit that purpose. Its also not intended to be a >> headless Mac for blind people. >> >> The Mini is designed to fit two types of situations only. >> >> 1. You don't know if Mac is for you, and you want a cheap way to try it out. >> >> 2. You need a low-powered Mac to handle some basic tasks, such as being a >> home or small office server. >> >> That's it. >> >> If the Mini feels underpowered, it is because its underpowered. It is >> powered by a mobile processor, uses laptop memory, and slower laptop hard >> drives. >> >> If the Mini sucks at being a portable computer, it is because it isn't a >> portable computer. Its a cheap desktop Mac. >> >> If the Mini sucks as a headless Mac, then that is because it isn't designed >> to run without a monitor. People are supposed to buy a Mini to use with >> their existing PC hardware, as part of evaluating if they'd like to really >> use Mac in the future. Of course, using a Mac with a PC keyboard and mouse >> means that you miss out on a lot, also. Still, it is a way to try this stuff >> to see if you'll like it, or if it will be a waste of money, without forcing >> you to pay a lot for the chance to try it out. >> >> If you're serious at all about using the Mac, you probably won't stay with a >> Mini for very long. The internal hard drives are slow, the capacity won't go >> any higher than 500GB, the memory won't expand very far, the processor is >> underpowered, so on and so on. >> >> Not trying to rain on your parade. I love hacking around with what's >> possible in equipment. The thing is, if, after using a Mini, you've become >> serious enough to get frustrated with what it can't do, then it is time to >> sell your Mini to another newbie, and upgrade to a MacBook, an IMac, or a >> Mac Pro that will do more. >> >> For example, if you're moving a computer from room to room to browse the >> web, then you really should be using a MacBook. >> >> Bryan >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Chris G >> Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2010 8:30 AM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: My Mac Mini >> >> Hi, >> >> It makes it more convenient to move the mini from room to room within ones >> house. Now you need to move a monitor just to browse the web. >> >> Chris >> >> >> >> On The, 1 Apr 2010 07:23:44 -0400 >> Ricardo Walker <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Hi, >>> >>> I was just wondering why people find this so important? Monitors are very >>> cheap and you can even hook up Your Mac to newer TVs. >>> On Mar 31, 2010, at 10:23 PM, Sarah Alawami wrote: >>> >>>> I myself have not reported but I might even though I own a macbook. >>>> >>>> Take care. >>>> On Mar 31, 2010, at 5:34 PM, E.J. Zufelt wrote: >>>> >>>>> Good evening, >>>>> >>>>> Has this issue been reported to [email protected]? Perhaps there's >>>>> nothing that they can do, but it might be worth sending a quick message. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Everett Zufelt >>>>> http://zufelt.ca >>>>> >>>>> Follow me on Twitter >>>>> http://twitter.com/ezufelt >>>>> >>>>> View my LinkedIn Profile >>>>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/ezufelt >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On 2010-03-31, at 8:31 PM, Dan Roy wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Yes, that's definitely true, I wish I had known that before I purchased >>>>>> the mini, but, live and learn. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Mar 31, 2010, at 8:35 AM, M BROWN wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Several months ago I bought a Mac Mini without a monitor. Everything >>>>>>> went well until I tried to use Safari to browse the web. To say the >>>>>>> least, it was painfully slow, and at times refused to open the web page >>>>>>> at all. All I got was Safari busy. However, when I attached a monitor, >>>>>>> all the above problems went away. Even though I do not have the monitor >>>>>>> powered up, it still works perfectly. So, just a warning to anyone >>>>>>> buying a Mac Mini who intends to browse the web, forget it unless you >>>>>>> have a monitor attached. >>>>>>> Kind regards >>>>>>> Martin >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>>> [email protected]. >>>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>> Groups "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>> [email protected]. >>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>> [email protected]. >>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> [email protected]. >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>> >> >> >> -- >> Chris G <[email protected]> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en.
