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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Thoughts on the new mac mini?
Bradley Wakoff, Photographer
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Fort Collins | CO | USA | Posted: 10:40 PM on 09.16.10 |
->> I do know this question gets asked periodically. I did search the archives but there's no word on the substantially revised, latest mini. The following are considerations for me:
1. Budget is tight. Really tight. (Cash-poor, new home-owner here!)
2. This is machine is expected to do long-term temp work. 2 year time frame before an upgrade. (See #1)
3. Performance-wise, no real need for anything more than basic stills editing, shooting raw on a typical PM-PS workflow, though that may change to LR or Aperture. (Seems like RAM is key here and I imagine 4 or 8 GB is adequate, yes?) I'm not a video shooter and have no plans to be in any meaningful way for the next couple of years.
4. My budget would let me spring for a nice display, Eizo or NEC. (Which would stay when the mini goes, obviously.)
The main downside to the mini seems the old Core Duo processor, which is pretty pokey by modern standards. No, the "dead-end" mini can't grow with my needs, but the needs are not expected to grow either. Am I way off base here? |
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Jeff Brehm, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Charlotte | NC | USA | Posted: 11:00 PM on 09.16.10 |
| ->> You also might want to consider a refurbished Mini server from Apple. Often cheaper than a new Mini, it has beefy RAM and twice the internal storage, comes configured with Time Capsule for backups, and has dual processors that are not as fast as the newest models but still plenty fast enough. |
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Jeff Stanton, Photographer
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Indiana | IN | USA | Posted: 12:15 AM on 09.17.10 |
| ->> Bradley, somewhat OT here, but congrats on the new home in Fort Collins. It's one of the nicest towns in the country. |
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Corbey Dorsey, Photo Editor
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Cozad | NE | USA | Posted: 9:37 AM on 09.17.10 |
| ->> Bradley, I purchased a new unibody 2.66 mac mini just in the last month...which replaced a G5 tower..I used the strategy of getting the 500GB hd and 4GB of ram...then purchasing the 8GB upgrade from crucial...fast machine...runs CS5, Photo Mechanic great, Quark XPress 8 as well...I am also using it with a 30 inch and 23 inch display in dual mode...no problems... |
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Butch Miller, Photographer
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Lock Haven | PA | USA | Posted: 11:16 AM on 09.17.10 |
| ->> The mac mini is noting more than a laptop without a screen ... many, many folks are doing great work with this level of computing horsepower ... plus you'll have the option of attaching the monitor of choice ... even though the mini does have limitations, it will see you through until you can afford the next step .... |
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Dominick Reuter, Photographer, Assistant
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Boston | MA | USA | Posted: 11:42 AM on 09.17.10 |
->> Just like how an inexpensive prime lens will always have a place in the camera bag, a mac mini will always have some utility, even after it has been replaced by a bigger, newer piece of equipment.
As butch said, it is basically a laptop with no screen, but the form factor makes it even more useful.
I have a mini in the lab where I work, and I use it for all sorts of applications where I need a workstation but can't set up a bigger system.
The new one looks like it kicks way more butt than the model I have, and once you start using it, you'll probably come up with all sorts of cool ideas, even after you upgrade.
That HDMI output already has my gears turning.
- D |
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Mike O'Bryon, Photographer
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Ft. Lauderdale | FL | USA | Posted: 12:54 PM on 09.17.10 |
->> I just bought a new Mini... except for the challenge of attaching my eSATA drive bay... it's a great machine
-- Mike |
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Israel Shirk, Photographer, Assistant
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Boise | ID | US | Posted: 3:35 PM on 09.17.10 |
| ->> The mini's are great. Go for the most ram you can get - with resolutions increasing all the time it'll make a huge difference in the long run. The refurbished ones have the same warranty as new models, and are usually more heavily tested, so whenever it's an option I do that and save a few hundred bucks... It's always done me good. |
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Bradley Wakoff, Photographer
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Fort Collins | CO | USA | Posted: 1:29 PM on 09.18.10 |
->> Thank you for the input everyone. Good to know my thinking wasn't too far off, or at least, was logical!
Jeff - Thanks! Our house is actually in Longmont, about 1/2 hour south of the Fort. My fiance is in school in Boulder and we've both got some roots here. Didn't realize my SS profile still listed me up there - FC is a great town though! |
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