New Apple stuff! Flash ipods & biscuit tin sized computer!!

[007]

For the interest free, it needs to come to over ?480.

EDIT: Comes to ?499.99 for the smaller mac, wireless keyboard and mouse, and airport and bluetooth module.

Actually... I'm thinking I might not need the airport card. Because i've already got an ethernet lead going upstairs, can I buy something to split that lead, to go to my Xbox and my mac?

[superkully]

A hub. A 10Mbit one will do.

[007]

Do they cost very much? Any reason why it needs to be a 10mb one?

We've got a router downstairs, with a ethernet lead going upstairs, and one going to the PC, i'd want the hub at upstairs in my room.

[007]

Oh yeah, last thing. Can you buy something, to plug into a wired Router/modem in the ethernet port, which sends the signal wirelessly upstairs, and then you put like a receiver, in the ethernet port on the mini mac? Or even make the airport card pick it up?

Or do you actually need a wireless router / modem?

[gIzzE]

Scott it is far cheaper to buy a wireless adsl modem (around ?40), this will still have 4 ports for wired too, and then an airport card, you can buy a wireless bridge that allows you to turn any ethernet port into wireless but they cost far more money, aoround ?70+, for a decent one.

USB and PCMCIA wireless cards are so cheap now too (under ?20) that you can add devices as and when you need to for next to nothing.

I would not drop the Airport card mate as I can't see anywhere where it says that it can be fitted by the end user if wanted at a later date. and the whole point is you will only have the power cable and the DVI cable coming out of the machine, why start adding external wireless devices to it.

[007]

Good point, well argued. And, sorted.

And can you really buy a wireless ADSL modem / router for around ?40, that's cheeep.

Gizze, think I should invest in a DVI board now? And use a DVI cable instead of VGA? Going to give a slightly better PQ wont it?

[ThoseOfTheUnlight]

It would improve picture quality, but the DVI board will probably be about ?120, if youre only going to use it on the mini mac, its a bit of a waste of money.

[Dirty Sanchez]

007, you seem to buy stuff first and research later.

Buying 7.1 system then a plasma then a scaler then a mini mac then a dvi then a router then a .....

Have you really assessed why you want a Mac?

[gIzzE]

Know stick with DVI, the panasonics analogue inouts are as good if not better than the DVI and I am not sure if the DVI will take 1024x768/60, I think it will only take...
480p/60
576p/50
720p/60
1080i/60

so vga will be far superior.

[Super Stu]

I'm not sure that makes sense. The Panasonic gives a better picture over analogue vga, compared to digital DVI?

1024x768 is roughtly equivalent to 720p, aspect ratio notwithstanding.

[gIzzE]

Yeah but you try running a plasma or lcd not at the panels native rate and see how much worse it looks.

1024x768@60 is what that screen needs so none of ots internal scalers or de-interlacers kick in, it will be pixel perfect.

1280x720p@60 over DVI will need to be scaled to fit the screen.


If you are using an LCD monitor, download "powerstrip" and changed your resolution to 1280x720@60Hz and see how it compares to running it at teh monitors native resolution. Try it.

The DVI input has some issues, there is more noise on the DVI than on the RGB/H/V input, very very slight but it is there alll the same. The panny analogue inputs are awesome though so you may as well use them.

[007]

It would improve picture quality, but the DVI board will probably be about ?120, if youre only going to use it on the mini mac, its a bit of a waste of money.

Was just thinking for the future you see, as I'll need it for HD-DVD, Blue Ray etc. Might aswell pick one up now, while I can.

But as Gizze said, it may just be better to go the VGA route.

Dirty Sanchez, I spent ages researching my current setup. With the mac, I just want it so I can be wireless in my bedroom, use the TV as a screen, and for it to not take up hardly any space. It'll be perfect, and quicker than my current laptop.

[ThoseOfTheUnlight]

Was just thinking for the future you see, as I'll need it for HD-DVD, Blue Ray etc. Might aswell pick one up now, while I can.

But as Gizze said, it may just be better to go the VGA route.

Dirty Sanchez, I spent ages researching my current setup. With the mac, I just want it so I can be wireless in my bedroom, use the TV as a screen, and for it to not take up hardly any space. It'll be perfect, and quicker than my current laptop.

But the DVI card wont work for HD-DVD etc, as it doesnt do HDCP @ 50hz unfortuately, so therefore wont work for Sky HD either.

[007]

There are ways around it.

[ThoseOfTheUnlight]

There are ways around it.

Nope, there isnt yet - until Panasonic release a new revision of the DVI card, which is still unknown or not...