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**Resonance** · 09-01-2007, 16:55

This is the yr I finally pull my finger out of my arse & by an Apple of some sort.

Honestly... I got a Mac last year and after getting it and anticipating its greatness, I am quite underwhelmed. I don't think it is better than Windows, just different. Some things are better, some things are worse.

I'd been tempted by the MacMini due to its size & cheap priceof ?399, but i just checked out the MacBook on Apples site @ ?750 which is also very slim & sexy.

Yeah both are quite nice. I have a MacMini and think it functions great as a Media centre. It is quite nice if you dont want huge amounts of power but just want it for general use. 512/1024 megs of Ram is a must. One thing to consider is that the base priced models usually lack some stuff which you would want so the price goes up.

I just dunno what to go for really. I know I'm gonna have to stick it on my VISA Card thats for sure!!
The plan is to buy 1 or the other (& use a voucher code to knock ?23 off + quidco!), then disassemble my PC & sell it for parts as I'd probably get more for it that way. If I buy the Macbook then I'll also sell my TFT Monitor too.

Hmmmm... My first thought is that if you have to get in debt to get one, you might be better off saving up first having enough money and then buying one. You can be sure that by the middle of the year there will be something new out and you would feel sick paying off your model when there is something sexier in the shops dangling in front of you.

Also have you had much time with OSX? It is quite a change from Windows in some ways and whilst some love it, some hate it. It was not the all wonderful OS that the hype machine claims it is.

Ps which PC bits would you have for sale?( I might be interested

)!

Oh 1 other thing. Can I run the Windows XP Pro OS that I'm running on my PC right now thru a Mac & if so will I need security progs when running it thru a Mac or will Macs own security take of that for me?

That depends on if the version of XP is legally tied to your PC then no you cannot install it on the Mac (legally) and it might even be software tied to that kind of PC. You may be forced to sell it with the hardware.

Windows on a Mac is still Windows and all of the rules apply. You will still need the same security software, but there is no chance of it infecting your Mac partition.

**Ginger Tosser** · 09-01-2007, 23:55

I own both a MacMini (1.66ghz core duo 1gb 80gb Superdrive) and a MacBook (2ghz core 2 duo 1gb 80gb Superdrive). Both decent machines. Though the mini struggles a little on some applications (well Adobe Bridge and Lightroom).

That said for normal day to day web and office (NeoOffice) application it's great. Would advise to get a minimum of 1gb of ram (the Mini is still shipped with 512 - 2*256 chips whereas the MacBook 2ghz is 1gb ram as standard).

Now is probably not the best time to buy a mini as it's the most likely Mac to get and upgrade. I'm hoping that feb/march time will see a MacMini with a 2ghz core 2 chip in it. The difference between the 2 is vast. The Mini has coped quite well with XP installed via parallels. It won't set the world on fire, but its a usable PC environment if you need to use windows.

Personally if i was in your position i'd try a MacMini. If you don't get on with it then it's less to lose. I took this position and i'm very happy with my purchase. I can't see myself returning to Windows at this time.

As i said early, hold on as the new models come out (and they will, just no-one knows the exact date) the older ones are sold off as refurbs.

**CMcK** · 10-01-2007, 22:19

Always worth checking the Apple Refurb Store for a discounted Mac. http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObje...mily=Certified

I have a rev. A iMac G5 and a MacBook 2GHz Core Duo at present and I have to be honest and say that the MacBook is the better of the two machines to use day to day. I do prefer the larger (20" vs 13") screen on the iMac but the MacBook is way faster at encoding DVD's etc.

Do you want a Mac just to run XP? Waste of time if you do I reckon. OS X IMO is VASTLY superior to XP. Unfortunately I still have to use XP at work and it really does my head in. That's despite the fact I've been using MS software since the DOS days and I probably spend more time in the week using XP.

As for the Mac mini vs a MacBook ask yourself do you really need a laptop? By that I mean do you need a portable computer? Do you take your computer out the house very often? Also what do you use your computer for?
For the £50 more than a base model MacBook you could have an iMac with a larger screen, 2.6x the HDD capacity, a faster HDD, 2x the RAM, a proper graphics part, a faster CPU and a DVD burner.

**SubparMario** · 10-01-2007, 23:16

I'd go for the MacBook if you can afford it. It's pretty much a superset of the mini in that you can just close the lid, plug in an external monitor, mouse and keyboard and use it as a desktop machine. Plus it's obviously a laptop for when that suits.

If you install and run XP then it is just a normal computer with all the usual security considerations. Any Mac specific features and software are only active when you're running the Mac OS.

**Ish** · 11-01-2007, 07:03

I agree with Wush. I think he's hit the nail on the head there.,

**CMcK** · 11-01-2007, 08:16

If you do plump for a MacBook make sure you bump the RAM to at least a gig. This is especially important if you are using any PPC specific software like MS Office.

**in5ane** · 11-01-2007, 10:32

I had a Mac Mini, died on me just after a year. I also found it woefully underpowered in the cheaper configurations, and wouldn't really recommend one to anybody.

I already had a good PC/laptop etc but fancied an Apple, and something away from Windows. I bought the cheapest Mini going because I didn't really need it to do much, so I went home with 256mb of RAM. Pretty low I thought, but maybe enough to try out websurfing etc without the bloat of XP. It took hours to boot and load anything, and not many cool features of (the then new) Tiger worked. I took it back the next day for a 512mb upgrade. That helped a little, but the CPU was also woefully underpowered.

Minis were fairly new back then, so mine only had a 40gb drive, and no wifi or bluetooth etc. Perhaps they are better now, but to get something resembling an everyday computer, I think you still need to add a couple of hundred pounds on to the Mini's base price.

**CMcK** · 11-01-2007, 11:07

That would have been one of the G4 mini's I assume? Probably a 1.25GHz model. The lack of RAM and 4200rpm did hurt the mini's performance but boosting the RAM helps a lot.
I have bought a couple of the older style mini's for family members and with 512 / 1024 MB RAM they are perfectly good systems for browsing, e-mail, iPhoto etc.

The present mini range has improved in every way apart from the integrated video. The Core Duo processors are way more powerful than the old G4's. The low FSB was a pretty serious handicap for the G4 processors.

**EDDIE M0NS00N** · 11-01-2007, 22:00

Re: Resonance: Ps which PC bits would you have for sale?( I might be interested )!

I dont think you'd be interested mate!
Its an Athlon 2200, 512 RAM, ATi Radeon 9500, 80GB, CDR drive & DVD drive.
Its gonna be cheaper to sell it separatley on eBay although I know I wont get much. I'd sell it complete but it looks like I'll be keeping/throwing the 80GB HD because my bro downloaded a load of porn onto it (he clicked the wrong option & thought he was only watching it!!). Dont get me wrong, its good porn but u never can tell if you've gotten rid of it all & I'd hate for someone to discover it after buying!!

**Destrukticor** · 11-01-2007, 22:14

Whilst contemplating a new gfx card for my then PC Gaming fix i decided on a mac after evaluating what i wanted to do with a computer (i.e not games)
i have a mac mini
G4 1.5 1gb ram 80gig hdd not state of the art but it suits me fine i can only imagine what newer macs are like this one will be replaced soon with a macbook.

i prefer it to my windows pc infinitely i would never go back i prefer the tiger OS it does pretty much everything my PC did encoding\burning wise and is so small and quiet (my pc was very very loud in comparison)

i would certainly recommend trying to test drive one in some way first though as they aren't for everyone (if you want it for games then forget it really)

Not really sure why you would want to run windows on it after using tiger but hey each to their own.

i like mine for what it does well.
a lot

**EDDIE M0NS00N** · 12-01-2007, 09:45

I need to use MS Office more than Windows really as I regularly receive attachments in my emails from work collegues that are in Excel form (they only have bog standard pc's u see).

I dont use my PC to play games on as I've got plenty of consoles to do that on. Its mainly for the Internet & a bit for work, music, video & pictures.

Are all internet sites as accessible as on Windows?

**in5ane** · 12-01-2007, 11:17

How about viewing the Excel files via Google spreadsheets via firefox on the mac = no need for office

OpenOffice is another alternative for mac.

I don't mind windows tbh, but if you're determined enough, you don't really need it...

**CMcK** · 12-01-2007, 12:04

Office 2004 is the most recent version of Office for the Mac. Office 2008 is due later this year. The present version is not a universal binary though.
Open Office is a nice alternative to MS Office and it's free. There is an attempt at a Aquafied version, NeoOffice. It is java based so it's not the fastest around but it does have a nice Aqua look and feel.

Regarding internet sites you really shouldn't have any bother with them on the Mac. Safari is a proper standards complient browser unlike IE. You can also get Firefox, Opera, Camino and other browsers for the Mac as well. Some websites that rely on Active X won't work properly but that would apply to all non-IE browsers.

If you use your computer for music, video and pictures you'll be right at home on the Mac. The iLife stuff is easy to use and surprisingly powerful. RAW support for a lot of cameras (even my KM 5D) within the OS. PDFs are also viewable with no extra software.

**Ginger Tosser** · 12-01-2007, 13:19

The new version of NeoOffice (due in a few months) will have support for Office 2007 docs and does support VB unlike the next version of Mac office.

I use NeoOffice for all the stuff i send/get sent. Not had too many issues. Some documents are a little out when opening a word doc. Excel docs seem fine.

iWork is rumoured to have a spreadsheet package in the 2007 version, but its a wait and see with that one.

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