Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Hello

I am thinking about getting a Mac Mini seeing as this will be the first mac that I will ever have owned! and well didn't want to shell out over a grand for a g5 thing and then decide its not what I really want.

Just looking for some answers if poss

Whats the processor speed like compared to that of a PC as I know the macs do run faster but I am not sure what a G4 1.25 or 1.42 is compared to with a pc

Are these ones actually any good? and I know they cannot easily be upgraded but not bothered about that as I can network it with the pc so can ues my pc drives for storage

Any other useful info about macs anyone has would be greatly appreciated as well!

Thanks in advance!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Its been a while since I looked at that Spec, but from what I can remember it was average. It wasnt the best for performance, however it does what its meant for...eg. a typical family computer that would be fine for the typical user.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

are they not rediculously expensive too??

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Not really: http://www.microanvika.com/mac/default.asp

You do need to provide a Monitor, and USB keyboard and mouse though.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

they are either £339 or £399 depening on the one you go for

Anyone think its worth going the extra £60 then?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

They dont seem to expensive afterall,would be nice not to be a pawn in microsofts quest for world domination just for a while :)

I agree there not crazy money but you dont get many bangs for your bucks do you?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

True you dont but compared to the price of a full blown mac they are not bad, and I am right in thinking that they are pretty fast for the price? (I know nowhere near a G5 speed)

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Perfect for a compact Home Entertainment system i guess? Do they have S-Video out?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Personally as a system builder if someone wanted a compact system I would build a media centre pc for about the same price,but its purely my opinion,The G4 is a 32 bit cpu is it not?the G5 has 64 bit extentions

Shuttle XPC SK43G Aluminium Barebones System - Socket A £104.70
.
AMD Sempron 2400+ 1.67GHz (Socket A) CPU - £38.95
.
Crucial 512MB DDR PC3200 CAS3 £29.95
.
NEC ND3520 16x16 DVD±RW Dual Layer ReWriter £29.00
.
Hitachi Deskstar 7K80 80GB ATA-133 2M £29.95
.
Connect3D ATI Radeon 9250SE £25.95
.
Hauppage WinTV-Go PCI Adapter (GX-016-HA) 1 £27.95
.
Subtotal £286.45
VAT £50.13
Total £336.58
kit from overclockers complete with faster cpu more ram,just add xp home or media centre (might need a different tv card to run media centre)
This is all done purely from my opinion and just to highlight what you can get for same cash

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

First off, Apples work really nicely with Windows. I have a 1.25gnz G4, and it is fairly powerful. I read sometwhere that it is equivilent to like a Athlon XP2000, but don't hold me to that. My desktop is that, and my apple does feel about that powerful.

The Mac mini looks good value, but be warned, the price does go up pretty steeply when you add nice belss and whistles like built in wireless, etc. I was going to get one, but I had some reservations with heat issues, as there is little airflow, etc. I haven't heard of any problems though, and they have been out a while now.

If you can, you should try and get to an Apple store, or a retailer, and get your hands on one to try it. See what you think of it.

If you do get one... AppleCare extended warantey is important.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

pc does look good but i have one and i fancied a bit of a change - plus its just going to be used for photos and movie editing etc - something my pc is slow at doing.....well the movies anyway

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

I can't imagine the mac will be any faster with video (which is very cpu intensive) than a relatively low powered pc in todays mkt
You could upgrade your pc and try linux :D

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

lol tried linux and well couldnt work the thing, couldnt even get the thing to let me online!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Indeeed, if you you intend on doing some video editing, You will be wanting more Ram and a better CPU than what the Mac Mini has.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Well, the Apple GUI is really nice, so you don't have to be able to deal with Linux, to use it. Steve Jobs doesn't want you to use the linux that powers the Apple, but it can through the terminal. I very rarely have to dip into the Linnux part of the OS. I only do it to compile Linux apps onto Apple.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

I guess I could always get one and then if i dont like take the thing back!

If i do like at least I know i can get a G5 at some point in the future

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Abit off topic, but there was a review of the mac mini in the new issue of sound on sound (music mag) - but basically the reviewer compared it to a G4 and a ibook, and his final thoughts was that it wasn't anything special for the money.
He said that the 256mb ram will need upgrading ASAP if you wish to do anything half fancy with it (which is expensive as you only have one dimm slot + it isnt easy to do yourself). And like others have said, as soon as you start to add options it can easily cost you a few quid short of a grand :( - at which point it makes you wonder if its worth getting a powerful second hand G4 or a bottom end G5.

Also remember it only has 32mb of video ram, so graphics arnt going to be anything special. Plus video/music editing isn't too hot on them and the mac mini comes off worse than some apple ibooks :(

However, they are nice little machines which can be placed neatly out of the way and are a great introduction to the world of macs for computers users :)
And from personaly experience, i would recommend them for everything apart from gaming (as limited games are available). Plus the mac OS (9 and OS X) isnt as bad as windows people think and you get used to the one click mouse and apple key etc etc.
Although they arnt rock solid stable as people think though - ive managed to have a mac os9 go down on me a number of times. But i would agree that it was a once in a blue moon moment :)

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

On OSX, if you use a PC mouse with two or three buttons and a scroll wheel, then the right mouse button and scroll wheel actually function as they would on a Windows PC..

As for reliability. Yes, OS 9 was terrible. OSX is excellent.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Apples would be a hell of a lot cheaper if Jobs would stop being a mega-lo-maniac ****hole and release Apple for x86 processors. Legend has it he has compiled it onto x86 (not that difficult, its based on freebsd anyway) and refused to let it out. If he did, everyone could have Apples for 90 quid and an old donor PC.

He wants to bleed people dry selling over-priced piece of aryllics.

Don't anyone say anything bad against my Alu powerbook though, that is actually sweet and very well designed.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Back in the day when Apple had problems there was a secret internal build of Mac OS for x86 processors. Apple were worried that there processor partner (motorola) would back out and that Apple computers would cease to exist so the OS was made. I believe it was called Markler or something. The build was almost finished when intel and apple made the G5. The project was canned.

You can, if you look hard enough, find some versions of it on the net. The project hasn't been heard of since but no one believes it is totally canned. It is rumored (and highly likely) that it is in top secret development still. Wether this is a x86 release candidate or simply a back up strategy 'just in case' we dont know.

However one of the things that make the mac a mac is the combination of mac os and apple computers. They are built for each other. It means excellent compatibility and speed. It also means apple can try out new technologies easier. Firewire comes as standard on all macs and is excellent. Apple hardware is all signing and all dancing. Bluetooth in most models as standard, they were the first to drop floppy disks. Apple do usually go first with the innovative and best technology and usually keep them as standard.

Releasing the software would put pressure on their hardware business and apple may stop making hardware all together. This would not be good :(. I also use a powerbook and i love it. Cheapening the OS by having it on all computers reduces the effectiveness of both the OS and the hardware. Although Steve Jobs is about hardware and is likely never to release the software as he loves the hardware aspect. When Steve jobs owned NeXT he company was failing, he had a chance the license the software and make his money and save the company. He chose to keep making hardware. The company disappeared.

Apple make excellent hardware and software. They work better together. A mac is a mac and the whole experience is the combination not individual elements

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

I've just got a Mac Mini - and love it! Its just the 1.2Ghz version, but percievable speed is fine. I believe this is comparable to a 2.2 intel P4. I have recently installed Tiger, which has made it much faster again.

Memory is a breeze to retrofit. There are many sites clearly showing how this is done.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

I have only three words to say: Go For It! :D

I bought a G4 iMac about a year ago, and it's awesome. Best computer I've ever owned (and I've owned LOTS of computers). They really are infectious.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Sorry to go through the old rant again, but it does gripe me. I want a proper Apple desktop, but I just can't afford to buy yet another computer. I have plenty of old PCs around though. Lew said Tiger runs well on an old G3, so I might raid ebay for a 600mhz G3 or something.

I think the Apple hardware is over engineered though (with exception to the powerbooks, they are nice... but the price reflects that.)

I was actually toying with the idea of buying a Mac Mini in the US and bringing it home. I might do that next time.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

OK I am still thinking about this and i do want a mac as I have had pcs all my life and I do want a change, they can be networked together any so I will be using both....how much are iBooks then, what are they like when compared to the mini? I dont want to spend a bomb though

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Ibooks aren't bad. If you do go for one though, you might want to consider a powerbook. They are much slimmer and normally have much better functionality, including things like a backlit keyboard. They are more expensive naturally, but normally are worth considering.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

I always thought an iBook and powerbook thing were the same pc lol oops my bad on that one!

Whats the diff with them then? processors better in one than the other?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

The iBook is smaller, cheaper, lighter and less powerful. It comes in quite a cute iPod style white case.

The Powerbook is larger, heavier, more expensive and more powerful. Powerbooks are also sleeker, and come in a brushed aluminium case.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

I thinks I might just stick with the mac mini, going for one of the powerbooks is like shelling out for a g5 going off the prices of the things! I am gonna see what deals they have on a g5 though while i am out and about and may end up with one of those....dont want one of those ones where its all build into the monitor though, far too freaky

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

don't the G5's look like breeze blocks?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

No more so than PC tower cases...

http://images.apple.com/powermac/ima...op06082004.jpg

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

the g5 cases look really cool!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

We've got one at work for some reason.... dunno why, and I think it's only been booted once to check whether it actually works. I'm looking for a new job, so maybe it'll disappear on my last day, and then I'm open to offers :D

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

lol well its small enough to make disappear!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

If you want to movie and photo editing and would like a little more speed, then a G5 would be your best bet. You can get good deals in the Refurb section of the Apple store. And there's always eBay. John Lewis aren't doing a bad deal - low end PowerMac 1.8 for £999, and it also comes with a 2yr guarantee.

And whatever you buy, don't forget that Mac's have a great re-sale price. So if you don't like it you'll get some money back.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

low end for a grand,you cannot be serious :LOL:Am i right that thats without a screen too??? Im sorry but when you look at the specs and then look at the prices you just gotta think whats going on

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Why?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

A 1.8 gig cpu with an 80 gig hdd a 64 meg 5200 gfx 256 meg of ram for a grand thats why
I have to add its purely my opinion,jobs could hold a greater mkt share if prices dropped ,to a lets face it ,realistic level
Why are the other componants so poor ?? why isnt there a 200 gig hdd a 6600gt or a reasonable gfx and why is there only 256 meg of ram?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Right, but the original poster wants to buy a Mac, no? And he/she doesn't want an iMac or a Powerbook. Which leaves the mini or a low-end PowerMac.

The mini is better value for money, but the G5 will be better for video/photo editing, hence the recommendation.

I'm trying to be helpful - if you want to bitch about Apple's pricing, start a thread on it.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Ok I know I have ventured off topic but imo you can't use the word value when talking about apple at all

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

First of all you cannot compare mac specs to pc specs they are different computers and so on. (Also a G5 is a good processor) Macs are more expensive to make, they are also a different level to pcs. Also for some reason focus on speed and graphic cards are not so important, the software really is the thing mac users get excited over and buy the computers for (along with the quality of the actual hardware and the technology apple usually have). While powermac G5's are one of the faster personal computers on the planet. You cannot compare a mac to a pc on specs

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

I do not contest that the G5 chip is awesome,as i mentioned before I would love to build one if i could get the board and chip,as mention in this thread the machine comes with 256 meg of ram and that will need upgrading if video editing is the order of the day,IMO as i have said everything ive said in this thread,the other componants could be and imo should be better in a computer costing a grand,lets face it you would only need to add £100 worth of hardware to give double the ram double and more hdd and better (although not important for a mac user) gfx

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

it will need more ram, i am contesting the attack on apples prices based on spec and not on the software, R&D, and quality of the computers which is apples strong point.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Ok fair enough I concede the irrelevence of high price,but surely you see my point about how it wouldn't be a problem to upgrade things like ram and hdd in the low end and higher machines

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

FWIW - I agree with you. Dunno why I posted that link. This is a better machine, direct from Apple:

†¢ 1.8GHz PowerPC G5
†¢ 256MB DDR400 SDRAM (PC3200) - 2x128MB
†¢ 160GB Serial ATA
†¢ DVD-R/CD-RW
†¢ ATI Radeon 9600 XT 128MB, ADC/DVI
†¢ Apple Keyboard & Mouse
†¢ Mac OS X
†¢ One FireWire 800 port
†¢ Two FireWire 400 ports
†¢ Three USB 2.0 ports

£1,059. 00

Chuck in some Crucial RAM and you're golden.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

that with more ram is a much better machine,a lot more funtional

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Yeah, i do. Apple are high likely to upgrade the mini to 512 as standard. Next few weeks i think. Thats what people think will happen anyway. It was a poor idea to have to at 256mb

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Well considering i dont want to spend a bomb on a mac and then find out I dont totally like the machine its pointless arguing over high end machines at the moment, and at the end of the day if i like it i can get a g5 later on, and have everything networked together, plus the mac can be left doing video while i use my pc...just thought it would be nice for a change and £400 isnt exactly a lot of money now is it?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

:Yikes:

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

lol i meant to spend on a pc! god that did come out totally wrong

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

They sell Apples in PC World, so why not wander in there and have a play with one?

And about the cost, it is worth considering the refurbished models. (I had to to be able to afford what I wanted, argh, lets not go there again...), but its not to shabby. It looked great, works fine so far, and more importantly, you can still get AppleCare on refurbs so you are covered if it does break.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Your not spending it on a pc your looking at a mac,I know pedantic but hey :D

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Where do you get refurbs from? PC World as well? and I have played around with macs in there before but you know what its like with the sales assistants....they do seem good though
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ok can anyone tell me if this is a good one....slightly more but well might be worth it

http://www.microanvika.com/mac/produ...O&PNO=MAC11746

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Apple do them on the Apple site at 10:00am Wednesday mornings.

Yep, the iMacs are good..

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

I am going to check out the iMac at lunch and see what I think

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

bah that was no good, I can't decide what I want!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

iMacs and eMacs have been updated

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

thinking of the iMac seeing as i get the student discount!!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

ok i am going to go for an iMac....whats a superdrive though, is that the one where u can write dvds as well?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Precisely that!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

yep the standard (for a mini anyway) is a CDRW/ DVD combo, and the superdrive is a DVD writer

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

i am going for the £899 iMac now instead...get it cheaper hehe, but it doesnt come with the superdive...might upgrade although i do have one on my pc so its not all lost if i dont get one

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Fair enough! OS X has a built in FTP server, so i have anything on the mac that needs to be burned to DVD i just FTP to the mac from the pc and burn it from there.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

oh thanks for that info Monkeybreath...had no idea about that....what mac do you have?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

He's got a Mac Mini - and he's only got it because I showed him how good Macs are! ;)

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

lol!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Macs are very upgrade-unfriendly. If you think you might want something, it is far easier, and normally cheaper to buy it like that, than trying to upgrade later.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Thats another reason as to why I have now decided on the iMac, plus it seems pretty good for the price and I have heard people say the G5 is a good processor

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

actually i had a mac before i even knew you so :PP:

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

To be precise, wasn't it your gf's? :p:

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

technically it was mine cos i bought it and kept the money when i sold it :PP:

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Details, details!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

do they have a seperate place on the apple site for the referbs?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

thanks, sorry for all the questions

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

The terms on the refurbs seems very fair,normal warrenty, all docs fully tested and returnable for refund,
The only risk is cosmetic,This def seems the best way to buy a mac if thats what floats you boat and you find what you want :) specially if what you want is what carries the full 45% off

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Mine came absolutely pristine. I must have looked over it for 5-10 mins looking for any scratch. I got in the US though, they might have a different policy, which would mean replacing scratched cases. I didn't save 45% though. I only saved about 20%, but that includes the AppleCare.

If you get a refurb, you should really get AppleCare to be safe.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

oops now they have appeard

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Dual 2ghz powermac G5 with superdrive, 512m ram, 160gig HD... £1200 with vat and delivery.

Damnit, thats tempting.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

it is but its a bit much for me I thinks £844 for the iMac is about right I thinks....well I hope!
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do the power macs come with monitors?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Nope, but you can get TFTs real cheap nowadays. You don't have to use the fancy Apple stuff, any monitor will work.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

thats a point but it does add to the cost when i want to use the mac and pc together - dont think i need a dual g5 one

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

http://www.aria.co.uk/ £129 for a 17" tft,are the the only one uses pc and to be mac at the same time? if so a simple monitor switch(or a full kvm if mac use ps2 mouse and keyboard)I run 2 pc's off one monitor mouse and keyboard,you just press a button and your switched

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

what is a g5 1.8ghz compareable to on a pc?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Nowhere near as fast as Apple would have you believe, http://spl.haxial.net/apple-powermac-G5/ digest ...

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Ive been told in thread that a comparison isn't fair
But in my opinion ,The G5 is a 64 bit chip so I can only put it up against the like,I wouldn't imagine the G5 will beat the newer P4 chips with 64 bit extention so maybe a comparison with a 2800xp64 on a really good fancy and very well equipt motherboard,a very well renowned operating system,in the main inadequate amounts of ram and low end gfx and hard drive
Again in my opinion the only G5 I would consider is the dual 2ghz model but thats £1349

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Haven't read all of Bifta's link yet, but it doesn't suprise me if its true.

I have been told, in real world an Apple PPC chip is normally as fast as a bit bigger x86 equivlent. So a 1.8ghz chip would be the same as a 2.5ghz x86 based chip. I'd say thats probably about right, under good conditions.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Surely those results are old to test. G51.8ghz?....well if that REALLY is beaten by a 2.5ghz p4, then how does the new Dual 2.7ghz powermac G5 fair.

If the results were taken again , it would surely be the fastest.

Here is a little deomnsration...in Keynote presentation form with pictures, of how to slightly compare speeds

http://pulsar.esm.psu.edu/Faculty/Gr..._myth_320f.mov

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Thanks for the info!! plumped for the imac g5 1.8 with 1gig of ram....thought I might as well beef that up a little considering i got the student discount so it only cost a little more than the normal price! should be here next wednesday!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

you lucky boy im hoping for an imac, im an under 18 student though so i don't get that darn discount.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

If you're under 18 and have enough money for an imac i'm jealous!!

:(

wasn't like that when i were a lad :p:

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Congrats, the iMac is a fine machine. Nice to (finally) see 512MB of RAM as standard and GPU bumped to 128MB.

I'd be tempted myself, but I'm too used to dual-procs. :D Once my bills are paid a dual 2.7 will be winging it's way to me.

BTW, what is up with the low-end PowerMac? The iMac has twice the hard-drive space, twice the RAM, twice the video memory and a 17" LCD, for the same price. It wasn't so bad before the iMac was refreshed, but now it looks terrible. :shocked:

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

I looked at the power pc and was thinking about getting one but you dont get much compared to the iMac now they are updated and i want to be able to use the pc and mac together so need one with a screen...the iMac looks great from what I have seen and i upgraded to 1gig of ram so hopefully that might make things run smoother?

So much for the mac mini lol!!! but well i have always had a pc and thought it was time for a change, i will just use them both as well here is the next question...are they easy to network together? (I have heard the macs are great for networking so i am hoping this is a yes!!)

My pc has xp pro on it at the moment so is it better the mac connects to this or should the pc connect to the mac (not sure if that makes sense at all but I am tired from lack of sleep!)

And thats crappy you dont get the discount and you should seeing as you area student!!

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Yup, Macs work just fine with Windows. I have never had any problems, but oddly, I get more resistance from XP Pro, rather than from Macs

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

seeing as it comes with wireless built in is that easy to setup to network and share the net connection?

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Networking is easy enough. You could also control your PC via the Mac using MS Remote Desktop.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Yup the router is OS-inspecific, so no worries there.

If you want to control a Windows machine from Mac/Windows/Linux, then I use VNC... Its excellent (and free)

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

I shall have to give that a go when it turns up - guess it will be fun to figure out a whole new opertaing system and see what things can be done with it

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

TBH its not so new and scary (although a background in Linux helps) The filesystem is probably the biggest thing that is new and different, but easy enough to work out. Aside from that, it is the little things, like the minimise/maximise/close buttons are on the left, not right, and that the menubars aren't attached to the windows, they are attached to the desktop. You see them by clicking the owner window. One thing that gets beginners at first, is that closing the window doesn't always close the program (I have only ever seen 1 Mac program do that). You close it, it disappears, you think its closed, but it is still running in the Dock (thing at the bottom), with the ^ under it. You have to click-hold on itand close it there.

Oh year, and you need to grow some extra fingers per hand. Macs not only have Windows-styled 2 button shortcuts, but 3 and 4 button shortcuts too :spin:

Getting used to the Linux backend, and getting Linux apps to run on Macs is the biggest/toughest thing you'll probably need to know, but there are good books out there (and websites).

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

Of the stuff that comes with Mac OS, only the Calculator genuinely goes away when you click its red button, AFAIK. Always catches me out, that.

For getting rid of programs, I have learned the habit of keyboard shortcuts. apple-Q is always Quit in Mac OS.

Re: Getting a Mac Mini advice needed
 

All i know about it is that cd's get mounted, and to uninstall a program you drag its icon to the trash can - so thats my mac knowledge should get me far....not!

Oh one other thing, is it easier on the mac to dump a list of songs in my iTunes library into an excel/word doc? as it cannot do it on my pc!! (random questions i know)