Mac Mini or iMac

I

iLifexxx

Registered
Hello,

I'm upgrading my PowerMac G4 AGP to an intel mac.

I can afford a Mac Mini or a second hand iMac. I need it to run CS3 efficiently. The lack of display in the mini is not a problem as I will be switching the display from my PowerMac.

Put it simply, Which is Better?
 
Thanks for the quick response, but the thing is that I can afford to buy a Mac Mini new, so
that's sort of swaying me.
 
If you find a good iMac, the specs, depending upon how new, will likely be better than a Mac Mini. Look for fastest processor & most RAM. Which graphics card helps also.

I vote for the iMac with above recommendations.
 
Well, for things like Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign and so on that use the graphics card, I would recommend the iMac. Especially if you are ever going to upgrade to CS4 which the Mac Mini can't do the 3D rendering. The Mac Mini has shared VRAM while the iMac has its own separate graphics card. An iMac is a win win situation and isn't much more expensive than an iMac. Check for some refurbished iMacs on Apple's website.
 
What about a nice quicksilver G4??
I'm using a 933Mhz G4 now. I've used 2x 1ghz Quicksilver mac's with CS4, They run pretty nicely and are far more reliable than a iMac or a Mini Mac.

Hope this helps,
CJ
 
I imagine the original poster would want something that's got some longevity in it with future versions of OS X. This is not to say that a Power Macintosh G4 isn't useful, but really, the days of the PPC Mac being supported are numbered.
 
Yes, I am definitely not going doing down the PowerPC route again. I did consider a PowerMac G5, but the quicksilver is just to old.
 
At this point in Apple's platform strategy, unless you're partial to PowerPC or have some love for resurrecting older Mac computers, I would highly recommend never purchasing anything from Apple without an Intel-based Core 2 Duo processor (or any subsequent processor release, as in the Xeon in the Mac Pros, etc.).

It is rumored (but not confirmed) that Apple will be dropping software support for the PowerPC platform in the near future. If this happens, that means that if you purchase a Mac mini with a PowerPC processor in it, bring it completely up-to-date with the latest version of OS X and applications, then that's as far as you're going to go with it.
 
It's not just _rumoured_ that Apple's dropping PPC support. Current Snow Leopard development releases are intel-only. And it would be *very* strange of Apple to "add PPC support later".

You've mentioned the Mac mini and the iMac and want to work with CS3. I'd say get an iMac. One reason for a Mac mini would be that if it's new, you get warranty and the feeling of knowing exactly what's been done to the machine. However: Currently, the Mac mini quite clearly has been around a veeeeeeeery long time. I'd wait for tomorrow. Apple just might release new Mac minis and iMacs one of these Tuesdays, and I'd guess you'd find good deals on the then-old machines that still are new as of Monday.
 
But a problem I foresee is that the average time of an iMac being considered 'up-to-date' is under 3 years. What happens when CS5 comes out and I have to upgrade again? I know the same problem of not being able to upgrade is inherent in the Mac Mini, so it's a bit hard to choose.
 
I decided there and then, I've just ordered a 20" 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac, the last white one. Let's see how it goes.
 
And tomorrow, people will start selling their "old" aluminum iMacs at lowered prices... (I'm just saying: An iMac release was rumoured for MWSF, and I don't think it can be too far away now.)
 
and about 2 years later people will be selling those. i need a computer and I need it now, so mores' law can bite me.
Plus the aluminium iMacs are ugly, and I don't want a computer made of glass.
 
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