Mini Mac

arkanoid

Registered
First of HI to everyone and I hope my stay here will be a long one....

Ok first of im thinking about getting a Mini Mac, just the bog standard model.

But I have a loda questions so I dont blame you if you dont want to asnwer them lol =P

- How easy (and I MEAN that) is it to use? And how can I get a trial or something on my PC? I want to try the OS before hand.

- Does the dreamweaver MX 2004 suite work on it?

- Does Swish 2.0 work on it?

- Im a website/graphics designer is this a really good tool? Or is it just the same as a PC??

- What are the cons/pros of having a mac?

- I am currently file sharing with Windows 2000 on my server, would this be compatible? I need to access my files...ive herd of something called "AppleTalk" not sure if this helps but hopefully =)

Thanks,
think thats it lol
Jason.
 
1. It is VERY easy to use. XP isn't so bad, but IMO Mac OS X is easier to use, you'll think it's hard at first, but that's because you're making a major transition. Soon enough you'll be saying "Wow, I like how that works..." when you think "How can I do this thing I did on XP, on Mac OS X?"
You could try Pear PC, but I think that requires an actual version of Mac OS X to be purchased. Plus it won't show the speed that Macs are usually known for. Best option is to go to your nearest Mac retailer and try a mac out.

2. Dreamweaver does work... you just need to buy the Mac version.

3. Not sure.

4. I don't do graphical design but I am told that Macs are very good in that field.

5. Pro = more reliable, easier to use, you spend more time using the OS than repairing it ;), faster usually. Cons: Compatibility can be a problem, software can cost a lot. You'll find more popular software ported to Macs, but the less popular software is a problem.

6. Yeah, you can communicate between a Mac and a PC on a local network.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Also, Macs are much safer, there is no such thing as spyware/adware on a Mac, and viruses are either PC viruses identified by the Mac, or not viruses, at this moment in time.

Plus, if you buy a new Mac, you'll get a relatively new OS, Mac OS X 10.4, which is a very powerful operating system. When you go to the local mac retailer, if you ask for a demo, ask to see Spotlight, Automator, and Dashboard, at least.
 
Thank you that does help alot, im thinking about getting one tongight actually its an ebay action (i wont post it cos sum1 will bid lol) its £300 and its got...

The Specifications are:

1.25GHz PowerPC G4
256MB DDR333 SDRAM
40GB Ultra ATA hard drive
Combo drive (DVD/CDRW)

Preloaded with: adobe CS, Apple OSX 10.4 "Tiger"
Adobe Photoshop CS
Microsoft Office:Mac
Final Cut Pro 5
Apple iLife Suite
Apple iWork Suite
But the he has the CD's (geunine) but does not have serials, there for "evaluation" purposes... what does that mean??

But its brand new and its £300 + £15 p&p (only opened for 3hrs to load software ect) so £315? good or wat?

Choppy reply please!

ALSO: OSX is original CD so is ILIFE <--- wtf is that! lol + sorry 4 posting in wrong area!
 
Hmm... I'm not so sure about evaluation... when you said pre-loaded I thought as in the software's all there, all good, until you need to reinstall the OS (if you need to reinstall, lol), then you're basically screwed.

But then reading that he has the CDs, I presume he will give them to you too? With no serial that would be illegal - that's as far as I can go on that matter.

If the software supplied comes with CDs, you have the problem about getting new serial codes. If he is just supplying the software on the Mac, with no CDs, then it's all good for a while, but personally I wouldn't like that.

I doubt he is including all the software, as that is all pretty much expensive, you'll want to make sure it's not pirated software, which it may well be.

Like I said, it will be a short run experience with the software without CDs, because if you ever need to reinstall the OS, all the software is gone, unless you have the original installation files.

iLife is a collection of software, music making software, movie making software, etc, consumer level, not professional.

For £359 at Apple, the same Mac (without the software, except for iLife 05 and iWork possibly) is available, but with double the amount of RAM. It's a tough choice. IMO, if you're going to use it for graphics you'll want more RAM either way, so if you buy it from eBay check out crucial.com/uk for cheap RAM.

But is 40GB enough? You have to ask yourself that. 1.25Ghz isn't bad on mac terms, I use a 1.33 Ghz Mac and it's good for Photoshop, etc.

It's a tough call to make, that's all I can say.
 
Personally, I'd leave it. Like Convert there are some dodgy issues surrounding all that software and you might well end up having to pay a lot extra later on to replace it all.

I've seen the auction you're on about (don't worry i won't bid) :D and his ebay ID looks a bit suspect too. His account name is something like themacshop, yet he's never had any feedback? He could be using alternate accounts to hide negative feedbacks. Surely if he was a 'retailer' as his name suggests he'd have some kind of comments on there.
 
Anything that says 'evaluation' or 'backup' is illegal - trust me on that one! Clearly, a backup is only legal if you own an original copy and, in general, as soon as you remove a disk from it's (secured) packaging, you agree to the terms and conditions of use. I don't ever remember Apple or Macromedia sending out free copies of their latest software for me to evaluate - if only :)

Also, be wary of buying off of anyone asking for payment within 24 hours, or any negative comments in the sales listing (IE about what will happen if you don't pay up on time, if you leave them a bad listing, etc.) To be honest, my initial impression of this increasingly popular style suggests that some of these items might even be stolen - hence the quick turnaround these people want. Either that or it's computer store employees trying to shift computers on the quiet...

Bear in mind that you can pick up new machines for around 350-400 UKP so this isn't a super deal really (unless you want the software of course). Don't forget there's a free miniMac deal going round at the moment as well...

(On a final note, it is very easy to make pirated CDs look legit - all you need is a good quality CD label printer.)
 
I SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY do NOT recommend you buy it. If the guy has no feedback, DO NOT PART WITH YOUR MONEY. If they are suppling software in the way you describe, it ILLEGAL and a VIOLATION of eBay's terms. DO NOT BUY FROM HIM.

Buy from Apple, for a few quid more. You NEED 512MB MINIMUM for the Mac to run smoothly, we run a web and design company and use MX suite, Photoshop etc. no problem at all. I really can't tell the difference between 1.2GHz and 1.33GHz - really.

Just buy new from Apple, it's not getting a dodgy one off eBay with a below par RAM specification, believe me, the first Mini we bought was 256MB and it was not sufficient and ended up being returned.

Also, don't be scared off about the 40GB hard disk, that's B.S, I bought a USB2 disk caddy for about £20 off eBay and popped a 40GB PC hard disk in it, no worries. You can expand it to your heart's content, I'm getting a 160GB disk soon.

Hope this helps and isn't too late.







arkanoid said:
Thank you that does help alot, im thinking about getting one tongight actually its an ebay action (i wont post it cos sum1 will bid lol) its £300 and its got...

The Specifications are:

1.25GHz PowerPC G4
256MB DDR333 SDRAM
40GB Ultra ATA hard drive
Combo drive (DVD/CDRW)

Preloaded with: adobe CS, Apple OSX 10.4 "Tiger"
Adobe Photoshop CS
Microsoft Office:Mac
Final Cut Pro 5
Apple iLife Suite
Apple iWork Suite
But the he has the CD's (geunine) but does not have serials, there for "evaluation" purposes... what does that mean??

But its brand new and its £300 + £15 p&p (only opened for 3hrs to load software ect) so £315? good or wat?

Choppy reply please!

ALSO: OSX is original CD so is ILIFE <--- wtf is that! lol + sorry 4 posting in wrong area!
 
You could also look at getting one of the refurbs provided by Apple themselves. They are a little cheaper than the new Macs and still have Apple's warranty I believe.

Do NOT get taken by this ebay fraud, please! I don't trust it either.
 
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