My 12 days experience with Mac mini (intel)

I bought a Mac mini 2 weeks ago (core duo, 1Gbyte RAM, 100Gbyte HD).
I have expected quite Mac mini, however my one was loud, in particular in an otherwise quite room. I’m still not clear from where the noise came. My best guess it is the motor of the fan, which was running all the time.
I called apple care and was told the mini should be quite and I could exchange the Mini, because is was still within the 14 days. My Mini was exchanged without problems.
For a new start, I couldn’t use the Mini at all, because the power cable was missing; another trip to the apple store was necessary.
My ‘new’ mini was slightly quieter, but definite much louder than my previous G4 iBook. I think the noise from the fan can be a problem, but I guess this is a very subjective area.
Ten days later, the computer froze (Bluetooth keyboard/mouse) whenever I plugged in my second USB memory stick. Soon later, Bluetooth wasn’t working at all. Zapping the PRAM and disconnecting for 5 minutes didn’t help. I installed a the tiger update (10.4.6 ) and the firmware update without success. Bluetooth was dead.
I bought the mini back and asked for the refund.
Pros: Extremely fast if you have the universal binaries
Cons: Rosetta is a killer, a old G4/G3 shows a faster response, but I have only experience with MS Office
Finally, Apple Care was very helpful, and Apple Store had no problems in exchangeing the Mini and later give me the refund.
PS: Unfortunately I sold my G4 iBook already and I have to stay with my first generation white iBook

Frank,
That really does stink.. I had a similar bad experience with the mac mini only it had nothing to do with noise problems.. I got mine out of the box, my first mac ever mind you, and it worked fine for 3 or 4 days then it just wouldn't turn on any more.. tried all the trouble shooting tips; exchanged power cords; finally had to send it to my parents to take into an apple store to get fixed because I'm in the military stationed overseas and for some odd ball reason Apple doesn't have a central place for you to send in desktops to get repaired.. that still bugs me about the service but I'll get over it I guess. Loved the computer but can't say it bolstered my confidence in the integrity / reliability of macs at all.. I purchased it in early April and I still don't have it back. Kinda wish I hadn't bought a mac at all now but I guess I'll be glad to get it back..

Similar Messages

  • Using 1.920 x 1.080 pixel panasonic plasma screen with Mac Mini Intel

    Do you know if i can connect a mac mini
    with a belkin "dvi to hdmi" cable
    to a panasonic plasma screen with a 1.920 x 1.080 resolution (screen 42 inches)?
    I thought the screen was too big, but some friend told me that the resolution i supported by the mac mini.
    thanks.

    Yes, specs-wise the TV is able to be driven by the Mac mini both via DVI and VGA.

  • How to use a mac mini intel with 30" cinema display

    Arg, I just bought an Apple 30" cinema display to go with my new Mac mini intel, but oops the 30" apple cinema display has to use a dual link dvi card. Anyone know how to get out of this horrible situation without buying another new computer.
    Thanks!

    If you want to run the LCD at it's high 2560x1600 resolution, then you have absolutely no option whatsoever than to buy a PowerMac or MacBook Pro. Otherwise, you will be able to run the panel at 1280x800 with the Mac mini, which wouldn't make much sense though.

  • The best audio interface with Mac Mini using new & existing equipment?

    Hi,
    I got my existing set-up back in 2003. I'm now about to update it.
    I've talked to Apple Technical Support re which computer is best for me.
    Some important questions remain in terms of the audio interface or sound bridge I should use.
    I've detailed below my existing set-up, my existing configuration, my desired set-up (as recommended by Apple expert) and questions I have.
    Existing set-up:
    Hardware...
    1. ViewSonic HDMI 1080p Full HD LED monitor
    2. PowerMac G4 (PowerPC processor) computer
    3. PCI-424 soundcard within computer (works in conjunction with MOTU 2408 mk3 unit)
    4. MOTU 2408 mk3
    5. Quested monitors
    6. Focusrite Session Pack ff ISA220 compressor
    7. MOTU micro lite (midi-usb interface)
    8. Keyboard (yet to choose - I'll explain later)
    9. ADK Tube Condenser Commemorative Edition microphone
    10. ADK Tube Condenser Commemorative Edition microphone power box (supplies both power and phantom power)
    Software...
    11. Tiger 10.4.11 operating system
    12. Logic Studio 8 music program
    Desired set-up:
    1. ViewSonic HDMI 1080p Full HD LED monitor
    2. Mac Mini full spec = £999.00
    3. _______________________________________
    4. _______________________________________
    5. Quested monitors
    6. _______________________________________
    7. _______________________________________
    8. _______________________________________
    9. ADK Tube Condenser Commemorative Edition microphone
    10. ADK Tube Condenser Commemorative Edition microphone power box (supplies both power and phantom power)
    Software...
    11. Top-end operating system = Comes with Mac Mini
    12. Logic Pro X music program = £139.99
    Existing configuration:
    ViewSonic HDMI 1080p Full HD LED monitor goes into PowerMac G4 (PowerPC processor) computer
    PCI-424 soundcard within computer (works in conjunction with MOTU 2408 mk3 unit)
    MOTU 2408 mk3 used as my audio interface for sound in and sound out. This means that the sound comes out of computer via the MOTU 2408 and out of my Quested monitors (they are active so self-powered) which are attached to the MOTU's outputs.
    When I record vocals I sing into my ADK microphone (this microphone sources its own power from its own box which also feeds it Phantom Power) which is connected by a mic to jack cable to the Focusrite compressor which is connected by jack to jack cable to the MOTU 2408 which then goes into my computer via a firewire cable.
    When I play keyboards or use my keyboard as a midi controller it connects to my computer via the MOTU micro lite (midi-usb interface).
    I don't currently have a keyboard. I used to use my basic Yamaha PSR-540 keyboard as a midi controller but as it's not weighted and faulty I needed to get a new one. We got a new one via Thomann which was the M-Audio Pro Keys 88 keyboard but this quickly became faulty. We returned it and have since been considering other weighted keyboards. I am simply wanting a keyboard with Aftertouch, either 76 or 88 keys, weighted keys and very importantly, hammer action where the action is fast. I don't care for other controllers on the keyboard, on-board sounds, iPad compatibility or whatever.
    My Questions:
    Q1) Can you recommend any keyboards meeting my specifications?
    Q2) I can't imagine any of the Blue or other USB mics competing with my ADK and I'm quite happy with it. For vocals and when I've wanted to play the keyboard in as audio (not as a midi controller) I've used the Focusrite compressor to boost the sound. I'm not using many functions/presets on the compressor as I know it's best to record the sound of vocals mostly raw, is this correct, and if so is it worth me continuing to use this compressor or sell it?
    Q3) Do I need to have the MOTU micro lite (midi to usb) unit? Don't most keyboards these days connect direct usb to usb on the computer?
    Q4) I'm happy and used to the sound out from my Quested monitors. I'm happy and used to the sound in using my ADK microphone. What do I need for these to work best with the Mac Mini? Is my MOTU 2408 good for this, or is another MOTU product needed, or another product altogether?
    Q5) Depending on (Q4) do I need a soundcard installed in the Mac Mini as I read on a forum that these days the audio interface acts like the soundcard?
    Q6) I have such a bad connection to the internet it's like I have Dial-up!!! I use Airport Wireless which is connected to a router downstairs, which is 02 Broadband. Internet's not an issue downstairs on my girlfriend's intel PC which also uses a wireless connection but not Airport. Is this a problem because of my Airport, or do I need to get a router for upstairs, or should I connect it directy to the router downstairs by ethernet cable?
    Many thanks!

    Is there a reason you don't want to use your current Tascam?

  • Dual Powermac G5 vs Mac mini Intel Duo

    I'm sure this has been discussed already, but I would some more input on this.
    I am looking to upgrade to a faster Mac. I am currently running a G4 1.25 DP with 2Gigs of RAM. It's a fine machine, but I would like to take advantage of some of Apple's more powerful units. Anyway, I am considerering a Dual Processor 2.0 G5 Powermac with about 2.5 to 4gigs of RAM, or my other choice is one of the new Mac mini Intel Core Duo models with RAM maxed and a faster larger HD.
    My question is--what machine would give me a better performance running Universal Apps, such as Logic, Soundtrack Pro, ect...? Obviously, the Apples are all going to way of the Intel and I have been hearing great things about the new Intels. The Mac-mini has limited expandabiltiy and one Firewire port, but runs Intel. What to do? I may consider the Imac G5 core duo as well.
    Any feedback would be appreciated.
    Thanks, Randy

    well here' my experience...
    i recently sold a dual 1.8 G5 with 2GB RAM. reason being simply to get rid of it while it was still worth something. on top of that, it was really large, loud and put out a ton of heat. i bought the Core Duo mini with a GB of RAM as a sort of temporary machine until the next Intel "Pro" towers come out. i've been using it for about a month now for Logic Pro, GarageBand, Ableton Live and Reason and soon my SoudTrack Pro Universal disks will be here as well. i was really concerned that the system would feel slow coming from the G5 but i can totally recommend this machine with confidence as it feel and performs as fast as (and sometimes faster than) by dual G5. i'm talking when using Universal binaries of course. these Intels are fast. the mini is a silent, snappy little machine. there are a few things i miss that will eventually prompt me to buy a tower such as:
    limited internal storage options - i believe the largest 7200RPM hard disk you can put in the mini is the 100GB from Seagate. of course, external Firewire and USB storage is always an option.
    the limited graphics card could be an issue for some. it doesn't seem to directly affect audio performance but just knowing that it's using your hard RAM is a bit unsettling.
    i miss FireWire 800, even though the G5 had serious slow-down issues when writing to fw800.
    i miss using two displays.
    having said all that; the speed, quietness and cool running temperature of this mini is enough to outweigh any negatives. i notice zero speed decrease from the dual g5 and cost me about a third of the price. it will make a great temporary workstation for me and when the next towers come out it will make a great livingroom entertainment system and perform node duties over gigabit ethernet. don't hesitate. it's a great system.

  • Mac mini intel core 2 duo 2.4ghz keeps freezing up

    I have a refurbished (bought from Apple) Mac Mini Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz with upgraded 8GB of RAM, OS is latest Snow Leopard (10.6.8).  I have had this machine less than one year, and in the past five days it has started to freeze up quite often. 
    After running Disk Utility and getting a message that said to repair the disk, I hve run Disk Utility from the original disk to fix the problem.  No effect, I still have regular freezes and often.  I have run Disk Utility again several times, and have had to repair Permissions several times, though the Repair Disk says the hard drive is okay.  Only the Permissions keep getting messed up, and this happens quickly.
    I have no large number of video files on the desk top.
    I checked some threads and ran Activity Monitor and Control.  Control when I ran "disk0" did not show any problem.  I do not know how to interpret the Activity Monitor readings.
    Short of wiping the computer and reinstalling everything, is there a way to determine what is wrong with the computer?
    Thanks for any help!

    Hello,
    Only the Permissions keep getting messed up,
    You can ignore repeated Permission fixes if the last line says completed in it.
    See if the Disk is issuing any S.M.A.R.T errors in Disk Utility...
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH7029
    Open Activity Monitor in Applications>Utilities, select All Processes & sort on CPU%, any indications there?
    How much RAM you have for real & free space do you have also, click on the Memory & Disk Usage Tabs.
    Open Console in Utilities & see if there are any clues or repeating messages when this happens.
    In the Memory tab of Activity Monitor, are there a lot of Pageouts?
    One way to test is to Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, Test for problem in Safe Mode...
    PS. Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive
    Reboot, test again.
    If it only does it in Regular Boot, then it could be some hardware problem like Video card, (Quartz is turned off in Safe Mode), or Airport, or some USB or Firewire device, or 3rd party add-on, Check System Preferences>Accounts>Login Items window to see if it or something relevant is listed.
    Check the System Preferences>Other Row, for 3rd party Pref Panes.
    Also look in these if they exist, some are invisible...
    /private/var/run/StartupItems
    /Library/StartupItems
    /System/Library/StartupItems
    /System/Library/LaunchDaemons
    /Library/LaunchDaemons

  • Mac mini (intel) Dead :(

    Ok this has being going on for months. The only programs I use are iTunes and Eyetv. They crash several times a day, regardless of the versions used.
    If I put the Mini to sleep over night for example, I wake it up and about 15 sec later It hangs, the coloured ball appears and spins for ever. I force quit the Mini and it can't fine the HD. I get the folder with a question mark. I unplug everything including power, wait 30sec plug in the power start up the mini and it's fine until the next day when I do it all again.
    This method no longer works. It will not start up. Tried the utilities from the system disc but no HD shows up.
    Any ideas ??? Any one.
    Mac Mini Intel   Mac OS X (10.4.9)  

    Here is wat to do:
    1. copy all your important data via fire wire
    2. use the disk utility on the osx disk to write zeros to your HD
    3. resart
    4. reinsal mac osx
    This was cause most likely by eyetv because the hardrive is very active while using it so if u had a power surge or pushed the computer 2 far and started to use the hd as Vram you corupted your harddisk.. i did the same thing running linux in paralles

  • Mac mini Intel Core Duo fan very loud and runs at high speed all the time.

    I purchased an "Open box" Mac mini Intel Core Duo, 1.66Ghz, 2G ram, 80G HD and SD a few days ago from Fry's.
    It runs beautifully except the fan is very loud compared to any Mac my family has ever had. It is so loud that we were thinking of putting it under the desk.
    The fan runs constantly, and I mean all the time, at a high speed. You can really feel the air coming out the exhaust vents. The case is always cool to the touch as is the exhaust air.
    My aunt bought a similar Mac mini (But only 512Mb ram) the same day. Her's is very quiet. The case feels just slightly warm, not unlike other Mac mini's I've seen.
    Should my Mac mini's fan be running this way?
    Thanks,
    llulua
    BTW: The "open box" was sealed with a Fry's label and it said that this had a new warranty. Yet, checking the serial number, it said that it had about 260 days left. I guess Fry's is backing it?
    Also, someone told me that perhaps the main wire from the fan to the logic board is disconnected.
    eMac 1Ghz, iBook 500 dual usb, Mac mini 1.66Ghz Intel Core Duo 2g ram   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  
    eMac 1Ghz, iBook 500 dual usb, Mac mini 1.66Ghz Intel Core Duo 2g ram   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

    Since you have 2 gigs of memory, my thoughts are that when the party (Fry's or the origianl purchaser) upgraded the memory, they neglected to reattach the wire at the front of the Mini under the IR receptor at the right front corner that regulates the fan speed. This wire must be unattached in order to upgrade the memory, and is probably why the original person brought it back, because of the fan noise resulting from failing to reattach the wire. If that wire is left unattached, the fan runs continually at high speed to protect the CPU and system in general. If you do not want to use a putty knife to open the Mini, take it back to Fry's and ask someone who is Mac savvy to open it and reattach the small plastic receptacle at the end of the wire into its socket at the right front of the machine. When I go to Fry's, I am always concerned because the employees allow people to pry keys off of the Apple notebooks, so don't expect that their employees to know or care about anything Mac.
    Al PB 12" 1.5   Mac OS X (10.4.5)  

  • Got my mac mini intel singel core yesterday!! first impressions !

    hi to all,yesterday i got my mac mini singel core 1,50 GHz 512 ram 60 s-ata, here are my first impressions:
    of course it looks like the same;ir-sensor for the frontrow remote control is at the right side,inside the drive slot (very nice solution).It boots up faster than my old mac mini G4 1,25 Ghz 1GB ram.first of all i did a xbench test,here are my results:old mac mini g4 1,25 1 Gb ram xbench points=36,37; new mac mini intel single core xbench points=63,37 !!!Very nice and smooth system import from the old ppc os x was no problem using firewire. virtual pc 7 does not work any more.
    overall rating after 1 day, very good outstanding product
    greetings tobias
    mac mini / pb G3 wallstreet   Mac OS X (10.4.5)   mac mini single core 1,5 GHZ

    I also got the Core Solo and so far am very much satisfied with it. One of my highest Xbench scores was 65.40, twice as fast the score of the lowerend G4 Mac Mini. The feel of the system's respondsiveness is certainly on par with other Intel based Macs I tried at the local Apple stores. Boot time is under 30 seconds most of the time. One weird thing I noticed is that when open " About This Mac", the system identifies the processor as a 1.5GHz Intel Core Duo. However, System Profiler says it's a Core Solo. Well, I will only open "About This Mac" from now on
    To answer your question, Tobias, 720p plays awesome but 1080p not looking good. The new graphic eventhough integrated is still an improvement over the graphic of the old model. Why? It supports Core Image and you get all the nice effects in Dashboard, also HD contents play much better obviously.
    512MB of RAM is not enough. I'm glad that I didn't buy the Core Duo because with that $200 in difference, I can up the fund to buy a pair of 1GB DDR2 memory and a 7200RPM hard drive for upgrades. The hard drive on the Mac Mini has always been a weak link. SATA is supposed to be faster than the old IDE ATA, but from what I've seen so far, it's pretty much the same.
    Powerbook 12' 1.5 | Mac Mini 1.25 | iPod Nano   Mac OS X (10.4.2)  

  • Mac Mini Intel Core Solo 1,5GHz won't turn on

    Hi at all!
    I'm in a trouble with a Mac Mini Intel Core Solo-based.
    Well, when I connect power cord, after a while, Power LED self-turns on (without powering on the Mac), but Startup Chime isn't played, there aren't no video signals on screen, Optical Drive mechanics isn't initialized and no Hard disk Drive noise is audible.
    I can hear only (if I put my ear on Mini's body) a bit Fan Noise (and a bit air flow on the back).
    If I stay-pressing power button for 4 seconds, Mac turns off. It I re-press that button, Mac turns on again. Finally, if I long-press the power button, Mac DON'T perform PMU reset (with classical speed flashing of power led, Long beep and Startup Chime).
    What can I do to fix this problem?
    Thanks very much to all readers!

    You're right!
    I wrote PMU instead of SMU.....in fact, mine is an Intel-based Mac, and PMU is present only in PowerPC Architecture.... ^_^
    Sorry for my expression error.....:)
    While I'm writing..... I thought that, in my Self-repairing operations on the Mac Mini, I've also replaced the internal 3V battery (because, with a multimeter, I'd can verify that battery voltage was only 1,75V instead of near 3V). After that, I left Mac turned off for a certain interval of time (I was busy in other personal activities). So, when I turned on again the Mac (after the complete reassembly of the entire computer), the Startup chime was played and the Mac beguns to work.
    Is possible that, in the Mini - Intel Core Solo 1,5GHz, a low internal battery can cause problems like in the old dear iMacs G3 ????

  • How to install mac os (PPC) on an external hard drive, through a mac mini (intel) ?

    Hi all,
    Let me explain:
    -  my iMac G5 iSight has a dead HDD and dead superdrive: No way to get it to run
    - I have the installation disc of Tiger (PPC)
    - I have an external HDD in FW
    - I have a mac mini (Intel)
    How to install the Mac OS PPC on the external HDD with the mac mini (Intel)  ?

    Hello,
    You must use the Intel iMac as a Firewire Optical drive.
    How to use FireWire target disk mode...
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Disk_Mode
    Put the PPC Install Disc in the Intel iMac.
    Put the Intel iMac into FireWire target disk mode...
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661
    Boot the G5 iMac holding the Option/alt key, & see if the Install Disc in the Intel iMac shows up as a boot choice.

  • Hitachi PJ-TX300 projector and Mac Mini Intel Core 2 Duo?

    My PJ-TX300 projector is hooked up via its PC connector to my Mac Mini Intel Core 2 Duo, via a DVI to VGA adapter (which came with the Mini from Apple) plugged into the Mac mini. I cannot get a clear screen picture at any resolution: there is always ghosting. Can you advise me?

    Ghosting would typically implicate the video cable. Where did you get it? It sounds like you may have a very cheaply constructed VGA cable and a better one is needed.

  • IPad Mini Won't Sync With Mac Mini (ios 8.1 OSX 10.6.8)

    Problem : IPad Mini connects to iTunes OK, can be seen in iTunes and I can select which movies to sync to it etc.  When I hit the "apply" button after making a change (ie deleting or adding a movie) the sync lasts just a second then the "sync" button remains greyed out, and I can't make them sync.
    IPad Mini ios 8.1 Mac Mini OSX 10.6.8 (latest available version for my mac mini)

    I do not care who you are, I have more than once been interfered with, this is my home, you do not have the power to steal my network speed every day, I have a complaint you
    发自我的 iPhone
    在 2014年11月7日，下午4:32，Apple Support Communities Updates <[email protected]> 写道：
    Apple Support Communities
    selenafromshenzhen has posted in the Using iPad community.
    IPad Mini Won't Sync With Mac Mini (ios 8.1 OSX 10.6.8)
    You're supposed to download the latest iTunes from Apple official site and install it on your Mac.
    To post a reply, go to the discussion in Apple Support Communities.                                                             
    You are receiving this email from Apple Support Communities. You can change your email preferences in your Apple Support Communities Profile.
    TM and copyright © 2014 Apple Inc. 1 Infinite Loop, MS 96-DM. Cupertino, CA 95014.
    All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Apple Support

  • Tiger Update Crashes my Mac Mini Intel

    I got a new Mac Mini and finally got it going though it was not easy to transfer from my eMac. But I prevailed. Then I made the fatal mistake of updating all that the Software Update software suggested. Now my brand new Mac Mini will not run at all.
    REWIND: I tried to update my eMac a couple of weeks ago to Tiger. I did that and ran Software Update and GUESS WHAT? It crashed my eMac so badly I had to reinstall ALL the Panther software.
    Did Microsoft buy Apple???

    I figured out the problem last night after a week of gnashing, grumping, and general anxiety. Hope this post helps others with a similar problem.
    I have a free Lexmark 1150 All-In-One printer attached to my Mac. Apparently Tiger DOES NOT like the Lexmark application that turns off the printer during Restart and Shutdown. The application is in Library/Startupwhatever folder and I just trashed the Lexmarksleep..app (whatever it is named - I'm at work and cannot remember the exact name) and erased it.
    Now my Mac Mini is back working like a Mac - PERFECT.
    fiat1969
    Mac Mini Intel Dual Core Mac OS X (10.4.6) Brand New
    Mac Mini Intel Dual Core Mac OS X (10.4.6) Brand New

  • Can I still use Appleworks 6.2.9 with Mac Mini 2012?

    Can I still use Appleworks 6.2.9 with Mac Mini 2012?

    Yes, MlchaelLAX, the KVM switch allow one to use one monitor, one keyboard, and one mouse between two computers.  It has been so long that I'm not sure how to find the MODELS to the G4 and G5. Unless you mean what makes the Mac tick.  The G5 is a dual 2GHz PowerPC, with 2 GB DDR SDRAM.  The G4 is a bit slower, will look tomorrow.
    I want/need a newer Mac model because unlike the days before OS X, all software was included as the newer OS were added, not so today.  I'm still using Tiger because I still use a couple programs from the old days.  When I eventually purchase a new model, I will have to buy all new software.  That's find if one has plenty of money and wants to learn everything from scratch, but I'm hanging on as long as I can.
    I tried TenFourFox, but it didn't allow video, of course since I tried Michael's suggestion, the video might not be an issue.  So far, every thing works the way it should. 
    I have a lot of faith in Mac users, their loyalties to Apple is what kept Apple floating when many thought it would sink.  These folks are survivors; I only wish the apple people on the top appreciated that loyalty today, but I guess things are too good.
    Thanks to all for you kindness.  Tomorrow I will show my husband how to remove his yellow threat on his G4.  If anyone can answer any other questions, please know I will keep viewing this post.
    Patt

Maybe you are looking for