Opinions about the Mac Mini

Question

Hey!
I wanna know if Mac mini is good performance.
I would like to use it mainly for Web Design (Photoshop) and Video Editing (less than Web Design though)
What's your opinions about it.

Answer 1

Hello,
The Mac Mini is a great computer. And, it is capable of doing everything you are asking about.
But, you will potentially find it less pleasurable to use for intensive graphics work than an iMac.
The Mac Mini uses an Integrated Video system that borrows it's memory from the system's memory. So, it's performance is going to be lower when compared to the iMac.
This primarily affects things being drawn to the screen, not the processing of information / graphics data.
So, you won't find a problem in terms of crunching information and producing stuff. But, you may observe in some situations that the video / pictures being displayed on the screen may lag a bit.
But, you'll usually only notice that in something with a high frame-rate (such as animations) or in 3D drawing or animation.
Otherwise, it's a perfectly fine computer.
It's price is a bit high for the lower performance it offers in comparison to the iMac systems. So, if you really want the best performance and the most for your money, then look towards the iMac.
But, if the performance of the Mac Mini is acceptable to you, and you already have a large monitor that you like, then the Mini may be a good buy for you.
My main complaints are that the CoreDuo model has rather humble specs compared to the iMac and it costs $800 before you add the additional memory that you will definitely want.
The iMac starts at $1299, but comes with a monitor built-in, a much faster microprocessor, a significantly larger hard drive, and a dedicated graphics controller with it's own memory. So, you really get a good deal for your money.
So, the way I see it, the Mini is an excellent computer, but hardly a deal when you compare what you get for your money.
The iMac costs a bit more, but you get a lot for your money.
And, you can always buy a refurbished iMac from Apple, and get the price as low as $1099.
Apple Certified Refurbished Products
Either way you go, you'll get a great computer. You just need to decide how much computer you want for your money.
If you want a system with a large (and fast) hard drive, a fast graphics card, fast processor, and large screen, then go with the iMac.
If you just want a computer that will get the job done, and have your own monitor already, then the Mac Mini may be a good purchase for you.
You should also consider that Adobe has not upgraded their programs to be "Universal" yet. So, they will run using the slower and more demanding "Rosetta" translator built-into OS X.
This means that you will need more memory (to hold the translated code). It also means that the performance of those programs will be slower. So, you'll want the fastest processor you can get (or afford) to help off-set the reduced performance.
Basically, Rosetta is a translator that converts PowerPC code to run on Intel processors. This translated code is stored in memory while you are using the program, and therefore requires more memory to operate. So, you'll observe a decrease in performance if you start running low on memory. So, you'll want as much memory as you can get (1 GB or 2 GB would be preferable).
Additionally, running in Rosetta is slower. So, you'll want a faster processor to help speed things up a bit when using older PowerPC programs.
It has been said that Photoshop will run acceptably on the iMac, but it is noticeably slower. I could only imagine that it would be even slower on the Mac Mini due to it's slower processor.
I hope this helps.