PowerMac G5 or Intel Mac Mini - Storage Server

I posted this in the Mac Mini area, but I would like to see what the G5 community has to say.
I would like to setup a server to store family pictures, iTunes purchases and other media. Also I would like to use it as a backup for important documents and data.
I have a Intel Mac Mini 1.66 and a G5 PowerMac dual 1.8GHz.
I have purchased 4 400GB drives and I am trying to figure out the best solution for the money.
I would like to put the drives into external enclosures like OWC 2 drive FW800/FW400 and use the first pair as either RAID 0 or use the hardware spanning, and the 2nd pair as the backup.
Will this be too much for the FW400 bus of the Mac Mini, seeing I also use an EyeTV 500/200 solution to capture TV and burn DVDs. I will do video editing, iMovie, iPhoto stuff.
I would like to sell the G5, but would it make more sense to install 2 drives in the G5 and use 1 external enclosure with FW800 for the backup? I would like at least 1 external enclosure for the backup?
Any suggestion would help.
Thanks!
WhoDat

I would keep the G5 as it seems more suited for a file server than the mini. Also since it will be used that way and storage is what you need, you can pick up one of these:
http://eshop.macsales.com/Search/Search.cfm?Criteria=G5%20Jive&sort=a
to mount up to 3 more dirves inside the G5 so it would hold 5 and still be a nice beastie - the mini would have to go to the external solution. Just my .02.

Similar Messages

Intel Mac mini vs PowerMac Dual G5 storage server

I would like to setup a server to store family pictures, iTunes purchases and other media. Also I would like to use it as a backup for important documents and data.
I have a Intel Mac Mini 1.66 and a G5 PowerMac dual 1.8GHz.
I have purchased 4 400GB drives and I am trying to figure out the best solution for the money.
I would like to put the drives into external enclosures like OWC 2 drive FW800/FW400 and use the first pair as either RAID 0 or use the hardware spanning, and the 2nd pair as the backup.
Will this be too much for the FW400 bus of the Mac Mini, seeing I also use an EyeTV 500/200 solution to capture TV and burn DVDs. I will do video editing, iMovie, iPhoto stuff.
I would like to sell the G5, but would it make more sense to install 2 drives in the G5 and use 1 external enclosure with FW800 for the backup? I would like at least 1 external enclosure for the backup?
Any suggestion would help.
Thanks!

I have both of the systems to which you refer. I am typing to you on my G5 dual 2 ghz. I have an older G4 dual with 4 drives in it that I use for backup purposes, I do not use a fileserver at home in the sense of what you are talking about. My mini is my entertainment system with 1 TB of storage, my purchases are made on the G5 then transferred to the mini (giving me a backup of all purchases) and the G4 is used to back up the entire library from my mini (not as often as I should though! )
I know Wiebetech used to make an internal setup that expanded the G5's drive capacity from 2 to 4. While you said you wanted at least one external enclosure, that option would eliminate the need for an external case, another power cord, etc. so it may be worth looking into. I do not recall the name of the product but I know wiebetech manufactured it. Perhaps someone else knows the name or you could go to the company website. It is also possible in the G5 forum there is someone who owns the product as well.
As to which one to use, selling the G5 and having just a 2 drive or 4 drive enclosure hooked to the mini is most certainly a significant space saver over the G5 (not to mention not having to either have 2 separate machines with 2 monitors, keyboards or a KVM or VNC type setup) There are many good enclosures on the market, not just single but multiple drive enclosures which could be a better/smaller footprint/economical way to go vs. 4 individual enclosures (again, wiebetech is a noteworthy manufacturer of such items...no, I don't work for them
I too have eye tv hooked to the min as well as the 2 external drives I mentioned (250gb and 750gb) all via firewire. There should be no problem with the setup you mention as far as firewire is concerned and the mini. At least, not in my experience.
Good luck, let us know what you decide and feel free to ask more questions. I will gladly help if I can (can't say I helped this time, probably gave you more questions than answers!)
Message was edited by: CaptTB

Dual PowerMac G4 or Core Duo Intel Mac Mini?

Right now I have a Intel Core Duo Mac mini. I have the following setup and specs on my desk. The mini contains the Duo 1.66GHz processor, 2GB DDR SDRam, 80GB hard drive, OS X & Windows XP, AirPort +Bluetooth, and so on. My problem is that I have always been a tower lover and that is why I purchased the Mac mini because I purchased a 20.1 widescreen HD Dell LCD with DVI-D, VGA, Component, and so on imputs. I wanted this for my Xbox 360 also.
Here is where it starts to get complicated. I also have four, yes four, external hard drives sitting on my desk, and I still need more hard disc space. I have a 250GB, 120GB, 250GB, and 60GB. Plus remember I have a 80GB in the mini. I am also looking into another 250GB or 500GB external hard drive.
Now before I had the mini, I had the original iMac G5 which had a 1.6GHz PowerPC G5 processor in it, 160GB hard drive, and 1.5GB of ram. It was showing age and I needed more speed and a bigger display so I ditched it for the Intel Mac mini.
In addition I am pulling 12 USB ports out the back of my Mac mini. I have a few hubs fulling almost all the ports. I need these for the external hard drives. If I go internal, I can probably live with 6-8 USB 2.0 ports. I will need at least 1 firewire or an iSight camera or my Sony HD handycam, but USB is more needed. In addition I see some PowerMac G4's came with Firewire 800? Is this something I would need, I currently however have no use for it.
But now I really see the need of a PowerMac G4 Quicksilver tower. I was looking into the Dual 1.42GHz PowerPC G4 models, and really don't know which is faster. I would obviously love the expandability of the PCI cards, and independed graphics memory, but am I willing to transition back to PowerPC after moving over the Intel?
I don't know so I am posting it all here in the PowerMac G4 section of the Apple forums. I really hope I can get some good advice here. By the way, I am very Apple and technology frantic, so I know the ins and outs of a tower and stuff like that. So a non Apple warrenty would probably not be a problem.
But one problem is, how much could I get for my Mini which cost me $1099 and how much would a decent G4 tower cost me? I have an extra Nvideo GeForce 4 MX 5400 Ultra with 64MB of ram and DVD-D/ VGA outputs, so that isn't a problem. Plus to replace the AirPort Extreme built into the mini, I have a AirLink 101 Super G (108MBPS) Wireless PCI card. Bluetooth can be added with a simple USB dongle.
UPDATE: Forgot the mention I already have a DVD Burner compatible with OS X and 3.5inch bays. I would like a Dual Layer, but if its a tower, I can upgrade that anytime.
UPDATE x2: I would also like to mention that I use Gigabit Ethernet so any PowerMac model I choose would have to acomidate that such as the Intel Mac mini does.
THANKS EVERYONE!!!!
Mac Mini 1.67GHz Intel Core Duo, 2GB ram, 1.5TB storage, OS X v.10.4.6, 30GB iPo Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I would like one day to have a tower with 4-8 HD drives
(120-250GB each) and HD DVD and Blue-Ray burners.
Good luck Even the Dell towers we have at work have space for 3 HDs, and thats only of you give up one of the CD bays.
Honestly, I unless a blueray player ships in the CPU, I would get a PS3. 1/2 the cost of a standalone blu-ray player, and a game system too
Expected street prices from Sony and Toshiba web sites:
standalone Sony blueray player: 995.
Toshiba HD-DVD: 599
Sony PS3 w/ bluray: 499/599
Is the reason the PowerPC G4 can't handle HD DVD is
processor speed or what? Cause there is always
processor upgrade cards up to 1.8GHz and 2.0GHz Dual.
Thanks.
One of the Apple support pages says you must have a G5...
does not give the background behind it.
On a G4, the OS will not allow HDDVD playback (as HD is defined by FinalCutHD) via the DVD player, BUT it will play back HD video clips (like QT trailers)
On my 867, 720i clips played back w/o a problem, but 1080 would freeze for 20 seconds at a time, (while audio continued normally)
on my Dual 1.42, I have no problems with 1080.
I hesitate to consider or recommend processor upgrade cards b/c for some, the price approaches the cost of a new machine w/o the benefits of faster busses, etc, and, right on the side of the OS X box, it says processor upgrade cards not supported. I would hate to upgrade the OS to find it refused to support my machine.

Intel Mac Mini vs. PowerMac G4 Dual?

Does anyone have any experience of how the new Intel Mac Mini fairs against a dual processor G4 PowerMac? I'm thinking of buying a Mac Mini to replace my 1.25Ghz G4.
I'm not fussed about the non-universal apps as the primary use will be for iLife and the "standard" Mac apps.
Any feedback would be welcome.
Thanks people.

I tested both single and dual core Intel minis a couple of weeks ago, and they both outperformed my Dual 867, and the dual core model got very close to the performance of my Rev A G5 dual 2.0 running iMovie 6.
In terms of performance in native software, I'd expect both Intel minis to outperform a dual 1.25 G4 on almost all tasks - the only exception might be between the G4 and single core mini in tasks which are highly processor intensive, where the dual G4s might still win out, or on disc-intensive work (meaning opening or saving something like very large photoshop files rather than streaming DV in iMovie) where the mini's drive speed would still represent a bit of a possible bottleneck.
I was quite impressed by the Intel units, particularly in iMovie where my G4 minis tend to be a bit laggy as projects grow, but even the single core mini was much more responsive.

I have moved from a G5 Powermac to an Intel Mac Pro and am porting over Items from a Backup HDD. How can I access and use drawings and documents created on the PC computer on the Intel computer ?

I have moved from a G5 Powermac to an Intel Mac Pro and selectively porting over items from a backup hard drive.
How can I access and use documents and drawings created on the PC based computer ?

Clarisworks, you need Appleworks, which will only work with Mac OS X10.6.8 or earlier. See this tip if you must go newer. Mac Pros with newer hardware configuration than July 20, 2011 can't use Mac OS X 10.6.8 or earlier without this tip and then it would be Mac OS X Server. I'm not sure if the new black Mac Pro supports that configuration or not.
iPhoto, there is an iPhoto for all versions of Mac OS X.
iTunes, there is an iTunes for all versions of Mac OS X. Note with iTunes versions 11 and later, which are needed for syncing with iOS 7 or or later, you will lose coverflow, if you liked that feature. Sadly you can't run an older version of iTunes from within Mac OS X 10.9 or later.
Sketchup: http://help.sketchup.com/en/article/60107 shows the versions that will work with intermediate Mac OS X versions, and this shows the latest version: http://help.sketchup.com/en/article/36208 be sure to click on the operating system you choose to use.
GIF - Viewing GIFs Apple's Preview can do that. Editing them, I like http://www.lemkesoft.com/ Graphicconverter.
DMG is able to be opened by all versions of Mac OS X. This are just "disk images" which store programs on a virtual disk that will open when double clicked. Frequently you'll find the installer of the said program inside. To find out if the program itself is compatible with 10.7 through 10.9, see http://www.roaringapps.com/
Otherwise see the resources on:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2455
If you end up deciding to stick with Snow Leopard.

PowerMac G5 vs new Mac mini?

I hope this is the right place to ask this (maybe I ought to put the question in the Powermac G5 forum as well...)
I currently have a G5 Dual 2 GHz, and it's definitely starting to show it’s age! I have been looking at getting a MacPro but the cost is prohibitive. And then I thought (as I have a screen (two actually), mouse and keyboard, plus external drives etc, why not try the Mini?
So I guess the main question is would a new Intel Mac Mini run/operate faster than an old G5 or would I still be looking at the spinning beach ball of death? The most CPU intensive thing I use is Final Cut Express; would the Mini handle that ok?
Any other ideas/suggestions?
Thanks!!
Andy

I don't own an Intel mini myself, but I buy and set them up for users in my networks from time to time. I recently had my G5 DP in the office when a new 1.83 C2D mini arrived, and in a direct comparison, the G5 gave a benchmark score of 78, the mini gave 96. In reality, since benchmarks don't really exercise the system the way real applications do (and in particular don't cause a lot of paging activity so the relative differences in hard drive performance are not really measured) the mini was perhaps 10% faster. Just to give you some solid data!
And it's not that they are not good systems - I never cease to be impressed and pleased at how well such small systems really perform - but if you are going to spend money, you really need to be looking for something that notably outperforms the G5. An iMac would, for example. In the same benchmarking test, a 2.4GHz 24" Aluminium iMac turned in a score of 149.
In terms of the G5, upping the RAM would certainly help - not a massive boost in performance, but making the system smoother to use. Final Cut Express is really not a particularly demanding application in terms of system hardware though, so beachballing suggests there is something awry.
To clear caches and logs (and indeed perform some general housekeeping) I would generally suggest a simple utility such as YASU (http://jimmitchelldesign.com/projects/yasu/). Set it to all tasks and make sure nothing is running. When it's done it will force a restart, which will be slower than usual, after which the system will run a little slow for a time as it rebuilds caches. YASU performs other tasks that can help with system performance too.
It is true that in MacOS you don't really need to defragment or optimize the drive, but that isn't always true if you handle lots of large files such as video. Those can cause fragmentation over time.
A full erase and install is a good way to test the system overall however, because it returns everything to the 'out-of-the-box' condition. If the system performs well (or at least better) when that is done, you will know much more clearly whether it needs replacing or not!

Intel Mac mini as a faxserver with more then one USB-Modems?

Hi there,
does anybody have a clue if this idea will work?
We plan to buy a Intel Mac mini and someone had the idea to use it additionally as a faxserver - BUT, we'll need more the one fax-line. So, I wonder if it is possible to buy 3 or even 4 external USB-Modem from Apple to use all of them.
Does anyone tried this before?
Any comments are welcome!
Thanks in advance, Chris.
Mac mini Core Duo, 2GB, 120GB Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Hello Chris,
incl. a four line fax-card. Why isn't it a good
choice?
From my experience the Mac's make a terrible fax machine.
I have tried receiving faxes with a 1.8 GHz iMac G5 (with built-in modem), a 2.0 GHz iMac G5 (with built-in modem), and my 1.25 GHz Mac Mini (with built-in modem).
In every single case, and experiment, they dropped the fax after the first page.
So, that means that I've gone round and round trying to get beyond the first page received without trouble.
I do have a real fax machine, and never have any trouble receiving faxes on the same line with it. So, I only use the computer as a fax when I want to only receive the first page (for example the many local doctors who send me their customers private details).
In the case of the doctors, my phone rings frequently with customer's private details. All I want is the first page so I can call the doctor and tell them to quit sending me faxes.
They will send, send, and re-send until a fax machine answers. It keeps the phone busy all day if I don't receive the fax.
But, it costs money to receive the 30-page faxes just to stop the phone ringing. So, I let the computer capture the first page, and then call them and demand that they quit calling me (which works for a couple of days).
You wouldn't believe the information they have sent me. And, with an older doner-film fax, a 30-page document is mighty expensive.
What really gets me, is when they had the nerve to request me to invest even more money and pay to mail the fax back to them. I tell them their free to drive here and get it, otherwise, it's going in the garbage.
I can tell you from experience, that your medical records are not safe with a doctor. They just assume they are dialing the right number, and will send your entire personal history (and even family history - I've received generations of information) to just about anyone with a fax machine.
Anyway, now that I explained how I use mine, I hope you can better understand why a real fax machine is going to serve you better.
The tolerance of a real fax machine will prevent you from constantly trying to receive the same fax over and over and over again.

Intel mac mini support jumbo frames

Can anyone confirm if jumbo frames are supported on the Intel mac mini? In the networking control panel under Ethernet if the jumbo frames radio button is not greyed out then the hardware has support.

fabulous thanks for testing that - sounds like the intel mini is about to become a file server here!
Cheers

Why do new hard drives keep failing in Mac Mini OSX Server?

Why new new hard drives keep failing in Mac Mini OSX server?

If it only failed in 8 days.. I just return the drives back to newegg and get a different brand like western digital. NewEgg has a 30 day return policy.
If you deal with any hard drive manufacturer now, they will give you a refurbished item and not a new item that you are entitled.
As for testing hardware....
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509
even if it still passed Apple tests.. it does not mean logicboard is fine..... it just means it passes the tests.
At this point, If i were you, I would just go back to NewEgg and send back the Seagates letting know they are bad and prefer a different brand such as Western Digital.
Install the Western Digitals and see how long they last. If they fail again in a a short amoung of time, it's the logicboard then.
This is based on experience in dealing with repairs with Macs, PCs, and other various kinds of Servers and computers over the last 10+ years.
In fact, One of my clients who has a Dual 4-core Intel Xeon Server with a Supermicro logicboard, one of their SATA drive ports are bad. Every 4 months like clock work the Mirror RAID Drive would degrade on that port. Then after figuring out that the drives are not necessary bad, I swapped to using another spare SATA port and since then no problems.

Intel Mac Mini stuck in reboot loop

I just upgraded the hard drive in my 2007 intel mac mini core duo. Drive formatted successfully, contains GUID Partition Table.
OSX 10.5 installed successfully.
Machine rebooted, I ran software update to 10.5.7 successfully.
Upon installing Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Acrobat Reader, machine began to react slowly to commands.
Rebooted machine, went to Grey Apple Screen with spinning dash wheen icon.
Machine rebooted itself, once again going to the grey apply screen with the spinning wheel.
After about 15 minutes of letting the continual reboot cycle happen, I inserted the installation DVD for 10.5, held the power button in to power off the machine, and booted from the disk.
I ran disk utility. Disk Utility shows the hard drive, shows the partition (GUID Partition) correctly.
I Verified Disk, which verified as "OK"
Repaired permissions.
Restarted machine.
Once again, it loaded to the grey apple screen, stayed there with the spinning dash wheel for about 3 minutes then continued to reboot over and over (everytime it reboots it sticks on the grey apple screen for 3 minutes before rebooting.
I once again powered off the machine and reset the PRAM.
Machine stuck again on reboot cycle.
I powered off the machine and reset the mini's SMC.
Machine is still stuck in reboot cycle.
I have also taken the mini back apart and verified that all RAM and connections are seated properly.
Any advice on what to do at this point will be very helpful.

+And I promise I will not download and install a hundred different programs this time.+
Good idea.
Any time you install software in OSX, there is a small, but finite, chance that the installation process won't be able to access a needed file because it is in use. This can mess up pre-binding, or even prevent files from being updated.
So the best advice is not to run any other programs while doing software installs or updates. And when in doubt, run DiskUtility afterwards and fix permissions one more time.
I cringe whenever I think of a post I read a while back about a Mac user who boasted about what music he likes to run in iTunes while doing system software updates. Not a good idea. It's "Russian roulette" with maybe 99 blanks in the "gun", but one real bullet that can kill your Mac's installation.

Bluetooth Not Available on Intel Mac mini

I keep losing the Bluetooth wireless connection between my Apple wireless mouse and keyboard and my Intel Mac mini (which is running Mac OSX 10.5.5)
Tried re-booting but it doesn't always come back.
Looked in System Preferences, but if the connection is lost, Bluetooth has disappeared as if not installed. If the connection is present then all seems OK. You can check battery levels etc.
Left to itself Bluetooth can re-appear sometime later as mysteriously as it disappeared, maybe after half an hour or so. Very annoying as I have to result to using an Apple USB mouse and keyboard when the connection is lost.
Tried running Bluetooth Updater but it says I haven't got Bluetooth if the connection is lost! But it came pre-installed on purchase. Problem only seems to have started since upgrading to Leopard. Never had this problem with Tiger.
Any thoughts would be most welcome.
regards,
BJ

Ok, I've resolved this on my machine, at least for the time being.
Here is what I did. I am not advising anyone else to do this and I am in-no-way stating this will fix your problem. I'm just relaying what worked for me. If anyone chooses to try this then it's on their own head!
I opened my Mac Mini and located the Bluetooth circuit board just in front of the rear power button. I removed the small phillips screw holding the board in place and noticed that the connector that connects the board to the main motherboard was not seated well. I removed the connector and reattached it, making sure I felt the 'click' as the connector was pushed home.
I had also read on the net that the routing of the bluetooth ariel cable may cause problems due to interference from the USB ports. I took the opportunity to extract the ariel and run it over the disk and away from the USB ports. Before putting the lid back on I booted up to check Bluetooth was working again.
So, I now have my Mac Mini with Bluetooth working again. We shall see how long this lasts - perhaps the root cause was a loose connection, in which case it may be fixed permanently now. I shall report back in a few weeks.
Be aware that opening your Mac is going to invalidate any warranty. Mine was out of warranty anyway so I was not bothered. I've also got a degree in software and electronic engineering so know my way round the insides of computers. Please make your own assessment of your level of expertise before deciding to try what I did. It may not work for you anyway!

Intel Mac mini and widescreen TV output (analog)

I just replaced my 1.25 GHz mini with a dual-core Intel one, and are really disappointed that the wide-screen resolution options are nowhere to be found. I'm using the Apple DVI-to-Video adapter with an S-Video cable.
On the G4 Mac mini, I would get 640x480 (NTSC 4:3), 800x480 (NTSC 16:9), 768x576 (PAL 4:3) and 1024x576 (PAL 16:9). Together with Overscan and Best for Video, I got a really nice picture on my 16:9 CRT TV (can display PAL and NTSC in either 4:3 or 16:9).
With the Intel Mac mini, I only get 640x480.
(The other available resolutions do not match with the actual NTSC or PAL frequencies or aspect ratios. For example, 720x480 or 720x576 is used as the pixel format for some digital media, but the pixels are not square, and so far, all software expects display pixels to be square. So it's actually quite useless.)
Is there a trick to get those resolutions to show up in Displays and become usable?

1.) I am using either 1920x1080 (interlaced) which is the resultion that has the worst problem with text sharpness. Now, I have discovered the Zoom feature in OSX and I can use it to some degree to make things readable. This may be my best option.
2.) I have done the calibraton and it does look quite a bit better. Those the DVD output is good but not great.
3.) Apparently, from what I have read, this is a common problem. Maybe a driver upgrade from Apple or Intel could fix?
I bought a Philips DVI cable. I know it's not the best but it should suffice. Monster cables seem to be overpriced. I plan to hook my PC to my HDTV with the same cable. My ATi card supports HD resolutions as well.
I also hooked the mini to my CRT that I have on my Dell and it looks very good there. I am impressed that OSX adjusts the resoltions that it can display upon boot. Even which switching displays.
Intel Mini Duo Core Mac OS X (10.4.5) 512MB RAM

Need Advice: New Intel Mac Mini Still In The Box

Hi!
Okay.. I know... I have several posts going here as I have several issues I am trying to solve rather simultaneously. Thanks for being patient with me.
I have my old 1.25 Ghz PowerPC Mac Mini running 10.4.11 and all was well and happy. Then Security Update 2007-009 happened and all went to ....well... you know and, yes, it was bad! Went to Apple, got it running of sorts as they re-installed the OS, but they used an old version of OS X. (10.4.7. Can you believe that?) This caused other problems. It continues to have all sorts of difficulties, as I have had to get applications to re-recognize that the computer is back up to 10.4.11. Currently, I am struggling with trying to get iTunes to access it's music folders on the external hard drives. Realized that I hadn't even gotten around to figuring out whether or not some of my other applications work, like some of the games and third party, etc.
The thing is I got a new Intel Mac Mini for Christmas and it's still in the box because as I suspected I need to get my old mac perfect again before I can even think about migrating stuff over to the new Mac. But.. here's the thing... it's starting to look pretty much like 2008 will come and go before I can get the old Mac ready enough to take the new Mac out of the box. This really is rather silly!
Now... I can't get the old Mac to see the music and it made me think. I have all of my iTunes music and iPhoto backed up on an external hard drive (I used Apple's "Back-up" software to do it) and in addition to this two complete copies of the iTunes music and iPhoto photos albums on two separate external hard drives. Should I just forget using migration assistant? Can I get my music and my photo albums into the new mac directly from the external hard drives?
Or...can I use "back up" to restore the music and photos into the new Mac?
I am starting to think that the best way to get my new Mac running is not risk it by attaching it to my old Mac. What do you think?
Thank you so much for any advice or experiences you can give. -Charlotte

I know that I am vacillating back and forth as to what to do. Thanks so much for being patient with me. All of your advice is really appreciated and I am at least closing in on deciding on my strategy. Probably will follow your first response advice, especially considering that some of the third party apps may not have updates to handle Leopard quite yet. Anyway... it's a good strategy since everything is on the externals anyway.
You can say that fine.
Ha ha ha.... yes, I've been messing around with computers since my parents bought our first Apple computer back in 1979. Just like you, I've never had a serious problem with any of the computers and we've had them all, running all sorts of things from the Original Apple and Apple IIc (which my parents still have and it still runs!) to the Commodore and all the Windows permeations and then on to the Macs running Jaguar, Panther and Tiger, probably because we've always been careful with the machines and what we install in them and how we update them. I have always kept my computers on UPS' and un-plug them when storms brew outside. As it is I am still using my eight year old Windows 98 computer, (for games mostly) and it still runs quicker than most peoples windows pcs and it's only a 740 Megahertz.
I haven't had to re-install anything, especially on this lovely little Mac Mini until now and wouldn't have in this situation, had I known more. I had taken the little Mac Mini in for a Procare "Tune-Up," only four days before the big up-date disaster. Not sure what they did to my mac in the tune-up but the guy gave me back the machine assuring me that the computer was perfect with no problems in answer to my asking "were they sure?" Even after the Genius Bar techs at the Apple Store re-installed the OS to fix the big problems it seems that no one ever thought to run verify disk. Had the Genius Bar techs at the time of the tune-up done this, or at least told me to do this, the last security update would not have wrecked so much havoc. It was only after I got the machine back from Apple that second time that I found that the directory had been corrupted when I ran disk verify. Actually it is amazing that I have had this little Mac Mini for so long and so not have had any problems on it that I would be able to go so long without having to know this really pretty important aspect of keeping one's mac in good running shape. I had been running maintenance scripts and permissions verify and repair and thought that was all there was to it. Silly! You know... that really is a testimony of how nice these little machines are.
Anyway... experience is a good teacher and I have learned so much it's actually been great! This stuff is pretty interesting.
Now... on to Leopard!
Thanks so much and you have a great New Year! -Charlotte

Can I use a Power PC non intel Mac Mini as an external HD with my iMac 3.06

Can I use a Power PC non intel Mac Mini as an external HD with my iMac 3.06 Intel Core Duo
I can't figure out how to get this to work. Is it possible?

WildBull wrote:
Will it work if I connect via usb instead of firewire?
No. There is no "USB Target Disk Mode".
Just so we're clear, when you start your Mac mini in FireWire Target Disk Mode (TDM - holding T on startup), do you see a FireWire icon on the Mac mini's display? IIRC, it's not required that the Mac mini be connected to a display for TDM, but it would help diagnose whether or not the mini is actually starting in this mode.

Using External Boot Drive with New Intel Mac Mini

I have a 1st Gen MacMini and use an external 7200 RPM Lacie drive as the system boot drive along with all the applications.
If I were to purchase a new Intel Mac Mini, is it possible to use the current external drive as the system drive or is there some conversion steps that would be necessary ?
Thank you.

You can use the hardware, but will have to repartition and reinstall the OS from the disk shipped with the new Mac Mini.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303220
If you create a disk image of the Lacie on your Mini, you can later use setup assistant to restore users and applications from that image.

PowerMac G5 or Intel Mac Mini - Storage Server

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