Widescreen TV resolution (unsupported?) intel mac mini

I'm having problems setting the mac mini up to my tv, i'm in the uk so no HD yet but the resolutions the mac mini with dvi-component adapter is displaying only have 4x3 aspect ratios, so when watching widesreen tv or movies it double letterboxes them. Is there any way i can force the mac mini to display at 1024x576 rather than just giving me the options of 720x576, 800x600 and 1024 x 768. I remember on older mac with older monitors there was abutton in teh system prefs which allowed you to display resolutions that might not be supported is there any way around this?
It doesn't appear to be the tv as when hooked up to a powerbook the display options are far greater and include 16x9 meaning tv and movies are displayed full screen.
On the plus side it is seriously fast, with handbrake in universal binary it runs 3-4 times faster than my powerbook, 15fps on the 1.67ghz pbook and 60fps on the mac mini, which compares well to 37fps average on a mates dual 1.8ghz G5 nice.

I have the same sort of problem with a brand new Dual Core Mac Mini and a Pioneer Elite PRO-710HD. The TV is quite capable of handling 1080i input via the VGA/RGB jack, but the Mini won't give me 1920x1080 as a resolution option. I've currently got it set to 640x480, which displays fine, but I really want the higher resolution to work.
If anyone can point me to a guide to hacking the display settings tables that Display Preferences uses to figure out what a particular display is capable of, that would be great. I tried the restart with cmd-opt-a-v and that didn't change the available options (which are many, btw, but none with 1080 as a vertical resolution option, 1050 and 1200 being the closest and they don't work).
Cheers,
-Sam

Similar Messages

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

The Intel Mac Mini uses on-board graphics... how good are they?

I'm seriously considering getting an Intel Mac Mini and telling all my friends to get one, too. However, there's one problem - the graphics.
The whole reason I'd want an Intel Mac would be so that I could dual-boot into Windows Vista (when it comes out) in order to play the latest games.
How suitable are the on-board graphics for gaming? Would it be able to play Halo and Command & Conquer Generals well?
Basically, I want to know if it's the equivalent of a 64 MB graphics chip in speed, or if having on-board graphics makes it a bit slower. Does it have hardware acceleration? And is it suitable for smooth casual gaming at an average resolution?

I am very uneasy about finding integrated graphics in the new mini too.
When I first saw the new Mini website on Apple's website I was so excited "intel processor", "4 usb ports", "faster drives" but something was missing from the website; the "graphics" sub-category. I instantly wondering what was up with that, thinking right away obviously the graphics weren't good enough to brag about. I was right. On Apple's MacMini website, on the "Intel Core" sub-category page, bottom of the page, right side there's a weee comment on integrated graphics, "oh." was my only thought.
It's really disappointing to see integrated graphics in the new Mini. That AND the increase in price. The price of the Intel iMac dropped by $100 when it got introduced, but the Intel Mini's price goes up $100 upon introduction, further closing the price between the iMac and the Mini and making the iMac looking more and more attractice in terms of features-performance-price-value. I better run out and buy a Intel iMac before Apple removes the miniDVI-out port (which I'm predicting it will be removed in the next iMac revision)
Hopefully some Intel MacMini review tests in the coming weeks will reveal better-than-expected graphics performance.
I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned this but... doesn't anyone here see that Apple has given us a preview of what's to come by putting integrated graphics in the new Intel MacMini? -- Anyone? I'll tell you -- we're going to see the exact same integrated graphics in the upcoming Intel iBooks, that's what.
Mac Mini Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Blank screen, Intel Mac mini, Samsung P23700 LCD monitor; HELP!?!

I just got a new 23" Samsung LCD monitor and hooked it up to an Intel Mac mini. Turning on the system results in a blank screen with the monitor simply displaying a dialog box that seems to show that it is trying to figure out if the incoming signal is digital or analog. This dialog box is on for a few seconds and then the monitor goes to sleep. The monitor realizes that there is a signal coming in; As soon as I disconnect the DVI cable I get the standard "Check Signal Cable" on the monitor's screen. I don't even get the initial white screen on the Mac boot up. nothing. just the monitor's confused signal identifying dialog.
I've tried connecting the Mac mini to the monitor with a DVI to DVI cable and a DVI to VGA to DVI connection, with the same result.
I've also tried the monitor with an older PowerPC based Mac mini with the same result.
Both Macmini's work with out a problem when connected to my 32" LCD TV with a DVI to HDMI cable.
I also tried the Samsung monitor with a little Windows XP running laptop using the VGA to DVI cable and the monitor worked like a charm; I think that fact has been the most painful part of the process up to now.
The windows machine's screen set up that worked was 1280x800 at 40Hz. I can't get a resolution like that on the Mac's display settings. I've only been able to hook it up to the LCD TV, and the display settings when hooked up to the TV are limited to LCD TV settings; i.e. 1080i. I've also tried setting the mac mini to 800x600 but still get no picture.
Resetting PRAM etc. didn't help either.
I'm stuck... any ideas people?

I've tried connecting the Mac mini to the monitor with a DVI to DVI cable...
That should work.
and a DVI to VGA to DVI connection...
That won't work. Once you go from DVI to VGA from the mini, you need to stay VGA. There is no going back to digital. So try DVI to VGA and then a VGA cable to the Samsung.
I also tried the Samsung monitor with a little Windows XP running laptop using the VGA to DVI cable and the monitor worked like a charm;...The windows machine's screen set up that worked was 1280x800 at 40Hz.
I wouldn't call that working like a charm. 1280 x 800 at 40Hz is a completely bizarre resolution for a 23" monitor, or any monitor. I would begin wondering if you got a bad monitor if that's the best it can do.

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.

Can't find Laserwriter 4/600 on network from Intel Mac mini

Problem: Cannot find/print to networked LaserWriter using Airport network.
Kit: Mac mini 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo, 512 MB running Mac OS 10.4.5; Silver Apple Airport Base Station unExtreme; Netgear 814 combined switch/router/DSL modem; Asanté LocalTalk-to-Ethernet Adaptor; Apple LaserWriter 4/600PS.
Method: Airport bridges from wireless (Mac mini) side of network to wired (LaserWriter) side via hub/router.
This setup worked perfectly for many years but did not survive the encounter with Intel Mac mini.
Resolution attempted: Carried out detailed instructions involving switching devices off and on in strict order, using Printer Setup Utility etc.
These instructions are posted on Asanté website:
http://www.asante.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3164
Getting this to work requires that the Ethernet connection be switched from AirPort to Built-in Ethernet and that the computer be physically connected to the hub by an ethernet cable. The unwanted effect of this is that it denies wireless access to network/internet services formerly enjoyed by Mac & PC computers.
Running the identical Asanté routine with AirPort rather than Built-in Ethernet as the connection method results in the loss of the LaserWriter to the network.
Any ideas?

You can rest assured that printing to a AppleTalk
printer through wireless network is way down on the
list of things that is ever going to be tested in the
labs.
Point taken. I'm just curious about what might be going on.
Since I can't test here - the only thing I can do is
think of possible differences between your two
networks (wired and wireless)
I'm not an expert but as I understand it the Intel Mac mini should "see" the network as a single contiguous entity. In other words the AirPort Base Station that bridges between the wireless and the wired parts of the network should be entirely transparent, so I think the answer to your next question is yes.
Is your network flat (sameIP address range and routes
wireless as wired)? I could see issues if there were
a firewall or you had separate networks set up (you
can have different networks that talk to each other
through gateways and routing - but things like
Bonjour/Rendezvous and if my rusty memory is to be
trusted - Appletalk too - depends on things being in
the same "network" for broadcast packets to get to
everyone.)
Again, I don't know if it proves anything but when I had another computer on network here, the IP address assigned to it by the router was within the specified range. This machine is getting on for three whole years old, has begun to self-destruct and so it's gone for repair under the last gasp of its AppleCare warranty extension.
The Intel Mac mini can also "see"/print to a Bonjour wireless printer. This may also answer your question about the possibility there being two networks here rather than one. On the other hand, I guess that the ability to print to the Bonjour device does not involve any bridging between the wireless and wired parts of the network, so this may not be relevant.
If the concept of different networks does not make
sense - open up the Network Utility application and
post the results of your "Display routing table
information" from the netstat section...
Finally, here's what Network Utility, Netstat comes up with:
Routing tables
Internet:
Destination Gateway Flags Refs Use Netif Expire
default 192.168.0.1 UGSc 20 55 en1
127 localhost UCS 0 0 lo0
localhost localhost UH 17 199665 lo0
169.254 link#5 UCS 0 0 en1
192.168.0 link#5 UCS 2 0 en1
192.168.0.1 0:9:5b:46:64:3 UHLW 19 17 en1 1177
192.168.0.3 localhost UHS 0 0 lo0
192.168.0.255 link#5 UHLWb 1 12 en1
Internet6:
Destination Gateway Flags Netif Expire
localhost link#1 UHL lo0
localhost Uc lo0
localhost link#1 UHL lo0
link#5 UC en1
ray-thomsons-compu 0:14:51:ef:99:b1 UHL lo0
ff01:: localhost U lo0
ff02::%lo0 localhost UC lo0
I hope it makes more sense to you than it does to me!
Kind regards,
Ray
PowerBook G4•1GHz•512MB•15•AirPort unExtreme Mac OS 9.2.x

Harmon Kadon Soundsticks (1st gen USB) works with Intel Mac mini?

Hello all!
Sorry if I've asked this before, but not much response the last time, just like to ask if anyone has the 1st gen USB Soundsticks that works with the Intel Mac mini?
Thanks and cheers

Hi.
I have Soundstick (USB). It does not work with my G5 and Intel MacBook Pro, just let you know. I am trying to find resolution. If you know any, please let me know.
Yasunori

Intel mac mini & 46" samsung DLP

Any helpfull info on a new intel mac mini and a DLP? I would like to use it for a media center. What cable to buy? Hows the screen res? Any known problems?
Can anyone help?

I connected my mac mini core duo (intel) to a Samsung DLP. Works fine with one caveat (not mac specific - in fact, a problem with all TV type displays, I think, but I'm no expert).
When using a DVI cable (inexpensive online, expensive at radio shack, best buy, etc.), the monitor will give you a choice between PC and TV. When you choose "TV", you'll get a perfect dot-for-dot display on the monitor. However, you'll also have an "overscan" problem which I don't really understand but can describe -- the very outer edges of the image spill off the edge of the screen (my uneducated guess is that a portion of the screen is hidden by the frame). Unfortunately, on my screen the cutoff portion includes most of the menu bar. Setting the monitor to "PC" will modestly (5% or so) shrink the image to ensure it fits on the screen. However, this means the monitor is interpolating (no longer dot for dot - which seems to defeat the purpose of DVI) and things get slightly (and I mean very slightly) fuzzy. Not an issue at all with photos or even video. You can tell the difference on text though. I'm using my mini as a media center so don't care and the fuzziness is so slight it doesn't really bother me when I use Safari but you asked. Again, this isn't a mini issue. You'll get it on any set up using the DLP as a monitor (and that's why Samsung gives you the "PC" option).
On screen resolution, the mini identifies the samsung automatically and will set its resolution to match the native resolution. You'll want to go through the screen calibration preference panel (choose the advanced option) to get the colors just right - takes about 10 minutes. I'm happy with this set up, especially with wireless keyboard and mouse. Remote with FrontRow is great.
Finally, I'm considering using the VGA input. Given that DVI is already interpolating, maybe the VGA will actually be a little sharper.
MiniDuo; iBook G4; iMacG3 Mac OS X (10.4.5)
MiniDuo; iBook G4; iMacG3 Mac OS X (10.4.5)
MiniDuo; iBook G4; iMacG3 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

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!

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.

How can I tell if I have the right restore disks for Intel Mac Mini

I have an "early 2006" (confirmed by S/N YM609***) Intel Mac Mini 1.66mhz Core Duo. I bought it used and the hard drive had been wiped. Both the HD and the DVD drive seem to work fine; hard drive passes SMART tests. I was able to boot using "Drive Genius" and can access the pre-install items like Disk Utility (and know that I need to use GUID formatting to create a bootable disk). Not knowing I could order restore disks from Apple I bought a set on eBay, p/n AHT VERSION 3A102 DISC VERSION 1.1 2Z691-5828-A, copyright 2006 on disks and included documentation (OS 10.4.6), but the install always fails 10-15 minutes along. I got the same results when trying to install via internal optical drive to a FW or USB external HD (told it to use GUID for the external HD), or external FW optical drive both to internal HD and to external USB hard drive. A friend tried to install full retail versions of 10.5 and even 10.6 for diagnostic purposes, using the built in HD and DVD drives, but those installs did not complete either; they did not try external drives. Is that the wrong restore version for this model, or even if the right "generation", does a set of restore disks only work with the specific Mac mini they were issued for like for example XP restore disks would? I've been told I can provide my s/n to Apple and for about $30 they will send me the "right" restore disks... anyone know anything about this? Could there be a hardware/firmware explanation for why the install fails like that? PS ran the extended version of the Apple Hardware Test with that restore disk set and it reported "no problems."
<Edited by Host>

Thanks. Actually I got the Mini from a computer recycling company I work with so I knew it might have problems and that I was taking an "as-is" risk. If the original disks were turned in with it, they'd been lost (that outfit took in huge piles of stuff every day; it was often luck of the draw for me to find something before it would be buried, damaged, etc., and not everyone who worked there had any idea of the possible value of things they received) for me to find things. The disks I got on eBay apparently were separated from the mini they'd been packaged for. An Apple Store rep said I could order restore direct from Apple just by providing my serial number; just wish I'd known that before I went to eBay. Since posting this I've seen another seller specifically claiming that the same-part-numbered-as-mine disc set they are selling will work with my specific type of Mac mini. I have an appointment tomorrow morning at the Genius Bar at an Apple store near me in case they have more suggestions. Will share what I know as things develop.

Need help with Intel Mac mini... potential logic board failure...

Hey everyone! For the past couple years, I've been using an Intel Mac mini which I was able to afford before rough times hit for me. It has been a champ for a long time, until recently. In the past week, the clock would lose time ever so often, and last week, whenever I'd try to power it up in the morning (as I shut it down every night), it wouldn't start up most times (meaning, you hit the power, nothing... no LED, no fan, nothing on screen, nada). After a while, I would somehow manage to get it to start. I assumed at this point, the lithium battery (coin type CR2032, not the traditional 1/2 AA purple battery) was shot. Since I'm in the middle of a job transition, I was waiting until I had time to put in a new battery, which I was planning to do this weekend. Then Wednesday happened...
I go to start it, nothing... A week before this, I started losing time and sometimes it would not boot. I figured eventually I would be able to start it since I was able to sometimes get it to start after a half hour or more. That didn't happen. So I decided to go ahead and swap in the new battery. I do that, power it up, nothing. I reset the SMC (same as PMU on the PPC Macs), to no avail. I reseated the RAM, and did everything I could think of, but it's deader than Elvis. I also had took the power supply to a guy who had a voltimeter. He said voltage was getting to all pins.
I went back and read some of the archives on this board. Someone mentioned something about a repair exception. It mentioned that sometimes if you call AppleCare (even if you don't have it) and ask for a repair exception, sometimes they'll agree to have the logic board replaced due to it being a documented problem. How true is this and who should I contact?
Can anyone suggest anything here? If I can't revive the mini, I may have to drag my iMac back out and try to set it up to run OS X. I can't no where near afford another computer at this point. I'm praying the mini can be fixed. I would appreciate any and all suggestions!
Thanks in advance!
Tommy

It does sound like the logic board has gone bad. However, there are no current repair extension programs open on the Mac Minis.
This page lists the open extensions:
http://www.apple.com/support/exchange_repair/
So that's not an option. I assume that the Mini doesn't have AppleCare (whoops.), so I would not count on Apple covering it, but it's always worth a shot. You can call AppleCare (1-800-275-2273) or visit your local Apple Store

Intel Mac Mini Core Solo - Kernel Panic on Boot

I was wondering if anyone who has purchased the Intel Mac Mini is having issues with Kernel Panics during the booting sequence?
I got a Core Solo from the local Apple store (couldn't wait to play, I'm waiting on the Core Duo I ordered online to come still ). The first thing I did was fire it up check it out for a few minutes, then I put the install disc in and reinstalled a clean OS, with less options because I'm planning on hooking it up to my TV so I don't need space hogs like Garageband etc on my TV computer. I got the updates that popped up, then shutdown the computer. I took it out to the living room and hooked it up to the tv and I got a black message about needing to restart (a kernel panic) right when the blue progress loading bar comes up on boot. I spent a while with it trying to figure out what was wrong, ran the Apple Hardware Test, booted it fine in Safe Boot. Finally I got tired of it and reinstalled the OS again.
It was fine for a day, working fine out on the tv. I brought it back in my room to play with a few things like Darwine, etc. Shut it down, came back an hour or so later booted it up and got the kernel panic on boot. Safe boot still worked fine. I spent some time trying to look for panic logs but didn't see any. I ran the disk utility and did a Full erase and it worked fine. I reinstalled the OS again. Ran MemTestOSX and it worked fine. I left it running the Apple Hardware Test for about 6 hours or more, and it performed perfectly.
This morning it still seemed ok, except sometimes on a cold boot when the blue progress bar screen should come on... my monitor just shows black and the light on the monitor goes inactive. So, I press the button on the back to sleep it, then bring it out of sleep with the keyboard and the OS is sitting there booted.
It seems like a weird combination of software and hardware problems, but maybe it's all hardware problems. I can't get past Safe Boot working when the OS stops loading. Right now the computer is working fine.
I'm waiting for my Core Duo to come in the mail and verify that it works flawlessly, then I'll take the Solo to the store and ask them to look at it.
Anyone have any similar experiences so far?

It seems like the mini is doing alright so far. I think maybe the full erase solved whatever issue it was having. I also got my Core Duo Mini yesterday in the mail and it's performing like a champ. Definitely a nice machine.
I'll close my question for now, since the Core Solo Mini seems alright. But, as a warning don't get on Front Row's bad side. I tried force quitting it because it was taking too long to load the videos folder and then tried shutting down from a terminal and ended up having to turn the machine off.

Widescreen TV resolution (unsupported?) intel mac mini

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for