Is the mini really worth the delay?

[dvdiva]

Sorry about getting peeved. Placed my order with macconnection for 1.25 base + superdrive on 2/14.
Changed order on 2/18 to 1.42 base + superdrive. Now my eta for it to ship out of china is maybe 4/8.
I don't really blame macconnection for the incredable delay as all the other resellers seem to be in the same boat. I have noticed that if you order from apple it's alot faster.
I was expecting a 2-3 week delay but this is really over the top. Sorry for venting.

[cwtnospam]

If you really want an inexpensive Mac, I guess it is. If you're switching from a PC, you might consider the G5 iMac. It costs more, but it's more powerful, more expandable, and has a nice display.

I believe that you get what you pay for, so I got a Dual G5. There's a lot less waiting for those, both buying and using!

[K1W1]

I think it's a great second (or third or fourth) computer but if you look at the specs and upgradabilty dispassionately this is more an exercise in Apple marketing than a breakthrough in computers.
I tend to agree with the previous poster. A 17" Superdrive G5 iMac appeals more but I can see the the Mini has uses.

[Raven]

Be carefull when saying "If you're switching from a PC, you might consider the G5 iMac." One of my friends, who actually used to be a Mac addict (that is untill he's the one who had to pay for it) just got a Mac mini... He has a big P4 2.8 hyperthreading... Withing 2 weeks of getting his mini, he's looking into selling his PC... He says that performance is meaningless compared to the reduction in amounts of hairpulling, bugs, viruses, adware, spyware, security measures and such... Basically, performance is less important (and I'm guessing that this is the case for lots of people) than a machine that will always work right and give them no worries... Plus he said that most games will play very nicely on it too.

[cwtnospam]

Quote: Originally Posted by Raven Be carefull when saying "If you're switching from a PC, you might consider the G5 iMac." One of my friends, who actually used to be a Mac addict (that is untill he's the one who had to pay for it) just got a Mac mini... He has a big P4 2.8 hyperthreading... Withing 2 weeks of getting his mini, he's looking into selling his PC... He says that performance is meaningless compared to the reduction in amounts of hairpulling, bugs, viruses, adware, spyware, security measures and such... Basically, performance is less important (and I'm guessing that this is the case for lots of people) than a machine that will always work right and give them no worries... Plus he said that most games will play very nicely on it too.

I agree that most PC users only consider the cost of the box, that's why they're PC users. I'm just trying to point out that if you consider the total cost of ownership, including the number of years the machine will remain relatively current, the iMac or even a Dual G5 may be less costly than a Mini, which in turn is far less expensive than a PC when you consider the costs of viruses, adware, etc.

That's why I bought a Dual 2 ghz G5. I don't need all that power now, and I doubt I'll need to do much upgrading for years to come. That will save me money over the long term.

[Raven]

I completely agree... PC users for which I do service are always astonished to see that I only have an old G3 DT from 1998 (actually got it the same week Windows 98 came out...loll) and that mine works... and not just as a sluggish old piece of junk...

[cameranerd74]

Quote: Originally Posted by Raven I completely agree... PC users for which I do service are always astonished to see that I only have an old G3 DT from 1998 (actually got it the same week Windows 98 came out...loll) and that mine works... and not just as a sluggish old piece of junk...

Point taken. I have an old B&W G3 300 (with a 500mhz G3 upgrade)... not only is it still in use... IT'S A SERVER! A damn good one at that! Running OSXS 10.2.8, supporting both Mac and Windows clients. I also have an old PIII Dell Dimension I bought around 2000, it does alright, not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but it's still running.

To get back to the original topic of this thread for a minute. I have always thought Apple was pretty fair on thier pricing. If you look at buying a mini vs. an iMac or eMac vs. a G5, you are really getting what you pay for. It's not really a matter of getting what you pay for as it is finding your price range.

[Raven]

Also, people have argued that Macs cost more to me... I've showed them how much it would cost to get aPC euivalent (well as close as can get) to a G5 tower... and suddenly the G5 isd cheaper than an Dual Atlon 64 or Dual Xeon system lolll Then they do get it

[cameranerd74]

Quote: Originally Posted by Raven ...and suddenly the G5 isd cheaper than an Dual Atlon 64 or Dual Xeon system lolll Then they do get it

Or an IBM Intellistation... or a Sun Workstation...

[toneyc]

I ordered my mini (1.4GHz base +512) directly from Apple on 2/8 and received it on 3/4. This is my first mac and while I am still getting used to it, I am very happy with it.


Toney.

[CAlvarez]

I bought a couple of Minis locally at CompUSA and will have a third arriving tomorrow which I ordered 10 days ago. It seems pointless to use a reseller like CDW because they don't add any value or discount it, just add delay.

[schneb]

I usually go with MacConnection or Small Dog Electronics. The problem here in California is you are paying the state 7.75% more just for the priviledge of being able to consume products. Booo Hisss! Now we can compare paying an extra $39 ca sales tax to $12 shipping on a bare bones Mac Mini, but try this same math for a 17" Powerbook and you see our point. I bought my Mini from Apple because the Education discount cancelled out the tax and shipping. And I got it just a couple weeks after Job's announcement.