Hey Red ,
Tell me about the following MAC .
I could probably get it cheap .
Is it enough to experience MAC , before
dropping a load of cash on a New one ?
"Mac Mini with Keyboard 1.42GHZ, 512 Ram, System 10-4-7 (Tiger), Superdrive, Burns DVD's. Perfect condition - used as back-up. Mac is loaded with complete Microsoft Office (MAC), Adobe Creative Suite and Suitcase, Tiger including all applications, garage band, iphoto, etc. "
This will be a bit rambling. Check the links below, too. Hope this isn't info overload.
Lost, that'd be just fine to get the Mac experience before buying a new, more expensive one, if you can get it cheap (see below); BUT make sure you look at what it would cost for the newer, better mini's (and iMacs) before you buy, just in case.
The one you're looking at is, I think, this one, and Apple Certified Refurbished is $599:
store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/61084001/wo/Mw1WiTHZZBWu2GpsnE2T1EkWNk7/10.0.0.21.1.0.8.7.3.5.1.1.8.1.5.1.2.5.0 (copy and paste entire link, taking out any space between the numbers, for example, between the 1.0 and the .8.7, otherwise it is same link as the one immediately below).
Compare other Apple Certifed Refurb minis:
store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?family=CertifiedMac&cid=AOSA10000025758&siteID=lUX1zWe5t5E-vTeiBrVDd32ALYu%2FEWK4Ng(copy and paste entire link, taking out any space between the numbers or letters, for example, between the 5t5 and the E-v)
Compare prices available for new and refurbs at MacPrices.com (the one you're looking at is about $519 refurbished, not counting the added MS and Adobe software, if not demos):
www.pcprices.net/refurbished.shtml Compare other new intel minis and other refurbs:
www.pcprices.net/macmini.shtmlThe G4 is about 2 yrs. old or more. It is not much more expensive, I think, to buy a new intel mini or iMac (with all their features included) than a used or refurbished G4 or G5 iMac. The G5 is effectively more speedy at the same clock speed as a G4 but was usually sold at much higher clock speeds than the G4. The intel Mac version is basically a G5.5 but runs 2 to 3 x faster than a G5 for apps written for the intel chip.
The 1.42 GHz G4 is not the newest processor but is a good solid middle road speed, and the OS is recent (you will be able to upgrade automatically for free on line to 10.4.8, the latest; 10.5 is expected in Jan. and well cost everyone to upgrade). My wife still uses my G4 iMac for her bible class preps by word processor (usually AppleWorks but occasionally Word), email, iTunes, and internet surfing (frequently has all those open at the same time, no real problems).
Don't get the combo drive in any Mac, unless you already have a drive that can burn DVD's; the superdrive is superior!
You will need a mouse and a monitor for the mini, and make sure both (esp. the monitor) are compatible (right connections and all; new minis come with an adapter that can solve a lot of connection issues) if you are trying to use a monitor you already own; the mouse is USB connection. You might be a little disappointed trying to play games with more than 15 players at once, or if you try to do a lot of Adobe CS LARGE image manipulations, with the G4 mini's video card and vRAM.
I also prefer more RAM than 512, and you can easily add more yourself but it works best to add it in matched pairs (i.e., if you already have a 512 chip in it, add another 512). If you look for sales, you can find the right chip probably for about 75 dollars. But for internet surfing and iTunes and PowerPoint and Word, 512 is plenty.
MS Office runs well on my G4 1.25 GHz and is nice to have (make sure the one on the mini you're looking at is NOT the demo version ("Test Drive") but the full version and that you are getting the license with it, too). iTunes is a free download, if the mini hard disk doesn't have the latest version (7.0.1) on it, but the other iLife apps (iPhoto, Garage Band, etc.) are not free to upgrade to iLife 06 versions if they are from iLife 05 or earlier packages, but iLife 04, for example, will still do all you want it to do for a few years to come. Check out the software that comes with new minis; you will still need to buy MS Office if you buy a new mini (I suggest the Student/Teacher version, to save $$$).
Make sure the mini you're looking at has Bluetooth and Airport Extreme (wireless card) already in it; you will probably want the wireless option eventually, if not now, for networking with a wireless/cable internet/LAN hub for home, and there are starting to be some good bluetooth headsets hitting the market (bluetooth is also wireless and is used for keyboards, mice, and headsets, including for cell phones, but make sure if you buy a keyboard, etc. that it has a driver for the mac with it).
Does the one you're looking at already have the AppleCare extended policy to transfer with it? If you get a new one, it might be worth it to you to buy (about $150).
If you buy a new mini, it is the intel model and has a lot of built-in stuff already, but again you still need a mouse and keyboard and monitor, and you might want more RAM.
store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/0.RSLID?mco=A23FFE00&nclm=MacminiAdd up what you might be spending and see if you would rather get a new intel iMac (
store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/2.RSLID?mco=C1211F78&nclm=iMac ).
www.maczone.com/cgi-bin/zones/site/partner/partner_family.html?id=-100971&partner_id=-12769
(previously had a si, 7100 and currently a graphite iMac)
