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xmen65
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Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posts: 620
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 Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:08 am Post subject: |
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Computer hardware is still outpacing software. Have things really changed with software over the last few years? I don't see your typical Mac application requiring gangbuster specs. Beyond intense video editing software, the average Intel or PPC Mac with a decent amount of RAM will handle just about anything. And yes, that definitely includes email.  |
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DonMateo51
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Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 66
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| xmen65 wrote: | | Computer hardware is still outpacing software. Have things really changed with software over the last few years? I don't see your typical Mac application requiring gangbuster specs. Beyond intense video editing software, the average Intel or PPC Mac with a decent amount of RAM will handle just about anything. And yes, that definitely includes email. |
If software constantly outpaced hardware, very few people would have a powerful enough machine to run it, resulting in poor sales.
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Mac mini - 1.66 GHz Core Duo, 2GB RAM, Superdrive, 80GB, 120GB/500GB ext, Samsung 22" widescreen
Dell Dimension 2300 Music Server - 1.8 GHz Celeron, 512mb RAM, Windows XP, Bose surround sound
iPod touch - 1st gen, 16GB
iPod - 5th gen, 30GB, black |
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Bandit Bill
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Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 5805
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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| The biggest mistake many people make is not getting enough RAM. Manufacturers keep shipping computers with minimal amounts and lots of people don't want to spend money upgrading a brand new computer. When my G4 mini shipped it only came with 256MB of RAM it was pretty pathetic. |
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Yvan256
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Joined: 18 Aug 2005
Posts: 541
Location: Quebec, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 11:22 am Post subject: |
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| Bandit Bill wrote: | | When my G4 mini shipped it only came with 256MB of RAM it was pretty pathetic. |
Indeed. Mine is running with 1GB (the maximum for the Mac mini G4) and I need to load quite a lot of applications before it starts to feel slow. |
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Bandit Bill
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Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 5805
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Yvan256 wrote: | | Bandit Bill wrote: | | When my G4 mini shipped it only came with 256MB of RAM it was pretty pathetic. |
Indeed. Mine is running with 1GB (the maximum for the Mac mini G4) and I need to load quite a lot of applications before it starts to feel slow. |
Me too, the 1GB has always been adequate for me. When I upgrade my machine it will have to have 2GB minimum. I tried downloading Aperture yesterday it wouldn't install on my G4. It also calls for 2GB of RAM.
If I keep up with the photography, I'll likely have to consider something more powerful than a mini. I think an iMac may be more suited to me now. I'm not at the level of needing a Mac Pro.
Each time I start contemplating machines the non existent model between a mini and a Mac Pro always comes to mind  |
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Fox
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Joined: 01 Feb 2006
Posts: 2640
Location: Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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Bill, if you get rid of your mini the postings on this website will go down 25%! 
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Mini 1: 2.3 ghz Core i5; 8 gb RAM, Corsair 240gb SSD, 500 gb Seagate XT
Mini 2: 2.26 ghz Core 2 duo, 8 gb RAM, 500 gb Seagate
Also a Cube, 13" MacBook Air, 20" 2.66 ghz iMac & 11.6" Acer 1810TZ running Ubuntu & openSuse |
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Bandit Bill
Veteran Member
Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 5805
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: | | Bill, if you get rid of your mini the postings on this website will go down 25%! |
3.19% to be exact. 
I'd still post to this site of course. What makes this site appealing is the members. There is a good balance of knowledge, respect and fun. |
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zuzu
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Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 164
Location: Darknet
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| Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 11:37 pm Post subject: |
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| xmen65 wrote: | | Computer hardware is still outpacing software. Have things really changed with software over the last few years? I don't see your typical Mac application requiring gangbuster specs. Beyond intense video editing software, the average Intel or PPC Mac with a decent amount of RAM will handle just about anything. And yes, that definitely includes email. |
I'd love to observe exactly what you people who don't feel constantly pressed against the ceiling of cutting-edge do with your computers. My old G4 1GHz gets the spinwheel just from running iChat. I need a C2D w/ 4GB of RAM just to multitask with a plausible gamut of productivity software: Camino, Apple Mail, Address Book, Aquamacs, Keynote, Photoshop, iTunes, VLC, iGTD, and Terminal.
Not to mention how most apps, slick they may be, choke on any sizable collection of data: ~200 tabs in my web browser as my "working memory"/workbench (plus years worth of browser history), about 20 IM windows with days worth of backscroll in each of them, enough email in my inbox to have the badge simply read "Lots", ~1000 contacts in my address book, and about a million MP3s in iTunes.
I can't begin to adequately describe how much that multi-year 2GB RAM ceiling was killing me, and I'd still do a handful of dirty deeds to get the current 4GB limit raised to 8 or 16GB in a laptop.
Real work for me means looking up lots of stuff on the web, coordinating with several colleagues via email and IM, and then writing up code, documents, and slide presentations which also require some basic photoshopping.
Oh, and it'd be nice to run R and iCal as well. and yes, I'd like to be able to listen to any song I have while I work.
I don't think I'm doing anything too crazy like video editing or transcoding, or ripping a DVD while watching HDTV and playing Second Life. Statistical analysis with R is probably as computationally intense as actual work gets.
So please elaborate for me how just to get "office work" done you're not gasping for more cores and more RAM.
(The MacMini is swell as a dedicated HTPC though. The C2D update would be nice to make those x264 transcodes go faster.)
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Fox
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Joined: 01 Feb 2006
Posts: 2640
Location: Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 7:42 am Post subject: |
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I multitask, but I never got used to keeping a lot of apps open at the same time. I keep open only what I am using at the moment.
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Mini 1: 2.3 ghz Core i5; 8 gb RAM, Corsair 240gb SSD, 500 gb Seagate XT
Mini 2: 2.26 ghz Core 2 duo, 8 gb RAM, 500 gb Seagate
Also a Cube, 13" MacBook Air, 20" 2.66 ghz iMac & 11.6" Acer 1810TZ running Ubuntu & openSuse |
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JohnnyBoy
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Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 3954
Location: West Sussex, South-East England
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| Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:59 am Post subject: |
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| zuzu wrote: | | I need a C2D w/ 4GB of RAM just to multitask with a plausible gamut of productivity software: Camino, Apple Mail, Address Book, Aquamacs, Keynote, Photoshop, iTunes, VLC, iGTD, and Terminal. |
Yeah, and if you don't believe that, here's a video of Zuzu's desktop and dock with just 1 gig of Ram : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pFRdx2VbGg
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Intel Mini 2.0GHz C2D (4GB/120GB/SuperDrive/10.5.8 ), 120GB WD Passport, Logitech ergo k/b
iPod Touch (32GB, 3rd gen), iPod Shuffle (512MB, 1st gen) |
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Bandit Bill
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Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 5805
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 11:32 am Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: | | I multitask, but I never got used to keeping a lot of apps open at the same time. I keep open only what I am using at the moment. |
Me too, I don't have a problem going through and closing a few apps once in a while, especially if I will be doing something intensive.
I also reboot once in a while. |
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g5g5
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Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 2725
Location: Virginia
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| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:54 am Post subject: |
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I'm totally happy with the new 1.83GHz C2D mini guys. These little machines truly are incredible. This thing is even quieter than my old G4 mini. That's hard to believe. It also runs a ton faster! That isn't so hard to believe. It's a shame that Apple doesn't talk these minis up some more. They really have a nice system here.
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1.25GHz Mac Mini / 1.8GHz iMac G5 / 2.0GHz C2D Mac mini (2009)
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Apple TV 2
iLife's a Bitch! |
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James T Kirk
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Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 757
Location: The Netherlands, Europe
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 9:14 am Post subject: |
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I just read, that the new base mini is faster than the top of the line G5 of 2003! And THIS website said what that G5 was in those days. More power from $ 599 than $1999 just a few years ago in a way smaller package, what will be smallest Mac of 2010? 
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Now on Hackintosh in G5 case! |
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Luna
Junior Member
Joined: 23 Aug 2007
Posts: 29
Location: Houston, TX
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 9:34 am Post subject: |
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| JohnnyBoy wrote: | | zuzu wrote: | | I need a C2D w/ 4GB of RAM just to multitask with a plausible gamut of productivity software: Camino, Apple Mail, Address Book, Aquamacs, Keynote, Photoshop, iTunes, VLC, iGTD, and Terminal. |
Yeah, and if you don't believe that, here's a video of Zuzu's desktop and dock with just 1 gig of Ram : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pFRdx2VbGg |
Whoa, that video just gave me a lot of confidence in the new system I'll be getting. I wasn't sure whether I should double the RAM right away but I think I won't. I'll spend that money instead on getting a nice, new, widescreen monitor. Thanks for that! |
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JohnnyBoy
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Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 3954
Location: West Sussex, South-East England
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:21 am Post subject: |
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| Luna wrote: | | Whoa, that video just gave me a lot of confidence in the new system I'll be getting. I wasn't sure whether I should double the RAM right away but I think I won't. I'll spend that money instead on getting a nice, new, widescreen monitor. Thanks for that! |
It was just a bit of fun, but you're very welcome Luna. The video is so self-explanatory that the Spanish text doesn't prevent you from working out what's going on.
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Intel Mini 2.0GHz C2D (4GB/120GB/SuperDrive/10.5.8 ), 120GB WD Passport, Logitech ergo k/b
iPod Touch (32GB, 3rd gen), iPod Shuffle (512MB, 1st gen) |
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