What will you do with your Mac Mini?
Usually, when you bring home a new desktop computer, you don’t need to spend terribly much time figuring out what to
do with it. Perhaps you’ve already cleared out a spot for it under a desk or on top of a desk, where it goes to replace
an older machine that was heaving under the weight of whatever its duties were. End of story.
The Mac Mini is different. Little. White. Different. It invites some new ideas about one might do with a powerful
computing device that is no bigger than a breadbox. It could almost go anywhere. I have a hunch we’re going to start
seeing the Mac Mini go where no computer has gone before.
Just a few of the ideas I’ve already come across on my travels through web space:
- Mac Mini as home media center/PVR
- Similarly, Mac Mini as HD theater system
- Mac Mini as stackable storage solution
- Mac Mini as the latest in portable computing (fits right in your lunchbox!)
- Mac Mini as car stereo
- Mac Mini + Robosapien + boombox = iParty
What will you do with your Mac Mini?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Laurie said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
What will I do with it? That all depends on how it holds up after I am done taking it apart :)
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Michael said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
the PVR is exactly what i was thinking....i want it to be a media center......rendevous makes it perfect for that
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Jack said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
Add me to the DVR/PVR camp. TiVO is too expensive when you factor in subscription costs. I need a simple way to record shows off the air that does not involve a VHS tape. If we're talking about this DVDR/PVR stuff, I hope someone like El Gato is out there figuring out how to do this simply and cheaply for the Mac Mini.
But beyond that, my biggest question is why there is not a Bluetooth Remote control out there. And I don't mean a Bluetooth phone that one can use as a remote. But a remote control device that allows you to control this Mac or any mac the way ATI's Remote Wonder or Griffin's Airclick. Those two devices are cute, but they eat up a USB port and use "RF signals". But... WHY! Why are new products that don't use Bluetooth are being released when Bluetooth is around.
With a Bluetooth remote control and a Firewire breakoutbox for audio/video this thing will be a DVR/PVR.
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AD said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I will use it for iTunes (I'll get an iPod shuffle), email, internet, store photos, sync with my mobile phone (hopefully), and use the Mellel wordprocessor (will try Pages in a shop sometime), and Limewire.
I'll have to see it in an Apple store before I spend my cash though! A silent PC is something I've been after for ages.
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lieven said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I will just use it als my main computer for a while.. web-, java- and cocoa-developement, digital hub stuff, and hopefully GarageBand will work well on it..
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Alec said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
As I've said before, and I'll say AGAIN. It's a big souped-up MOUSEPAD! Nuff said, move along.... =)
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rjp said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I'll be sticking it up Bill Palmer's behind . . . I hope there's enough room with his head up there!
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Al said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I'm looking at the Mini as a media kiosk solution at work.
At home, throw me in the media center/PVR camp...
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Dan said 12:24PM on 11-29-2005
About the stackable storage solution...
"Proper Orientation for Optimum Wireless Reception
When configured with internal AirPort and Bluetooth modules, the antennas for AirPort and Bluetooth are located in the top of the Mac mini. The AirPort antenna is located in the top, rear left-hand corner (above the power button). The Bluetooth antenna is located in the top, front right-hand corner of the computer.
If you stack other computers or displays on top of the Mac mini, the wireless reception may be affected.
For best wireless performance with your Mac mini, you should not rest anything on top of the Mac mini, or stack other Mac mini's on top of one another."
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Rick said 3:36PM on 10-17-2005
I'll be using it for the following -- to replace my slow Linkstation 120 :
1) Apache webserver w/ PHP
2) LDAP server
3) Exim+dspam/Spamassassin
4) SMB (samba)
5) SSH
6) FTP server
7) Appletalk
8) File Storage / Backups
9) MySQL
10) IMAP server (dovecot)
11) TFTP server (for my voip phone)
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Phil Larson said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
My dream is to install one in my car and have a small touchscreen LCD with a real life copy of iTunes and an 80GB hard drive. Complete with visuals.
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Gene Mosher said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I'm going to use a Mac Mini to remotely serve up ViewTouch point of sale displays to several X terminals in the restaurant, bar, kitchen and office of the luxury Salbasgeon Hotel in Corvallis, Oregon.
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Bluebear said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
Comment 3: Uh? "use RF signals"? What the heck does Bluetooth use then? Swiss cheese? It's RF too.
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Ernie said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
I'm thinking of using this as a hybrid lapton/desktop computer. Its lighter than the vaio I have now ! Just need to find a screen....
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shizzle said 4:14PM on 6-16-2005
This thing is definitely going in my ride...
right where my 6 disc changer is. Now I need a touchscreen monitor, and a gps receiver with a usb interface (if it exists...), bluetooth keyboard stashed under the seat, yada yada yada
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