Filed under: Reviews, Mac mini
Mac mini Core Solo: The good stuff and a peek inside
Despite my previous two posts on the topic, there are things to like
about the Mac mini, and so I've decided not to return the machine. I still think it is overpriced and I also maintain
that the Front Row performance over Bonjour is shoddy at best. However, if you keep all your media on the Mac mini, it
works nicely as a little media server offering the local media up to my TV. My only complaint about that is that Front
Row doesn't recognize my iPod and the content on it when it is mounted on the Mac mini, even though I can navigate and
play all that content via iTunes itself.I also discovered that the 512MB chip that I ripped out of my iMac when I upgraded it to 2GBs of RAM fits quite nicely and works well inside my Mac mini, which is now running 768MBs of RAM after an easy bit of tinkering (Photos of said tinkering after the jump). The added RAM has doubled the frame rate at which I can run World of Warcraft on my 32-inch HDTV. It's still a bit sluggish at 16-20fps in crowded areas, but it is playable and overall a cool experience while lounging on my couch with wireless bluetooth keyboard in lap and mouse to my side. Additionally, using this wonderful little program called iRecord, I can hook up my digital cable box to the mini via a FireWire cable and record shows in HDTV. Unfortunately, playing back these HDTV shows with their large 7.35GB size footprint (for an hour of video) via VLC seems a little beyond the capabilities of the mini as the video shows up as an animated series of stills during fast-moving sections. However, I can easily bring these large files over to my iMac where I can watch them and compress them to a smaller, more mini friendly format. Also, as a dev box, I am liking the mini. I can jump into it easily enough using Chicken of the VNC on my iMac and OSXvnc on the mini. I can also ssh in via the command line. Compiling code, while not blazingly fast, isn't snail-crawl slow either. So, I'm enjoying the box for what I bought it for, I just wish it had a Core Duo, came with more RAM, Bonjour video worked better, and it hadn't cost so much.
I used a palette knife to pop the lid off of the Mac mini.
I had to remove the Airport Antenna to get to one of the 4 corner screws holding the hard drive and combo drive onto the base.
This little nasty plug was tightly shoved into the board, but I had to remove it so I could get access to the memory sticks. Very tiny too, so it was a pain to plug back in. Had to use tweezers to position.
Here's the bottom layer of the beast. More memory. Yum! Later on I may upgrade the hard drive and processor. ;-)
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
unreal mccoy said 5:17PM on 3-08-2006
CK, whats your opinion on how well the core duo (with 1gb+ of RAM) will be able to handle HD recordings, WoW and the like?
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Marty Consuelez said 5:30PM on 3-08-2006
CK, have you tried ShareiPod? It detects your ipod when it's hooked up and makes itself available via itunes sharing, even over the network.
http://members.liwest.at/solar/ShareForTheIPod/
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Marty Consuelez said 5:36PM on 3-08-2006
Sorry not to clarify above, but I am wondering if it'll let front row see the ipod?
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LD said 5:47PM on 3-08-2006
Why do you use OSXVnc on the mini? Why not just enable the native VNC server via System Preferences?
"I'm enjoying the box for what I bought it for, I just wish it had a Core Duo, came with more RAM, Bonjour video worked better, and it hadn't cost so much."
I am enjoying my Mazda for what I bought it for. I just wish it looked like a Vette, had a Vette engine, performed like a Vette, and hadn't cost so much.
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Ed said 5:59PM on 3-08-2006
The core duo with 1GB can handle HD 1080P video without any problems. I ran several 1080P trailers and never saw more than 75% CPU usage from activity monitor.
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Reg said 6:14PM on 3-08-2006
At least your practice upgrading the memory will be good experience for upgrading the processor to a Core Duo when the prices of the processors drop.
Intel's pricing is forecast to drop around May:
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/02/21/intel_core_duo_price_cuts/
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Joshua Ochs said 6:20PM on 3-08-2006
MacBook Pro here with more memory, and I can say it handles HD video just fine. Doesn't break a sweat on 1920x1080 video. Although the processor and video subsystem are faster, others have reported that the Mac Mini with a Core Duo can playback HD just fine.
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Mike Shaffer said 6:39PM on 3-08-2006
A question for all the Intel Mac Mini folks out there: I'm not a game player, won't be hooking it to my TV...it's only for web surfing, iLife stuff(iMovie & iDVD especially but nothing heavy) and some light development (PHP & the like). Should I get a Solo or a Duo? Am I going to see a significant enough performance improvement to warrant the $200 bump? Your opinions are welcomed....
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KFR said 6:58PM on 3-08-2006
You should be able to upgrade to a core duo without a problem.
You might even be able to get a processor at twice the MHZ accoding to this site http://dreampc.ca/2006/03/macmini_processor_upgrade.htm
but the mac mini could overheat nd turn into a pile of goo.
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Soymilk said 7:13PM on 3-08-2006
Hey CK,
My math is kinda rusty but doesn't the mini come with 512mb, the imac with also 512mb. So wouldn't you have 1gb? or at the least...
1024mb - 64mb ( integrated video) = 960mb?
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b. nystedt said 7:27PM on 3-08-2006
Soymilk, the Mac mini comes with 2 sticks of 256. CK-- doesn't Apple recommend installing RAM in pairs? Wonder if there's any performance change.
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Mike said 7:35PM on 3-08-2006
Did they switch from desktop memory in the G4 mini to laptop memory in the intel mini???
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starwxrwx said 8:23PM on 3-08-2006
so the RAM doesn't have to be installed in matched pairs? that makes for a big difference. looks like a pain to upgrade yourself tho!
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Dave said 8:39PM on 3-08-2006
As a media server it is pretty overpriced. For $399 you can buy an Xbox 360 with hard drive and use that as a media server with Connect360 software. The Xbox 360 will play and output full HD up to 720p/1080i and even play any of your music in games. Also it works with iTunes music store files believe it or not.
Sooo... for $599 I can have a Mac mini do this sorta or have a higher powered processor/better video card state of the art game console (which will play games far better than a mini) do that same thing for $399. obviously this assumes you don't want to use the mini as a real computer via the TV screen.
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LD said 9:37PM on 3-08-2006
There should be a performance difference if you don't install RAM in pairs since you won't get dual channel.
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Dave said 9:44PM on 3-08-2006
Can you tell us what model of cable box? I am thinking of one of these for the top of my television and the DVR from my cable company has all sorts of firewire and USB ports.
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henrrrik said 9:54PM on 3-08-2006
So the old hideously slow G4 was a good deal and this so-fast-it's-actually-useful machine with wifi, bluetooth and a remote included isn't?
I don't get it. This is a cheap computer, the old mini was an expensive paperweight.
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Johannes said 11:13PM on 3-08-2006
I tried the streaming of video today in an Apple Store, and it was the same as you described but with a core duo. It just beachballed itunes. My guess it's a software problem and will hopefully be fixed in a future update of itunes. Playing the HD Demos they have in the apple store was no problem with the mac mini otherwise.
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indolene said 11:14PM on 3-08-2006
You need to install the ram in pairs if it is DDR (dual data rate) in order for the ram to work in DDR mode. Also they both have to be the same size and frequency stick (like 2x256 or 2x512 and matching frequencies). I don't know why, that's how it is. When you match them up, they move data twice as fast I guess. If you don't match them, it's not gonna kill your comp, but it won't take full advantage of the transfer rate, either.
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PQ said 2:56AM on 3-09-2006
I own a Mac mini Core Duo with 1GB RAM. It plays HD content REALLY fine, even 1080p is damn smooth :)
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