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Buying a Mac Mini in the UK


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Buying a Mac Mini in the UK
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syd1138
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Cardiff, Wales
 
2006-01-19, 04:32

Morning all,

first time poster so please be gentle, and I assure you I did try searching the forums before asking the question

Looking to finally make the switch from Windows and I really like the look of the Mac mini (actually I like the look of all of them, just that the Mini is in my price range and seems like a good starting point) so don't quite need as much processing power as I did. I've read some stuff about the Mini actually being a bit over specced as compared to what it says on the apple website (1.5 Ghz chip as opposed to 1.42 Ghz etc...) yet everyone who seems to have one appears to be from the US.

Has anyone from the UK received an overspecced box when ordering online from Apple?

As a side note, what are your gut feelings regarding the mini and when it may make the intel switch? I was waiting for the expo to see if it would happen and am going to buy in the next couple of weeks anyway, so this is a general curiousity question rather than a deal breaker!

Thanks for the help!
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euain
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: UK
 
2006-01-19, 04:51

If you are not too concerned about raw power - there are some minis in the UK refurbished store (near the bottom of the right-hand margin on the online-site) at about £100 off the normal price.

There's no chance that these'll be the bumped ones - but you are getting a pretty good deal if you don't really want/need the increased specs.
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eventhorizon
Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2006-01-19, 06:12

Or you could wait a little for the mini to go Intel.
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curiousuburb
Antimatter Man
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: that interweb thing
 
2006-01-19, 08:20

Welcome to AN.

The 'upgraded but still not officially announced at the Apple site/store' minis have a fractionally faster CPU (1.5/1.33 instead of 1.42/1.25), but their big benefit is double the VRAM (64MB, not 32MB).

There are some threads which note a range of serial numbers to check which tends to contain the bumped models, but I don't know if they're available in the UK or not... you might just have to check and see if the Apple Store in London (or wherever your nearest one is, Manchester, maybe) will tell you the serial # prior to purchase. Not all will.

As to whether you will notice the CPU speed difference compared to getting the prior model, probably not. Even the 1.42 compared to the 1.25 (which I've got) is only around 8%. Hardly noticable for most tasks. YMMV depending on what you want it for.

The VRAM difference in the "upgraded" versions should be noticable, in part in redraw performance and teh snappier™ graphical tweaks in exposé and/or games.

I'd guess the mini will be the last machine to go intel, since the "official" model online is still the 'original spec', yet there are "unofficial upgraded spec" machines in the channel in some places.

I'm guessing the PM will be the next upgrade (renamed Mac Pro with dual/quad chips), and the iBook will be later (renamed MacBook with single core Yonah), perhaps as late as July.

IMHO, the mini will probably get the single core Yonah like the iBook, in part to maintain model differentiation from the more professional machines, and in part to keep the cost as low as possible for an entry level machine.

If you're going to buy a mini soon, see if the store will tell you the serial first, and check it against the list of 'upgraded' units (which you might find by searching mini threads here). If not, see if they'll give you a good return policy without restocking. In the worst case, where they won't at all and you're taking a flyer, or they confirm there are no upgraded machines in the UK, then it's just a question of what you need the mini for in determining which options you want to pay for.

HTH
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The Mind
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
 
2006-01-19, 16:24

Hy Syd

Dont worry about finding an upgraded mac mini - the speed boost isn't worth the hassle.

Personaly I would go for the cheeper processor and spend the extra on lots more RAM - the mini needs a tin opener to upgrade and OSX appreciates RAM more than CPU speed.

As for an intel mini I have heard rumours that intel is having supply problems and the last time supply problems were an issue for them it was 6 months before they could cope (I have a feeling any single cores would go to Ibooks before mini's)

The Mind
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syd1138
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Cardiff, Wales
 
2006-01-20, 04:12

thanks for your help guys, all good advice

i've actually found another forum user who's in the uk and managed to get the upgraded version so i will be buying soon... no doubt i'll be back to ask some mroe questions once i get the thing up and running!

thanks again!
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syd1138
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Cardiff, Wales
 
2006-02-06, 04:59

just to keep you updated

my mac mini was delivered on saturday

1.5 ghz, upgraded graphics (64MB), and i paid for the gig of ram

more than pleased at the moment, and franky astounded at the power that this little box has! no doubt i'll come up with some really noob question before long so look out! haha

many thanks for all the advice above!
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