+- MacResource (https://forums.macresource.com)
+-- Forum: My Category (https://forums.macresource.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: Tips and Deals (https://forums.macresource.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=3)
+--- Thread: So about these new Minis... (/showthread.php?tid=172420)
Pages:
1
2
So about these new Minis... - M A V I C - 10-20-2014
As I mentioned a few weeks back, I'm helping a church upgrade their AV stuff. One of the tasks is to upgrade the computers in the classrooms. I had priced out a Mini vs a Intel NUC (similar form factor and hardware.) The Mini was slightly more expensive but the advantage of having easy support and not having to build my own made it worth it. I was just waiting for a refresh.
But now, I look at the Minis and they just don't seem worth it anymore. They were going to be about $600ea before. There was some skepticism about switching to OS X from Windows, but I said "hey, if OS X doesn't work out, we can just install Windows on them." For some, they think we should at least have a Windows VM available.
And that's the issue now. I just don't see running a VM on a dual core machine. I know it's the 4th gen of the i series, but I'd be giving one core to OS X and one to Windows. Plus, if I want to go with a flash drive, I'm looking at $900 - 50% more than the Windows alternative with 4 cores.
I am going to buy TVs for each of these... I'd be tempted to get iMacs, but the screens just aren't big enough... probably want 40"+
It looks like the old Minis are scarce and expensive.
Suggestions? Thanks.
Re: So about these new Minis... - rjmacs - 10-20-2014
40"+?!?!? What are they teaching in this church?
Also, you don't need to run "virtual machines" on the minis. With BootCamp, they'll run Windows 8 basically natively.
Re: So about these new Minis... - Chakravartin - 10-20-2014
Refurb Mini server.
Re: So about these new Minis... - deckeda - 10-20-2014
rjmacs wrote:
40"+?!?!? What are they teaching in this church?
Also, you don't need to run "virtual machines" on the minis. With BootCamp, they'll run Windows 8 basically natively.
+1
Perspective. You apparently can't buy it nor can you give it away, let alone SELL it.
Church setups are (or should be?) dedicated things. People show up and do things. Rinse and repeat next week. Don't waste your time or theirs with VM! Get them a PC or a Mac using Boot Camp.
but the advantage of having easy support and not having to build my own made it worth it.
Read that again, unless supporting them is a hobby.
Re: So about these new Minis... - DRR - 10-20-2014
TVs are a good idea especially for seniors, who value physical size for readability. You can run a decent resolution on the screen without having to sacrifice text size.
Re: So about these new Minis... - cbelt3 - 10-20-2014
FWIW... 40" screens are about minimum for a small to mid-sized conference room or meeting/prayer room. Many folk have switched from projectors to screens... less maintenance, crisper imagery, better audio. In my corp we've gone to 42" screens or 50" touch screens with embedded windows computers in conference rooms. Except auditoriums... still projectors, but always ceiling mounted (we have ladders for maintenance).
Being able to walk into a meeting, pull up your account on the embedded screen and do your demo / presentation/ whatever is... priceless. The projector setup time saved alone means a payback of less than a year.
Re: So about these new Minis... - M A V I C - 10-20-2014
rjmacs wrote:
40"+?!?!? What are they teaching in this church?
Are you saying it's too small? The screen is used instead of a projector. As cbelt3 says, 40" is about the minimum.
Also, you don't need to run "virtual machines" on the minis. With BootCamp, they'll run Windows 8 basically natively.
Yes, I'm very aware of how Bootcamp runs. But I think asking users to open the system preferences, select a startup disk, hit restart, wait... is a lot more than they want to do. If a VM was used and the app they want to use isn't available on the Mac side (eg, Publisher), they would just double click on the file and the VM and app would automatically open. Seems a lot simpler.
Chakravartin wrote:
Refurb Mini server.
Thanks, I'll look into those.
deckeda wrote:
Perspective. You apparently can't buy it nor can you give it away, let alone SELL it.
I'm not sure what you're getting at.
Church setups are (or should be?) dedicated things. People show up and do things. Rinse and repeat next week. Don't waste your time or theirs with VM! Get them a PC or a Mac using Boot Camp.
One of the reasons for this setup is to not have multiple dedicated devices. I don't want a standalone DVD player, or having chromecast to stream YouTube. That's going to become difficult, fast. So instead of dedicated devices, my thought is to use a computer which can act as a single point for all of that, with a mouse and keyboard and one large screen for the entire class to see. Right now they're Windows-centric, but a few teachers have Macs so it's more of an issue of making sure the Windows users are appeased if they happen to bring something the Macs don't support. Eg Publisher.
The teachers teach for 3mo at a time. Some will rely heavily on video, some powerpoint... so once they get setup, they'll be doing the same sort of things every week. Some are pretty savvy, at least in want to use content from multiple sources.
but the advantage of having easy support and not having to build my own made it worth it.
Read that again, unless supporting them is a hobby.
Yes, that helps keep the NUC off the list, but it doesn't eliminate picking up another Windows option.
cbelt3 wrote:
FWIW... 40" screens are about minimum for a small to mid-sized conference room or meeting/prayer room. Many folk have switched from projectors to screens... less maintenance, crisper imagery, better audio. In my corp we've gone to 42" screens or 50" touch screens with embedded windows computers in conference rooms. Except auditoriums... still projectors, but always ceiling mounted (we have ladders for maintenance).
Yeah, you get what I'm going for. I'll have to work more on exactly which screens and sizes we get. I worked for a company that also converted over from projectors to screens. To some degree for corporate use I still prefer projectors, but in this case I think the screens will work best.
Re: So about these new Minis... - rjmacs - 10-20-2014
M A V I C wrote:
[quote=rjmacs]
40"+?!?!? What are they teaching in this church?
Are you saying it's too small? The screen is used instead of a projector. As cbelt3 says, 40" is about the minimum.
Sorry - wasn't clear that these units were for instructors only. I was imagining users at desks with 40" monitors.
miley-shocked003:M A V I C wrote:
[quote=rjmacs]Also, you don't need to run "virtual machines" on the minis. With BootCamp, they'll run Windows 8 basically natively.
Yes, I'm very aware of how Bootcamp runs. But I think asking users to open the system preferences, select a startup disk, hit restart, wait... is a lot more than they want to do. If a VM was used and the app they want to use isn't available on the Mac side (eg, Publisher), they would just double click on the file and the VM and app would automatically open. Seems a lot simpler.
Would be pretty easy to create a script to restart the system into Windows using Automator, i'd think. Wait - someone else has already done it. It's called BootChamp.
Re: So about these new Minis... - TLB - 10-20-2014
M A V I C wrote:
Yeah, you get what I'm going for. I'll have to work more on exactly which screens and sizes we get. I worked for a company that also converted over from projectors to screens. To some degree for corporate use I still prefer projectors, but in this case I think the screens will work best.
Another FWIW, my company just dumped most TVs in conference rooms and replaced them with Epson ultra short throw projectors mounted directly above a whiteboard. They are driven by dual boot mac minis, but the i7 quads you were originally spec'ing. Users seem to really like them and viewability is greatly improved, but probably busts a church budget.
Re: So about these new Minis... - rich in distress - 10-20-2014
I don't know anything about the expected performance for your applications, but it's been in my mind that years old computers are still solid workhorses.
The OS is the better commodity to have available, SSDs are a necessity IMO, but for applications that are not high end, the mini should do fine.
Anyway...