Why are minis so popular?

[Black]

Huge amount of computer for under $500.
Since they started supporting dualies there's twice as much excitement.
The reason you see so many threads is that they pop up very irregularly in the refurb store and people are being helpful to those gunning for them.

[Will Collier]

A mini is one of the best HTPC hubs out there. If there were native Blu-ray playback in Front Row, it'd be the best.

(And yes, Plex fans, I'm aware it exists. I just don't really like it.)

[RAMd®d]

Mine is my torrent machine, with a 24" monitor, and audioengine A2s.

Small, hides under a monitor, needs very little attention, does not run nearly as hot as my iMac. I'll upgrade to the current flavor in a few months.

[ScottG]

Cheap, and not an all-in-one. I have two young children, the computer is in the living room. The computer is used for entertainment and work, and sometimes the fingers pointing at the screen are over enthusiastic and not totally clean. I could have an iMac, worry about the screen and buy a screen protector, or use a Mac mini with an old CRT. The mini is fast enough for what we use it for (which includes Photoshop, Illustrator, video and RAW photo editing, but mostly for fun rather than work), quiet (it replaced a dual 1.25GHz G4 MDD, now we can hear the TV even if the computer is on!) and I could afford it.

cheers
scott

[PeterB]

mattkime wrote:

Great, now I can't stand up. Thanks Matt!

[davester]

I think the iMac has more bang for the buck if you're looking for a complete computer. However, the mini is incredibly versatile. I'm using mine as an HTPC and a home media and backup server, and will probably run a long monitor cable to an adjacent office room and use it as my regular PC also. All the other computers in our house are wireless laptops so it's nice to have one stationary "always on" server. From an HTPC standpoint the mini is way better than my ReplayTV which previously couldn't be beat by anything except HD TiVo.

[Ombligo]

One is my HTPC running front row most of the time (handbrake, ripit, miro the rest), using airmobilemouse on a touch for keyboard and mouse. The TV has a direct PC video input, so it is the perfect solution.

The second is my wife's computer on a older CRT. She doesn't want a macbook and her Dell laptop from school won't go on our home wi-fi (the school crippled it for security, stupid but true).

For price, their great.

[jdc]

3d wrote:
Some people like to use their own monitors. The glare shining off of the glossy screens on the current iMacs is just awful. There's no BTO choice for matte screens on iMacs.

Not everyone is put off by the glossy screen. Been staring at mine for 2+ years now, perfectly fine.

[3d]

jdc wrote:
[quote=3d]
Some people like to use their own monitors. The glare shining off of the glossy screens on the current iMacs is just awful. There's no BTO choice for matte screens on iMacs.

Not everyone is put off by the glossy screen. Been staring at mine for 2+ years now, perfectly fine.
I prefer to not work in a cave. A BTO choice of matte screen on the iMac would've been appreciated. Choice is always good. If I could do it all over again I would not have bought the iMac and gone with a mini and a Dell monitor.

[John B.]

Bought one about a month ago. Added a $130 Dell 22" monitor. Using my several-years-old 15" Apple LCD monitor as the second monitor. Monoprice monitor adapter cables are cheap. Maybe for my next system I'll carry forward these two monitors and add a third.