Used C2D 1.8 mini or 24" refurb imac?

[Z]

Currently have a 17" 1.8 G5 imac 1gig/80gig system. Main movie watching machine (yeah, it's a bit small, but works), and general music/work computer at the house. Planning on upgrading in the next month or two -


http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachz/898332532/

Local CL has a very lightly used basically stock 1.8 C2D mini with 15" lcd, apple mouse, keyboard included for $500? Add a 24" incher and sell off the fluff

or

24" refurb white iMac?

You make the call!

[C(-)ris]

AFAIK you can only run 1 monitor on the mini. So if you are looking at using two, the iMac is the only way to go.

[Paul F.]

I'd probably go with the 24", unless being able to swap monitors is very important to you.

OF course, I would consider buying the Mini anyway, to use as a backup server, or something else... I have a Mini at work, and keep thinking of secondary uses for one at home should I have the chance to pick one up cheap...

[mstudio]

Who cares about the Macs, tell me more about that desk and floor lamp!

[ho'ard]

That iMac looks so perfect on the desk there, the choice is obvious.

[TLB]

I'd buy a refurb C2D 2GHz 17" imac for $849 + a 22 or 24" LCD Monitor

[kj4btkljv]

There is a device that will let you use two monitors on a Mac Mini:

Matrox DualHead2Go for Macs:
http://matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/support/mac/home.php

Matrox Analog DualHead2Go
http://matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/produc...o/home.php

Matrox Digital DualHead2Go
http://matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/produc...l/home.php

I've got one of the Analog dual heads, but I haven't had the time to hook it up yet to my Mac Mini. As soon as I do, I'll report back.

Jeff

[anonymouse1]

Much better performance on the 24" iMacs. Also, you can install a 1 TB HD internally, while the max is 320GB on the Mini. Also, the iMac has FW800.

Not even a question, budget permitting.

[Z]

[quote mstudio]Who cares about the Macs, tell me more about that desk and floor lamp! From the flickr page linked above -

Found this desk at Salvation Army the other evening - quite the deal, too. There was no price marked on it, so we asked the manager. She took quite a while to get over to the furniture area, but when she arrived, she apologized and said,

"How does $37 less 25% sound? It'd be $50 normally, but since it took me so long to get over here..."

Needless to say, it came home with us. Looks to be possibly an old teacher's desk of some sort? I say that based on the 'institutional sea-green' color contact/liner paper at the bottom of the drawers. Not sure if it'll get refinished, just cleaned up, or what, exactly. Couldn't find any labels or marks from manufacture, so not sure of model/make. Anyone?

And the story of the lamp:
Lamp I saved from a friend's apartment in Montreal after she was moving out in University and just going to leave it on the curb. Lugged it to my place across town, then to Iowa and currently up to Alaska.

[Z]

Wasn't sure how big of a performance hit there would be between the two (some, of course, but) - guess I'll trust the collected wisdom of the forum and hold my hasty horses.