Mac Mini

[190E]

Hey guys, I'm thinking about buying a mac mini with the new leopard and boot camp, and I was just wondering how does loading xp work with the boot camp program, and can I use a regular keyboard and mouse, or do I have to buy a mac mouse. Is this a good computer for playing games and such too, like civilization and sim city, etc.?

 

[bbya2064]

Can't answer about Leopard + Boot Camp.

But, I use a Logitec wireless usb mouse and keyboard combo with my iBook, and i just got one for my iMac. Great to type on and very cheap ($15, at my local pc store).

For games, there are some titles but not all PC titles are on Mac. But you could use Boot Camp to play them. Quick look at the Mac Mini's specs; it has the GMA 950 (Intel) graphics core.

"The chip isn’t capable of programming vertex shaders—one of the more common ways that 3D graphics for games and other 3D-intensive applications work. The Mac’s CPU has to make up for this shortcoming.

The GMA 950 is also incapable of doing transform and lighting effects. Transformation involves the conversion of a 3D object to a 2D view—your computer monitor. Lighting, in this case, is making that 3D object look more real by making it reflect, refract, and absorb light. The Mac mini’s spiffy new Intel CPU also has to make up for this shortcoming.

It’s a good thing the new Intel chips are a lot faster, and the system bus and other various components have been sped up too..." (Macworld)

Basically it's not made to be a gaming machine.

 

[andysayshi]

Any USB or bluetooth keyboard and mouse will work fine. I'm running Windows XP using VMWare Fusion, and it works really well.

 

[hotatlboi]

Mac Mini is not a very good gaming machine, because of the inferior graphics card.

 

[vocallychaotic]

Agreed with everything said above. I think that for the games that you're playing, the GMA950 won't be too bad of a graphics chip. It's just when it gets to the more complex 3D stuff that performance goes way down.

In any case, I would definitely try and get more RAM for the computer if you want optimal performance (especially since the GMA950 vampires system RAM rather than having its own video RAM).

 

[190E]

What other computers would you guys recommend? I'm not looking to go over about 750.

 

[sheep]

It uses any USB keyboard and mouse. For $1,100. you can get an iMac 20".

2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB memory
250GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB memory
Ships: Within 24 hours
Free Shipping
$1,199.00

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...e&mco=7B723646&node=home/shop_mac/family/imac