Mac Mini

I am actually writing this hub on my shiny, new Mac Mini ;-) As I am taking part in the latest hub challenge and the arrival of the Mac Mini -and the time spent in transferring all files and settings from one (PC) computer to the Mac has thrown me behind schedule, I thought it is a good idea to dedicate a few hubs to my new life in the mac mini world ;-) So why did I choose a Mac Mini in the first place?

PC or Mac?
When your old computer is as dying as mine was (can you say 'deadly blue screen' several times per hour?) than the question is obvious 'What computer next?' I was always a PC girl, basically from growing up until recently, I was a faithful Microsoft follower, at least when it came to Windows as the operating system.
I only had one, short love-hate affair with a macbook many years back. We separated because, at that time, it was very difficult to get documents compatible with both, Mac and PC. I was working a lot with translations and documents got send back and forth between Mac and PC. Typically, in these 'ye'ole days', the text itself would survive the transfer, but not the layout and formatting, resulting in a lot of extra characters and completely screwed up layouts. Not good when you are on a tight deadline.
But that is finally over, Macs write now doc-documents that can be read, without any difficulty, by windows computers and can be freely transferred between the two operating systems So I looked again at the possibility of buying a Mac...

Obviously budget is the main determining factor when it comes to buying anything. In this time of economic uncertainty it is unwise to spend more than you can afford! Actually, this 'spending more than you can afford' has brought as all in this situation in the first place. As countries and on a more personal level.
So as I looked at the money available, it was clear I had two possibilities: A Mac Mini or a middle of the range PC. Next point: Operation system. Whilst I am a happy camper with Windows XP running on my laptop, I certainly wouldn't want to be stuck with Windows Vista on anything less than a 64bit/ 4GB ram machine. Throw in the lack of viruses or other malware that exist for Macs, the higher re-sell value, lifespan and overall more stable system and I was sold – literally. Next point to check: Programs/ Software
If you have invested over the years in a lot of windows software than the switch to a Mac might be very expensive for you. But if you are like me and do know your way around open source/ free programs than it is less of an issue. Last check:
Can I run all what I want on a Mac Mini? I listed the programs I would like to use, checked if they were available for a Mac or if a good replacement solution was available. Than I checked how much memory/ hard disc I would need to work peacefully and effectively. Very last check to see if the Mac Mini did still fit the bill > yes, and which version would be the best to buy. Also if I would have loved to be able to buy a full fledged, super fast Mac Pro with several hard discs and every fancy feature imaginable. The Mac Mini I have now does what I need and has still some lee way to go in future.

And you? Mac or PC? Mini or Pro? Please leave your comment and share your experience ;-)

And something fancy-geekish to finish with: Mac Minis are so powerful that they are even used as servers in web hosting. Looking for your own dedicated server? The Mac Mini might be what you are looking for!