Mac Mini Server QuadCore - Use as a Desktop?

[Frank Petronio]

$260 for 2x8gb RAM = 16gb from New Egg, not bad. Set it up with the twin 750gb 7200 RPM drives and make them a RAID 0 and you'd have a nice, fast mini-machine.

I would love to drive two Cinema monitors but then I would feel too important and omnipresent.... maybe not a good thing? But for porn surfing OMG!

[Gregg Cook]

I have a last gen mini with 5 gig ram and use a 32 hdtv as a monitor and love it!!!
It is fast in photoshop!!! And the monitor is great, but calibration...

I still use my ancient g4 tower as a backup/print server, networks great!!!

[r.e.]

I think that AnandTech does some of the best computer reviews around. Here is what they have to say:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4515/2...d-our-thoughts

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3843/a...eview-mid-2010

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/t...2100-tested/11 (talks about Intel HD 2000/3000)

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4547/m...rver-review/20

One way to further research the graphics card is to search for reviews of other Macs that use that card and see what the review says about how well the computer runs programmes like Photoshop and Aperture. And maybe do a Google search for the card + photoshop.

[engl]

I'd want an SSD in there for sure. The move from HDD to SSD alone feels like a much bigger speed boost than CPU/GPU/memory upgrades.

I don't think I could go back to a system where Photostop CS5 takes more than 2 seconds to start

[Ari]

I've been thinking of buying the Mini as well.
I've always had a laptop, so getting the Mini would mean finding a travel-friendly screen; not for serious work, but for emails, uploading photos, quick editing, etc.
My brother quickly found two monitor suggestions:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/u...fa3/?cpg=wnrss

http://stores.nextag.com/store/47980...8-PA3923U-2LC3

All told, it would take up a little more room than a laptop.

[paulr]

Is thunderbolt the only way to connect the monitor? Are there adapters? If you're locked into using the Apple display that would be dealbreaker for me. There are much better monitors for photography, some of which cost quite a bit less.

I like apple displays for consuming media, not making it.

[drew.saunders]

Is thunderbolt the only way to connect the monitor? Are there adapters? If you're locked into using the Apple display that would be dealbreaker for me. There are much better monitors for photography, some of which cost quite a bit less.

I like apple displays for consuming media, not making it.

The thunderbolt port is also the "DisplayPort" and will talk to VGA or DVI-D displays with the correct adaptor. This is the DVI: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB...ode=MTY1NDA5OQ

The thunderbolt display is really nice, I have one at work. I use it with a MacBook Air and one cable from the display splits into power and thunderbolt for the Air. On the back of the display, I get gigabit ethernet, Firewire 800 (for my backup drive) and USB for my keyboard and mouse (I prefer the wired ones) all out of that one little connection.

[paulr]

I agree that the apple monitors are nice. I like them a bit more than my NEC for web surfing and movie watching. Contrast is higher and text looks better. I work on them all day happily doing freelance design projects.

For photography, it's a different story. The Apple monitors are not hardware calibrateable, so all correction is done through the ICC profile in the video card. This eats away at the scant 8 bits of dynamic resolution you're starting with. They don't have a wide color gamut ... it's significantly smaller than Adobe RGB. And their evenness of illumination from edge to edge is noticeably imperfect.

That's great to know that you can use the regular displayport adapters with thunderbolt.
Beware that some monitors have revealed problems with some display port cables.

[neil poulsen]

I can't say much about the Mac Mini, since I don't have experience. Sounds like a good idea, though.

But, the IMac monitors are glossy and not the best for editing images. In all likelyhood, they only have 8 bit lookup tables, etc. So, going with a Mac Mini has the advantage of getting an upgraded monitor.

Is there still an NEC monitor available for under $500 that has a gamut of 95% of Adobe RGB '98?

[Kirk Gittings]

Neil, this $349 NEC seems to be the cheapest one that is good for editing from my research.http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...idescreen.html