Mac Mini Server QuadCore - Use as a Desktop?

[J_Tardiff]

So for $1180 I can get a Mac Mini Server with a 2.0 Ghz Quad-Core i7 and two 750gb 7200 rpm drives that can be RAID 0. I can add 16 gb of OWC RAM myself and use this 22" NEC MultiSync P221W-BK for $400. Plus a keyboard. The current Mini still has FW800 and HDMI (convert to DVI) ports so I am not forced to used Thunderbolt until peripheral prices drop. So for about $2200 taxed and shipped, what's not to like?

The only thing I seem to be missing from an iMac is it would have a faster 3.0 Ghz processor.

One more question - does the Apple wireless keyboard work with the Mini Server or did they cripple that? I notice they do not offer a keyboard for it during checkout, which is strange considering they try to sell you everything else.

Frank, I had to downsize for 6 months (living in an RV ) and I swapped my Quad MacPro for one of the Mini Servers (I went with the 256SSD + 750 HDD + 8GB RAM for now) -- it's been a very capable machine, haven't missed the MacPro at all. You need a wired keyboard for the initial startup and then the wireless works fine.

JT

[r.e.]

Frank,

Did you order the Mini-Server? If so, very interested in your views on it.

[Frank Petronio]

I should get it tomorrow and will have the set-up described above, with 16 gb RAM and twin 750gb HD in a RAID.

My remaining question is whether I might get a second monitor for tools but I want to see it run the single one first. Then see how I might split the single HDMI port to drive two of the 22" NEC MultiSync P221W-BK monitors? (Not sure if this is possible yet.)

Has anyone heard whether some smaller/cheaper Thunderport monitors are coming out soon? The 27" is a nice monitor but more than I would need. So far the single 22" NEC MultiSync P221W-BK has been great with my MacBook Pro.

[Frank Petronio]

Installed OSX Lion via the internet on to the twin internal 750gb HDs in RAID 0 configuration. Not a straight-forward procedure but so far so good - had to boot from the recovery partition (Command R on start up) and run Disk Utility per this https://discussions.apple.com/thread...art=0&tstart=0 in order to create a software RAID.

The only outstanding concern is that Disk Utility may not be able to repair Disk Permissions on the RAID disk but we'll see in an hour once my data migrates and I run Software Update. If I am lucky Apple will have updated the app, otherwise I will pick up the OS X Lion Thumb Drive to avoid having to make a clone/use Terminal and go through the hysterics the poor guys in that thread did, which was earlier in the Summer before Apple made the thumb drive version.

It always pays to be a mid-to-late adopter, I've learned this the hard way.

16gb RAM and a RAID 0 in box smaller than Steve Jobs' biography. Damn.

[Frank Petronio]

Disk Utility won't repair RAIDs on internal drives at least. Maybe I'll look into Disk Warrior again?

Doing the Time Machine backups now but... just for kicks I launched PS CS5 and opened a 400 mb file in 10 seconds.

I want the six months of my life back wasted with the slow machines....

Oh and the cost? Under $2K including a graphics monitor ;-p This rocks.

[r.e.]

I'm following this and thanks. Very interested in your view of this after a week, and what you compare it to.

[Frank Petronio]

Well I am off my high.... I seem to have some KEXT issues with the Loin install, which is not uncommon so it seems. But the current Disk Utility can not repair permissions or verify the disk of the boot RAID in Loin/Mini. I went out and bought a "USB stick Lion install" at the local Apple store and it couldn't repair either. Attempted to reinstall Loin froze the box. No go with the USB stick.

So instead I used the stick to install Loin onto my MacBook Pro, then made a Lion recovery drive on a USB drive. That got Lion up on the Mini and I am now restoring from the Time Machine backup. Once everything is live again, I will repair permissions using Terminal and should be good to go. Ordered Disk Warrior 4 on DVD which should boot and repair the boot RAID but that won't be here for a week.

If all that fails I will reformat the twin drives are regular drives and be pissed.

I guess this is not recommended procedure and a very round about way of building a RAID box so I should know better than to be on the bleeding edge once again.

Otherwise it seems like a nice set-up, but it probably isn't worth it to try to set up a RAID even though the damn thing seems like it would be ideal for it.

R.E. I finally saw an 11" MacBook Air and it was the nicest machine in the store, made me forget all about iPads. I also looked at the html version of my Flash site on it... and agree, the html version sucks. Yuck.

ALSO gotta say, boy Lion is not that great an OS, the stupid Calendar and Address Book, minor apps they are, are horrid UI and design.

I must be quite an Apple fan boy to have blown two days dicking with this and then going to the Apple site to consider buying another one....

[Frank Petronio]

Now the Lion install on my MBP has failed, ran software update and fixed disk permissions, ran for a couple of hours, then missing kext extension warnings came up, and it hung at the Apple on restart. Reinstalling the OS now.

Reformatted the Mini's drives back to normal configuration and did an (obviously) clean install and it also ran OK, did software update and repaired disk permissions, then it came up with hundreds of missing KEXT warnings (there is no other software on this Mac yet) and it hung at the Apple on restart.

Tried reinstalling the OS on the Mini and on auto restart it went back to Recovery mode. Disk Utility says drives are OK and so I am doing the third clean install attempt with a stock configuration and the latest OS. Another hour of internet downloading.

I shouldn't have to do a clean install on the MBP but that's my next step. I don't understand how either install can fail to load the KEXT extensions multiple times unless there is a bug in the OS installer itself?

This internet install for Loin is bullshit. I've never had such problems simply installing a system into new or otherwise up-to-date computers. It's been out for six months now and the bugs should be fixed.

Don't "upgrade" to Lion if you can avoid it. The only benefit that strikes me is the iCloud implementation is nice, but frankly, the Google apps are cleaner designs and seem real solid... the Mac OS apps are pretty damn ugly. Also stuff is all rearranged in the Finder UI and features like Launch Pad and Mission Control are sucky. Apple designs hardware well but its apps stink, especially this generation.

Yeah I'll get it fixed and I know Windows has similar or worse issues, but Apple screwed the pooch on this one.

[Frank Petronio]

OK lessons learned... don't try RAIDing the two internals.

And Lion does better with a reformat and clean install. Welcome back to extension conflicts like OS7 ca. 1994.

Seems to be fine now, knock on Aluminum.

[Mike Lewis]

Frank-

When your new machine is stable again, why not do a little benchmarking for us? A 4x5 drum scan from Lenny should be about 1.5 GB. Open one of those in PS then rotate it 90 degrees, while timing the rotation. I'm curious to see how well you setup works.

thanks,

Mike Lewis