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Is a Mac Mini any good for creating digital art or graphics?

Is a Mac Mini good for amateur graphic design, digital art or animation? I’ll be using programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Flash. I have a huuuge monitor that I love working with but I can’t stand my PC, so a mac that I can hook up to this monitor would be perfect. Can a Mac Mini handle this sort of work, or should I be looking at a bigger mac?
Thanks

What problems do you have with the PC? Macs have the basic same hardware as PCs but lower specs and pay more.. If you are looking for OS X read below.. Why don’t you first try http://ubuntustudio.org/ completely free more secure OS you can use on your PC (recommend 512mb minimum)

PC=Variety of specs, options, quality, prices, vendors, support
Mac=One vendor, limited options, still more expensive. Look below for more information..

Contrary to belief, Macs are not better quality. Apple also has been changing suppliers to try to “lower the price” and thus lowering quality. Even with the lower prices, Macs still cost more, they spend a higher percent of budget trying to make it look pretty, and marketing.

Today, Macs use the same hardware as PCs. Why spend extra to get the same CPU chips, graphics cards and OS X isn’t as secure as you think.. Look below.

WINDOWS ADVANTAGES:

Aprox 90% of the market is Windows. Most PCs include windows already pre-installed.
1) A number of websites still require Internet Explorer to view and IE for Mac Stinks (it is really ies4osx which is the Windows IE version running really buggy on OS X and illegal if you don’t have a legitimate copy of Windows, too many problems with it).
2) More supported peripherals (printers and other things you hook into the computer) on Windows.
3) Many more games
4) Like the Dock on OS X (Mac)? google/yahoo rocketdock, objectdoc.

Install at least Free Versions of Avira AntiVir, Avast, Comodo Firewall on the Vista.

LINUX ADVANTAGES:

1) Install Linux, and then get tons of software for free.Update software easily and automatically. (Checking a checkbox in either two ways to install (Add/Remove or Synaptic Package Manager), search for something you want, check a box and click apply)
2) Like the Mac OS X effects? go yahoo/google COMPIZ FUSION. It can do just about any cool effect a Mac can do and more…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3gkX9HDfEE (there is no flickering when you use it like on the video, not sure why the person has the flicker)
3) Like the Mac OS X Doc? google/yahoo Cairo Dock, avant window navigator.

4) It is faster/MORE SECURE. Surf the internet and even run some windows programs with Wnehq/Crossover..

LINUX OS
If you are worried about viruses, spyware, security, Try Linux (it is free), I have included some information about Linux and links so you are not lost if you decide to try it.

Easily turn your system into a Dual booting computer with Linux, fast, safe and secure, easy to use (contrary to belief). You then get the best of both worlds (Windows with all of its supported products, freely go online without the worry)

Installing Linux in general is very simple and much more secure than OS X(Macintosh) and free.
Also, most Linux distributions have a LiveCD which means you can try without installing…
UBUNTU, KUBUNTU, FREESPIRE, PCLINUXOS, etc.. all have live CDS.
All you have to do is..
A) to download .iso file off the internet from the Linux website
B) burn the .iso file to a CD or DVD (Make sure your burning software can burn an ISO or get InfraRecorder http://infrarecorder.org/ )
C) restart the computer with the CD in the drive
D) As computer is restarting, press on F12 Key a bunch of times to get a boot menu
E) Select the option to boot from CD or DVD.

Click on this link and follow instructions up to the point of “Once the system has started up…”, (the rest is how to backup windows) for an easy picture guide for steps A-E above http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/
For easy instructions on setting up Dual Boot http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_windows_xp_and_linux_xp_installed_first.htm

ANOTHER QUICK NOTE: People have been able to run OS X on a PC since the PC and Mac use the same hardware. This is not legal and I would not recommend it for security and legal reasons, the purpose is to show that there is nothing special about the MAC.

A)Price…
A similar equipped PC is much cheaper to purchase than Mac. Lets use Dell (but you can compare with another PC Brand if you like)

**(LAPTOP)
Dell Inspiron Laptop $849 dropped to $799
15″ Screen
CPU: (upgrade to) 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Memory: 3GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Hard Drive: 320GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
Optical Drive: Blu-ray Disc Combo (DVD+/-RW + BD-ROM) – WRITES DVDS,CDS, READS Blue-Ray Disks

Macbook $1349 just dropped to $1224
13″ Screen (SMALLER)
CPU: 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (SAME)
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (SAME)
Memory: (upgrade to) 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (LESS RAM)
Hard Drive (upgrade to) 250GBSerial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm (SMALLER HARD DRIVE)
Optical Drive: (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) – (Writes CDs, DVDs, cannot read Blue-Ray) (WORSE AND 1/2 SPEED)

**(DESKTOP)

PLEASE NOTE: I’m comparing Apple Mac’s vs Dells best deal. If you decide that you must have an all-in one. The Dell all-in-one has more ram, wireless keyboard and mouse and equivalent to $400 for free making the Imac still more expensive when you upgrade the Imac to try to match. Personally I don’t think the All-in-Ones are a good choice, and consider them overpriced, lack expandability and repairs both more expensive and require the entire computer.

PS: Apple knows that they must make Macintosh look different than PC so all Macs except the Mac Pro will not have a tower option. Apple’s low end lacks expandability but it makes the Mac “look different”, if Mac had a tower for low-end, more people would realize the similarities between the two.

Dell: (Right Now) Specs Below costs $809
CPU: 2.4 GHZ Dell Inspiron QUAD (4 Processor) CORE
SCREEN: 20inch Screen
MEMORY: 3GB Ram
HARD DRIVE: 500 GB hard Drive
OPTICAL DRIVE: 16x DVD/CD Read/Writer
GRAPHICS: (upgrade to ) ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO 128MB

The Best Deal Mac is not the Mac Mini since it has no monitor, keyboard, mouse, very skimpy on options and setup… IMac is better price than the Mac Mini.

IMac ($1400)
CPU: 2.4 GHZ DUAL (2 Processor) CORE (SLOWER CPU)
SCREEN: 20inch Screen
MEMORY: (upgrade to) 2GB Ram (LESS RAM)
HARD DRIVE: (upgrade to ) 500 GB hard Drive
OPTICAL DRIVE: 8x DVD Reader/Writer (1/2 speed)
GRAPHICS: ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO 128MB

**END OF DESKTOP

B) SECURITY:

Mac OS X was hacked in 2006 under 30 minutes, and hacked within 2 minutes in a contest in 2008. Linux and Vista were not able to be hacked until another day when restrictions were lowered.
All macs are standardized with Cameras, if your system gets hacked, the hacker would more likely be able to turn on your camera.
Please Note: All OS’s have vulnerabilities.

C) VIRUSES

The argument that OS X has less viruses is true, but that is against XP, BUT Mac OS X has viruses (which is significantly on the rise), a friend of mine has a virused Mac. As more users use Macs, more viruses will come out for it. Especially when users think “they are safe”.
Viruses on Mac are rising significantly.

Google/Yahoo Mac Viruses

D) WINDOWS LICENSE is discounted with PCs

You do not pay the full price, for instance Dell -> you pay $50 or less for Vista Home Premium If you buy a Mac and want Vista, you pay full price.

E) EXPANDABILITY & REPAIR…

Repairs are more expensive than PCs since the IMac, Mac Mini are compact units, and Apple charges a premium for their services. Some repairs can be done by another repair service but the compact design of the computer causes problems.
With an IMac, if the problem is with the monitor, the whole computer would have to be brought in.
IMac and Mac mini lack expansion.

F) PROBLEMS

Sample of problems: Overheating Macbooks, OS X- not responding to keyboard, some units with 16bit screens, etc. Apple statistics are misleading since Mac users with problem machines are more likely to go out and buy a new computer than PC users. Apple is lowering prices which means you can expect lower quality than in the past. Apple had switched the manufacturers producing parts. OS X also has problems slowing down.

http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/01/apples-quality-dwindling-my-macbook-pro-sob-story/

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Finds-Irony-in-Mac-OS-X-Getting-Hacked-Before-Vista-SP1-82135.shtml

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10020263-17.html

http://infosecurity.us/?p=4005

http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2008/07/malware_authors_take_aim_at_growing_number_of_1.html

http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.php/archive/poll_have_you_noticed_an_increase_in_malware_viruses_etc_on_your_mac/

http://www.ubuntu.com/

http://www.kubuntu.org/

http://www.freespire.org/

http://www.pclinuxos.com/

http://distrowatch.com/

http://polishlinux.org/

http://www.desktoplinux.com/

http://xwinman.org/gnome.php

http://xwinman.org/kde.php

http://www.linuxalt.com/

http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/

http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/

http://www.avast.com/

http://www.free-av.com/

http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SwitchingToUbuntu/FromMacOSX

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SwitchingToUbuntu/FromWindows

Google/Yahoo OS X on PC

Coloring Tutorial – 03 (digital art educational material) Comic/manga style

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