Ye Macce Threade

[HeadphoneAddict]

Well, I just noticed a new email problem, which is strange because I did a clean install of OSX a couple of months ago, and migrated my old apps and data using the installer.

Email works fine, but Safari can't find it.

[EDIT - just noticed the alert is semi-transparent and you can see that I was looking at a post by "The Monkey" when I caught that snapshot yesterday]

[Salt Peanuts]

Open Mail, go to Preference then General and make sure Mail is set as the default. If it already is set as default, set something else as default, close Preference, open again and set Mail as default again.

[The Monkey]

Well, I just noticed a new email problem, which is strange because I did a clean install of OSX a couple of months ago, and migrated my old apps and data using the installer.

Email works fine, but Safari can't find it.

[EDIT - just noticed the alert is semi-transparent and you can see that I was looking at a post by "The Monkey" when I caught that snapshot yesterday]

I can see you through your computer.

[morphsci]

Open Mail, go to Preference then General and make sure Mail is set as the default. If it already is set as default, set something else as default, close Preference, open again and set Mail as default again.

Wow. That's pretty much how I solve most Windows problems.

[VPI]

I need some memory card guidance. I bought a couple of 16GB UDMA 6 Compact Flash cards today for the cameras and they are not readable by my computers. Do I need a special reader or do I need to format the cards to make them work. I have not had to do this with my name brand CF cards but these are Delkin really fast cards so I am not sure what to do with them.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Open Mail, go to Preference then General and make sure Mail is set as the default. If it already is set as default, set something else as default, close Preference, open again and set Mail as default again.

Thanks! "Mail 4.3" was set as the default, which was the right one. Instead of changing it to AOL or something else just now, I chose "select" and went to the apps folder and selected Mail again. It still shows Mail 4.3 as the default, but now Safari can properly open mail to email links and pages. i didn't realize that simply changing it back to itself could make it start working.

[Currawong]

[morphsci]

[Eric5676]

Any Mac Mini owners here? If so, give me the skinny. Good, bad, ugly, pros, cons, etc.

[jvlgato]

Any Mac Mini owners here? If so, give me the skinny. Good, bad, ugly, pros, cons, etc.

I have the previous gen one, and like it quite a bit. It runs well, and is tiny, tiny, tiny - such a nice thing in my not so spacious office space. The current gen is cooler in a few ways, but I need the security lock since it's in my office waiting room. Kind of a pain opening it up to do upgrades, though. I use it as my main office desktop and it's been fine. I'm sure I don't use half the features it has, but it's the cheapest in the lineup and it still is more than I needed.

It's my first Mac, have had it for a few months, and have been happy. No glitches to speak of, just the usual learning curve of a new OS, and even then, it's been pretty painless. The biggest complement I can give it is that I don't think about it much, it just works. I was in the Office Depot yesterday looking around, and I was thinking if I should get this or that new Microsoft utility to make it run faster/more stable, and I just didn't have the need to think about that for the Apple.

[Eric5676]

I have the previous gen one, and like it quite a bit. It runs well, and is tiny, tiny, tiny - such a nice thing in my not so spacious office space. The current gen is cooler in a few ways, but I need the security lock since it's in my office waiting room. Kind of a pain opening it up to do upgrades, though. I use it as my main office desktop and it's been fine. I'm sure I don't use half the features it has, but it's the cheapest in the lineup and it still is more than I needed.

It's my first Mac, have had it for a few months, and have been happy. No glitches to speak of, just the usual learning curve of a new OS, and even then, it's been pretty painless. The biggest complement I can give it is that I don't think about it much, it just works. I was in the Office Depot yesterday looking around, and I was thinking if I should get this or that new Microsoft utility to make it run faster/more stable, and I just didn't have the need to think about that for the Apple.

If you want to do upgrades, what can you do and not do? I know it won't take much to void Apple's warranty but let's say I decide that I need more hard drive space? Go external?

[jvlgato]

If you want to do upgrades, what can you do and not do? I know it won't take much to void Apple's warranty but let's say I decide that I need more hard drive space? Go external?

Not sure about other upgrades, I added RAM. I've read opening it up won't void the warranty, but any damage you do while in there won't be covered. Didn't look into other upgrades, but I remember seeing links about various DIY upgrades including hard drive, so it's probably doable.

[Eric5676]

Not sure about other upgrades, I added RAM. I've read opening it up won't void the warranty, but any damage you do while in there won't be covered. Didn't look into other upgrades, but I remember seeing links about various DIY upgrades including hard drive, so it's probably doable.

What do you think my limit is in terms of the kind of hard drives I could put in there? Don't go past 5400 RPMs for example? Size?

I'll have to check to see what kind of motherboard it has and what kind of RAM you can get away with putting in it. Details like that.

If I'm sending audio out via digital or USB, then you don't need a "soundcard", is that right?

[Salt Peanuts]

Mac mini uses 2.5" drives and I haven't heard of anyone having issues using 7200rpm drives. The RAM type/speed/amount depends on the mac mini model.

No, you won't need a soundcard.

[luvdunhill]

I'd probably put a Momentus XT hybrid in my Mini if I needed to upgrade it.

[tyrion]

I have the previous gen mac mini and it works great. I use it only as a music server, with the occasional surfing. I would upgrade the RAM to 4 GB and not worry about the internal drive. Just pick up a 1 or 2 TB external drive and you are good to go.

[Eric5676]

I have the previous gen mac mini and it works great. I use it only as a music server, with the occasional surfing.

This is exactly what I would get it for if I do it. I'd appreciate any tips you have for me. Do you use an Itouch or Squeezebox or anything like that for interface?

I would upgrade the RAM to 4 GB and not worry about the internal drive. Just pick up a 1 or 2 TB external drive and you are good to go.

I see that it uses DDR3. That's pretty good!

External: Desktop for Mac Overview Something like these?

[Salt Peanuts]

Though I still have couple of them, I'd avoid pre-made externals (or at least ones you can't easily take apart) if you can help it. I've had non-HDD part break on my pre-made externals (drives themselves were fine) and I've basically hard to destroy the casing to get the drives out. Some pre-made externals even have drives directly soldered/connected to a PCB.

I personally like the cases from Performance Upgrades; FireWire USB SATA Storage; Memory, more at OWC but they're bit pricey, comparatively.

[Eric5676]

Though I still have couple of them, I'd avoid pre-made externals (or at least ones you can't easily take apart) if you can help it. I've had non-HDD part break on my pre-made externals (drives themselves were fine) and I've basically hard to destroy the casing to get the drives out. Some pre-made externals even have drives directly soldered/connected to a PCB.

I personally like the cases from Performance Upgrades; FireWire USB SATA Storage; Memory, more at OWC but they're bit pricey, comparatively.

I typically am pretty leery of external drives myself although I would have figured something nice from WD or Seagate would be fairly reliable.

And now the bonus: If I really wanted to get frisky, what if I wanted to add Blu-Ray capability to this bad boy and put it over the top?

[tyrion]

I've used the Seagate Free Agent drives without any problem for as long as I've had a mini (this is my second).

[Grahame]

^ we've had this conversation before

Apple's Steve Jobs calls Blu-ray "a bag of hurt" -- Engadget

'stretch commented on it , I seem to recall

EDIT: Here you go http://www.head-case.org/forums/goredwings19s-computer-help-hotline/6452-ye-macce-threade-21.html#post299794

Or this http://www.techi.com/2010/07/big-steve-j-says-no-to-blu-ray/

Edited September 23, 2010 by Grahame

[jvlgato]

I know it essentially uses laptop parts, but can't recall all the details. That's readily available on the net.

I think most people use it as an AV server. I have a friend who uses it as his main music source using Apple Lossless with an Ayre DAC and loves it. He uses a Touch as a remote. He says it's a great system, and it was easy to set up. Haven't seen or heard the system myself, but he knows his stuff, I trust him.

[Dusty Chalk]

Apple now second largest company in the world

Companies that are not the first largest:

Intel

Microsoft

Google

Sun

Oracle

Motorola

HP

Samsung

Hitachi

IBM

Sony

Dell

pretty much any tech company

Edited September 23, 2010 by Dusty Chalk

[Eric5676]

^ we've had this conversation before

Apple's Steve Jobs calls Blu-ray "a bag of hurt" -- Engadget

'stretch commented on it , I seem to recall

EDIT: Here you go http://www.head-case.org/forums/goredwings19s-computer-help-hotline/6452-ye-macce-threade-21.html#post299794

Or this http://www.techi.com/2010/07/big-steve-j-says-no-to-blu-ray/

Right. I wasn't sure if I could cheat some way around it. Again, that's bonus since I already have a good BD player.

I know it essentially uses laptop parts, but can't recall all the details. That's readily available on the net.

I think most people use it as an AV server. I have a friend who uses it as his main music source using Apple Lossless with an Ayre DAC and loves it. He uses a Touch as a remote. He says it's a great system, and it was easy to set up. Haven't seen or heard the system myself, but he knows his stuff, I trust him.

If I do it this is what I'd be doing it for myself. An Ipod touch I take it? All Apple?

[morphsci]

I have two Mac Minis. A two generation removed one at work. I use this exclusively to play music at work. I cracked it open and upgraded the memory to 2Gb ( this models max). It has an 80Gb drive but all the music is on a 750Gb freeagent go drive. Like Mike I have used and still use many of these on both PC and Mac. Has been going like a champ for almost 2 years now. At home I have a current gen. with 4Gb RAM and a 320 Gb internal drive. As a music server I keep all the music on an external 1Tb Freeagent go drive. If I thought that was somehow limiting in speed, which it is not, I could also use a FW800 drive. On the new models, upgrading RAM is trivial since there is a hatch on the bottom. The new model is wider but shorter and has the power supply in the case rather than as an external brick. Does not seem to run any hotter than previous generation models. I use this one as both an iTunes and squeezeserver and for running Amarra mini. It actually runs faster than our older iMac and on par with our newer iMac. I do occasionally use iPad to control the mini at home and it works fine. But it has a dedicated monitor, keyboard and trackpad so that is what I generally use.

Edited September 23, 2010 by morphsci