I've heard about the Mini for years and was curious of it's purpose. It doesn't seem as if it's price. By the time you add periferals it costs as much as say an iMac. Other than getting a special monitor what are the advantages or reason for buying?
Just curious
So true, if you buy a Mac Mini, an Apple Monitor, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Apple Wireless Mouse or Track Pad and an Apple USB SuperDrive, then it is pretty much a toss up. If that is the case, then you are correct and most folks would be better off just getting the iMac.
The main reason I switched from the iMac line to the Mac Mini, is that I do not like the glossy iMac displays.
Of course when I move from my Early 2006 matte display iMac, it helped that I already had two matte finish monitors, a Logitech Keyboard and Mouse combo, a tray loading LG DVD Drive and only had to buy the Mac Mini.
Because it's an inexpensive way to get introduced to Macs. If you already have a PC you can use your existing monitor, mouse and keyboard and then spend only $600 to buy a basic Mini, which covers many folks' needs.
When I wanted to replace my G4 Quicksilvers I went to minis because there was no way I was going to use a glossy screen/already had three good quality monitors/already had keyboard, mouse etc/didn't need, couldn't afford, didn't want to give desk space to a MacPro.
The mini is easily transportable between different places with monitors etc if you need to do that.
If service is needed a mini is a lot easier to move than an all-in-one.
For me the Mini was a way to dip my toe in the Mac waters, to learn about OSX, and to see if I liked it. I ended up deciding very quickly to make the Mini my primary machine even though I'd been working on a much more powerful PC I built myself.
The other advantage I see to the Mini is that I tend to upgrade computers much more frequently than I upgrade monitors. With a Mini I can continue to do this.
I'd like to upgrade to a more powerful Mac, but now that the 2012 Mini has discontinued the discreet GPU, I'm not sure what my upgrade path will be. The Mac Pro (unless it's discontinued) is the obvious choice, but it's very expensive, about twice what I paid to build my own comparably-powerful PC.
Anyway, for the OP, it really comes down to your own personal needs, and what type of platform you want (e.g. an all-in-one or a system with discreet components).
What is the purpose/advantages of the Mini?
