[Tfug] Refurb Macs - which to get?

[Chad Woolley]

Yep, I think the Mac Mini with a KVM is the way to go if you just want
to try out a mac.  Relatively cheap, and still a nice, new, fast
machine.  We just did this at work to have a mac available for
cross-platform development/testing.  I'd definitely spring for at
least a gig of ram, though.

BTW, I just bought a MacBook Pro (hopefully I won't miss that kidney I
sold to pay for it).  I know nothing about macs, but I need to learn.
My goal is a triple booting box, with win and linux also running
virtually under os/x, via parallels (or soon, vmware).  Just opened
the box last night, and it is pretty sweet :)

-- Chad

On 8/17/06, Harry McGregor <micros at osef.org> wrote:
> While you could play with OS-X with an older Mac, I don't think it's
> worth the cost.
>
> Beyond the cost of the mac and extra memory, you would need to buy the
> latest version of OS-X ($130).
>
> I would get an Intel Mac Mini, and hook it up to a KVM (no need for a
> monitor, keyboard, or mouse then).
>
> http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6454002/wo/SaG6T9trGqGu39JED4E1A9Vx314/2.?p=0
>
> You might also want to look at the apple recertified.
>
> I don't know if you can actually buy this, or if it is just for K-12
> schools, but here is a stripped down intel imac:
> http://store.apple.com/1-800-800-APPL/WebObjects/K12.woa/6274006/wo/mX1MB9WEplX92CLeSL12SNcWIr9/3.?p=0
>
>                          Harry
>
> Jim Secan wrote:
>
> >At 12:00 AM 8/17/2006 -0700, you wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Still contemplating getting a Mac to play with OS X, which of these (if
> >>
> >>
> >any) is
> >
> >
> >>a good starter Mac?
> >>
> >>   Macintosh Desktop Computers, Refurbished Macintosh Computers, MAC PC's
> >>   Cheap
> >>   http://www.geeks.com/products_sc.asp?cat=810
> >>
> >>
> >
> >IMHO, none of these.  With anything less than a G4 with 1/2-GB memory you
> >are going to have some serious folded-arm-syndrome problems.  Even with a
> >G4 you're asking for it.  With Apple now producing Intel versions of all
> >platforms, you might be able to pick up some refurbished G5 systems cast
> >off by people moving to the Intel systems, but probably not at prices such
> >as those shown on the page you  cite.
> >
> >Are you interested in full-up OS X, or the *nix that sits under the OS X
> >GUI?  An alternative is Open Darwin:
> ><http://developer.apple.com/opensource/index.html>.  I've not had any
> >experience with this, but it is supposed to be open-source version of the
> >*nix guts underlying OS X.  You might be able to run that on a lesser box,
> >but not with the GUI.
> >
> >Jim
> >*---------------------*-------------------------------*
> >| Jim Secan           | Northwest Research Assoc, Inc |
> >| (jim at nwra.com)      | 2455 E. Speedway, Suite 204   |
> >| (520) 319-7773      | Tucson, Arizona 85719         |
> >*---------------------*-------------------------------*
> >
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