New Mac stuff

*Mac Mini Server - running OSX server, no optical, 2 x 500GB
*Bigger, faster iMacs - Intel Core i5 and i7 options - that's fucking quick!
*New plastic MacBook - entry level tings, aimed at the US$1k price point
*Multitouch Mouse - holy fuck someone please make Windows drivers for this right now

would like to test that mouse, up until now apple have sucked at mice imo. Yes that includes the mighty mouse.

Decent LCD panels too.

Beat me to it, was just about to make a thread about this.

I'm just eyeing up:

21.5-inch: 3.06GHz
3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1920 x 1080 resolution
4GB memory
1TB hard drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics with 256MB

Looks like it'd have enough power to run any of the programs i'd be needing it for? Final Cut Pro etc. Don't think it'd have a problem capuring SD footage? maybe to slow for HD though.

Cheaper than the Macbook Pro's of the same specs, and would be easier to carry overseas with me than g5 dualcore i have now.

Your guys thoughts?

"Your guys"

I think the phrase you were looking for was "youse fullas".


We capture analogue SD footage on slower Windows machines with no problems. Should handle HD reasonably fine too for that matter, but the done thing seems to be to use an external FW800 drive to do it.

I can ask a mate if he has a better idea of performance between your old G5 and a new C2D though, but I suspect you'll be ahead on performance.

Cool thanks, yeah performance wise i think it will be fine.

I'm just weighing up whether i should buy one or not.

Seen as though i am heading over to sydney, am going to need as much $$ as possible. So i would no doubt need to increase my bank loan, which i don't want to do.

But i need a reliable computer between now and then, to further my learnings of FCP, Photoshop & After FX. Then i will need one when i get to Sydney too, for further training and possibly for work.

My Mac now, looks like it'll be $300-$400 to get fixed, and even then i'm not sure how much longer it would last. Plus it needs a new monitor, so that'd be about $300.

Plus like i said above, it will be much easier to bring an iMac like this overseas.

I just REALLY don't want to increase my loan, and or run out of money in sydney if it takes me a while to find a good job.


sigh

Also, does anyone know whether the Mac US site ships to NZ? or if not, ways to get around this?

What's the deal with the Mini with no optical? If you were to say, reformat, how would you do it? Some sort of network boot I guess....?

I like the idea of a mini running all my TV shit.

No. Ways around it: Ship to a US address. There are commercial services that offer this, however, you might have a problem getting the Apple store to accept your NZ credit card.

Why would you reformat? It's a Mac? :>


But seriously, this is a solved problem. You can install OS from a USB key easily these days, in fact it's the I'm installing Win7 exclusively. Or network boot, or you connect up a USB optical drive. Apple will even sell you one that matches the mini perfectly, for about 3 times what a standard one sells for.

You're probably better off saving your money and getting a normal mini and a massive external drive instead though.

True, but they might accept an american express?

Sorry, but tried googling, but not sure what to put as search criteria. Any ideas?

The NZ price is only $500 more... i wonder if it'd be worth it or not.

(Fingers crossed this post works?)

OH HAI!
Other thing to note - NZ Apple Store prices been pretty seriously slashed. Macbook Pro entry is now $1,999 not $2,399. New Macbook is $1,699 not $1,899. 27" iMac for $2,899 is pretty damn good too.

Not cheap, but at least they've finally recognised the USD ain't at .50c no more...

NZ credit card means card that has it's registered address in NZ.

USB installs! I've been out of the game for a while that's for sure

And yeah, external with a basic mini would be the way to go.

Just checked out Apple NZ's student prices. You get about a 3% discount! WOW!

Ah, for only $500, by the time you factor in the hassle, paying for a mail forwarder, ad shipping from US to NZ, you're going to blow away any savings.

Hi Gdub.

yeah, the MacBook Pro prices seem to have been slashed since 3 days ago when i last checked!

Right. I reckon that iMac is damnable good value and I suspect you'll be fine with HD video - especially with the oomphed GPU in that one.

Re buying from US - you can buy them on Amazon for same dollars (or slightly less) than Apple.com and they take a NZ credit card to US shipping address just fine. But given that it's $2,500 here vs at least $2,000 in US (more once you add state tax etc and credit card forex fees) you might prefer just rocking down to Magnum Mac and having one for the next few months? $300-400 for instant access, local warranty?

Apples warranties are global I believe. At least mine was when I bought it from the US

Only if you buy AppleCare I'm pretty sure. But you can buy that at any time inside the standard warranty so just wait and if it goes bung offshore inside standard warranty then buy AppleCare before you take it in

Yeah good call, i reckon it's a good deal - and would be easier just buying it from magnum mac, or the apple website.

Now i just have to weigh up the pro's, work wise, and the con's, money + travelling wise.

Oh and alternative is DSE are now selling the old top end 24" model for same price ($2,499 instead of $4k!). So if you'd rather have screen real estate than wireless keyboard/mouse and latest then maybe go that way instead?

Hmmm thanks, just checked it out on their website. It seems to be quite a bit slower and less space on hard drive though... think i would prefer the smaller screen/faster cpu. But something to think about anyways..

Personally, I'd wait and see when JB HiFi get 'em in stock. Odds are they will have a better price, or you can talk 'em into throwing something in with it.

Oh and standard warranty has been global since about 2006 on all products. Previously it was only on portable products.

Would they have a better price than the Apple website?

I thought the apple website would be cheapest place to buy Mac's from.... or am i wrong?

In general, macs from 3rd parties retail at the same price as the apple store direct.

The advantage of getting it through an authorised retailer is that you can haggle over free/discounted peripherals.

Only regret about buying as mac a year ago is that i got the 20" instead of the 24". So that 27" screen is looking like a mighty, mighty good excuse to upgrade in 6 months.

That would usually be the case for Apple except for when JBHifi's concerned. They seem to always be a hundred or so cheaper. There's another thread about it somewhere...

Ok thanks, i will check out JB Hifi when they are released there... i'm in no rush.

Jo can get you insane discount at JB as well.

Hmm, agree with some reviews that I do think they missed a trick though with no Blue-ray capability unless you run an external drive on a Windows 7 partition. Maybe cost is an issue but even then you could have made an internal drive an optional.

No HDMI either…

Still, a glorious machine and a fraction cheaper than the 24” to boot.

BR support is a fucking odd one.


With HDMI - if you want to use an Apple product to connect to a HD display, they want you buy an AppleTV which has HDMI, or a Mini which has DVI and you buy a DVI-HDMI cable since they are electrically compatible and there is no signal conversion needed.


There are also DisplayPort-HDMI adaptors anyway.