iMac or Mac Mini?

[Kyle!]

Any on eBay?

Just search, "Intel Mac Mini" without quotes or "Intel iMac".

[Excellent2]

I personally recommend the mac mini (because I have never used and iMac and own a mini) easy to maintain and are as big as a standard size hand of a man! The machine itself is fast and very light to it's easy to transport around. The casing on the outside appears to be metal so if you drop it from a low height it probably won't cause any damage. It is also super cheap

iMac would be the better option if you have the money though.

[lolwut]

iMac, because it's all in one small thing.
I don't know why anyone says their different from Mac mini's. I've used both extensivley and they're the same except the iMac is like, a million times cooler.
iMac's pack more power, save more space, run faster, far neater (only cable is the power one , they come with wireless keyboards/mice) etc. The list goes on .

Actually, it is in a way more portable than Mini because with Mini you have to take the unit around, a display, keyboard, mouse and all the cables. Admittedly, iMac is a larger screen size but in comparison it's a lot less to carry.

Hang on, what's stopping you from getting a MacBook Pro?

[bigdavecox90]

iMac, because it's all in one small thing.
I don't know why anyone says their different from Mac mini's. I've used both extensivley and they're the same except the iMac is like, a million times cooler.
iMac's pack more power, save more space, run faster, far neater (only cable is the power one , they come with wireless keyboards/mice) etc. The list goes on .

Actually, it is in a way more portable than Mini because with Mini you have to take the unit around, a display, keyboard, mouse and all the cables. Admittedly, iMac is a larger screen size but in comparison it's a lot less to carry.

Hang on, what's stopping you from getting a MacBook Pro?

I'm after a desktop system not a laptop mate.

[348GTS]

Considering I've spent the past month of my computer life looking at every Mac there is, I think I'm pretty qualified.

First off, stay away from the 20" Aluminium iMacs. They're not horrible, but if you do get one, get it with "Apple Care" (the extended Apple Warranty). This is because the colours on the screen tend to die and lines get across, it gets darker on one side, and this is all with the new systems, imagine in 5 years? (Note: this clearly does not happen to all systems, but it is a known problem.)

If you're going to go Mac, go big or go home. If this is replacing any desktop or laptop, go for a 24" iMac. Always buy the best computer you can afford. "No one complains that they have too much RAM or CPU, do they? The opposite is not true." (Quote taken from a guy on Macforums.com)

Don't ease into Mac. Mac Mini, at decent specs, with wireless keyboard, mouse, monitor, will cost you atleast $1000. You can get an iMac 24" White for somewhere around there on eBay, maybe a bit more. (Sorry, I'm Canadian and CBA to change it to your currency )

For RAM though, don't worry about buying one with a lot of RAM on it, especially with the new systems. Apples from the factory RAM is extremely overpriced. You can go to www.crucial.com and get the same memory for less than half the price. Upgrade your 1GB iMac 24" Alu to 4GB for under $100. Its $200 on the Apple Store.

If your going straight off of the Apple store, go for Refurbished 24", starts at $1349 here, or go for a 24 or 20" iMac off of eBay. You can go for the 20" aluminium, but make sure you buy apple care for your whole Mac life!

Any other questions you can ask me.

Also try www.Mac2Sell.com to check how much a used Mac is worth if you're not familiar. Its not always accurate, but the most its off by is like $75.