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Once You Go Hack...


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Over the weekend, I purchased a Mac Mini to use as my home theater PC--for $638 (including tax). I wasn't expecting to be overwhelmed by the Mini's power. The specs are 1.83 Core2Duo, 1GB RAM, 80GB HD, etc... I hooked it up to my 42" Toshiba flat screen TV, and immediately began using Front Row to view a few movies. Everything worked fine.

 

I really tried to like this Mini, but... My problem? Last fall, I paid about $100 less to build a far superior "Hackintosh" (see specs below). I can't help feeling that I paid MORE money for a new Mini that's just not cutting it. What I want is something small--AND relatively powerful--and Apple just doesn't make something like that. (Sorry, the AppleTV doesn't cut it, either.) I've read criticisms of people who build "Hacks", saying we're too cheap to buy a real Mac. I'm not cheap. But I do like getting a deal. And the Mini just feels pathetic.

 

Anyway, I'm now very close to returning this Mini to the store, and using the money to build another Hackintosh to use as a home theater machine. My main concerns are that I want a setup with:

 

1) working wireless,

2) bluetooth (so I can use the Apple Remote to access Front Row, etc.)

 

I know this is all possible, but what's the best home theater setup for $640???

 

Thanks everyone.

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Yeah, but I found this...

 

http://www.keyspan.com/products/errf1/

 

It's a USB IR receiver for older Macs. There's no reason to believe it won't work on Hacks.

 

 

 

Now, all I need to find is a bluetooth solution (to enable use of a wireless keyboard and mouse), and an internal wireless that card that works out of the box with Airport...

 

Thanks for the response.

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The best bet is the Mini. You said you didn't like it, but didn't say why. I can't believe that it isn't powerful enough to use as a HTPC. I used a 450MHz G4 as an HTMac for years before I replaced it with my G4 Mini. You simply can't build or buy a computer as powerful as the mini, in the same size range, in the same price range. Everything else is either more expensive, bigger, or slower (or all three).

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The best bet is the Mini. You said you didn't like it, but didn't say why. I can't believe that it isn't powerful enough to use as a HTPC. I used a 450MHz G4 as an HTMac for years before I replaced it with my G4 Mini. You simply can't build or buy a computer as powerful as the mini, in the same size range, in the same price range. Everything else is either more expensive, bigger, or slower (or all three).

 

 

The machine in my specs below cost me roughly $600 (excluding monitor and accessories, of course). It kicks the Mini's ass in terms of speed, graphics performance, storage space, RAM, and upgrade-ability. The Mini's X-Bench score is roughly 100, whereas my homebrew hack gets a score of more than 160.

 

But my biggest problem is that the this thing comes with an 80GB HD. Come on. What desktop machine comes with an 80GB HD anymore? I can't store all of my movies and music on this thing. I know there are external drives I can buy, but I want this to be simple enough for my girlfriend to turn on and find what she's after--rather than powering up a computer, the television, and an external drive.

 

I'm now considering replicating the Hackintosh I already have---and building it inside a HTPC, living-room-presentable case this time.

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I can't store all of my movies and music on this thing. I know there are external drives I can buy, but I want this to be simple enough for my girlfriend to turn on and find what she's after--rather than powering up a computer, the television, and an external drive.
Well get a Ministack or similar. Your Mini just sits on top of it. No hassle.

A few Things about the Mini's cost that you missed:

  • The Mini is definitely the smallest, quitest and best supported machine around. Your hack is great, but it's much much bigger, probably has more fan noise, and is just not as elegant, even with a nice Antec case or whatever.
  • The Mini has all the advantages of a real mac - proper sleep support, no hacking needed for updates, completely legal etc. etc.
  • The Mini also comes with OS X and iLife for free, meaning that you should add $129 and $79 for the great software.

But you can get working wireless networking and IR remote on a hack pretty easily. Just get a Broadcom Wireless card, and a USB IR receiver.

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Well get a Ministack or similar. Your Mini just sits on top of it. No hassle.

A few Things about the Mini's cost that you missed:

  • The Mini is definitely the smallest, quitest and best supported machine around. Your hack is great, but it's much much bigger, probably has more fan noise, and is just not as elegant, even with a nice Antec case or whatever.
  • The Mini has all the advantages of a real mac - proper sleep support, no hacking needed for updates, completely legal etc. etc.
  • The Mini also comes with OS X and iLife for free, meaning that you should add $129 and $79 for the great software.

But you can get working wireless networking and IR remote on a hack pretty easily. Just get a Broadcom Wireless card, and a USB IR receiver.

 

 

Actually, I went with your advice and decided to give the Mini another chance. I did a fresh reinstall and saved a ton of space.

What was it that swayed me? I put my Hack on the shelf in the livingroom--and it just didn't look right. Besides, the Mini does a nice enough job. I'm still curious to hear (and see pictures) of people using Hacks as home-theater machines...

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Actually, I went with your advice and decided to give the Mini another chance. I did a fresh reinstall and saved a ton of space.

What was it that swayed me? I put my Hack on the shelf in the livingroom--and it just didn't look right. Besides, the Mini does a nice enough job. I'm still curious to hear (and see pictures) of people using Hacks as home-theater machines...

 

Welll, here is a guy in the German forum who built a hackintosh with a mini-atx... for like 450 euros if I remember correctly.

 

The shopping list/price is in the first post, the picture is at the bottom of the first page.

 

He has tested it with a variety of software and the results look reallll good. The case is not as small as a mini but I have seen it in real life and looks quite slick and compact.

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