Having a Mac dilema - Resolved

[The Dogfather]

I've got £1200 to spend in PC World and I was looking at purchasing a Mac Mini and a 26" Samsung LCD TV. The Mac becoming a media centre PC in our lounge. However having read the reviews, LCD TVs aren't anywhere as good as the old CRT for normal pictures and with free to air HDTV not due to go live until 2008 it seems like the purchase of a HDTV maybe a little premature.

So I still have the £1200 to spend in PC World.

Anyway I was looking at the 20" iMacs, they currently have 2 options a G5 version costing £900, and an Intel Duo at £1229. Is the Intel version worth the extra dosh?

BTW we've already got 2 PCs in the house one of which is employed as a media server, the other is a laptop, the Mac will be networked into this setup.

[GAJ]

I don't see the dilemma! The G5 iMac must be old stock as Apple no longer make them. I would have thought it was a no-brainer - go for the Intel.
You have £1200 to spend in that shop anyway, the G5 is no longer developed, all new software will be optimised for the Intel chip so that machine will have a much longer useful life and it's a lot quicker. Plus you can dual boot to Windows on it if you like.

[The Dogfather]

Thanks Gaj, next question is the iMac really worth twice the money of a Mac MINI?

I've just rang PC World and they are currently doing a Mac Mini Duo Core with 17" Samsung TFT and Epson all in one printer for £650. I've already got the keyboard, I don't need the larger hard-drive the only issue being I don't know if a mini can run a dual screen?

[GAJ]

That seems remarkably cheap. The Core Duo mini is £600 on it's own. It can't drive dual screens though.

[The Dogfather]

Dagnamit! Still I could put an extra £100 to it get that and the Samsung 26" HDTV for the lounge. I could then use the extra monitor on the PC I bought from BS..........

I think we have a plan. Just need a Video capture card to connect the Mac to a Sky+ box

[The Dogfather]

I've decided to go for the new 2.0Ghz Macbook in white. As soon as PC World get them in stock, I'll be adding a Mini TV card as well.

Anyone know if there's a cheap version of a Generic Office program out :question: Also is there any good freeware photo editing software something a bit more sophisticated than Picasa 2.

[sh@z]

For your office software, tried Openoffice?

[The Dogfather]

Thanks Shaz, will look into it. It's either that or Boot camp and MS Office which I've already got :(

[sh@z]

Openoffice is really good, i've got it on PC along with MS Office, very little between them in my opinion for most normal uses, plus openoffice is totally free!

[euan]

Agree with Shaz about open office - only thing it doesn't do as well is excel formulas.