I am looking into purchasing a Mac Mini / Does the price and specifications add up to a deal?

[wamsille]

Disclaimer:

I know enough about Windows and Linux to be dangerous but I am far from a computer ?expert?. I am comfortable with various flavors of Linux and I have been using Windows computers for the majority of the time. I am a recent Apple convert, namely being the relatively low cost of entry into an iPhone 5S. That being said, seeing how well the iPhone performs has me considering ? stress, CONSIDERING ? the move to a Mac as a home desktop replacement.
Cost of entry is important here ? I don?t want to be saddled with a $1,000 hit to my account for something that doesn?t do things any better than a PC running Windows or Linux.
Craigslist is generally hit or miss for me, but I have come across several mini listings. One in particular caught my eye. I am omitting the link publicly, but if anyone privately wants to help vet the setup I am more than willing to share the info.

The listing:

Light on specs ? the seller didn?t even include more beyond the following:

2GHZ , with 2GB RAM , 120 Solid State Drive running LION. Comes with power supply.

Note ? the seller says he ?upgraded? the processor himself. To what I have no idea. I can?t say if this is a late 2009 model, 2010, etc. I would imagine 2009/2010 based on his original asking of $300. It is now down to $235 and he is willing to part with it for $225. I had asked for $200 but he would not go that low. I found what I believe to be his original listing and he notes that it?s a T7400 2 GHZ processor.

The price is right, but what about the specs?

How I use my computer(s):

? Core office/Office applications
? Surfing the internet
? Organizing photos, music, media
? Light gaming ? Sauerbraten, Urban Terror and a few online Flash games
? Youtube

My kids will also log into their school websites to handle homework assignments and interact with the teacher and classmates.

What I am using now:

Acer Aspire X1300 series mini tower

? 64-bit processor with 3GB of RAM
? 320 GB HDD (not solid state)
? Currently running Debian XFCE

It is not a beast by any means. For regular everyday tasks, it handles things nicely. The only slowdown I noticed was after I installed iTunes and my machine started to lag a little. I blame that on my computer and iTunes / Windows 8.1 interoperability.

So will a mini suit my needs? Is it more of the same for about what I paid for this Acer three years ago?

I would like to confirm with the seller either YES or NO that I am buying this machine today. I have to drive and meet him after I get off of work, which is about 14 minutes north of me and then head home to get my son before we head out for Thanksgiving with family the next day.

 

[Just_Me_D]

I have a MacBook (early 2009) with 4 GBs of RAM, 2.5 GHz processor and I'm running OS X Mavericks without a problem. I also have iWorks installed, but did have Microsoft Office for Mac at one point but opted to use iWorks instead. Having said that, if you're comfortable with the price AND with the current owner having upgraded the CPU then go for it, but I highly recommend that you have check to see if it indeed work before handing over your money. It is still a used device so there's always a risk involved.

 

[wamsille]

I have a MacBook (early 2009) with 4 GBs of RAM, 2.5 GHz processor and I'm running OS X Mavericks without a problem. I also have iWorks installed, but did have Microsoft Office for Mac at one point but opted to use iWorks instead. Having said that, if you're comfortable with the price AND with the current owner having upgraded the CPU then go for it, but I highly recommend that you have check to see if it indeed work before handing over your money. It is still a used device so there's always a risk involved.

I totally plan on making sure this will work before I hand over money. While Craigslist can be good source for deals, not all of them are "great". I have only bought one computer on Craigslist, and that ended up being a daily driver for the better part of two years before I shelved it for updated hardware. (the PC I'm using now) I have been burned enough to know certain questions must be asked before money is exchanged. My motto is trust but verify.

There is one issue that I've noticed so far and that is the seller mentioned being diagnosed with Stage IV Cancer. This was almost in immediate response to my proposed counter offer of $200 for the machine, which I spelled out in the introductory email to the seller. I negotiate regularly as part of my day job. Hardly ever does a "human" factor come into play when you are talking about one Fortune company compared to another, so I was admittedly taken back by this. I hate to say this, but this makes me almost not want to buy this from him.

I can empathize here, but the skeptic in me wonders why even bring it up.

My father passed away two years ago from Cancer. I remember the man that he was and I can still to this day visualize the condition he was in just days before he passed. It was horrible. He was also Stage IV. My wife is on chemo medication to treat a condition she has, so I'm aware of how long-term use of the medication can sap the life out of someone. She's going to be on this probably for the rest of her life so I know it won't necessarily get better (likely worse) from here. Neither my father nor my wife care to freely admit nor vehemently deny what did and currently does afflict them. My father to his final hours refused any special care. Hospice was out of the question. My wife battles through the pain she experiences daily. I cannot imagine either one of them mentioning a specific condition they had in an effort to sell a used item on Craigslist.

$225 for a mac mini isn't bad proposition, but the tactics used to maintain that price point may be suspect.

 

[Algus]

Curious if you went with it or not. I would have recommended a pass vs. that Debian box you posted as I'm guessing you were looking at a 2007 model and those things are a little long in the tooth now.

If you did pick it up, what have you thought so far?

 

[wamsille]

I have decided to pass and I'm letting the seller know later this morning. I am just not comfortable purchasing a used desktop at this time regardless of my desire to move into a Mac. As far as iOS 7 support, I have reverted back to Windows 8/8.1 because I grew tired of "trusting" a computer that it should work on for all intents and purposes. If a fix is released soon for the major distros, I will hop on board.