Mac Mini - Leopard Memory Req?

[edDV]

Question to Mac Experts:

I'm planning to gift a Mac Mini (Leopard). Is the standard 1GB RAM enough for the casual Internet-Email-Photo Crop user?

If not I understand they ship with 2x 512MB. Does this fill all available slots?

How difficult is it to add RAM?

What aftermarket RAM spec works should the 2x512MB not be enough?

Any other key issues with Mac Mini standard configuration?

[terryj]

Question to Mac Experts:

I'm planning to gift a Mac Mini (Leopard). Is the standard 1GB RAM enough for the casual Internet-Email-Photo Crop user?

Just standard non RAW, regular digital camera user? yes.

If not I understand they ship with 2x 512MB. Does this fill all available slots?

looking at the 1.83ghz model, and to get it upgraded to 2gb, they fill both slots with 1gb chips,
then I would say yes, both slots will be filled.

How difficult is it to add RAM?

Macworld article on the mini....how good are you with a putty knife?

What aftermarket RAM spec works should the 2x512MB not be enough?

see above article.

Any other key issues with Mac Mini standard configuration?

as far as Leopard, I wouldn't know.

[Soopafresh]

DON'T install Leopard just yet. Lots of folks are getting blue screens and login problems. Let the bugs get sorted by others first. Seriously. There's a guy at work who has been waiting 2 hrs with apple support trying to get his machine working again. He's frazzled.

[edDV]

DON'T install Leopard just yet. Lots of folks are getting blue screens and login problems. Let the bugs get sorted by others first. Seriously. There's a guy at work who has been waiting 2 hrs with apple support trying to get his machine working again. He's frazzled.

This will be a new machine. I hope that works

Thanks for the info. I know I'm going to have to fix this thing if it doesn't work.

[Soopafresh]

No probs. You should see the guy at work. Even his hair is frazzled.

[mhar4]

I just bought a new iMac - the entry level model - 2.0Ghz C2D, 1GB RAM, 250GB HD, 128MB ATI HD2400, which came with preinstalled Tiger and a Leopard upgrade disk. My installation was completely smooth. I also err... ran the upgrade disk on a Quad Xeon Mac Pro I have at work and it also was totally fine. I had been using a 12" G4 PowerBook with an external monitor and keyboard, and while the 12" is a certified A-Grade classic, the performance of the iMac is obviously a world away.

Leopard is really great. I really have a sense of discovering the new features progressively and finding out how generally great they are. Things that I didn't think I would use like Spaces is actually a must-use. The Finder with QuickLook is great. Mail is fantastic, etc etc. I haven't even tried Time Machine yet.

The only key issues for me so far are software compatibility. Toast 7.1.2 won't work, but Toast 7 (which is PPC) will. And Nisus Writer Express v2.7 won't work either, so I will need to (pay for an) upgrade to 3.0.

Overall, though, the experience is really excellent.

[RLT69]

Read people read!

There's nothing wrong with Leopard. People who are having problems are UPGRADING their OLD OS to the NEW OS. If you perform a CLEAN install - which you should do by the way - you won't have any problems.

The problem is caused by Unsanity's APE software.

My Fiancee installed Leopard - clean install - without a hitch - on her G5 (dual 2GHz). It's very nice. Very impressive too. It auto detected and auto configured her NETWORK printer! Very cool.

:P

[edDV]

Just to report my findings.

Went to Apple Store. Leopard is currently offered as an extra disc in the box with Tiger installed. The "far from geniuses but too rushed" help tells me to ignore the 2hr install estimate and expect Leopard install to go fast and easy. Price of course is full but one is offered a $100 rebate off a stocked printer, not the newest Canon PIXMA MP520.

All in all I think my labor to install Leopard is an added cost to me as a gift but I'll go with it.

Bad news out, Tiger install was smooth and the PacBell/SBC/AT&T 2Wire DSL Router was immediately detected. If I was lazy I'd just leave the Leopard disc in the box.

Shouldn't Apple have had the local "geniuses" update the current stock? Why place the burden on those that recommend a Mac to the tech challenged? I did that to avoid the support responsibility.

[terryj]

Welcome to the wonderful world of retail!

The shelves were already stocked with mac minis, and Apple decides to
announce Leopard. The Apple Store orders more Mac Minis,and to meet the
demand, Apple does a "drop in" updater disc until they can switch over the
Chinese assembly line to start producing the retail machine releases
with pre-installed Leopard and OEM Leopard discs.
To do what you suggest, Pull existing stock in the pipeline, send it back to China,
have the new OS pre-installed, and then have a proper OEM
disc put in, would take a HUMONGOUS EFFORT of EPIC PROPORTIONS.

Just remember, jobs like this going over to China ARE a good thing...

it's standard OP for Apple, not the "genius" bar guys...all they have to do
is support what you BUY.

Personally, I agree,and would rather that they stop assembly line
production,wait for all supplies in the retail chain (warehouses, dist. centers)
dry up before releasing a new OS,so you'll be guaranteed
less work on your/my end. But, it's the nature of Big Business.

Just be glad you didn't get the mini,and then have to send OFF
a coupon for the updater disc to Leopard. It USED to be like that.....

[lawnman]

Read people read!

There's nothing wrong with Leopard. People who are having problems are UPGRADING their OLD OS to the NEW OS. If you perform a CLEAN install - which you should do by the way - you won't have any problems.

The problem is caused by Unsanity's APE software.

My Fiancee installed Leopard - clean install - without a hitch - on her G5 (dual 2GHz). It's very nice. Very impressive too. It auto detected and auto configured her NETWORK printer! Very cool.

:P

Not sure where you got your info. I did upgrade and don't have any problems. I have read over at the apple forums, problems no matter how they did there install. People are reporting problems with all. There are also peele reporting No problems, no matter which install they used.

The only thing you got right was about Unsanity Ape Software.