Mac Mini for cart

[Guest tourtelot]

I am considering buying my first Mac, a Mini, for the cart.  I am thinking about using a 12" (or so) touch-screen monitor as the user interface.  This is a question for the Mac guys on the group; which version of this "box" will run some WinXP apps that I will still want to use in this production dedicated machine?  Does the G4 1.4G with superdrive have the Intel CPU?  Thanks.

[cmgoodin]

Douglas,

Any of the new Mac Minis (Intel Core Solo or Core Duo)  will work fine with windows XP.  The latest version has the faster Core Duo in it and the $799 model comes with a larger hard drive.  You might want to upgrade the memory since they all come with only 512MB. also the faster one comes with a DVD burner. (although won't burn DVD-RAM) (some can read them though)

Another thing to consider is That if you are going to use Boot Camp to create a second Windows partition. Make it a FAT32 partition . That way both the MAC and the Windows apps can write to it.  Parallels (I think) just allows direct access to files on the Virtual Windows Drive only.  No access to the Mac HD or to external Firewire Drives at this time. (they say they are working on this)  So sharing audio files between Mac and Windows Applications using Paralells may be problematic unless they are copied to another USB drive first.  Most  DVD burning software will not work under Windows running under Parallels. I think Windows running in Boot Camp does support burning though.

----Courtney

[Jeff Wexler]

I am considering buying my first Mac, a Mini, for the cart.  I am thinking about using a 12" (or so) touch-screen monitor as the user interface.  This is a question for the Mac guys on the group; which version of this "box" will run some WinXP apps <snip>

I think Courtney was the best one to anwer this and I believe he did give very useful answers to this. What I am wondering, though, are you planning on using the Mac Mini to run Windows XP (and Windows programs) only? Or, are you planning on running primarily Mac apps but need to run one or two Windows apps?

I only ask because die-hard Windows users who want to just run Windows on the sound cart must have lots of choices, alternatives to the Mac Mini, but maybe not. For me, of course, the Mac Mini is a terrific piece of hardware and beautifully designed and built, and is a good choice but not because I could run Windows apps on it (with the only Windows app I might ever need would be Courtney's BWF Widget software).

Regards,  Jeff Wexler

[Andrew Bellware]

die-hard Windows users who want to just run Windows on the sound cart must have lots of choices, alternatives to the Mac Mini, but maybe not.

A bunch of companies have tried to make Windows "minis" but they've all come out pretty expensive and never as elegant as the Mac Mini. I feel it's the best form factor that Mac has come up with. It's a whole lotta computer in a little bit of space. Low current draw and quiet! Even if I were running Windows on my cart I'd still put a Mini on it. (Well, I do run Windows on a laptop, but that's purely for my amusement -- and for occasional playback and editing.)

IMHO, of course! ;-)

[Guest tourtelot]

There would be some PC apps that I would run: Lectro LecNet for the VR (is there a Mac version?), Reaper for playback, Yamaha Studio Manager (available in Mac?)  And Courtney's great apps of course.  I would almost certainly take Mr. Take's application in a heartbeat (does it have a TC generator built in?) and maybe give Pro Tools another shot on it's native platform.  I hear that almost all the playback for episodic comes as PT sessions.  But I really like the Mini form-factor, and I could hide it almost anywhere, super-velcro'd under a shelf, out of the way.  The touch screen would be the only piece on top and it would still be smaller than the current WinXP laptop I use.  BTW, for those experienced with touch screens, is an 8" screen too small?  I am sort of tilting toward a 12".

[takev]

I am glad you would buy my application in a heartbeat, but I am sorry to say that it can not generate TC, it can only listen to it.

[Bartek]

Is there a way to DC power the Mini without the use of an inverter?

[takev]

This is what I found for the MacMini G4:

    Power source: The primary power source is an 85 W, 18.5 V power adapter.

Getting 18.5 V still requires some sort of inverter, but you may be able to skip the 110/230V step.

Cheers,

    Take

[Guest Don Brown]

Hi Take

This unit works fine have seen it in action

http://linitx.com/product_info.php?cPath=24_94_96&products_id=728

Regards

Don Brown

The Original Boston UK

[takev]

Hello Don,

Great find, that is exactly what I meant.

Cheers,

    Take

[Guest Don Brown]

There is one small problem its getting into the Mac you need two putty knives to release the casing

but I will see my mate in the week and find how to do it.

Don

[Guest Don Brown]

Hi Take

I am looking at buying your software and was hoping that the Mac Mini was OK for this, I am a PC user but most of the programs I am looking at now are Mac based including to new Cinelog X

Don

[takev]

Hello Don,

A Mac Mini is powerful enough for Boom Recorder for most people. Unless you like to record 48 channels at once, but with the new Intel Mac Mini that may not be a problem either (you will need external firewire disks for 48 channels).

There are quite a few people who use a Mac Mini (both the G4 and Intel versions) with Boom Recorder on their sound cart. There is even a customer who runs Boom Recorder to record 8 channels on his iBook G3.

Cheers,

    Take

[Guest Don Brown]

Hi Take

Just wanted to make sure that its OK with the Intel chip as some people are having problems with Mac programs running on new system, I have looked at using Mac Laptop and Motu Traveller

Regards

Don

[takev]

Hello Don,

I have already quite a bit of customers who use Boom Recorder on an Intel Apple.

Currently I only know about one bug that may be Intel related; if you create .caf audio files it crashed when you stop the recording, although the audio file is perfectly alright. I am already working on fixing this bug, but it is harder than I thought and I suspect a compiler bug.

Cheers,

    Take

[Darren]

There would be some PC apps that I would run: ... Yamaha Studio Manager (available in Mac?) 

Yes, I use the Mac version everyday.

-Darren

[Guest Don Brown]

Hi Take & Darren

Thanks for that info glad to hear that Boom Recorder is OK on Intel Mac

Don

[Guest jimg]

Is there a way to DC power the Mini without the use of an inverter?

Hi, Don

If you have a source of 18 V. DC on your cart, like a PSC Power Max, it should be easily done. I found a guy in the UK who has mounted a Mini in his car.  He's using a laptop lighter socket inverter to make the 18 V., but the Power Max should do the trick. It's a little more involved than just wacking  the cable in two and soldering on a 4 pin connector, so here's what he did:

http://www.kennettnet.co.uk/astramac/power/

Jim

[Noah Timan]

BTW, for those experienced with touch screens, is an 8" screen too small?  I am sort of tilting toward a 12".

I would go with the 12" myself, if you can support it.  I bought a 10.2" and have not implemented it into the cart yet, but looking at the physical unit makes me wonder how well it will work for reading text and so forth.  I have seen someone use an 8" successfully but it seems to me to be awfully difficult.

.02

nvt

[Noah Timan]

Next question: does anyone know how to replace the optical drive, or know someone who performs said service?  it'd be awfully handy to have a DVD-RAM drive inside the Mini.

[Daniel McIntosh]

I recently saw a mac mini powered with a PSC Powermax at Gotham. They had tested it pretty extensively and I believe they disputed the published power requirements.

[Jeff Wexler]

Next question: does anyone know how to replace the optical drive, or know someone who performs said service?  it'd be awfully handy to have a DVD-RAM drive inside the Mini.

Like the PowerBooks and then the MacBooks, some Minis do have drives already installed that READ DVD-RAM disks, no problem, but many do not and there is no way to determine this before actually purchasing. This is because, as mentioned before, Apple does not document what specific optical drive is installed because they do not officially support DVD-RAM anyway. If you need a drive that can both read and write to DVD-RAM, may require software as well as the proper drive installed, most probably, by a qualified technician. I have heard that the Mini is pretty tightly packed and may not be that easy to work on yourself (but I have never opened one up myself). Maybe Billy Sarokin has dealt with this already since I think he has had a Mini on his cart for sometime now.

Regards,  Jeff Wexler

[Noah Timan]

Like the PowerBooks and then the MacBooks, some Minis do have drives already installed that READ DVD-RAM disks, no problem, but many do not and there is no way to determine this before actually purchasing. This is because, as mentioned before, Apple does not document what specific optical drive is installed because they do not officially support DVD-RAM anyway.

You can find out what drive is in your computer by using Toast or another burn utility -- these programs often identify the actual drive used as opposed to the enclosure manufacturer.  But that doesn't always do the job as Apple has a tendency to commission or just rename the drives used and those specific Apple drive name/numbers don't match anything that's in production independently.  Regardless, it doesn't matter since as you note, there's no way to verify anyway before purchase.

However, I'd really like to burn DVD-RAM discs with the internal drive on a cart mini.   

If you need a drive that can both read and write to DVD-RAM, may require software as well as the proper drive installed, most probably, by a qualified technician.

That's fine...just wondering if anyone knows a qualified techician who can perform this successfully.  I've contacted the usual suspects (Tekserve, Tech Restore, etc) but no one does it yet.

Maybe Billy Sarokin has dealt with this already since I think he has had a Mini on his cart for sometime now.

Yeah, I've seen Billy's (as he's been shooting in my neighborhood off and on for some months now) but I'm pretty sure he's just got the standard drive issued and doesn't write DVD-RAMs on his Mac as part of his workflow.  Thanks for the tip, though.