Mac mini Core Solo (Early 2006) Online Resources

• The road to obsolescence: Intel Core Duo users will be left behind, Steve Watkins, The Practical Mac, 2010.01.19. Mac OS X 10.7 may well be the version that leaves behind those with 32-bit Core Solo and Core Duo Macs from 2006.
• What’s the Best Version of OS X for My Mac?, Ian R Campbell, The Sensible Mac, 2008.02.28. Which version of Mac OS X is best for your hardware depends on several factors.
• Know Your Mac’s Upgrade Options, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2008.08.26. Any Mac can be upgraded, but it’s a question of what can be upgraded – RAM, hard drive, video, CPU – and how far it can be upgraded.
• Quad-core iMacs shipping, OS X 10.6.2, Safari 4.0.4, internal Blu-ray drive for Mac mini, and more, Mac News Review, 2009.11.13. Also new iMacs up to 46% faster with more RAM, upgrade a Mac mini in 6 minutes, a new ergonomic mouse, x86 emulator for PowerPC, and more.
• The 64-bitness of Mac OS X 10.6 ‘Snow Leopard’, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.08.19. Although Apple is promoting ‘Snow Leopard’ as a fully 64-bit operating system, it defaults to running in 32-bit mode.
• The Road Ahead: 64-bit Computing, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2009.08.19. Personal computers started with 8-bit CPUs, Macs started out with a 24-bit operating system, and 32-bit computing is starting to give way to 64 bits.
• OS X 10.6 requirements, why Apple owns the high end, when to upgrade your Mac, and more, Mac News Review, 2009.08.14. Also Microsoft Word patent infringement, BackPack shelf for iMac and Cinema Displays, two updated Bible study programs, and more.
• Optimized Software Builds Bring Out the Best in Your Mac, Dan Knight, Low End Mac’s Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.30. Applications compiled for your Mac’s CPU can load more quickly and run faster than ones compiled for universal use.
• Ubuntu Linux and Boot camp make it easy to create a triple boot Mac, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.12.24. Boot Camp makes it easy to install Windows on Intel Macs, and Ubuntu now makes it easy to install Linux to a virtual Windows drive.
• The ‘Better Safe Than Sorry’ Guide to Installing Mac OS X Updates, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.16. Most users encounter no problems using Software Update, but some preflight work and using the Combo updater means far less chance of trouble.
• Why You Should Partition Your Mac’s Hard Drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. “At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the ’emergency’ partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics.”
• Virtualization shootout: VMWare Fusion 2 vs. Parallels Desktop 4, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 2008.11.20. Both programs do the same thing, but one runs Windows XP smoothly alongside Mac apps, while the other bogs down everything but Windows.
• How to clone Mac OS X to a new hard drive, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.10.07. Whether you want to put a bigger, faster drive in your Mac or clone OS X for use in another Mac, here’s the simple process.
• CodeWeavers brings Google’s Chrome browser to Intel Macs, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2008.10.02. Google’s new Chrome browser uses separate processes for each tab and brings other changes to Windows users. Now Mac fans can try it as well.
• Tiger vs. Leopard: Which is best for you?, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.09.22. Two great versions of Mac OS X, but unless your Mac is well above the minimum spec for Leopard and has lots of RAM, stick with Tiger.
• SATA, SATA II, SATA 600, and Product Confusion Fatigue, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 2008.09.08. In addition to the original SATA specification and the current 3 Gb/s specification, SATA revision 3.0 is just around the corner.
• Does running OS X system maintenance routines really do any good?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.08.26. Mac OS X is designed to run certain maintenance routines daily, weekly, and monthly – but can’t if your Mac is off or asleep.
• Free VirtualBox for Mac now a virtual contender, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.07.21. A year ago, the Mac version of VirtualBox lacked some essential features. Over the past year, it’s grown into a very useful tool.
• Mac Pro overclocking, Windependence with Darwine, Blu-ray for Macs, and more, Mac News Review, 2008.07.04. Also more on running Leopard on non-Apple hardware, Ubuntu on a Mac mini, the first autofocus webcam with Zeiss optics for Macs, and more.
• 1 display with 2 Macs, flash memory for file transfer, Quicksilver or TigerLaunch?, and more, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.21. Also running a PowerBook 1400 from Compact Flash, format=flowed for email, and OS 9 nice for browsing without Flash.
• SheepShaver brings Classic Mac OS to Intel Macs and Leopard, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.05.20. Mac OS X 10.5 doesn’t support Classic Mode. Neither does Leopard. But SheepShaver lets you emulate a PowerPC Mac and run the Classic Mac OS.
• Windows on Macs: Three paths for integration, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 2008.05.14. Mac users have three routes for running Windows apps: Run Windows using Boot Camp or virtualization, or use a compatibility layer such as WINE.
• Apple #4 US PC vendor, IT and Macs in business, NetWare for Leopard, and more, Mac News Review, 2008.04.25. Also still using old Macs, 200 Mbps powerline networking for Macs, Macintel firmware restoration, hot swap SATA drives, and more.
• OS X for PCs, Mac mini with HDTV, 802.11n options, upgrading from Mac OS 9, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.22. Also reviving a dead PowerBook 5300, Lucida Grande, external FireWire SuperDrive advice, OS X and the DeskWriter, and royalties.
• Mac mini with HDTV, Lucida Grande on Low End Mac, the Open Computer, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.17. Also using a computer display with HDTV and cleaning your keyboard in the dishwasher.
• Intel Mac mini value, best YouTube browser in Tiger, additional Pismo resolutions, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.03.19. Also more in iSub incompatibility with Leopard, PC Card compatibility with PowerBooks, and Leopard on 3 more unsupported Power Macs.
• Restore stability to a troubled Mac with a clean system install, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 2008.01.15. If your Mac is misbehaving, the best fix just might be a fresh reinstallation of Mac OS X – don’t forget to backup first.
• Pros and cons of vampire video, another way to install Leopard, looking for EasyShare, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.29. More details on integrated graphics, going G4 on the cheap, more unsupported Leopard reports, the death of DropStuff, and more.
• Merely adequate: Why you want to avoid integrated graphics, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.11.10. A couple years ago, Apple laughingly pointed at Windows PCs with ‘integrated Intel graphics’ as substandard. Today low-end Macs all suffer from those barely adequate graphics processors.
• Problem with Leopard on a MDD, the Road Apple label, bubble ads, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.20. Problems getting a Mirrored Drive Doors G4 to boot Leopard, Mac mini and the Road Apple label, problems with SCSI and Compact Flash, and more thoughts on contextual ads.
• Mac mini value, reuse the best recycling, and more unsupported Leopard reports, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.19. More protest of the Road Apple label for the Mac mini, the best form of recycling is reuse, and Mac OS X 10.5 on additional unsupported hardware.
• Overheating Mac minis, ‘Road Apple’ label reconsidered, eMac repair extension, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.16. Also why the Mac mini is a wonderful computer, more Leopard on unsupported Macs, and contextual ads on Low End Mac.
• Core Solo Mac mini, a Compromised Mac, Dan Knight, 2007.11.16. Take the already compromise Core Duo Mac mini, remove the second core, and watch performance plummet.
• The 10 worst Macs ever, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.10.23. The ten worst Macs of all time – and one of them came out just last year.
• Road Apple nominations, OS X 10.5 on MDD Power Macs, UMPCs and Apple, and a broken power button, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.12. Whether some additional Macs merit the ‘Road Apple’ label, Leopard on Mirrored Drive Doors Power Macs, the usefulness of ultrasmall computers, and dealing with an iMac with a broken power button.
• External $100 Sony DVD burner likes Macs, Brian Gray, Fruitful Editing, 2007.10.10. The box and manual say nothing about Mac compatibility, but this 18x USB 2.0 DVD burner is plug-and-play (at least with Tiger).
• FastMac 8x SuperDrive and BurnAgain DVD: Fast and easy multisession disc burning, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.08. FastMac’s 8x SuperDrive upgrade is remarkably fast compared with older PowerBook burners, and BurnAgain DVD makes it easy to append files to a previously burned CD or DVD.
• Replacing Home Page, Compact Flash in Lombard, Leopard hardware requirements, mini upgrades, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.04. Also the problems with using old computers in school, rebate problems, free imposition software, and a dead LC 520.
• Mac mini overpriced, iMac outpaces PCs, switching to Mac a waste of time, and more, Mac News Review, 2007.09.07. Also adding an eSATA drive to a Mac mini, cost of replacing an iMac’s glass face, drives with 1 GB cache coming, reviews, and right-click software for 1-button mice.
• I love the Mac mini, no iPhone in court, no region-free DVDs on MacBooks, and more, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 2007.07.31. Also 15 years of ThinkPads, reliability and all-in-one devices, and thoughts on upgrading operating systems.
• The Mac mini is dead: Why it missed the target, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.07.26. The Mac mini is compact, elegant, and affordable (for a Mac). What the market wanted was expandable and affordable compared with a Windows PC.
• Levelling Up a Mac mini, Chris Adamson, MacDevCenter, O’Reilly Network, 07.24. “I spent a few hours this weekend upgrading a Core Solo Mac Mini to a Core 2 Duo. Here are a few thoughts on the experiences and lessons learned.”
• If the Mac mini is dead, what will replace it?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.05.29. Was Apple discovered that selling a low-end computer for $599 doesn’t work when the market has a $299 mindset? If so, how can they reach the low-end market?
• Can you put 3 GB in a Mac mini?, where are the Mirrored Drive Doors CPU upgrades?, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.05.21. Also a challenge to ‘Mac-ify’ the Interweb, more on CRT voltage dangers, and fixing Low End Mac’s navigation bar in Firefox for Linux.
• 1 core, 2 cores, 4 cores, 8: How Much Difference Does It Make?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.04.10. Geekbench scores make it possible to compare the newest 3 GHz 8-core Mac Pro with the 1.5 GHz Core Solo Mac mini – and all the models in between.
• 11 No Cost Tips for Optimizing Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Performance, Ed Eubanks Jr, The Efficient Mac User, 2007.03.12. If your Mac is getting sluggish, here are 11 tips that can help restore its original performance.
• CrossOver: Run Windows Apps on Intel Macs Without Windows, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2007.02.28. If you need to run Windows apps on your Intel Mac once in a while, CrossOver may be the least expensive way to do so since it eliminates the need to buy a copy of Windows.
• Windows Vista Home Runs on Macs, Apple Legacy Manuals, Upgrading a Mac mini or Mac Pro CPU, and More, Mac News Review, 2007.02.16. Also installing OS X on non-Apple hardware legal for developers, integrated graphics remains Mac mini’s Achilles’ heel, $20 slim keyboard, ATI’s forthcoming R600 graphics processor, and more.
• Adding an Intel Mac mini Can Be Cheaper than Upgrading a Power Mac G4, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2007.02.14. Looking at the cost of upgrading memory, adding a fast hard drive, and a GHz-plus CPU upgrade, buying a new Core Duo Mac mini makes a lot of sense.
• Which Intel Macs Take CPU Upgrades?, $2 802.11n Enabler, USB Drive Adapter, and More, Mac News Review, 2007.02.02. Also a DST fix for Panther, Logos coming to Macs, Intel’s chip breakthrough, iConnect iPod integration for GM vehicles, a waterproof iPod, and more.
• Upgrade Your Power Mac or Buy an Intel Mac mini?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.11.30. With 1.8 GHz dual G4 upgrades selling for US$600, it might make more sense to add a Core Duo Mac mini than upgrade the processor.
• Parallels Revisited: Release Version Far More Polished than Beta, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2006.11.21. Parallels lets you run Windows or Linux without rebooting your Intel-based Mac, and it’s made great strides since the beta came out earlier this year.
• Mac Pro blows away competition, extended warranties crummy deals, firmware updates for Intel mini and iMac, more, Mac News Review, 2006.11.17. Also 7 free Mac maintenance utilities, dual LCD monitors, a vacuum tube amp for the iPod, and more.
• Intel Inside Macs Paves the Way for Affordable CPU Upgrades, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2006.11.10. By adopting industry standards, Apple has made it much easier for Mac owners to add memory, expansion cards, and faster CPUs to their computers.
• Apple II Greatest PC Ever, Core 2 in a Mac mini, iMac Core 2 Duo ‘Ultimate Mac Value’, and More, Mac News Review, 2006.09.22. Also firmware restoration for Intel Macs, Mac Pro firmware updates, iron on iPod nano cases, Boot Camp beta 1.1.1, and more.
• Region Free DVD Viewing Options for Intel and PowerPC Macs, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.09.12. Several hardware and software options that will let your view ‘wrong region’ DVDs on your PowerPC or Intel Mac.
• The new Mac mini value equation: Core Duo entry level changes everything, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.09.07. For the first round, the top-end Intel Mac mini offered far more power for your dollar, but that’s not the case with the newly introduced models.
• Is 512 MB enough?, Macs gain share in business, wireless Mighty Mouse, Toast adds Blu-ray support, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.07.28. Also OWC’s FireWire 400 & 800/USB 2.0/eSATA drives, miniXpress 160 GB drive, Jeep flash drives, SteerMouse supports up to 8 buttons plus vertical and horizontal scrolling, and miniStat2 system monitor.
• $899 education iMac, Classic on Intel Macs, LCD in an eMac, Mac mini in a Prius, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.07.07. Also Mac mini ‘almost sinfully attractive’, Mac mini benchmarks, iPod Updater 2006-06-28, new iPod car options, and more.
• eMac repair extension program, Core 2 Duo Mac mini world’s fastest Mac, $99 full-screen video capture, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.06.30. Also customized Mac minis from Rival Computer, students advised to pack a Mac, use multiple iPods with one Mac, iDictionary software for the iPod, and much more.
• Switching the small office from Windows to Macs, Ed Eubanks Jr, The Efficient Mac User, 2006.06.28. With Intel-based Macs, the time may be right to adopt OS X as your standard platform while providing Windows as an option when necessary.
• Drive matters, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.06.14. There’s more to picking the right hard drive than size, spindle speed, buffer size, and price. But how can a 5400 rpm drive ever outperform a 7200 rpm drive?
• Symantec says buy a Mac, SheepShaver supports Classic on Macintel, painted minis, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.05.19. Also email on a Mac Plus, firmware updates for Intel iMac and mini, $159 G4/933 MHz upgrade, FW800/USB 2.0 to SATA bridge board, and more.
• Macintosh G6 clones, Apple tops in tech support, Mac mini Core Duo upgrades, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.05.12. Also more on Boot Camp, 1.66 GHz Mac mini vs. 1.83 GHz iMac, Seagate’s humongous 750 GB hard drive, Guest PC gets faster, and more.
• Apple most innovative company, Microsoft Defections Could Double Mac market, Mac mini with WinXP, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.04.21. Also a Mac serial number decoder, top choice diagnostic tools, repair permissions voodoo, PocketMac fo Blackberry provides free sync between Mac and Blackberry, and more.
• Apple’s original Boot Camp installation instructions, Jeff Adkins, The Lite Side, 2006.04.11. “Was it just me, or did anyone else catch those little jabs at Windows on the Boot Camp installation page? ‘If your computer becomes infected, well, what did you expect?’ and so on.”
• Apple joins ‘Win on Mac’ army with Boot Camp, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2006.04.07. The hackers did it first, but Apple’s Boot Camp is a much more elegant solution to putting Windows XP on Macintel hardware.
• Mac mini fails Final Cut Studio, Mac News Review, 04.07. Also TVMini HD now available from Apple Store, Keyspan RF remote for Front Row has 60′ reach, next gen Deskstar hard drives announced, PC-Mac-Net FileShare reaches version 6, and more.
• Boot Camp: Apple officially supports Windows XP booting on Macintel hardware, The Macintel Report, 2006.04.06. No more need to do any hacks to get WinXP booting on Apple’s Intel-based Macs. Apple’s new Boot Camp software fully supports it.
• $699 Mac mini G4 blowout, Intel graphics substandard for gaming, Mac mini Core Solo lags, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.03.24. Also BusinessWeek wants feedback from Mac mini users, Mac mini Core Duo benchmarked against iMac Core Duo, a new research tool for students, and more.
• Intel Mac mini confounds market with higher price, Leaman Crews, Plays Well with Others, 2006.03.23. After the raging success of the $499 Mac mini, why did Apple feel a need to move away from the entry-level market by making the Intel Mac mini more expensive?
• Windows XP on Macintel a reality, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2006.03.23. It took a while, but it’s now possible to boot Windows XP on the new Intel-based Macs.
• WinXP boots on Macintel, real world thinking about Rosetta performance, and Intel’s impact on future Macs, The Macintel Report, 2006.03.23. If you want to run Windows XP on Macintel hardware, it’s now possible. Also, common sense thinking about Rosetta speed and how Intel’s future CPU plans will shape the Mac.
• Mac mini vs. $159 Linspire PC and Microsoft Media Center, OS X through Linux eyes, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.03.17. Also the Intel-based Mac mini may make you switch, 20″ iMac G5 discontinued, Apple’s growing storage business, Logitech’s left-handed laser mouse, and more.
• Mac mini CPU transplant, Core Solo mini not so good?, how good is new graphics hardware?, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.03.10. Also the new mini compared to the old, upgrading RAM in the Intel Mac mini, Mac TCO half that of Windows, WINE version 0.9.9, and more.
• 2.16 GHz Mac mini upgrade, benchmarks, inside the Intel mini, a slew of new Intel CPUs, and more, The Macintel Report, 2006.03.09. Dropping a 2.16 GHz CPU into a Core Solo Mac mini, Macs Only benchmarks the 1.83 GHz Mac mini Core Duo, half of Apple’s line is now Intel, and new CPU announcements from Intel.
• The Intel Mac mini value equation, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.03.01. For the difference in price, the Mac mini Core Duo has it all over the Core Solo model for anyone who uses their Mac heavily.
• NewerTech miniStack: A great drive even if you don’t own a Mac mini, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 2006.02.08. Although it’s designed to match the Mac mini, the miniStack hard drive can add USB 2.0 and FireWire ports to any Mac while keeping your fast external hard drive cool.
• Matias OS X and USB 2.0 Keyboards reviewed, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.01.03. Two very good, nicely priced keyboards for the Mac – one even has a USB 2.0 port for the iPod shuffle and other devices.
• A scrounger’s guide to equipping the Mac mini: Choices for the budget conscious, Hardy Menagh, Empowered, 2005.12.22. How to add a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and stereo sound to your Mac mini for little or no money.
• Yes, you can get a ‘free’ Mac mini – but is it worth the hassles?, Hardy Menagh, Empowered, 2005.12.15. You’ve seen the offers for free iPods, Palms, gift cards, and Mac minis. What’s the catch?
• Performance increase in replacing a mini’s hard drive, Jamie Dresser, Other World Computing, 2005.01.27. Alternate hard drives can boost disk performance by 25% to nearly 50% compared to Apple’s stock hard drive.
• Apple Specs for Mac mini (Early 2006)