Thursday, March 10, 2005

Mac community comes out in support of the Mini

By Tom Gromak / The Detroit News

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If my inbox is any indication, both Apple's developers and marketing departments have done their work. The Mac Mini, Apple's little computer that could, has created a plethora of switchers and wannabe-switchers.

Thomas, of Tampa, wrote: "I recently purchased the Mac Mini, and I feel the same way you do. This is my first foray in to the Mac world, and I'll never go back to a PC.

It's smooth, quiet and very efficient. I added the extra RAM which was needed, but I am very happy I took the plunge."

Frank, from cyberspace, wrote: "Your review is very persuasive evidence that one can have a positive experience purchasing a Mac mini."

Then there was the note from my Dell-equipped cousin in Chicago: "You talked me into an iPod, and now you done talked me into a Mac Mini. Thanks!"

But if there was any theme I noticed among the hundreds of letters that poured in, it was this: A sense of community I've not seen since the first time I connected my first PC to a small community bulletin board in Kalamazoo. I got dozens of letters containing dozens of tips, software suggestions, and even invitations to local Mac user groups. It was like finding a new virtual family.

Here, then, are some of those tips, suggestions and websites for fellow switchers:

-- Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard and Mouse.net (http://www.byodkm.net/), a website that bills itself as 'the Mac Mini enthusiast network.' There's some seriously cool - and fun - stuff here: Software, screensavers, hacks, news, and information on some of the latest, greatest accessories for and uses of the Mac Mini. You'll find a lot of useful stuff in the forums. But don't miss the hacks section where some enterprising soul tore apart his mini and stuffed it inside the case of one of those original Mac512 all-in-one computers just to see if it could be done.

-- macgroup.org, billing itself as Michigan's largest Macintosh user group, provides a place for local devotees to get information and assistance. There's a news section, message boards, and regular meetings at which members share tips and tricks for each other as well as Mac newbies. Mark your calendar for the next meeting, set for March 20th at the Holiday Inn at Ford Road and Southfield. The new iLife suite is on the agenda.

-- If you gotta use Windows software, virtualize it. Microsoft's Virtual PC, $129, from http://www.apple.com/macosx/applications/virtualpc/ and a copy of Windows allow you to create a tiny little PC inside your Mac. I wouldn't expect to frag bad guys in Halo inside this virtual machine, but it's enough to allow the operation of many Windows-only applications. I used it to load up Microsoft Money, which I prefer to Quicken, even though Quicken 2005 comes free on the Mini. Set-up was simple, though WindowsXP can be a little taxing on the CPU, not to mention a little insecure. A co-worker told me about one of his friends who messed up his Mac when his VirtualPC picked up a nasty virus - something non-existent on OSX.

-- The best word processor money can't buy: AbiWord (free, from http://www.abisource.com/). Wow. I installed Microsoft Office 2003 for OSX on the Mini, and was mostly underwhelmed by the Mac version of Word - especially when you consider the price tag. So I set out to find a word processor that wouldn't set me back too much. I found AbiWord and it quickly has become my word processor of choice, even more so than the writing tools Apple includes in the box. AbiWord is quick, intuitive and reads and writes other document formats - including Word's - to make sharing files easy and painless.

-- Save a buck or a couple hundred on memory. Visit sites like the aforementioned byodkm.net or http://www.smashsworld.com/2005/01/taking-apart-mac-mini-how-to.php (where there's a nifty movie to guide you) or Macworld (at http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2005/01/macminiinside/index.php) for information about cracking open the case on the Mini to add your own RAM, readily available for less than Apple's price from most memory vendors on the net. But be careful. You don't want to void your warranty.

-- You're gonna need some software. Very quickly, I found a couple great places to find programs for my Mac -- some of them freeware and some of them shareware -- to replace the things I'd left behind on my PC: e-mail programs, Usenet newsreaders, and other tools. Versiontracker.com carries most of the latest and greatest freeware, shareware, and demoware titles, often including the latest cutting edge beta test versions of those programs. Whoever said there was no software available for Macs never went here. Or to MacUpdate.com, a similar repository of software, updates, news and tips.

-- Accessorize. Start with Apple's Mac Mini accessory store (http://www.apple.com/macmini/accessories.html) for all sorts of gadgets and toys to add to your Mini, from the wireless Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to the huge Apple cinema displays. A good Google search will turn up tons more stuff, from sleek plastic stands to allow your Mini to stand on its side, like a tiny-little tower computer, to matching bases and Mac-themed USB and Firewire hubs.

But, most importantly: Explore what you've already got, as I was reminded by reader Joe M. in his response to last week's column: "First, There is nothing on the PC like the iLife suite, period. The individual programs are completely integrated with each other in a way that doesn't exist on the PC. There are quire a few photo managers, but none as slick as iPhoto. Windows Movie Maker is a pale compared to iMovie. Garage band wasn't even mentioned. And iDVD tops most (if not all) of the low-cost competition, but iDVD is free."

You'll likely find more under the hood than you -- or I -- even knew was there.

Tom Gromak can be reached at tgromak@detnews.com.