Uses for my mac mini? need ideas....

[silentsnake09]

Ok I just got a mac mini (1.24ghz g4) and I need some ideas on how to use it. I currently own a G4 powerbook which is my promary computer. It has a external hdd hooked to it and thats what backs up my data. I need some uses for the mac mini though. I am stumped.

 

[morpheus6d9]

htpc

 

[silentsnake09]

i have a xbox as my HTPC, better sound more options. any other ideas?

 

[CEpeep]

Rackmount it.

 

[silentsnake09]

Rackmount it.

than what lol ?

 

[pinktank]

create a video surveillance system for your house and also use it as a media server by plugging in a wall mounted touchpanel

 

[drizzt81]

make it waterproof, put it in your aquarium to host files for the fish.

 

[AuroraProject]

What did you buy it for? Not bashing, just curious.

 

[tronmaster]

Replace your G4, and make the Mac Mini as your primary computer.

 

[silentsnake09]

man mini is slower than my powerbook. I didn't buy it, I don't play my playstation 2 anymore so I traded my PS2 and a 19" CRT monitor for it.

 

[darkhorse]

sell both and move to one intel macbook (pro)?

 

[silentsnake09]

selling stuff is to hard. gotta find a buyer than go buy the new one transfer data, ew

 

[tim-bit]

Give it to me, I can think of many ways I can use it.

 

[sanj101]

make it waterproof, put it in your aquarium to host files for the fish.

ill second that, itunes? or pop it in a corner and just leave it there to look pretty and showoff

 

[silentsnake09]

xbox in my living room plays itunes for me. I also have 3 HDD's for a total of 320gigs not in use. I have a window/linux machine but its in bad shape. is there s step by step guide to builing a file server ?

 

[CEpeep]

than what lol ?

Make it a webserver.

 

[chomsky]

Be ostentatious and use it as a paperweight or bookend

 

[0ptional]

Be ostentatious and use it as a paperweight or bookend

This and the fish file server have been the best ones so far.

http://www.sowerbutts.com/linux-mac-mini/
Install debian on your mac-mini. This guide has instructions for the Intel one and the G4 as you have.

 

[Lyquist]

Could you use garage band to record some music???

Lyquist

 

[ampedxc27]

create a video surveillance system for your house and also use it as a media server by plugging in a wall mounted touchpanel

How would you use it with a wall mounted touch panel?

 

[KaosDG]

Build a robot?
http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/06/the-mobile-mac-mini-robot-gets-it-some-wheels/


I use mine for a webserver / Db server / general PC right now. (Only because i'm too lazy to make room on my desk for my mbp)

 

[hungryduck]

let it fold!!!

 

[Black Morty Rackham]

let it fold!!!

It's an elderly old G4. I doubt it does a very good job folding.




Server/BitTorrent slave is by far the best idea so far. Though it would be cool having a fully functional Mac mini as a bookend.

 

[CEpeep]

Server/BitTorrent slave is by far the best idea so far. Though it would be cool having a fully functional Mac mini as a bookend.

I used to use my dad's old Zinc hard drives as book ends. Rest assured that in 20 years, I'll be that guy buying all of the old Mac Minis at peoples' garage sales to use as bookends. I could even XGrid them all and have a fully searchable text index of every book on the shelf.

 

[drizzt81]

buy a couple more and make a mobile.

 

[hungryduck]

buy a couple more and make a mobile.

lol

 

[Black Morty Rackham]

buy a couple more and make a mobile.

Congratulation, dear sir, you just won the thread!

 

[silentsnake09]

here is what its doing now, just controlling it with "Remote Desktop" from my powerbook.

 

[DarkStar02]

Put it in your car and buy a 7" touchscreen then put it in your dash and use it for media.

 

[execF00F]

You could always move it somewhere else and set it up.. Kind of like a computer away from your main one. Thats what my MacBook Pro is doing right now.. sitting on my coffee table with an external display. Works good for when i'm tired and come home from work and dont feel like sitting at a desk again but still have a few things I want to check. Also, you'd be suprised how handy a kitchen computer can become if your into cooking.. Or maybe even a computer in the bathroom... Beats reading 6 month old magazines for sure. Although "I'll be done in a minute i'm checking my forum posts!!" might not work for some other individuals if you share a bathroom.

 

[silentsnake09]

good idea but i only have one lcd screen bathroom computer would be awesome though lol

 

[Grathrax]

xbox in my living room plays itunes for me. I also have 3 HDD's for a total of 320gigs not in use. I have a window/linux machine but its in bad shape. is there s step by step guide to builing a file server ?

There is a program called Sharepoints that lets you use Samba protocols to make a file server in regular OS X. Or you can get Linux (Yellowdog www.terrasoftsolutions.com, Fedora Core) for PPC and do it that way.

 

[drizzt81]

Congratulation, dear sir, you just won the thread!

thanks, the only reason I came up with that idea is because I had a BP6 mobile, since I broke a couple of those mobos.

 

[ND40oz]

It's an elderly old G4. I doubt it does a very good job folding.

It'll be fine for folding, plus it can do that in it's spare time...

 

[seanmcd]

thanks, the only reason I came up with that idea is because I had a BP6 mobile, since I broke a couple of those mobos.

LOL i had at least three BP6's at one time... never thought of making a BP6-mobile though...

I bought a mini a month ago or so. (got a smokin- deal) and so far I used the hell out of it one day, and that's it. It's sat there doing nothing. So I'm going to suggest selling it on ebay. Buy a monitor with the money you get, then the next time you get a mini, you'll have a second monitor for it already. ?

 

[[RIP]Zeus]

Door stop?

I donno.... a download machine?

porn machine?

ummm.... sell it, trade it.. do somthing and get a gaming pc?

i donno....