So anybody see the point in a customac mini vs a real mac mini?

[DonutHands]

If just being used as a HTPC.

Just priced it out and there is no real cost savings if trying to match the specs of the entry level mac mini brand new from apple.

With the hackintosh you get extra headache of setup with less features out of the box.

It looks like apple has really brought the cost of owning a mac down to the level where a hack makes no sense at the lowest rung of the ladder.

 

[trs96]

If just being used as a HTPC.

Just priced it out and there is no real cost savings if trying to match the specs of the entry level mac mini brand new from apple.

With the hackintosh you get extra headache of setup with less features out of the box.

It looks like apple has really brought the cost of owning a mac down to the level where a hack makes no sense at the lowest rung of the ladder.

For just HTPC use it's a tossup. The main issue with the new 499 dollar Mac Mini is that you
can't upgrade the ram or internal storage, at least without a huge amount of effort. It will also
void your warranty. The minis I've had in the past worked well for basic stuff like web surfing and
watching videos but would get very hot due to the limited airflow through the case when used
for anything intensive. If speed matters to you then the CustoMac Mini can be configured with
an inexpensive SSD boot drive. To have Apple install an SSD from the factory for you boosts
up the cost quite significantly. The 500 GB 5400 rpm HDD it comes with is painfully slow for me.

So the Mini is great if you will not push it too hard or try to store lots of HD video on it. It's just Apple's
way to get the uninitiated to try a Mac and use OS X for the first time. It says a lot that it is still in
production after ten years of modest sales compared to Macbooks and iMacs.