OS X How good does the Mac Mini 2012 with Intel 4000HD, 2.5Ghz I5 CPU run XBMC?
#31
(2013-01-18, 10:04)pmcd Wrote: The newegg return policy for that product is

Return for refund within: non-refundable
Return for replacement within: 30 days

In addition it does not have wifi. Few people will need the two hdmi outputs. I still think it is a neat product which is hardly a bargain. You could get a passively cooled Shuttle for far less which would run XBMC just fine. The appeal is the i3 over the typical Atom or AMD solutions found in other small form systems.

The omission of the power chord is just an example of how not well thought out this product is. Not everyone has those chords lying around.

So no wifi, external power, i3, no receiver, non standard ssd, fan ( which the reviews say is quiet at least), etc... and no return if you don't like it. I think this would be a terrible product for most people. I do admit that it has its appeal, but it is so specific that a person had better be sure they only want to use it for XBMC and hope that netflix (and hulu?) running under wine will be ok.

At least with the Mini you get a complete package which can be used for other purposes.

I almost bought a NUC a month ago. The only thing stopping me was the SSD issue ( they are expensive). The thing oddly enough which made me feel ok not buying it was the lack of that 3 (?) pronged power chord. It boggles the mind that they would even sell it like that.

It may sound as though I really dislike this product. In fact I don't and I still find it a step in the right direction. I just wish they had gone a little bit further. They could have included wifi ( they claim support for very few wifi solutions even if it does work with a broader range of cards) and the chord. Still am uneasy with that small form SSD. In time they will become reasonably priced but then there will be a different NUC or whatever. That is why I think it is really a product ahead of its time.

philip

Beyond all what you said, there is the resale aspect. What will a used NUC be worth if you want to sell it. Given that I will stick with the Mac-Mini as its resale value is going to be pertty good.
Kodi 17, Transparency Skin
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2015 27" iMac 3.3 GHz Quad, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
2015 13" Macbook Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
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#32
(2013-01-17, 01:07)winestock Wrote:
(2013-01-16, 20:30)Ipaddle Wrote: So is there a guide how to install XBMC on the Mac Mini? And which build do I choose? OSX or OSX-x86?
As I understand the Mac Mini with the quad core and i7 processor would be the best choice?

The install for Mac OS X is here. This the same for MacPro, iMac, MacBook and Mac-Mini. I would suggest installing the 64-bit x86 version of Frodo RC-3.

Thanks a lot.
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Intel NUC 4250U (Haswell) in Abel H2 chassis, Philips 55OLED804
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#33
I took another look at the NUC. It is still not as good a product as the Mini for most people, but it is very interesting and so I bought one (the YE model with gigabit Ethernet).

- NUC, 4gigs RAM (Kingston), 64 gig mSata SSD (Kingston). I mini pcie wifi/ BT card (Intel).

I had an OS. I got things on sale and they gave me a power chord free ( those cloverleaf chords are not that easy to get unless you know where to get them and the price range is large). This is cheaper than the Mini but you don't get an OS. But you do get SSD. Had I not had a Mini I would not have gone for this. That being said here are some brief thoughts.

1. The unit is really quiet and small, though it has an external power supply. The silence is really nice. Similar to a Mini, perhaps a bit quieter.

2- Neat box, well made, wifi is hard to connect to the antennae if you aren't used to those connectors. Otherwise the u it is easy to open and ram installs easily.

3- XBMC runs great on it under bot win7 and win8. Windows 8 has a nice Netflix app so that the NUC can be an all in one player. Plex also runs well.

I am impressed. Makes most media players seem like a waste, but it is not inexpensive. Worth it in my mind.

Philip
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How good does the Mac Mini 2012 with Intel 4000HD, 2.5Ghz I5 CPU run XBMC?0