Can this Dell be hacked to run OSX?

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Wags wrote:
Blu-ray, HDMI, 7.1 channel High Definition Audio, etc - seems like it would make a nice media device, at a decent price. Apple, are you paying attention?

I'm wondering if Dell is paying attention. You can come sort of close to a base Mac mini configuration for "only" $200 more for the Studio Slim (I like that name--"Slim" compared to what?) for delivery on May 11th (!) but the Mac mini still provides:

- DDR3 RAM @ 1066 MHz rather than DDR2 @ 800 MHz
- a 1066 MHz FSB rather than a 533 MHz FSB
- Nvidia 9400M GPU rather than Intel integrated graphics
- iLife rather than Sony Imagination Studio Suite + Photoshop Elements
- 6-pin FireWire 800 rather than 4-pin FireWire 400

plus:

- 802.11n WiFi
- Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
- optical audio I/O

Note that this $200 more configuration of the "Slim" does not include a Blu-ray drive.

On the other hand, the Studio Slim includes 2 GB of RAM vs. 1 GB, a larger HD (500 GB vs. 120 GB), 8 rather than 5 USB ports, and a keyboard and mouse. I guess Dell has to give you something for the extra $200...

BTW, the Mac mini is near silent, very compact, and much more energy efficient that the "Slim." I know which one I'd rather have in my living room.

[jdc]

i got it to $100 more than a mini -- $699 -- with faster/bigger/stronger everything

2.8 w/1066
Radeon 3450
wireless keyboard/mouse

i didnt see any way to add wireless/BT/optical through dell -- add later?

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Apropos:

Mac Leaves The Also-Rans In The Dust

[motopsyco]

You cats hijacked Wags thread.

Cheers!

[Racer X]

C(-)ris wrote:
[quote=jdc]
and again, if you think apple gives a rats a$$ about market share, you are kidding yourself

People don't understand... Apple would rather sell fewer well designed machines at a very high profit margin than sell a lot of poorly designed machines at a tiny profit margin. They are in it to make money, not increase market share.
And they would rather support 1 million well built machines than 10 million POS machines.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

rz wrote:
[quote=Wags]
Blu-ray, HDMI, 7.1 channel High Definition Audio, etc - seems like it would make a nice media device, at a decent price.

Then why don't you buy one? If it has "everything" you want... oh, right. It runs Vista. Not such a bargain now, is it?
Hmm, you clicked on the link/subject line to get into this thread but somehow missed the point?
Can this Dell be hacked to run OSX?

Rough estimates I read said DVD sales dropped off 30% in 2008 and Blu-ray increased over 200% to 63 million units. That would put Blu-ray somewhere in the 9% to 15% of the market share for retail discs. Apple has 23 HD movies in iTunes and just opened them up to non Apple TV owners in March.


If you want to compare similar form factors, go with the Dell Studio Hybrid. Up until the March 3rd when Mac mini got the Nvidia 9400, the Dell had better graphics.
Dell Studio Hybrid 2GHz/2GB/250GB/802.11n/HDMI-cable/kybd/mouse - $720 http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/c...oc=ddcwla2&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=productdetails~desktop-studio-hybrid
Apple Mac mini 2GHz/2GB/250GB/802.11n/kybd/mouse - $847 http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/sh...co=MTI2OTg

To hook up to a typical HDTV the mini still needs a mini DVI to HDMI adapter and a HDMI cable, neither of which seem to be available at the Apple store. Only the more expensive HDTV sets have DVI inputs with HDCP.


Ion based computers with the Nvidia 9400 graphics that can play Blu-ray discs should go on sale at about $300 in a couple of months but that will be with an Intel Atom CPU instead of a Core 2. The Core 2 models will be closer to $400 to $450.

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jdc wrote:
i got it to $100 more than a mini -- $699 -- with faster/bigger/stronger everything

2.8 w/1066
Radeon 3450
wireless keyboard/mouse

i didnt see any way to add wireless/BT/optical through dell -- add later?

Nope--no can do.

Configure it as closely as possible to the Mac mini and be sure to add the Sony Imagination Studio Suite + Photoshop Elements software and the top Vista OS.

BTW, you cannot add "faster/bigger/stronger everything" to the "Slim."

Here's the $798 configuration:

My Components
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E7400 (3MB L2, 2.8GHz, 1066FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate Edition SP1
No Productivity software pre-installed
1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
No Monitor
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 2DIMMs
500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
Single Drive: Internal Qflix-enabled DVD Burner
Integrated Intel® GMA X4500HD Graphics
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Dell Consumer Multimedia Keyboard and Laser Mouse

My Accessories
No Speaker Option
McAfee SecurityCenter with anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, 30-Days
Sony Imagination Studio Suite

My Software & Accessories
Adobe® Photoshop® Elements

My Service
Dell Remote Access, free basic service
Dell Online Backup 2GB for 1 year

Also Includes
No Modem Option
Mouse included with Keyboard purchase
Integrated 10/1000 Ethernet
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 9.0 Multi-Language
Windows Vista™ Premium


Subtotal $798

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Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
Apple has 23 HD movies in iTunes and just opened them up to non Apple TV owners in March.

Apple has hundreds of HD movies in iTunes. At least, via Apple TV.

[jdc]

AA, we must be looking at 2 different machines?

i started with the one wags linked to in the first post

according to the dell site i can max it with a Intel® Core™ 2 Quad processor Q9650 (12MB L2, 3.00GHz, 1333FSB) [add $290 or $9/month1], 4 gigs ram, 1Tb drive, blu-ray/DVD/CD and the radeon 3450 -- but thats $1300... with no software

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Nope--same one. Just equip it as listed above.