GASP! I'm typing this post on Cherry switches!

[xsphat]

My wife inadvertently gave her Mac mini a bath, and it is fried. She uses an SMK88 with Cherry blacks and after all the time on the Model M, my fingers are finally strong enough to use the blacks without much hate.

Anyway, now we are both going to get new computers this term now. Isn't that special?

The way the Mac mini is designed, the air intake ports are on the bottom and they rush air (or in this case, tap water) over the mother board and the fan blows the hot air out the back. Is that not just he stupidest design for a computer with that form factor ever? I mean these things are made to be plopped out of the way directly on the desktop — the air intake should not be an 1/8 inch from the desk. Gay.

I think she is getting another Mini and I think I am getting another MacBook.

Just thought you guys might like to know I am using some blacks and I don't hate them. Anyway, back to the M mini for this keyboard fanatic ...

[Waves77]

My wife inadvertently gave her Mac mini a bath, and it is fried. She uses an SMK88 with Cherry blacks and after all the time on the Model M, my fingers are finally strong enough to use the blacks without much hate.

Anyway, now we are both going to get new computers this term now. Isn't that special?

The way the Mac mini is designed, the air intake ports are on the bottom and they rush air (or in this case, tap water) over the mother board and the fan blows the hot air out the back. Is that not just he stupidest design for a computer with that form factor ever? I mean these things are made to be plopped out of the way directly on the desktop — the air intake should not be an 1/8 inch from the desk. Gay.

I think she is getting another Mini and I think I am getting another MacBook.

Just thought you guys might like to know I am using some blacks and I don't hate them. Anyway, back to the M mini for this keyboard fanatic ...

Damn, that sucks - hope the hard drive didn't get fried

I've got the HHKB and the Macally 96 out right now. How do you like those Mac Mini btw? Potent enough to do some real work on?

[Ulysses31]

But Macs are designed by god himself, or so many Mac-users tell me.  In fact they say that "the Mac is the most reliable computer ever made.  No Mac computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information. They are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error."  

Anyhoo, you're a flip-flopper!  You keep changing your mind about what you like .  How are we normal folk to decide?  Imagine a keyboard with a random assortment of blue, black and brown switches in it O_O.

[bigpook]

Liking is a very subjective thing.
Only you can decide that, people may guide you in your quest but its up to you to make the decision.

I ping-pong between my model m mini, HHKB and Unicomp space saver.....if that helps any.

[ashort]

But Macs are designed by god himself, or so many Mac-users tell me.

insert joke setup here
...No, that's God, he only thinks he's Steve jobs.

[xsphat]

Wow, there is some deep-seeded Mac hate. What happened to you, get dumped by a Mac chick for a Windows guy?

The Mac Mini isn't mine, it's my wife's, and I don't like it that much. It's under powered and it can only handle 2 GB of RAM but it had a quarter of that installed. My maxed out MacBook is about ten times faster, but the CD drive took a dump. I hear that is a common problem with Apple computers.

And the reason I'm a Mac guy is because that is what I know. If Windows worked or if I started out on Linux, who knows what OS I'd be on right now. Apple has just as many issues as any other OS, but the fact that they lock their OS on their own hardware wipes out all the compatibility problems you have in different OSs.

[Ulysses31]

Man, it was a joke.  I was just taking your valid observation of the mac-mini being poorly designed as a starting point.  I don't hate macs or mac-users, as long as they don't go out of their way to act like their systems are incapable of getting a virus or having a fault.  You're obviously not like that but i've recently heard a follower of the Cult of Jobs who takes every opportunity to insult Windows users, and he claims that macs never have and never will be successfully hacked or ever get a virus or trojan.  I even showed him reported cases that proved he was wrong and he still didn't believe me >_<.  A dose of humility would be nice for people like that.  I don't think it will be long before these users will be cursed by their own hubris.

It's a good platform and I don't deny that, I just find it funny that some of the more fanatical users out there wouldn't be able to accept that some of us prefer the compatibility and reasonably good (if set-up properly) reliability of Windows.  The newest versions not so much, but while I have some complaints, they're not enough for me to fork out additional cash for what is essentially a PC with more razzle-dazzle and a more limiting (for my purposes) OS.

Back on topic, I got the impression from some of the people here that the blacks weren't that firm or hard to press, because presumably the action is a smooth uninterrupted one.  Maybe they use stiffer springs?

[xsphat]

Who says Mac will never get hacked? Most do before they are even released. What I love is when a staunch Windows guy needs to come over and use my computer because his is so plagued with viruses it won't turn on and still *****es about Mac. But I'm not that big a fanboy, and I didn't mean it to sound like I was telling you off. No OS or component is totally safe from *******s.

Anyway, the blacks aren't linear like Cherry says they are. The MLs are linear, as in equal pressure all the way down. The blacks' force builds as the key stroke progresses, so they are really different to type on if you are used to bottoming out. I thinkk puntium called them quadrilateral switches at one point. On the M mini's BS, I learned to not bottom out hard all the time, so the blacks let me just graze the key tops and still register the character. I can type pretty good on them and fast too.

[iMav]

Anyway, the blacks aren't linear like Cherry says they are. The MLs are linear, as in equal pressure all the way down. The blacks' force builds as the key stroke progresses, so they are really different to type on if you are used to bottoming out. I thinkk puntium called them quadrilateral switches at one point. On the M mini's BS, I learned to not bottom out hard all the time, so the blacks let me just graze the key tops and still register the character. I can type pretty good on them and fast too.

Is it the end of the semester already??  


Mac mini's are great little computers.  They have been ignored as of late and are, basically, the same machines they were when they were first converted to Intel.  A first gen core solo mini can be upgraded to the latest/greatest mini with a drop in CPU upgrade.  

A mainboard update is long overdue...hopefully that happens this year.

[xsphat]

She got hers right after they upgraded to Core 1 Duo (the previous rev was a Core solo, remember those?). We're (mean I'm) going to put it on eBay for parts unless someone here wants it.

And I can't see a keyboard sitting unhooked without taking it for a spin. No matter what I say, everyone here should know that is a constant in life.

[iMav]

We owned a Core Solo mini.  When I returned home from Iraq, I upgraded it to a Core2Duo 2.0Ghz.  (same motherboard/chipset with the Core Solo's are the same being shipped today with the Core2Duo processors)

[zwmalone]

I'm seriously interested in the mini.

What are you asking for it?

What parts (that you know of) are salvageable?

Does this include the OS restore discs and/or power brick?

-Zack

[lowpoly]

Anyway, the blacks aren't linear like Cherry says they are. The MLs are linear, as in equal pressure all the way down. The blacks' force builds as the key stroke progresses, so they are really different to type on if you are used to bottoming out.

The more you press a spring together the more force you need. But if you draw a way/force graph it will be perfectly linear (meaning longer way equals to higher force). Linear does not mean that you have to use the same force anywhere on the key's way down. That would be against the nature of spring physics.

Force = spring stiffness x way (spring stiffness is a constant, thus it's a linear dependency).

It's less pronounced with the MLs because they have shorter travel and lighter springs.

[xsphat]

Thanks for the clarification.