Yesterday I wrote about how I built a Media Center around a Mac, despite having very little experience using Mac’s at all. The last time I used a Mac was for a Spring 2007 programming class. The lab we were using had only Apple computers, which lead to a lot of frustration for those of us who were used to Windows. The Mac OS X Terminal was similar to DOS on Windows, except for some minor differences, and most of us just opted to bring out laptops to lab and use those.

So yes, my first impressions… Well at least close to them. I’ve been using my mini for about three months already, and I have to say I’ve enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, though it hasn’t been without some issues.

Interface

Coming from Windows, the interface takes some getting used too. I’m still not sure if I like the OS X Dock or the Start Bar better but I’m pretty sure I’ll know that in time. I do know that I prefer using ‘My Computer’ over the ‘Finder’, if only for Microsoft’s “No Bullshit” approach. Other things in OS X are nice, for example being able to zoom in on the screen by holding down CTRL and scrolling using the mouse wheel. Because of my Media Center Setup, this comes in handy since I sit pretty far from the screen. Expose and Dashboard are also pretty neat tools, though installation of some applications could be a little more straight-forward. It took me awhile to figure out that some applications are installed by dragging the application icon over the Application directory icon… While that makes sense, it may be making things a little bit too simple and literal.

Software

I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be the first, or last person to say that I don’t use any of the software that came with the Mac. My first install was Firefox, and since then I’ve been slowly replacing the applications that came with the system. I have been pleasantly surprised what you can find for Mac though. Cyberduck is a brilliant FTP tool that you can download for free, as is Adium, a light-weight Instant Messenger application, are some of the great programs you can find for OS X. To tell the truth, I really haven’t found anything that would rival these programs in Windows. I also find that I prefer Front Row to Windows Media Center only because it doesn’t seem to suffer from being bloated and clunky.
Hardware
And this is where the Mac really starts to shine. Despite the fact that I base all of my comparisons on the low-end mini, the hardware design of this computer is really something to behold. This is the quietest, discrete, coolest (temperature wise) computer I have ever used, yet it maintains all of the functionality it needs. The Mac has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Optical Audio-out, Firewire, and a quick processor. The only thing really lacking is extra RAM.

Overall my first impressions are good. I’m still learning more about how to use OS X but as I learn new things I’ll be sure to write about them.

I’ve never used a Mac before purchasing this mini, so working with this setup was a completely new experience in more ways than one. I have found that I slightly prefer OS X to Windows (surprise surprise) if only for the convenience and simplicity. It’s also nice to be able to emulate Windows, which I’ll get to at a later time.

So here’s what you’ll need:
• Mac mini (I’ve found the 1.83Ghz model to be sufficient)
• Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse (RF will suffice)
• 32″ or larger LCD HDTV w/ a VGA or DVI input
• Receiver with Optical Input
• Optical Cable (one end must have a 3.5mm optical connector)
• VGA Cable
• Wireless Router (For Internet)

The reason I recommend an LCD screen is so that burn-in isn’t a factor as it would be with plasma screens. Now that you know what you need, everything else comes pretty easily… Actually this is really easy… Connecting everything should be pretty self explanatory. Things that may not be so obvious will be explained below.

Connecting to the TV

If you have a HDTV manufactured recently, odds are your going to have either a DVI or VGA input. The Mac mini has a DVI output, but it also comes packaged with a DVI->VGA connector. Once you have everything connected (I’m not really going to insult anyone’s intelligence by explaining how to do this ) the Mac should recognize your TV without having to configure anything. The only thing your going to want to do is change the screen resolution.

System Preferences -> Display. The recommended resolution for a 720p TV will be 1366×768.

Connecting to the Receiver
There really isn’t much to say on this one if you go the S/PDIF route. If your receiver doesn’t have an optical input, or if you don’t have a receiver and want to use the TV for sound, you can use a 3.5mm to RCA cable.

Mouse/Keyboard

Because of the range and flexibility they provide, I recommend using a Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse over their wired counterparts. RF will also work well, but with the added inconvenience (albeit small) of a having to use a receiver.

So once you’ve gotten this far, you have the basics down. Provided you have a Wireless Router, you can now use the internet on your TV (great for Youtube), listen to music through your stereo (or home theater), play DVD’s, watch videos and work from your couch.

It really is alot easier than it looks… More to come next week.