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Well it looks like you're going to be a MorphOS user then , seeing as it's coming to Mac Mini whereas Amiga OS4 isn't (unless Rogue has been telling porkies). You won't be dissapointed as it gives a really good Amiga experience plus some great enhancements. It's a shame that AOS4.1 isn't being ported to the Mini as it might mean that more people would end up trying MorphOS having bought the mini for AOS4.1.

Mine is ready and waiting. Considering how much I like Morph on my Efika, I really can't wait to have it on the Mac Mini.

Looks like I will be getting the 1.5GHz version soon. I found one for sale locally for $340 CAD with 80GB hard drive and 1GB ram

*dance*!!

I hope MorphOS comes out for it soon!

@Golem, @Andreas_Wolf

Oops! Well if you didn't want to put the MacMini in a bigger case you could always use something like this:
http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=11623

Looks like the largest of the 2.5" HDDs currently out are around 500GB (for instance, search for: Seagate Constellation 7200.1 2.5"). However, HDD capacities will probably continue to go up.

[ Edited by HenryCase on 2009/4/18 21:30 ]

> if you didn't want to put the MacMini in a bigger case

Would that be possible at all?

> you could always use something like this: [...]

Does such bridge fit inside the Mac mini?

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Welcome to the MorphZone Doc,

I have only been here a little while, but the natives seem mostly friendly. Thanks for joining MorphZone and for telling us that you have a PPC G4 MacMini and are waiting for MOS3.0 to be released for it. We are all waiting and hoping for a Summer 2009 release, but nothing has been said or written from the Dev Team to indicate if that is true, or even close. All we can go on untill more info is released are the couple of videos that have been released showing MOS3.0 booting and a bit of info saying that it is not finished and that the sound, USB and some other devices were not working yet and writing the drivers could take quite some time.

I am hoping for a little more info by June 1st to let all of us users that are waiting for the 3.0 release know the extent of their progress. That is if it is not finished and released by then.

amigadave wrote:
Quote:

About drivers... there seems to be progress, have a look here.

Network and Sound drivers - very nice indeed. I read in one of the captions on within that gallery that there were 7 mini's present at Power Dev 6. :)


It appears as though the guy in the pic is also representing the West Side. :)

> a bit of info saying that [...] USB [...] were not working yet

It seems to have been working for a while already. Not surprising, as the Mac mini's USB controller is OHCI/EHCI compliant.

> Network and Sound drivers - very nice indeed.

Still no (AHI) sound driver according to geit (German), "only" code that shows the general audio functionality.

> there were 7 mini's present at Power Dev 6. :)

It was #7, #6 was held in Poland.

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Of course it would be. Don't be silly.

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Don't think it's impossible:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/03/06/mac_mini_teardown/

Could always do something like this (if really couldn't be bothered to open the case you could go through the USB, Ethernet or Firewire ports):
http://www.macintouch.com/specialreports/minimonster/phase2.html

Here's some useful information if you would be willing to open up the case:
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Device/Mac_Mini_(PowerPC)

Wow, 136 post and 8219 wiews,
seems to me that MorphOS on MacMini argument is a little bit appealing...

Thanx to all the pepole involved on this port posting here and there screenshots and misc infos ... That sort of communications are really very appreciated!

Good luck with your hard work.

Hola

> Of course it would be. Don't be silly.

I put my question the wrong way. My fault. I rather wanted to ask:
Would that be practically feasible at all? If yes, then someone would have already done so, I guess.

> Don't think it's impossible:
> http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/03/06/mac_mini_teardown/

In what way does this article relate to my question if such bridge would fit inside the Mac mini?

> Could always do something like this [...]:
> http://www.macintouch.com/specialreports/minimonster/phase2.html

We are talking about *internal* HDD. An external one is a no-brainer, of course.

> Here's some useful information if you would be willing to open up
> the case: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Device/Mac_Mini_(PowerPC)

Huh? I very well know how to open the case. In fact, it was *me* who implied in this very thread that it's possible to exchange the original 2.5" PATA HDD with another 2.5" PATA HDD, which requires case opening of course. You even replied to this in the first place.

From your third link I got to a page with pictures of the HDD's position inside the Mac mini. As it seems, space is really tight. Too tight for such a bridge maybe? Would be nice to hear from someone who tried and did or didn't succeed.

@Golem,

That is great! I had not seen that pic before, or read that the team had completed the sound and network drivers yet. MOS3.0 must be closer than I thought to being ready for release. I hope that it is released in time for me to show it running on my MacMini at the AmiWest Show in October. If it is not released publicly by then, I hope I can contact one of the Development Team members and obtain an ISO of the Beta release of 3.0 to demo at the AmiWest show.

On another note related to the topic of this thread, how many MacMini owners here would be interested in a replacement top for their MacMini that would have a Butterfly in the place of the Apple logo?

If there are enough that want it, I will find out what the cost would be to produce them and have a prototype made to show here. I will have to check to see how difficult it is to remove and replace that top from the sides without damaging it.

[ Edited by amigadave on 2009/4/19 13:45 ]

> the team had completed the sound [...] drivers

No, they haven't yet. Please read my answer to Debaser.

Quote:

Space is definitely available for a bridge:
http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/
If the cable could be routed internally (there's a chance) then adding internal SATA is possible.

Also, here's a case that may be of interest:
http://www.amug.org/amug-web/html/amug/reviews/articles/addonics/mini/

[ Edited by HenryCase on 2009/4/20 16:02 ]

HenryCase wrote:
Quote:

Here's an idea, maybe you could familiarize yourself with the Mac mini G4 before making more suggestions?

@Golem
Why not look at the link I posted to see what I mean, the information is free I won't charge.

You mean the link about the Intel Mac mini? No, MorphOS has not been announced for that. But if you could tell how exactly it is relevant to the Mac mini G4, maybe with illustrations?

Thanks

Quote:

Okay, let me talk you through this. The case for the PPC Mac Mini and x86 Mac Mini are the same size. The motherboard size is probably the same (certainly close enough not to make a difference). The hard drive size is the same. Heatsink/fan may be slightly different. However, have a look at these photos:

http://www.macworld.com/article/42263/2005/01/miniopen.html
Picture: http://images.macworld.com/images/legacy/2005/01/images/content/miniopen2.jpg

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/First-Look/Mac-mini-A1283/659/2
Picture: http://s1.guide-images.ifixit.com/igi/K4Zvnmtnu1Vsseoo.large

The space around the HDDs is roughly the same.

Now look at this adapter:
http://cooldrives.stores.yahoo.net/satoidecofor.html
Hardly huge is it. So where's the problem again? Okay so I haven't tried it out myself, but you should still be able to see that it is likely such a mod is possible by looking at the evidence I've presented.

[ Edited by HenryCase on 2009/4/20 18:01 ]

@HenryCase

This link is specifically for the G4 series.

HenryCase wrote:
Quote:

Thanks.

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Idiot. Missed the point. Never mind.

Mac Mini G4 does not have space for that adapter.

Can we move along now?

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Actually it is quite huge ..... no suprise it's designed for 3.5" drives ....

Even if it were for 2.5" drives, the mini doesn't use an IDE-cable but a small PCB to connect drives and mobo. So you would atleast have to fit some new screw-holes to move the HD further to the front.

Btw. I'm writing this while replacing the 80GB in my Mini with a 160GB one.