Three OS-es On A Mac Mini? For testing websites and other uses...

[chiiyo 0]

Being on an Apple Powerbook, and using that for my main system does have it's advantages, but since the nearest PC near me is one floor away (my younger brother's), website layout and compatibility testing is a pain-in-the-neck, since I can only test on Safari and IE:mac.There are other slight annoyances too, like sometimes I need Windows to do stuff with my school, or just to fiddle around with Linux and stuff. So I was thinking, just theoretically for now (because I'm short of money), but is it possible for me to buy a Mac Mini (because it is such a gorgeous little machine), and then load Windows XP (or Longhorn when it comes out) AND a flavour of Linux, and use them as well as Tiger? I don't need them to run inside each other, maybe like Dual Booting, but this time Triple Booting...I'll only be using the Windows interface to check websites and stuff, connect to the net to access some sites I can't access right now, nothing very demanding, will probably have to install all those firewalls and anti-spyware and anti-viruses and stuff (I am really grateful I'm on a mac!), but that's probably all I'll do on the Windows OS. For the Linux one, I'll probably use it more for tinkering rather than website-testing, but will do a bit here and there too. For Tiger, I'll probably use the Mac Mini to do my bit-torrenting (since it'll be at home most of the time as opposed to my laptop) and install all flavours of Mac browsers on it (I don't want to clutter up this system) but probably nothing intensive on it either. The Mac Mini will probably be a secondary system rather than my primary system, which would still be my laptop, considering the specs of the Mac Mini...In short, the Mac Mini will be like a computer for me to test my site in all platforms, as well as do some tinkering. I'll probably have to get a monitor to go with it too, as well as mouse and keyboard... *looks at scarce table space as it is* Thank goodness the Mac Mini is small...My question is, is this possible, and if so, what kind of complications do you think I will face?

[Brian1405241474 0]

I don't think you could install Windows on a Mac like that (would would want to defile that innocent little Mac mini! ) But you should be able to install some version of Linux and of course Mac OS X (Tiger! ). But as for Windows, I think you would have to use Vitural PC. Windows doesn't run natively on a PowerPC system (a Mac). You could always buy a brand new Dell for like $50 (with monitor, keyboard, mouse, and printer ) Then set it up by your mini. And if i got got--when it get viruses, it won't hurt your Mac.

[iceblade1405241492 0]

It would be cheaper just to buy another laptop (cheap ibook or something) then to buy a mac mini, a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse. If you already have a monitor or can find a monitor that will work with a mac mini thats a diffrent story probably.Another possibility is that you could MAYBE find a monitor thats not from apple/macintosh for cheaper and make it more cost effective to buy a mac mini.

[MajesticTreeFrog 0]

Actually, you CAN install windows on a mac. You can use Virtual PC by Microsoft, or Guest PC by Lismore systems. I have used Guest PC and while it is slow it will get the job done for compatability testing. Still, it runs like a 300mhz comp on my 1.33ghz ibook. So, be warned.Linux is pretty easy actually. You can install a version of yellowdog (a mac specific linux distro) or you can grab the PPC version of debian.

[chiiyo 0]

Oh darn. So you mean there is no way I can install Windows and dual boot it with Mac OS X? Because of the architecture of the Apple hardware? >_< I thought it was such a good idea and a perfect excuse for me to finally get the Mac mini... and proliferate my home with more macs!

I've heard horror stories about Virtual PC being horrendously slow, O_o. What I really need is really another Windows sitting next to my Powerbook, install most of the browsers on browsers.evolt.org and if possible, connect it in some way to my Powerbook. Guess I might have to build my own PC and run Windows and Linux on it... I might still get an Apple Cinema Display though, to mirror my 12" PB screen and to run the PC on it. They just dropped the price of the 20-incher.