Mac: Home Appliance

[Butterfly]

I love the Mac-mini for being such an elegant machine that can be used as a Movie Center, but I have been looking at new applications to make it more useful as a full home appliance.

The beauty of a home appliance is you don't have to bother with learning how to use a computer, all the applications are "dedicated" and can be operated simply with a remote.

Below are a list of things you can do to turn an old or recent mac into a useful home appliance:

Media Center: watching your DVDs, AVI, and downloading all the torrents at the same time thanks to the wonderful PLEX
Plex Media Center for OS X

Virtual Gaming Console: PS2
runningPcsx2 - PCSX2/MAC - Trac

Gaming Central: the 80s
Pure Mac: Emulators - MacMAME

and for the old Apple enthusiasts a wonderful list of emulators, from C64 to the Apple IIe

Apple IIe and more if you can find the ROMs ( I have them all )
Pure Mac: Emulators - Virtual II

Power64
Pure Mac: Emulators - Power 64

Atari800MacX
Pure Mac: Emulators - Atari 800

Colecovision: oh the memory !!!
Pure Mac: Emulators - Mugrat

and finally something more serious if you can have a fixed IP on your network

Mail Server with Web Interface: Running your own eMail ISP service
Open Source Edition: Enterprise Messaging and Collaboration Software by Zimbra

[PAG]

I love the Mac-mini for being such an elegant machine that can be used as a Movie Center, but I have been looking at new applications to make it more useful as a full home appliance.

The beauty of a home appliance is you don't have to bother with learning how to use a computer, all the applications are "dedicated" and can be operated simply with a remote.

Below are a list of things you can do to turn an old or recent mac into a useful home appliance:

Media Center: watching your DVDs, AVI, and downloading all the torrents at the same time thanks to the wonderful PLEX
Plex Media Center for OS X

Virtual Gaming Console: PS2
runningPcsx2 - PCSX2/MAC - Trac

Gaming Central: the 80s
Pure Mac: Emulators - MacMAME

and for the old Apple enthusiasts a wonderful list of emulators, from C64 to the Apple IIe

Apple IIe and more if you can find the ROMs ( I have them all )
Pure Mac: Emulators - Virtual II

Power64
Pure Mac: Emulators - Power 64

Atari800MacX
Pure Mac: Emulators - Atari 800

Colecovision: oh the memory !!!
Pure Mac: Emulators - Mugrat

and finally something more serious if you can have a fixed IP on your network

Mail Server with Web Interface: Running your own eMail ISP service
Open Source Edition: Enterprise Messaging and Collaboration Software by Zimbra

Completely suspicious of your post, however, I'm downloading the 'plexapp' right now. In truth, I'm not a computer enthusiast, I just want something that works, when I want it to work. I do prefer Mac's over the PC's that I've had through work for many years, and hence the decision made some time ago to buy several of their hardware.

[Butterfly]

The PS2X is a bit challenging though, need to do a few extra installation of software. You need to be an enthusiast. Those who succeeded says the results are awesome.

[PAG]

The PS2X is a bit challenging though, need to do a few extra installation of software. You need to be an enthusiast. Those who succeeded says the results are awesome.

Be very careful BF, you're in danger of being labelled a 'MacTard'!

[Butterfly]

right

The Plex might also be a bit challenging, I had all kind of "requirements" so I had to do a lot of config "customization", you also need to download all the codecs non-native to Apple. Link here: Apple - Downloads - Video - Flip4Mac Windows Media Components for QuickTime

but it works beautifully, in contrast to iTunes, Show, or the native DVD and AVI player by apple. Frames would be dropped at 1080p, but not with PLEX.

Actually, I would go as far as saying that the best apps for macs are always developed by non-apple

[PAG]

right

The Plex might also be a bit challenging, I had all kind of "requirements" so I had to do a lot of config "customization", you also need to download all the codecs non-native to Apple. Link here: Apple - Downloads - Video - Flip4Mac Windows Media Components for QuickTime

but it works beautifully, in contrast to iTunes, Show, or the native DVD and AVI player by apple. Frames would be dropped at 1080p, but not with PLEX.

Actually, I would go as far as saying that the best apps for macs are always developed by non-apple

Undoubtably true. The best thing is having the choice, and then 'cherry picking' want you really want/need.