Hey, my aunt and uncle are considering a new computer. I told them not to get windows, to get a mac/linux computer if possible.

Anyways, I was considering this

http://www.apple.com/macmini/

Without any add-ons except probably the Apple Care Warranty.

OK, i have a few questions. Here goes.

1) Do you absolutely have to buy Apple's OS updates each year? Can't you just stick with one update if it does the job good enough? (Basically, I'm wondering if Apple continues to support older versions of its software and for how long)

2) Do you think the specs on the $499 model are good enough (and by good enough i mean will Mac OS X run comfortably)?

3) Will a normal USB 1.1 (that's what my aunt has) Hub work with it so she can use her keyboard/mouse and her printer, scanner and camera?

Anyways, I'll probably have more questions later that I haven't thought of yet. Any help would be appreciated!

Also, I'm going to start a poll asking if people think the Mac Mini is worth what Apple wants for it. Please don't start a flame war, as that is not my intention. Just want thoughts from people who don't feel like actually responding.

From what you have said you want the computer for, I think it is a fine choice. Let's be honest... you want to avoid windows but you need the computer to be almost sickeningly user-friendly. I think that the MacMini is a perfect choice. It has the power of *nix but the candy coating you need to offer for the people who are going to use it.

I think it will have fine specs for the uses you list. It isn't going to be a power house or anything but it will get the job done. USB2 is compatable with USB 1... this means that the devices will work... at usb1 speeds but what else would you expect.

As for the updates. I'm not sure you would "have" to buy them but it might be something you consider as a cost of ownsership. On my mother's Windows XP computer... we consider the cost of anti-virus subscription just part of the cost of ownership. Okay... it might be insane to think of that as a cost of ownership. But I am sure you wouldn't need to upgrade if you didn't want to.

By the time your refusal to update really became an issue (at least a couple years), the hardware would be so out of date that you could get a system twice as good for the cost of an update. Or something like that. I wouldn't worry too much about updating the software... but don't refuse to consider it as a possibility.

Does Apple still continue to supply security updates and bug fixes etc. to the old versions of their software?

Well, I see an update for 10.2 as recently as December 2nd... so I would say that yes... they do offer security updates beyond the new release of an OS. So you would be able to update without upgrading.

As for how long they continue once they have a new version... I don't know...