Dummy Guide on What's Needed to hook up Mini Mac

IMO, don't use a laptop for a music server. imac's are great (i got my wife a new 24" imac, very fast) but i think a little mac mini (a g4, g5, or an intel based) would work better. most servers (music,file/print/etc..) are dedicated machines. if you get a mini, you can store it in a closet, you don't need a keyboard/mouse or monitor. you can use another mac to control the mini. the best option would be to look for a used powermac or newer macpro, those are designed to be a file server.

also, you can always use a toslink cable from your mini to an external dac. that is what i use. you have many more DAC options if you use toslink instead of usb. another option is to use an airport express unit wired or wireless to hook up to your stereo system using a toslink cable to a dac or using rca output directly into your preamp. i also use this method.
try to pick up a used mac mini g4 for around $300 and put 1gb ram in it and attach a couple of large drives to it for your shared data (music,files,etc..) and backup the 1 drive to the other every couple of days. the other option is to purchase a NAS unit (network attached server) that hooks up to the network and stores your files in 1 location. (this is the route i'm going to).
it is not that hard to accomplish, and you don't have to go new, there are plenty of older macs that you can get to accomplish this.

Marco, great info and advice. Concerning FireWire, IME a FireWire drive will cost more if it has a USB interface as well, but a drive with only FireWire is comparable in price to a USB-only drive.

I recommend FireWire for a laptop because in the past some Apple laptops--just like some Windows laptops--have had an issue with the USB port not supplying enough power for an external drive. Anyone who is considering such a setup should IMHO make sure this is not a concern.

Good points, Tobias. One other might be that you will be taking up one USB port with your DAC and if you only have two on a Mini and need one for keyboard and the other for a DAC...may be time for a hub. Anyway, I'm a Mac guy and have had two iBooks. Never had an issue with any USB externals. YMMV.

Regarding using the Toslink on a MacMini or Tower - wouldn't be my choice. I'd do that conversion (to SPDIF) via USB inside the DAC rather than inside the computer. Again, Too much going on in the lively electronic environment inside a computer. Take it out of the box and give it to the folks who are all about audio - that's what I'd do. Just one opinion though.

Marco

jax2 - i don't understand about not using toslink, do that conversion out of the box. what conversion? it is a digital signal coming out of the mini or airport express going into a external dac via a toslink cable. no different than going out a usb port except i can use any dac that uses a toslink connection instead of the few that use usb.

I don't think it's the same thing, Rbstehno. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong - The digital signal generated by the computer needs to be converted to a signal that is 'understood' by the DAC... The data coming through USB needs to be converted to S/PDIF in order for the DAC to understand it. In the case of a USB DAC that is done in the DAC. The way you're doing it it is done in your computer. There are many folks here who know a whole lot more than me on this subject. Perhaps someone else can chime in on the subject. I am not certain that where the conversion is done makes a big difference, but my gut instinct tells me, as I said, to give it to the folks who are passionate about the music, and take it out of the noisy electronic environment of the computer. Perhaps I'm wrong. Stranger things have happened.

Marco