Quote:
But that's all I'm saying.

... and when might you be saying more?

Anyway, here's the other question I've got with respect to the new Mac Mini. First some background: my father would really like some kind of videoconferencing setup so he can see my daughter more often. My mom would probably like that as well, but she's not a computer user. (I email pictures to my dad who shows them to my mom.) Dad has finally gotten himself DSL and wireless, which he uses with his WinXP laptop, on which he also keeps his modest collection of ripped music in iTunes. Also, Dad recently got a shiny Sharp Aquos 45" LCD. It's very purty. He's opposed to spending big bucks on a home theater PC, but the lure of video conferencing with his granddaughter is certainly a draw.

The obvious answer to his problem is one of these Mac Mini's. Presumably, since it's just a Mac, I could even SSH new pictures in and notify FrontRow or iPhoto to add them to the rotation. Likewise, an Apple iSight would see like the least painful way of doing a videoconferencing solution. The Bluetooth keyboard mouse would also work well in front of the TV.

Questions: would a low-ball Mac Mini do the job, or does he need the bigger hard disk, more RAM, dual core, and so forth? How about an equivalent small form factor PC? Assume that high performance 3D graphics is irrelevant, but that video decoding is key. What's the current state of "equivalent" PCs? What's the state of the world for videoconferencing? Are any of these things user-friendly to the point that my mom might be able to figure them out?