I have a new MacMini 2.3 I5, 8GB RAM and 500GB HD and the Intel HD Graphics 3000. I purchased it for a special project to run all night on a regular basis. I need SL to run on my MacMini because the Nikon graphics software (Nikon Scan 4.0.3) I run for my heavy duty scanning projects (slides and negatives) wont run on Lion. I erased the disc, clean of Lion. I used my (2011) Macbook Pro 2.3GHz Intel i7 with 8GB of RAM as the server and started my MacMini in TDM and connected it via firewire wire 800 to my MacBook pro and loaded an old retail version of SL. It works until the re-start phase of the SL install so i waited and waited and when it restarts I eject the retail SL disc and insert my MacBook Pro SL disc so my macbook pro wont stall. This worked and I installed the update and I am now running 10.6.8 on both machines. Its not an easy fix and it is very time consuming...
Problems: None with my Macbook Pro, restarted fine and works like a champ.
MacMini - Many problems...here is the list
Display - Pink in color can't adjust. Thunderbolt Port not recognized. Display, after sleep won't come back - "No signal" is the message. These seems to be regular problems with this step backward to SL.
Speed benchmarks not attempted yet. If I can fix the display so its not pink I will try that. Start up is not fast, but not deadly slow either.
My monitor type is recognized by the Mini in the status bar and in the system preferences so I do not fear its a monitor issue, but I am going to swap monitors to see if that helps.
On another note, when i was loading SL onto the mini, performing system update and making sure it worked the display was my on my Macbook pro and it looked perfect. Not sure whats going on, but I wont stop till I fix this.
Thanks for all the feedback and hints on how to do this in the first place. Without your upfront advice on how to accomplish I wouldn't be this far along yet. More updates to come.
Cheers
Rich