New Mac Mini or not?


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Okay guys so right now I've got an Intel i7 (Ivy Bridge) Hackintosh/Windows gaming PC running on an Intel SSD and 12GB RAM, OS X is my daily driver; I'm a web dev but I also tinker with audio/video editing too, which my desktop handles no problem.

Problem I have is, keeping OS X Hackintosh as a work machine is tough; it's a constant battle of OS updates breaking things and having to install new OS X versions as they're released. Used to have plenty of time/enjoyed the challenge but I don't anymore, so I'm looking at the official OS X route. I'll be keeping the desktop for Windows and gaming, but I really don't know if I need THAT much power for the casual audio/video editing I do in OS X... I'd be willing to dip down on specs to a degree.

 

Been waiting for the new Mac Mini to come out to solve my problem and now it has, I have to admit I'm a little deflated by the specs; dual core only is my real concern, but also extremely expensive upgrade path for solid state storage; for the best config I can get (i7 + 512GB SSD + 16GB RAM) it's coming to about ?1400. Is this really worth it? It's been quite a while since I upgraded my current desktop but I can't get away from the fact that I could get way better CPU (quad i7) + a retina screen + Iris Pro/Nvidia graphics on a new MBP for another ?500ish. 

 

My choices are probably therefore:

  • Get a Mac Mini ... as I'm out of the loop maybe I don't have to opt for the i7 dual core... maybe the best bang for buck is with the i5 and only 8GB of RAM... with 512 SSD that's about ?1000 instead?
  • Wait and see if Apple update the Mini again next year with some better chips at similar pricing, and in the meantime bite the bullet and update my Hackintosh install.
  • Get a new retina MBP and ditch my current 2010 MBP, which is on the way out in the next year or so anyway I reckon... this is possible as long as I can hook a MBP up to my dual 24" HDMI/Mini Displayport monitors... I would guess this is possible(?) as a replacement to having a dedicated desktop machine.

 

I'm stuck on what to do! Anyone have any experience with the new Mac Minis or latest gen Intel chips who can help me make an informed decision here would be much appreciated!

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Mac mini is practically useless as future proof computer. You will notice the lack of processor power in day to day use.

If you can spend more, go for a proper 21" iMac or MBP.

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Mac mini is practically useless as future proof computer. You will notice the lack of processor power in day to day use.

If you can spend more, go for a proper 21" iMac or MBP.

 

How is it useless? Can't you upgrade it?

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Mac mini is practically useless as future proof computer. You will notice the lack of processor power in day to day use.

If you can spend more, go for a proper 21" iMac or MBP.

With the new ones, agreed.  My quad core i7 Mini has held up fine for the last two years, and I compile on the system quite a bit.

 

MBP isn't going to be much faster than the last generation Mini (well sans integrated video).

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Okay guys so right now I've got an Intel i7 (Ivy Bridge) Hackintosh/Windows gaming PC running on an Intel SSD and 12GB RAM, OS X is my daily driver; I'm a web dev but I also tinker with audio/video editing too, which my desktop handles no problem.

Problem I have is, keeping OS X Hackintosh as a work machine is tough; it's a constant battle of OS updates breaking things and having to install new OS X versions as they're released. Used to have plenty of time/enjoyed the challenge but I don't anymore, so I'm looking at the official OS X route. I'll be keeping the desktop for Windows and gaming, but I really don't know if I need THAT much power for the casual audio/video editing I do in OS X... I'd be willing to dip down on specs to a degree.

 

Been waiting for the new Mac Mini to come out to solve my problem and now it has, I have to admit I'm a little deflated by the specs; dual core only is my real concern, but also extremely expensive upgrade path for solid state storage; for the best config I can get (i7 + 512GB SSD + 16GB RAM) it's coming to about ?1400. Is this really worth it? It's been quite a while since I upgraded my current desktop but I can't get away from the fact that I could get way better CPU (quad i7) + a retina screen + Iris Pro/Nvidia graphics on a new MBP for another ?500ish. 

 

My choices are probably therefore:

  • Get a Mac Mini ... as I'm out of the loop maybe I don't have to opt for the i7 dual core... maybe the best bang for buck is with the i5 and only 8GB of RAM... with 512 SSD that's about ?1000 instead?
  • Wait and see if Apple update the Mini again next year with some better chips at similar pricing, and in the meantime bite the bullet and update my Hackintosh install.
  • Get a new retina MBP and ditch my current 2010 MBP, which is on the way out in the next year or so anyway I reckon... this is possible as long as I can hook a MBP up to my dual 24" HDMI/Mini Displayport monitors... I would guess this is possible(?) as a replacement to having a dedicated desktop machine.

 

I'm stuck on what to do! Anyone have any experience with the new Mac Minis or latest gen Intel chips who can help me make an informed decision here would be much appreciated!

Get a used 2012 Mini with an i7 if you really want one.

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cpu and ram soldered to the board. I mean, maybe if you've got a rework station.

Edit:

 

I could have sworn you just said cpu when i replied.

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i was almost dead set on the newer mac mini myself for my first mac machine until I saw that soldered ram thing. completely killed off the deal. I'll never pay 200$ for another 4gb of ram and a decent cpu. base price is good but the apple tax kicks in ass soon as you add a little ram or anything

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To be quite honest...I am very disappointed in the new mini.  My 2011 mini with a quad i7 that I updated to 16GB ram and a 500GB ssd drive will run circles around this new one.  I think my mini will last at least another 2-3 years.

 

Personally...go with a rMBP or a hackintosh laptop.  Or, if you want a desktop OS X experience then get one of the new iMacs.

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It's a nice computer for people who are Apple fans, but honestly, I would go for an actual Windows PC, instead of using OS X. Windows is just better in my opinion, but also, the Mini isn't even that good of a computer, and you can't upgrade most of the parts in it, which is ridiculous in my opinion. 

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It's a nice computer for people who are Apple fans, but honestly, I would go for an actual Windows PC, instead of using OS X. Windows is just better in my opinion, but also, the Mini isn't even that good of a computer, and you can't upgrade most of the parts in it, which is ridiculous in my opinion. 

 

No I can't do this; this is why I need to change my setup, because I have a Hackintosh, but don't have time or inclination to continue maintaining it... plus as a software dev I can't really afford for something to go wrong with it and have no official support etc.

 

It's looking like I may have to lean towards a new MBP; I don't really have space for an iMac (as I'm keeping my Win desktop and dual screens) so I need a machine to go with that setup.

 

Thanks everyone for your input it's been very useful  :)

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As someone who ran a Hackintosh for about a year, I can understand entirely where you're coming from - I ended up swapping to a proper Mac (a Macbook Air) and haven't looked back really. 

 

Hope you can work out the best hardware combo and get a system you're happy with, without breaking the bank! 

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No I can't do this; this is why I need to change my setup, because I have a Hackintosh, but don't have time or inclination to continue maintaining it... plus as a software dev I can't really afford for something to go wrong with it and have no official support etc.

 

It's looking like I may have to lean towards a new MBP; I don't really have space for an iMac (as I'm keeping my Win desktop and dual screens) so I need a machine to go with that setup.

 

Thanks everyone for your input it's been very useful  :)

That's the path I ended up going down. Very happy with my MBP 15 as a desktop replacement. After building a Hackintosh to replace my 2008 Mac Pro, the constant maintenance required becomes very irritating.
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cpu and ram soldered to the board. I mean, maybe if you've got a rework station.

 

Well, I was definitely interested in selling my 27" iMac and replacing it with a new Mac Mini. All I do now days is browse, email (rarely), and download. So, I'll either keep it (2009 iMac, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Intel i3) or upgrade to a newer model iMac.

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If you're constantly maintaining your hackintosh then you need to re-evaluate how you're setting it up. I have two here that are no more needy than my MacBook. The issue with OS X nowadays in general is that as we're on a yearly release cycle it's basically in perpetual beta. The OS doesn't have time to get stable before being replaced. Five point updates and then no more. And Apple seem to only support the current and last two OS releases. Lion was dropped when Yosemite came out (the last security update didn't have a Lion release). So expect support for Mountain Lion to go next year.

 

That said, nerfing the Mini was a bad move by Apple. It's been their most reliable desktop (not as many points of failure as the iMac). I had eyed the quad-i7 one as a possible desktop but got drunk on power and built a 6-core i7 hack instead. Now if I want one I have to go second-hand. If you need the official support then check the Apple store for refurbed ones. You get the same 1 year warranty and I'm pretty sure you can extend that with Applecare.

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