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Posted: 1/25/2023 2:14:28 AM EDT
The Mac Mini has fallen in and out of favor as an alternative to the iMac and even Mac laptops.
The Mac Mini with Intel chips kind of sucked and never got the attention they deserved with the lack of CPU and chipset updates. A Mini with various flavors of M2 chips is a real winner M2 Pro Mac Mini Review: Game Changer! |
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But does it game and run CAD and other essential business enterprise applications?
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In my extensive home network, I have mac, windows, and linux clients and servers. My wife uses a mac mini, iphone and apple watch. You'll never convince me that they ever were great.
ETA: Anything she does that involves something besides a browser, email, or facetime she does on her windows machines. Half the time she's on her mac, she's vnc'ed into a windows computer. There wouldn't be a mac in the house, but she likes all the gimmicks. If I could get her to try android, she'd never go back. |
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Quoted: In my extensive home network, I have mac, windows, and linux clients and servers. My wife uses a mac mini, iphone and apple watch. You'll never convince me that they ever were great. ETA: Anything she does that involves something besides a browser, email, or facetime she does on her windows machines. Half the time she's on her mac, she's vnc'ed into a windows computer. There wouldn't be a mac in the house, but she likes all the gimmicks. If I could get her to try android, she'd never go back. View Quote I've got windows and android. My apple experience is mainly people calling me to tell me that there is some problem with my apple account. |
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Quoted: In my extensive home network, I have mac, windows, and linux clients and servers. My wife uses a mac mini, iphone and apple watch. You'll never convince me that they ever were great. ETA: Anything she does that involves something besides a browser, email, or facetime she does on her windows machines. Half the time she's on her mac, she's vnc'ed into a windows computer. There wouldn't be a mac in the house, but she likes all the gimmicks. If I could get her to try android, she'd never go back. View Quote I can't speak to your wife's computer habits. The higher end M2 chips in a Mini form factor is going to be a game changer for a lot of people. |
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Quoted: I've got windows and android. My apple experience is mainly people calling me to tell me that there is some problem with my apple account. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: In my extensive home network, I have mac, windows, and linux clients and servers. My wife uses a mac mini, iphone and apple watch. You'll never convince me that they ever were great. ETA: Anything she does that involves something besides a browser, email, or facetime she does on her windows machines. Half the time she's on her mac, she's vnc'ed into a windows computer. There wouldn't be a mac in the house, but she likes all the gimmicks. If I could get her to try android, she'd never go back. I've got windows and android. My apple experience is mainly people calling me to tell me that there is some problem with my apple account. That's not really an Apple experience. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: In my extensive home network, I have mac, windows, and linux clients and servers. My wife uses a mac mini, iphone and apple watch. You'll never convince me that they ever were great. ETA: Anything she does that involves something besides a browser, email, or facetime she does on her windows machines. Half the time she's on her mac, she's vnc'ed into a windows computer. There wouldn't be a mac in the house, but she likes all the gimmicks. If I could get her to try android, she'd never go back. I've got windows and android. My apple experience is mainly people calling me to tell me that there is some problem with my apple account. That's not really an Apple experience. But it is my apple experience. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: In my extensive home network, I have mac, windows, and linux clients and servers. My wife uses a mac mini, iphone and apple watch. You'll never convince me that they ever were great. ETA: Anything she does that involves something besides a browser, email, or facetime she does on her windows machines. Half the time she's on her mac, she's vnc'ed into a windows computer. There wouldn't be a mac in the house, but she likes all the gimmicks. If I could get her to try android, she'd never go back. I've got windows and android. My apple experience is mainly people calling me to tell me that there is some problem with my apple account. That's not really an Apple experience. But it is my apple experience. Nah it was your India experience if you're not bullshitting |
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I may be going crazy, but haven't M2 chips been in Mac minies for a while? I swear my brother bought one
with the M2 chip like a year ago. He's the artist, I'm the tech guy(obviously a low bar), so I was helping him with a new comp for his needs, and he wound up settling on apple, where I just ok'd it based on cursory research and thinking about it like a reasonable person Is this brand new or am I confusing M1s with M2s based on if they make a ping? Edit:maybe it was an M1, based on Wikipedia timelines |
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Quoted: Nah it was your India experience if you're not bullshitting View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: In my extensive home network, I have mac, windows, and linux clients and servers. My wife uses a mac mini, iphone and apple watch. You'll never convince me that they ever were great. ETA: Anything she does that involves something besides a browser, email, or facetime she does on her windows machines. Half the time she's on her mac, she's vnc'ed into a windows computer. There wouldn't be a mac in the house, but she likes all the gimmicks. If I could get her to try android, she'd never go back. I've got windows and android. My apple experience is mainly people calling me to tell me that there is some problem with my apple account. That's not really an Apple experience. But it is my apple experience. Nah it was your India experience if you're not bullshitting No bullshit. One of them even argued with me, insisting that I was financially liable for anything that happens with that apple account, even though I did not open it and had never in my life opened or signed up for an apple account. Claimed they would hunt me down and collect from me, if I didn't straighten things out with him. I told him good fucking luck. Seems they target people that have apple accounts, because they expect some success from targeting people that have apple accounts. |
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Quoted: No bullshit. One of them even argued with me, insisting that I was financially liable for anything that happens with that apple account, even though I did not open it and had never in my life opened or signed up for an apple account. Claimed they would hunt me down and collect from me, if I didn't straighten things out with him. I told him good fucking luck. Seems they target people that have apple accounts, because they expect some success from targeting people that have apple accounts. View Quote You were dealing with Indian scammers lol |
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I switched back to Mac in July with a MBP 16 inch as my daily driver and I manage 300 Windows Servers and 2300 Windows desktops. Additionally I’m responsible for over 80 networks.
Looked at the M2 Mini pricing yesterday but by the time you spec it with enough RAM and SSD you’re by hitting in Mac Studio territory and with that machine you get a lot more ports and better cooling. |
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I like how MKBHD shows that switching from the Intel to the M1 resulted in the Mac being 14 TIMES FASTER.
I just got a base model M1 MacBook Air, and had been using a current-gen Dell XPS13 with an 8-core i5. I don't need a lot of horsepower, and I love the Dell style and form factor... but the Dell, even when just running a YouTube video in FireFox would get very warm and run the cooling fans. The MacBook does the same and remains completely cool! Right now, if I wanted a desktop instead of using my laptop on a dock as my daily driver, I would definitely look at getting a Mac Mini. Bang for the buck! |
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I’ve got a 13 years old Mac-Mini that’s been running a small home server and it’s about time to upgrade. A new mini might with the Apple chips might just fit the bill.
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I clicked on this thread thinking it would be about some new fast food sandwich.
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I was Android/Windows/Google until the non-election. I've had a PC since DOS 3.0 (not 3.11 which was way better and came later).
I went completely Apple and I'm not going back. Having my watch, phone, tablets, PCs, and televisions working together is pretty comfortable. I do keep one Windows computer around for Visio CAD and games. I do enjoy the phone is not run by an advertising company. |
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Quoted: I’ll answer this since the Mac fanbois will avoid it like the plague. No View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: But does it game and run CAD and other essential business enterprise applications? I’ll answer this since the Mac fanbois will avoid it like the plague. No We answer it in every thread: no, depends (and is easy to check, just to to the CAD app’s website and see if there’s a Mac version), and what “other essential business enterprise applications” are you referring to? |
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Yes Mac can game, CAD and run business enterprise software.
Next question? |
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If you are a liberal and like being told what and how to do everything and that you will like it that way because we said so buy a Mac. If you are conservative and enjoy freedom go Linux, Android or Windows.
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Quoted: If you are a liberal and like being told what and how to do everything and that you will like it that way because we said so buy a Mac. If you are conservative and enjoy freedom go Linux, Android or Windows. View Quote Ohh buddy, that line of thinking went out the window a long time ago. You forgot the “one button mouse” meme that’s been dead over two decades too. |
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Having had both multiple times over the years, the downsides and nerfed experience you get with the Mac ecosystem makes it not viable for me. Iphones are also a perfect example of planned obsolescence with batteries that take a dump after a couple years. Even the wife, no particularly tech savvy, is dumping iphones next time around because of it, she is on her 3rd iPhone in under 5 years while I'm at 9 years and still going on 2 androids. The original androids were awful but these are not them.
To be clear, windows sucks, but you pay more and get less with a Mac or any apple product. Their target demographics are different and the loyalty, as blind and stupid as some of it is, is very real. |
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Quoted: Having had both multiple times over the years, the downsides and nerfed experience you get with the Mac ecosystem makes it not viable for me. Iphones are also a perfect example of planned obsolescence with batteries that take a dump after a couple years. Even the wife, no particularly tech savvy, is dumping iphones next time around because of it, she is on her 3rd iPhone in under 5 years while I'm at 9 years and still going on 2 androids. The original androids were awful but these are not them. To be clear, windows sucks, but you pay more and get less with a Mac or any apple product. Their target demographics are different and the loyalty, as blind and stupid as some of it is, is very real. View Quote Literally none of this rant has any relation to reality whatsoever. |
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Quoted: Ohh buddy, that line of thinking went out the window a long time ago. You forgot the “one button mouse” meme that’s been dead over two decades too. View Quote You don't get to decide that although I was mostly kidding. Honestly I work with both (and Linux on occasion) everyday. People who do realize that the Mac hype is just that hype. They aren't any better they are just different and most of the features people tout as being so innovative in a Mac we were available in Linux 30 years ago. |
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Quoted: If you are a liberal and like being told what and how to do everything and that you will like it that way because we said so buy a Mac. If you are conservative and enjoy freedom go Linux, Android or Windows. View Quote The vast majority of abortion clinics and child porno distribution rings do run Windows so there's that slight issue to deal with. The federal government nearly exclusively runs Windows computers, is Biden a good example of a conservative? |
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I’ve been happy with Mac Minis since about 2015. First one was on the low end as it was all I could afford. But the next one in 2019 was pretty well equipped. It has handled everything I have needed it to do (some 3D modeling, coding, running multiple VMs at once to simulate environments, etc.)
Glad to see Apple is taking the minis even further. Not everyone wants an iMac with a built in monitor or needs a stupid expensive Mac Pro. |
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Quoted: You don't get to decide that although I was mostly kidding. Honestly I work with both (and Linux on occasion) everyday. People who do realize that the Mac hype is just that hype. They aren't any better they are just different and most of the features people tout as being so innovative in a Mac we were available in Linux 30 years ago. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Ohh buddy, that line of thinking went out the window a long time ago. You forgot the “one button mouse” meme that’s been dead over two decades too. You don't get to decide that although I was mostly kidding. Honestly I work with both (and Linux on occasion) everyday. People who do realize that the Mac hype is just that hype. They aren't any better they are just different and most of the features people tout as being so innovative in a Mac we were available in Linux 30 years ago. Linux barely existed 30 years ago and had no features at all. |
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Quoted: You don't get to decide that although I was mostly kidding. Honestly I work with both (and Linux on occasion) everyday. People who do realize that the Mac hype is just that hype. They aren't any better they are just different and most of the features people tout as being so innovative in a Mac we were available in Linux 30 years ago. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Ohh buddy, that line of thinking went out the window a long time ago. You forgot the “one button mouse” meme that’s been dead over two decades too. You don't get to decide that although I was mostly kidding. Honestly I work with both (and Linux on occasion) everyday. People who do realize that the Mac hype is just that hype. They aren't any better they are just different and most of the features people tout as being so innovative in a Mac we were available in Linux 30 years ago. I don’t care. It’s not hype when I can use a Mac to make money, longer than a PC will ever last. |
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Quoted: Literally none of this rant has any relation to reality whatsoever. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Having had both multiple times over the years, the downsides and nerfed experience you get with the Mac ecosystem makes it not viable for me. Iphones are also a perfect example of planned obsolescence with batteries that take a dump after a couple years. Even the wife, no particularly tech savvy, is dumping iphones next time around because of it, she is on her 3rd iPhone in under 5 years while I'm at 9 years and still going on 2 androids. The original androids were awful but these are not them. To be clear, windows sucks, but you pay more and get less with a Mac or any apple product. Their target demographics are different and the loyalty, as blind and stupid as some of it is, is very real. Literally none of this rant has any relation to reality whatsoever. Yeah, people really misinterpreted the whole battery issue with iPhones a few years ago. I just watched a video about the iOS 16.3 update... and it's available for iPhone 8 models. That's 6 generations ago. I'd think that a 6 year old cell phone that is running the current OS isn't exactly "obsolete". People also seem to think that a computer is a computer is a computer, and any computer (or phone) should be able to run any software. To some extent, 'maybe', and on older hardware, "run" might not be appropriate. "Crawl" might be. It also costs a lot of fucking money to pay developers to make software work with many different types of hardware. Then factor in encryption and security, and a lot of old hardware would simply choke on up-to-date encryption. Thus why a PC from 2008 running Windows XP isn't going to get updates. It simply won't be powerful enough to "talk the same encryption". So people, it is absolutely NOT feasible to keep a phone or computer for a decade or more and expect it to not only run (it probably will), but to get updates and remain secure. For the love of GOD, keep your shit updated!!!!! When your phone or computer stops receiving updates, its time to upgrade. If you can't or don't want to, then again, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, do not use the device for anything financial, don't log into any apps, sites or systems that, if compromised, could fuck up your life. |
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Quoted: I don’t care. It’s not hype when I can use a Mac to make money, longer than a PC will ever last. View Quote I use a 2009 Lenovo everyday for home use. It is fine. We run both Apple and Lenovo where I work and we have service issues at about the same rate. We keep our machines in service for 5 years then run them as loaners for several years after that. They hold up well enough. Again they are not better just different. It all boils down to personal preference. I do think Apple going away from Intel chips is a smart move for the sake of differentiation. |
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Really? Fuck Apple.
Apple is helping the Chinese government sensor and inslave the Chinese people. Apple admitted to databasing, keeping and using recorded data from microphones on Apple devices without users knowledge or permission. Apple shares user information with the .gov. How far does a corporation have to go before you stop giving them your money and support? |
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All my macs are approaching being 10 years old this year. I’ll probably get an M2 before long.
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Quoted: I use a 2009 Lenovo everyday for home use. It is fine. We run both Apple and Lenovo where I work and we have service issues at about the same rate. We keep our machines in service for 5 years then run them as loaners for several years after that. They hold up well enough. Again they are not better just different. It all boils down to personal preference. I do think Apple going away from Intel chips is a smart move for the sake of differentiation. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: I don’t care. It’s not hype when I can use a Mac to make money, longer than a PC will ever last. I use a 2009 Lenovo everyday for home use. It is fine. We run both Apple and Lenovo where I work and we have service issues at about the same rate. We keep our machines in service for 5 years then run them as loaners for several years after that. They hold up well enough. Again they are not better just different. It all boils down to personal preference. I do think Apple going away from Intel chips is a smart move for the sake of differentiation. You’re not doing anything meaningful on an 09 machine of any make, come on. Maybe watching YouTube. I have a 14 year old MacBook Pro and that’s all it’s good for. Kinda sucks though, one of the speakers is blown so it’s not pleasant. |
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Quoted: Really? Fuck Apple. Apple is helping the Chinese government sensor and inslave the Chinese people. Apple admitted to databasing, keeping and using recorded data from microphones on Apple devices without users knowledge or permission. Apple shares user information with the .gov. How far does a corporation have to go before you stop giving them your money and support? View Quote Lol |
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I have been a Mac person since the first Mac came out. I couldn't afford one myself until after I graduated but I had access. Since the beginning of personal computing I have also had to deal with PCs on a daily basis as they run a lot of our laboratory equipment. Having been in the game a long time now it is my opinion that the differences between the two get smaller each year and we are now really just taking about personal preference in most cases.
As of my last upgrade I went with a Macbook Air connected to a docking station that gives me 1-cord connectivity to an ultrawide external monitor, full size keyboard and high capacity external drive when I am sitting in the office. I would take that over a mini any day just for the portability factor. The one major exception to my preference for a mac is gaming where I think building a PC results in a much more powerful and less expensive solution. |
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Quoted: First. The typos but it’s really how he ignores how every manufacturer does that very same thing. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Lol What's so funny? First. The typos but it’s really how he ignores how every manufacturer does that very same thing. Yeah. Microsoft doesn’t exactly have a bright, shiny history. Nor does anyone in tech, really. I may not like a lot of Apple’s political leanings, but Tim Cook has at least repeatedly, publicly, told the .gov to go fuck itself when it wanted backdoors installed. I use both technologies with a sprinkling of Garuda Linux here and there. Cult worship is for the birds. Use what works when you need it. |
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Yes I love using an OS that scans all my photos for CSAM and reports every program launch I make to AppLEL.
I also love not being able to push files to an Android device without having to run commands in terminal first. I love the random GUI bugs and disgusting flat UI design (their old skeuomorphic designs had soul). That said I will admit that MacOS runs very well on older hardware with SSDs and is really easy to pirate software for. But everything else about MacOS blows from lack of proper control to how much Apple tracks what you do on it. I'll stick to Windows at work and Linux at home. |
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Quoted: Yeah. Microsoft doesn’t exactly have a bright, shiny history. Nor does anyone in tech, really. I may not like a lot of Apple’s political leanings, but Tim Cook has at least repeatedly, publicly, told the .gov to go fuck itself when it wanted backdoors installed. I use both technologies with a sprinkling of Garuda Linux here and there. Cult worship is for the birds. Use what works when you need it. View Quote If you don't think the feds have back doors into Apple you're foolish. |
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Quoted: Yes Mac can game, CAD and run business enterprise software. Next question? View Quote We mean real stuff, not FreeCAD and word. I can run "business software", play games and run some form.of CAD on a raspberry pi too. Doesn't mean it's worth the effort. My Mac experience is garbage and I have to experience it every day because my employer insisted on using the worthless systems for everything. Hell, they are wasting $3500 a deal right now to put new monitors and machines on desks so we can check email and surf the internet because that's all they are useful for in the environment I work in. Give me a raspberry pi (which I use more than the Mac on my desk) and let me spend the $3500 on getting a project done so production can continue and be more efficient. They do shit like run windows in a VM on a Mac so it can communicate to a Linux box using the manufacturers software so we can program or send commands to a machine. Hell, I can't even write code for a $90 PLC on a Mac so they had to spend money on a POS Toshiba laptop with win 8 so we could back up and modify PLC code on the floor. 99% of what I do cannot run on a Mac. It could be written to run on a Mac but nobody cares to because industry uses windows and Linux. |
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