Mac Mini Server vs Mac Mini

Yes, that is the difference, and yes, that you can do. Apple is just good at getting more money for their meager updates.

That is the only difference, but the price isn't really much more than doing it yourself.

For example, you'll need a $35 data doubler kit from OWC to get the 2nd drive cable and screws for a 2nd drive (neither the base or mid mini have the cable or screws for a second drive). Shipping adds another $6 or so, so let's just figure $40.

A 2nd 1TB drive (which is what the server comes with) is $70 for the cheapest model on Newegg right now.

The Server app is $20.

That's $130, so Apple is charging you $70 to install that for you. That's not an insane markup at all and many people wouldn't be comfortable opening their mini up.

Not to mention you really should also buy the mini logicboard tool to safely pull the logic board out to get to the hard drives. That's another $6+$6 shipping on iFixit. So the final Apple "Tax" is $58 more than doing it yourself. (And that's assuming you already own the T6 and T8 screwdrivers you'll need to do the job)

So if I buy a ssd of Ebay for a 2012 mac mini, to install the sad I have to spend what?$$ on sata, cable brackets,etc, and maybe tools?

jwjsr said:

So if I buy a ssd of Ebay for a 2012 mac mini, to install the sad I have to spend what?$$ on sata, cable brackets,etc, and maybe tools?

Click to expand...

If you want to add as additional drive, yes.
Look at the iFixIt guide for tools and steps you have to take.

I've been watching the cost and trouble of ssd upgrade for a about 2 months now and i don't know if saving $125 max is worth it. I'm wishing i had purchased the fusion upgrade for my mac mini.

Buy your drive (Someone posted 70.00 earlier?), get this:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/DIYIMM11D2/

and you spent 115.00+- for everything.

My friend did that with his 2011 mac mini. Comes with the logic board tool, screws, tool set for the different screws, and the cable.

jwjsr said:

I've been watching the cost and trouble of ssd upgrade for a about 2 months now and i don't know if saving $125 max is worth it. I'm wishing i had purchased the fusion upgrade for my mac mini.

Click to expand...

The mac mini is quite easy to install drives in, I have done at least a dozen of them and some more than once. Just buy the kit and you will be good to go. tbh it's harder to put a single drive back into the mini than 2 hdd's.

LeicaMan111 said:

Doesn't the OWC come with the logic board tool? And also the T6 and T8 screwdrivers? I thought the OWC kit for $40 comes with everything I would need.

Even if the Apple price was the same I would rather do it myself because it gives me more options, like adding the 750GB Seagate Momentus XT "Fusion" drive or a pure SSD drive for the second drive, rather being limited to having both drives as slow 5400rpm ones.

Click to expand...

Yes, I just saw there are two versions of the kit, one includes the tools and the logic board tool and right now it's only $3 more than the bare kit. That's a nice deal.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/DIYIMM11D2/

However, that green spudger in the kit is worthless IMO. I bought the tool kit from them a couple of years ago and that spudger is hard plastic and easy to break (I broke mine taking a PRAM battery out of an old Mac). It's also much wider than the Apple spudgers. I prefer the actual black plastic Apple spudgers which are a little softer and have a pointed end along with a flat end and a hook, which you can get on eBay for under $5 shipped, normally in a pack of 1, 2, 3, whatever you want. Having two on hand is a good idea. And you MUST use a spudger to carefully pull up the connectors and put them back in place. A butter knife is just asking for trouble. If you're going to be working on something you've spent $600-1000 on, spend the extra $5 and get some Apple spudgers.

I've opened up a 2010 mini, 2011 mini, and 2012 mini to put SSD's in them. It's not hard and after Apple took the optical drive out in 2011 it's even a bit easier. Just follow the ifixit instructions.

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+Mac+Mini+Late+2012+Dual+Hard+Drive+Kit/11713/1

jwjsr said:

I've been watching the cost and trouble of ssd upgrade for a about 2 months now and i don't know if saving $125 max is worth it. I'm wishing i had purchased the fusion upgrade for my mac mini.

Click to expand...

The install is quite easy. I was able to take apart 2 Mac Minis take the SSD and HDD from one and move it to the other swap the HDD and swap the RAM in under an hour. I even had to go back in a 2nd time because I forgot to push the HDD connector all the way in. This is my first experience with a Mac Mini and the 3rd time I had taken the first one apart. I had gotten a bad one on my first purchase and had to swap my SSD, HDD and RAM and move it over. But I have taken apart 2 MBP in the past.