Someone on the iFixit mac mini teardown site claimed you might not be able to boot the machine in the event the flash drive failed. Could you still cmd R into the recovery screen if that happened to change the security settings to allow external boot? He claims you couldn't, that it would require a logic board replacement at that point. The procedure in the imore article assumes the flash is still working, right. Hard to believe Apple would allow the failed flash drive scenario to disable the machine, though. Would like to put that to rest before I bought the mini.
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Hands-On With Apple's New 2018 Mac Mini
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Someone on the iFixit mac mini teardown site claimed you might not be able to boot the machine in the event the flash drive failed. Could you still cmd R into the recovery screen if that happened to change the security settings to allow external boot? He claims you couldn't, that it would require a logic board replacement at that point. The procedure in the imore article assumes the flash is still working, right. Hard to believe Apple would allow the failed flash drive scenario to disable the machine, though. Would like to put that to rest before I bought the mini.
If so, welcome to the new world of T2 chip 'security' that we never asked for. In 30+ years of owning Macs, I can count the number of times my desktop computer has been compromised by a nefarious entity on, let's see ... zero fingers.
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Oh lord, you're defending the guy who chooses his computer based on the color? So you're one of them? Its starting to feel like invasion of the body snatchers ... with real Mac users being replaced by people who are looking for a 'fashion statement' rather than a tool for work.
Glad they finally updated it, but now that Apple has effectively decommissioned Server, I still have only limited use for them. Ordered a few for our conference rooms, and considering upgrading our Kerio server (but lately they seem to be playing the same slow-deliberate-death game Apple did with OSX server so maybe not).
+A Billion to everything you wrote. Also, it's so transparent that the T2 Chip is there so going forward no one will be able to boot a Hackintosh, because MacOS will check with the T2 chip to start up, I mean 'be secured'.
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So you're telling me the wealthiest company on earth with $400 billion in the bank couldn't figure out a cooling solution? If you believe that, then you'll be interested in this bridge I have for sale... you'll be able to go from Brooklyn to Manhattan in no time.
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There's a bigger reason. It's $$$. Everyone but the most loyal of cult followers realizes that already.
Well, not having a fan certainly didn't help. I don't understand Apple's obsession with having everything run silent... it's simply not possible. Hell, even the computers on ST: TNG hummed... and they were in the 24th century!
A completely incomplete report - an easy F grade. What exactly was done with the video presentation that keeps telling you ... "more to come" ... ? Is this a trailer - this many days after release?
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Yep, the writing is on the wall. They already did it with the iPhone when some repairs rendered them inoperable. Apple got caught up and they put in a "fix". That was just a stop gap till they get their "security" in. Now I'm starting to believe it's also the reason why Tim Cook is harping about security so much. Just to sell an excuse to put these chips into everything and render self repair/upgrades completely impossible.
Wonder if the hackers (Hackintoshers) will, down the line, figure out a way to disable the T2 chip!
Will I eventually buy one? Yes
Do I feel like Apple is ripping me off? Yes
Do I feel like Apple is ripping me off? Yes
Thanks for the review. I am still hungry though. I haven't seen any reviews yet towards the use-case of Mac mini as a media-center to play 4K ripped & HDR content. I'm getting mine on Friday so would be nice to have some info on that.
Sure they could, but it would require a taller form factor with more airflow. Hence I referenced Apple's decision to keep the same form factor.
Sounds a bit meh as an 'upgrade' to my current Mini.
- i3 vs old i7... guessing it's still significantly faster but the same price used to get you an i5 of the day.
- No HD upgrades is a bit of a killer as mine has dual SSDs. I'm sure this SSD's much faster than mine (along with the bus...etc) but HD speed hasn't really been an issue for me.
- GPU! Sounds like the graphics are greatly improved and you can use an external GPU now. Not bad. Expensive though!!! While gaming isn't my thing, I think if I wanted faster graphics, I'd buy a cheap PC with a mid-range GPU.
Overall, yet another disappointing Apple desktop that I won't be purchasing.
- i3 vs old i7... guessing it's still significantly faster but the same price used to get you an i5 of the day.
- No HD upgrades is a bit of a killer as mine has dual SSDs. I'm sure this SSD's much faster than mine (along with the bus...etc) but HD speed hasn't really been an issue for me.
- GPU! Sounds like the graphics are greatly improved and you can use an external GPU now. Not bad. Expensive though!!! While gaming isn't my thing, I think if I wanted faster graphics, I'd buy a cheap PC with a mid-range GPU.
Overall, yet another disappointing Apple desktop that I won't be purchasing.
Look$ cute, like every other Mac product$ nowaday$ that are good for surfing the web.
With no SD card slot I won't be able to load my images into the computer (I'm a photographer) and with only two USB ports I'll be able to connect the mouse and the keyboard. Connecting anything else would be impossible as I do not own any other Apple products so Thunderbolt connectors are useless for me. Unless of course I get an SD card reader and connectors to expand the USB slots. And a desktop with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage is a freaking joke in 2018. Sure you could upgrade those... if you're rich and can make it rain.
Is it worth upgrading? Nope!
I'll just keep using my Mac Mini 2012 and upgrade to a Windows computer later on. Apple lost me.
With no SD card slot I won't be able to load my images into the computer (I'm a photographer) and with only two USB ports I'll be able to connect the mouse and the keyboard. Connecting anything else would be impossible as I do not own any other Apple products so Thunderbolt connectors are useless for me. Unless of course I get an SD card reader and connectors to expand the USB slots. And a desktop with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage is a freaking joke in 2018. Sure you could upgrade those... if you're rich and can make it rain.
Is it worth upgrading? Nope!
I'll just keep using my Mac Mini 2012 and upgrade to a Windows computer later on. Apple lost me.
I wonder when these apparent vanilla USB-C (non-TB3) 5K displays will arrive?
Apple said on the recent keynote that the new iPads can "even connect to a 5K display at 60Hz". But given no vanilla USB-C 5K's exist, how can they possibly make that claim??
I wonder why they haven't considered reviving the G4 cube form factor. The cooling abilities alone would be amazing.
I am on the fence on getting the i5 model to replace my 2007 iMac. Kinda expensive for what you get, but the new Mac Mini would be a huge improvement on my old rig that has held up for the last 11 years. Right now it takes over 3 minutes to open iTunes.
Is it faster than the 2012? I have a 2012 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 with 16GB mem and a Fusion drive.
I think that was true back then, but nowadays it's possible to be silent. I've owned the Mac Pro 2013 (trash can), and that thing is scarily and beautifully silent. Consequently, the Blackmagic eGPU which uses the same concept of unified heatsink and large fan, also runs silent.
What I don't understand is Apple's obsession with thinness while trading off cooling capacity which in turn makes for turbo jet noise. Prime example of this is the MBPs, SO ANNOYINGLY NOISY. Fan ramps up extremely easily and it's so annoying.
Mine should be arriving this weekend, very similarly spec'd as you say.
I got the i7, 512GB internal, 8GB case with 32GB of 2666MHz SoDimm, with a USB-C 3.1 NVME Samsung 960EVO external and the 10Gb NIC upgrade.
Then a Vega64 water-cooled eGPU.
Hoping this will be quite the small, powerful little fast machine.
C'monnnnnnnn Friday.
Really??? My 10 year old Cheese Grater is getting tossed for one...There is NOTHING a 10 year old Cheese Grater does better than an i7 Mini except generate heat. It can be used as a room heater in the winter. The mini is nearly 3 times the processing power and graphics power (unless u spend $$$ to get a new graphics card, but you can get an eGPU for the mini and smoke whatever u do in the MacPro). The ONLY thing u can do on a Cheese Grater that you can't on a mini is have 5 internal HDs and a Superdrive. Oh and your CheeseGrater Pro was near $5k. This machine is $1500 with an i7 and 256GB SSD. I can buy another Mini in 5 years at that price and STILL spend less money than a "Modular" computer.