Yes, very much so. I've been on the lookout for used M1 or better Minis to replace my 2014 as soon as it's necessary.
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Help to choose used Mac Mini
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I was referring to how it's dangerous in terms of security to be running Catalina today while using Safari, Chrome, or Opera, all three of which are no longer receiving any security updates for versions that can run on Catalina.
For your stated usage, the M1 will be a great choice and should last you quite a while.
Apple generally guarantees updates for its products for around 7-8 years, so the M1 Mac mini released in November 2020 would logically continue to be supported for a few more years.
And what's more, you'll be able to benefit from Apple Intelligence available for Apple silicon Macs (even though I personally think Apple sells far too many of them for what they are).
Conclusion: you'd certainly be making a good choice. However, the number one desktop Mac to recommend for most people today is the M4 mini. But then the price goes up.
If you can find a 27” 2013 iMac, those can be found for around 150. A 21.5” model could even go for lower than €100.
Gave mine to my dad a few years ago and used OpenCore patcher to install a more recent version of MacOS.
The 27” inch can have it’s ram easily upgraded down the line, to a maximum of 32 GB. And it’s pretty cheap at the moment.
The usb 3 Ports on these iMacs also allow for a external SSD to be used as the main disk at reasonable speeds, a lot faster than a HDD.
The newer mac mini’s are nice, but there’s certain risks with buying one of those machines second hand. I’ve seen plenty m1 Mac mini’s with storage problems.
Gave mine to my dad a few years ago and used OpenCore patcher to install a more recent version of MacOS.
The 27” inch can have it’s ram easily upgraded down the line, to a maximum of 32 GB. And it’s pretty cheap at the moment.
The usb 3 Ports on these iMacs also allow for a external SSD to be used as the main disk at reasonable speeds, a lot faster than a HDD.
The newer mac mini’s are nice, but there’s certain risks with buying one of those machines second hand. I’ve seen plenty m1 Mac mini’s with storage problems.
Wow, that's interesting. I have not heard of this. You mean the internal ssd is dying?
2018 Mini will still run the latest version of Mac OS (Sequoia).
Don't know if it will be able to run what comes after Sequoia.
Get 16gb of RAM.
Anything less may not be enough in the years to come.
I'd look for a 512gb SSD, but if money is an issue, get 256gb and add something external.
I wouldn't get anything older than a 2018...
Don't know if it will be able to run what comes after Sequoia.
Get 16gb of RAM.
Anything less may not be enough in the years to come.
I'd look for a 512gb SSD, but if money is an issue, get 256gb and add something external.
I wouldn't get anything older than a 2018...
I agree, nothing older than a 2018 and even then I'd really try to get an M1. M1 really was a quantum leap.
Yes. Might have had to do with a bug in the early m1 days… but I didn’t really look into it.
I wouldn't buy a Mac mini 2018 today. Not to speak of 2014... But it is your money.
I also have an macbook pro,2015,Monterey os,but have no issues,works fine.I must change one of them with better.Cheaper change is macmini i think.I lived elsewhere for two decades,and heard that mac pro is very cheap,people avoid it.. I can also buy am mac pro,is like an macmini-not portable but bulky.Still afraid that eats a lot of energy daily.
I'm going to vote against buying a 2014.
2014 is still usable for some if you already have one, but if iWorks (Pages/Numbers/etc) means anything to you then you will need to buy a mac that will run either the current or prior version of MacOS (Sonoma+ today) for the initial install.
So 2018 or newer.
16GB+ RAM (2018 is the only year with upgradable RAM, moderate effort)
Booting from an external SSDs is an option for desktops, but having an 512GB+ internal SSD is nice to have. Even if you don't need the storage larger SSDs have longer total write lifespans. 256GB and smaller drives have occasionally been reported as wearing out.
2014 is still usable for some if you already have one, but if iWorks (Pages/Numbers/etc) means anything to you then you will need to buy a mac that will run either the current or prior version of MacOS (Sonoma+ today) for the initial install.
So 2018 or newer.
16GB+ RAM (2018 is the only year with upgradable RAM, moderate effort)
Booting from an external SSDs is an option for desktops, but having an 512GB+ internal SSD is nice to have. Even if you don't need the storage larger SSDs have longer total write lifespans. 256GB and smaller drives have occasionally been reported as wearing out.
Any machine with an Intel CPU will be closer to the end of its support lifecycle, which means both hardware and software repair options will become increasingly scarce. The M1 would not only run circles around any Intel-based machine, but it would do so while running quietly and using far less power than an Intel-based machine.
The 2018 Mac Mini's run Linux without issues and that seems to be keeping their prices elevated. You might find the M1 Mini is no more expensive. Linux mostly works on the M1, but it still has issues for now.
I've been wondering whether to update the 2014 Mini in the stereo cabinet. I was looking for a 2018 to start, but too many have the 128 GB storage option which is Not upgradable.
One other note, Intel's naming convention is not reliable. The i3 in the 2018 far outperforms the i5 or the i7 in the 2014.
I've been wondering whether to update the 2014 Mini in the stereo cabinet. I was looking for a 2018 to start, but too many have the 128 GB storage option which is Not upgradable.
One other note, Intel's naming convention is not reliable. The i3 in the 2018 far outperforms the i5 or the i7 in the 2014.
A 2018 will not get you 5 years of support. Matter of fact this year is likely to be the last it’s supported. Even the m1 is looking kind of weak in terms of long term support (I have an m1 air which runs great but I don’t think it’ll get 5 more years)
Please, don't throw in either super negative or super positive comments without any sources. Interesting info, but where did you find this?
I have a base model 2014 Mac Mini as a home media server. It works, but is getting very long in the tooth. I plan on replacing it with at least an M1 in the next year or so, as even booting to an external SSD hasn't been enough to keep it running as fast as I'd prefer. If I can get an M4 Mini, I might even move it back into my living room and hook it up directly to our main TV. It was fun being able to play some games on our TV when I had the 2014 out there a few years ago.
Oh man, I forgot how fun it was to be able play games on a Mac, even if only every once in a while.
One should consider the Intel Mac relics, and I don't know why they aren't being given away. Everybody looks for that breakthrough, the big nuclear fusion, rarely but here is it, the Apple Silicon, I sound like a salesman, but I say the M1 is the least u wanna settled at this juncture. As u maybe aware, the M4 basic, for surfing, is universally applauded as a Best Buy, Apple? Best Buy? Since When? I jumped at it. Even my neophile Sister told me to junk my 2010 Air when she saw me with it.
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There is no comparison between a Core2Duo 2010 Air and an 8th gen i3/i5/i7 2018 Mini. The Core2Duo -> Hyperthreading i# was just as big a of a CPU breakthrough back in its time as Apple Silicon was in late 2020. The big difference was Apple Silicon also came with an integrated graphics breakthrough at the same time.
I can't tell a difference between my 2018 i5 mini and my 2021 M1-Pro MBP in normal use. Mostly the 14" MBP is portable and power efficient while the mini has moderately better desktop gaming graphics thanks to a 160W eGPU.
Speaking of graphics, the one big weakness with a 2018 mini is the minimalist UHD 630. It is only slightly faster than what shipped in the 2014 minis. The UHD 630 does ok at up to 1440p but can't really handle basic full-screen effects in 4K without stuttering. Back in the day those of us who wanted good graphics didn't care about the iGPU because we were cheerfully running eGPUs as if we had budget Mac Pros, but today if someone is expecting smooth 4K display performance or light gaming then they might as well get a newer Apple Silicon mini instead of budgeting for an eGPU to go with a 2018.
I can't tell a difference between my 2018 i5 mini and my 2021 M1-Pro MBP in normal use. Mostly the 14" MBP is portable and power efficient while the mini has moderately better desktop gaming graphics thanks to a 160W eGPU.
Speaking of graphics, the one big weakness with a 2018 mini is the minimalist UHD 630. It is only slightly faster than what shipped in the 2014 minis. The UHD 630 does ok at up to 1440p but can't really handle basic full-screen effects in 4K without stuttering. Back in the day those of us who wanted good graphics didn't care about the iGPU because we were cheerfully running eGPUs as if we had budget Mac Pros, but today if someone is expecting smooth 4K display performance or light gaming then they might as well get a newer Apple Silicon mini instead of budgeting for an eGPU to go with a 2018.
just to add when looking at things of the age of 2012/14, the 2012 i7 mac mini was the last for a long time to have the quad core processor. It also has internal space for 2 SATA drives. It is faster than the 2014 dual core. For me, its the 2012 quad core, or step up many many years. I went from the 2012 to the M2. Most of the machines in the middle were only dual core, I am not sure on the late models.
That has less to do with Intel's naming conventions and more to do with different generations of Intel CPUs. Even on the Apple side, the base M4 compares favorably with the M1 Pro across multiple benchmarks, primarily because of generational improvements and performance uplifts.
