I've just received my new MacMini (16GB/512GB), and have been setting it up for work. Here are my first impressions.
Initial setup:
Bluetooth mouse & keyboard took quite a long time to be recognized (30-60s), but I was able to use them for setup.
Couldn't connect to (first gen) magic trackpad, but this may be a conflict with it being previously connected to my MBP16. Possibly deleting the trackpad from the other computer first would fix the situation, but I'd like the option to share it between computers.
iCloud login with Apple ID showed an authorization error - but not a wrong password - so skipped and did this after the first log in
Software Installation:
Rosetta installation was super quick - about 5 seconds.
Able to install my usual apps without issue, including OneNote, DropBox, Slack, CyberDuck, Remote Desktop for Windows, LastPass, Skype for Business, Visual Studio Code, Carbon Copy Cloner, FCP, Safari extensions. No installation glitches in any of the above.
No significant difference in speed noted for Rosetta installed apps compared to MBP16 (i9)
Paragon NTFS - required a restart to change the security settings to allow kernel extensions to run, and had to change privacy settings to grant full access to disks. Read/Write speeds about 25% slower on an external SSD compared to same disk on the MBP16- even with the Apple Silicon build of Paragon NTFS.
Peripheral Support
DisplayLink installation was smooth and both 1080p monitors were immediately recognized via a Dell D6000 dock. Had to unplug and plug in for the screens to be recognized after DisplayLink installation (normal).
Rode AI-I audio interface (via Dock) was recognized and input/output working as expected.
Canon DLSR camera via a cheap USB video capture dongle works fine for video conferencing via Sykpe.
External SSD in a USB 3.1 enclosure connected at 5Gbps on the MacMini vs 10Gbps on my MBP16
Overall Impression:
Very positive! I had no serious issues setting up the machine and was able to start using it for work 30 minutes after unboxing it and installing half a dozen apps.
General responsiveness feels better than my MBP16 but it's not "night and day".
Absolutely no fan noise, and the case is cool to the touch - unlike my MBP16.
Initial setup:
Bluetooth mouse & keyboard took quite a long time to be recognized (30-60s), but I was able to use them for setup.
Couldn't connect to (first gen) magic trackpad, but this may be a conflict with it being previously connected to my MBP16. Possibly deleting the trackpad from the other computer first would fix the situation, but I'd like the option to share it between computers.
iCloud login with Apple ID showed an authorization error - but not a wrong password - so skipped and did this after the first log in
Software Installation:
Rosetta installation was super quick - about 5 seconds.
Able to install my usual apps without issue, including OneNote, DropBox, Slack, CyberDuck, Remote Desktop for Windows, LastPass, Skype for Business, Visual Studio Code, Carbon Copy Cloner, FCP, Safari extensions. No installation glitches in any of the above.
No significant difference in speed noted for Rosetta installed apps compared to MBP16 (i9)
Paragon NTFS - required a restart to change the security settings to allow kernel extensions to run, and had to change privacy settings to grant full access to disks. Read/Write speeds about 25% slower on an external SSD compared to same disk on the MBP16- even with the Apple Silicon build of Paragon NTFS.
Peripheral Support
DisplayLink installation was smooth and both 1080p monitors were immediately recognized via a Dell D6000 dock. Had to unplug and plug in for the screens to be recognized after DisplayLink installation (normal).
Rode AI-I audio interface (via Dock) was recognized and input/output working as expected.
Canon DLSR camera via a cheap USB video capture dongle works fine for video conferencing via Sykpe.
External SSD in a USB 3.1 enclosure connected at 5Gbps on the MacMini vs 10Gbps on my MBP16
Overall Impression:
Very positive! I had no serious issues setting up the machine and was able to start using it for work 30 minutes after unboxing it and installing half a dozen apps.
General responsiveness feels better than my MBP16 but it's not "night and day".
Absolutely no fan noise, and the case is cool to the touch - unlike my MBP16.
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