Mac Mini blues (purchase help)

[moijk]

I got a nice i5-10 gen desktop, but I plan to retire that one to one of my kids and replace it with a mac mini since among other things I want to do some ios programming. I usually run linux and I had a mac pro 2009 and a macbook pro 2008, but both is retired. I also want to access my old iMovie stuff, which I can't in linux.

My plan was to do a hackintosh, but I have to admit I don't have that much time to waste trying to tweak everything. So real hardware is the key here.

On the used marked, there are a few 2018 Mac Minis, i5 mostly. They seem to be ok. around 500 usd with 256GB and 8gb standard. They can be upgraded to 64GB, so I would do 32GB at least if so.

But going up to 700 usd you get the m1 8gb, and around 1000 usd you get the more popular m1 16gb. And the m1 is twice as fast in most tasks, esp graphically.

You get the 16gb m1 new down to 1100 usd.

However, the m2 looms over the horizon. And while it doesn't look like they are a generation leap in comparison, they would at least give a good reason to haggle the others down even more.

So what would you suggest? I'm in no rush, but I dont want to wait months just to go back ot my initial plan.

 

[now i see it]

You can probably use the upgraded 13” M2 MacBook Pro compared to its predecessor as a clue to what the next M2 MacMini might be. It’s 20% faster than the model it replaced and that’s about it.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

So what would you suggest? I'm in no rush, but I dont want to wait months just to go back ot my initial plan.

You're in no rush but you don't want to wait months? That sounds like opposing views. If you truly are in NO rush then my suggestion would be to wait for the Mini M2 because at least you can now count on more macOS upgrades vs a Mini with an M1 chip. Apple lately have shown that they are willing to cutoff support for devices much sooner than expected.

 

[InlawBiker]

Same story for me. The answer is to wait unless you need it now. I have an ios project to get started so I just got an m1 16g/256, cheapest viable m1 mini. I have external storage to make up for the 256g.

The m2 mini will not be here soon and when it does come out it’ll be more expensive and probably sell out fast. Sure the m1 will be worth a bit less but not by much. It’ll be worth around 75% of retail for quite a while.

No way I’m buying an Intel Mac now. I use a m1 laptop for work, they’re perfect and very fast.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"So what would you suggest? I'm in no rush, but I dont want to wait months just to go back ot my initial plan."

DON'T buy an m1 Mini now. It's already outdated.

Here are your choices:
1. If you say you can wait, then WAIT until the m2 Mini is announced/released. Buy one of those, properly equipped.
or
2. Buy the base model Mac Studio now and be done with it. You could wait until Apple releases refurbished Studios, which will sell for about $1,800 in the base configuration.

 

[pmiles]

You may want to look into whether or not you can access your old iMovie stuff on a newer Mac. You may find that the version you were running to create content on is not compatible with the latest version, thus may not translate to the new version.

It sounds like cost is a big factor here. You could outright get a Mac right now but you are looking to haggle on pricing, which implies the used market. A hackintosh implies you want the ability to upgrade components, which no ARM Mac has the ability to do.

So on the one hand you have a limited upgrade path with the INTEL Mac mini, but it is incapable of staying current with the current ARM architecture... which may or may not be relevant to iOS programming. On the other hand, you can get a new ARM Mac and have some extended life on the new roadmap of Apple, but it has zero upgrade path. Which may or may not be relevant to iOS programming. The former may allow you access to older iMove files whereas the later may not.

What would be ideal for your iOS programming needs? Would losing access to your old iMovie stuff be a deal breaker? Is cost a huge factor in all this?

 

[sublunar]

OP wrote:
"So what would you suggest? I'm in no rush, but I dont want to wait months just to go back ot my initial plan."

DON'T buy an m1 Mini now. It's already outdated.

Here are your choices:
1. If you say you can wait, then WAIT until the m2 Mini is announced/released. Buy one of those, properly equipped.
or
2. Buy the base model Mac Studio now and be done with it. You could wait until Apple releases refurbished Studios, which will sell for about $1,800 in the base configuration.

To be fair, an Apple refurb mini might be acceptable too. The only downside might be the obsolescence clock starts ticking again as soon as we know if it’s been discontinued like the M1 MacBook Pro or if it continues like the M1 MacBook Air.

It might be worth considering if price is a factor.

 

[theluggage]

However, the m2 looms over the horizon. And while it doesn't look like they are a generation leap in comparison, they would at least give a good reason to haggle the others down even more.

It's kinda unanswerable, since nobody has any idea whether the M2 Mini will be here next week, next quarter, next year or never.

Generally, the only way to be sure that what you buy won't be quickly superseded is to buy within a few months of the product being released. Still, an M1 Mini won't magically turn into a brick the day the M2 comes out.

Maybe there are some second-hand M1 Minis around? Some people must have upgraded to Studios.

 

[InlawBiker]

It depends on how important your project is. I've been a web dev for a long time so any platform would work, now I'm trying a mobile app, and I'm finding you really need a Mac if you want to release for both android and ios. You don't need anything extravagant for this so a 16g mini will be fine. I was tempted to push it with 8g but I'm using my 16g m1 13" pro right now and I'm sitting at 11g memory used right now doing basic tasks and the day has just started.

I wouldn't worry too much about the m2 vs m1 thing. Is the project OK to delay for up to six months? Cuz that's when I think we'll see actual delivery of the 16g or 24g minis.

 

[InlawBiker]

So I had ordered a 16g/256 from Apple with a 2 week wait, but the Apple refurb store got stock so I cancelled and bought one there. They seem to have stock still as of today. I mean, the refurb mini is around the same price as a refurb iPhone 11 how can you go wrong?

I use the M1 13" MBP daily at work and for coding it's a no-brainer, nothing to complain about at all. Sure if I could grab an M2 today I would but my project has to get going. Even my lightroom and video editing tests on this little M1 13" is just fine. Nothing to get all excited about like the new Studio or M1 Ultras but it's buttery smooth for stuff that makes the fans on my desktop kick in hard.

I'm personally waiting for a 14" MBP 32g to replace ALL my stuff but in the meantime I think the m1 Mini is just fine for Xcode. It should still be worth a fair price when I go to sell it in a few years and hopefully Apple has solved their supply chain woes and has a M2 Macbook Pro waiting for me.