My Mac Situation: Please Help!

[StevePaselli]

Beautiful,

Have that internal drive replaced, please. Do it now. DO ask how much they charge for a 500 GB samsung 850 SSD since this is a good time to upgrade the thing to faster booting and loading. It broke: fix it.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

It's not possible for me to install USB 3.0 ports on the Mac Mini mid 2011 right?

No.

 

[Wondercow]

It's not possible for me to install USB 3.0 ports on the Mac Mini mid 2011 right?

Yes it is—buy a Thunderbolt dock that has USB 3 ports (they pretty much all do).

Now, what you'll pay for the dock is higher than what it would cost you to hire someone to replace the internal drive with an SSD, but since you seem intent on not taking that advice you may as well waste money on adding USB 3

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Yes it is—buy a Thunderbolt dock that has USB 3 ports (they pretty much all do).

Now, what you'll pay for the dock is higher than what it would cost you to hire someone to replace the internal drive with an SSD, but since you seem intent on not taking that advice you may as well waste money on adding USB 3

I guess I took her question more literally, but yours is the better answer.

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

Yes it is—buy a Thunderbolt dock that has USB 3 ports (they pretty much all do).

Now, what you'll pay for the dock is higher than what it would cost you to hire someone to replace the internal drive with an SSD, but since you seem intent on not taking that advice you may as well waste money on adding USB 3

I'm definitely taking the advice I'm given here, but I'm just trying to see what my options are.

I never knew it was possible to buy a Thunderbolt dock that has USB 3.0 ports...

 

[Fishrrman]

There are one or two thunderbolt "adapter/dongles" that have a USB3 port.

Check this:
https://www.amazon.com/Kanex-Thunde...58&sr=8-1&keywords=kanex+thunderbolt+to+usb+3

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

http://www.belkin.com/us/F4U085-Belkin/p/P-F4U085/

 

[bopajuice]

I'm definitely taking the advice I'm given here, but I'm just trying to see what my options are.

I never knew it was possible to buy a Thunderbolt dock that has USB 3.0 ports...

I am guessing to buy a thunderbolt dock, and a external USB 3.0 drive would cost more than just having the internal drive replaced.

Seems so simple to me, and besides would you really want to have a dock with cables and an external hard drive with cables cluttering up your desk? Part of the Apple appeal is the clean look. Adding all these external attachments seems to defeat the purpose. In that case I would have just bought a PC tower computer. You can replace just about any part in those things with a butter knife.

 

[CoastalOR]

I'm definitely taking the advice I'm given here, but I'm just trying to see what my options are.
I never knew it was possible to buy a Thunderbolt dock that has USB 3.0 ports...

Do your research before buying any adaptors or docks. I know the Kanex adaptors (mentioned by Fishrrman) "Cannot be used as a bootable device for Mac or Windows" according to the Kanex web site. That means you can not connect a external HDD to USB3 port of the adaptor and boot from the external, which is what I think you want to accomplish. The same may be true for some of the Thunderbolt docks, so verify before buying.

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

Do your research before buying any adaptors or docks. I know the Kanex adaptors (mentioned by Fishrrman) "Cannot be used as a bootable device for Mac or Windows" according to the Kanex web site. That means you can not connect a external HDD to USB3 port of the adaptor and boot from the external, which is what I think you want to accomplish. The same may be true for some of the Thunderbolt docks, so verify before buying.

Wow, it's a good thing you posted this!

Thank you!

 

[Wondercow]

Wow, it's a good thing you posted this!

Thank you!

Why? That implies that you're actually considering getting a Thunderbolt dock. No one's advice has changed since this thread started months ago: internal ssd is the best and cheapest option. Period. You do seem intent on ignoring that.

(I don't mean to imply it's not good he posted that, but in the current situation it would only be good to OP if she was actually considering it. Which is all kinds of ridiculous!)

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

Why? That implies that you're actually considering getting a Thunderbolt dock. No one's advice has changed since this thread started months ago: internal ssd is the best and cheapest option. Period. You do seem intent on ignoring that.

(I don't mean to imply it's not good he posted that, but in the current situation it would only be good to OP if she was actually considering it. Which is all kinds of ridiculous!)

How can an internal SSD be the cheapest option?

I thought the cheapest option would be buying an internal hard drive with a capacity of between 500GB-1TB???

An SSD at that capacity would be very expensive...?

 

[elf69]

It may not be the cheapest but it is the best option for performance.

a standard hdd is cheaper yes but and SSD will be much faster.

I fitted ssd to a 2009 macbook and it is a whole new machine!

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

But the 2009 Macbooks aren't supported by MacOS Sierra right? How can you still use it?

 

[elf69]

yes they are, a1342 model is.

I have 2.

even if not sierra then el capitan is still fine to use

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

But does Apple still update El Capitan with security updates???

It just seems like a huge risk to be using an OS that doesn't receive security updates anymore even if MacOSX is more secure than Windows...???

 

[elf69]

still get updates on my 2007 imac with el capitan.

I have customers at work still using windows 98 or XP.
no updates not mean dangerous if your savvy.

my imac is my main computer and has el capitan.
my work machine is macbook air with sierra.

my two a1342 macbooks have been retired.
I also have a 2007 17" macbook pro with el capitan that I use.
plus I have a 2007 macbook pro with is limited to 10.7 but it is not used much just music and DVDs really.

 

[Wondercow]

How can an internal SSD be the cheapest option?

I thought the cheapest option would be buying an internal hard drive with a capacity of between 500GB-1TB???

An SSD at that capacity would be very expensive...?

You seem to be looking to us to do all the research for you. The bottom line is you've been given the same info for months now, with most people here in agreement that an SSD would serve you best--based on what you've said you need. An SSD is the cheapest option for the speed you're wanting: USB 3, Thunderbolt, FireWire, ... an internal SSD is cheapest.

Why, for months now, have you not solved your own problem if you're still thinking an internal rotating drive is good enough? And why do you need that capacity? Why not put in a small-capacity internal drive and store your documents, etc. on a large-capacity external.

Please, just pick one option and fix your computer!

 

[Fishrrman]

OP asks:
"It just seems like a huge risk to be using an OS that doesn't receive security updates anymore even if MacOSX is more secure than Windows...???"

I don't see all that much risk.
I left my 2010 MacBook Pro running 10.6.8 from the time I bought it until last December. Never a problem.
It still has 10.6.8, and still boots and runs fine.

I've left my late-2012 Mac Mini running 10.8.5 (it came with 10.8.2).
Four+ years later, still running great.

This is nothwithstanding those who have a real need to update to keep software current to access certain websites, etc.

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

still get updates on my 2007 imac with el capitan.

I have customers at work still using windows 98 or XP.
no updates not mean dangerous if your savvy.

my imac is my main computer and has el capitan.
my work machine is macbook air with sierra.

my two a1342 macbooks have been retired.
I also have a 2007 17" macbook pro with el capitan that I use.
plus I have a 2007 macbook pro with is limited to 10.7 but it is not used much just music and DVDs really.

Wow, really?

It just seems like a big security risk to be running a version of OSX that no longer receives security updates.

I didn't know that El Capitan still receives security updates.

 

[kschendel]

Running older OS versions that don't get updates is non ideal, but it can be done safely IMO (for a home computer) if you're reasonably careful and watch for suspicious system behavior. Maybe not so much for a machine that's part of a corporate network or one that's running a business. Yes, El Cap receives security updates, and in fact Yosemite just received one as well.

 

[elf69]

we have many customers at work still running XP.

running older osx much safer than older windows due to lower amount of virus for mac.
Some banks in UK still use XP, for example I has seen the ATM reboot at my local bank and it is XP running in it!

IMO OSX much safer in any flavor (compared to windows), it is stupid users who click on anything and everything that compromise the system.

But as for OP:

Stuff an SSD in there and install El Cap/Sierra and it will be great again.
If your mac mini is one for dual drives then a small SSD for os and apps and files on a HDD.
I did this in a macbook by replacing the dvd with a HDD as rarely use dvd/cd anyway.

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

we have many customers at work still running XP.

running older osx much safer than older windows due to lower amount of virus for mac.
Some banks in UK still use XP, for example I has seen the ATM reboot at my local bank and it is XP running in it!

IMO OSX much safer in any flavor (compared to windows), it is stupid users who click on anything and everything that compromise the system.

But as for OP:

Stuff an SSD in there and install El Cap/Sierra and it will be great again.
If your mac mini is one for dual drives then a small SSD for os and apps and files on a HDD.
I did this in a macbook by replacing the dvd with a HDD as rarely use dvd/cd anyway.

I've heard of users running very old OS' like XP, but I really don't want to do this as it just seems like a huge security risk...

 

[elf69]

Only a real risk if do banking on it and financial.

as long as you do not then only real risk is virus/malware but even new systems will get them if not careful.

But if mac then very few if any viruses out there so don't worry.

my fiancee holds record of 5 mins after fresh windows 7 install to get a virus!
I bought here a mac, 9 months and nothing!
she has a 1st gen macbook air running el capitan.
It is slow but does what she needs it to, back up her iphone and ipad.

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

Only a real risk if do banking on it and financial.

as long as you do not then only real risk is virus/malware but even new systems will get them if not careful.

But if mac then very few if any viruses out there so don't worry.

my fiancee holds record of 5 mins after fresh windows 7 install to get a virus!
I bought here a mac, 9 months and nothing!
she has a 1st gen macbook air running el capitan.
It is slow but does what she needs it to, back up her iphone and ipad.

I know Macs are generally more secure than Windows PC's, but I'd feel very vulnerable if I knew I was using a Mac or PC that was no longer receiving security updates.

I also store my work and financial information on my Mac Mini mid 2011 so it's important it's as secure as possible.