Need help on deciding what Mac to downgrade to (Downgrading from M2 Pro Mac Mini)

[CarnelianClout]

I bought my 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini with 512GB brand new in March of last year. At this point I realize I bought something I don't actually need. I don't edit or film videos. I don't play much in the way of games. I just browse the internet and do social media apps.

It has led me to the decision that I want to downgrade to a computer that fits my actual needs rather than just getting something flashy for the sake of it.


---

I need something to do the following -

- Browse the Internet.
- Check Social media.
- I don't know the difference between 10GB of internet and not - so what is the actual functional difference?
- I never have made use of my 512GB storage, so it is overkill.
- I never used laptops or anything like that before, so I would be potentially interested in one.
- What would the 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini sell for these days?
- Is the base model M1 Mac Mini still usable these days?
- Something that is future proofed, able to do beta updates and such for MacOS sequoia and future releases.
- Would I be able to sell my 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini with developer updates for the OS?

 

[Bigwaff]

- What would the 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini sell for these days?

2023 M2 Pro Mac mini for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for 2023 M2 Pro Mac mini at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

- Is the base model M1 Mac Mini still usable these days?

Very much so for your computing needs.

- Something that is future proofed, able to do beta updates and such for MacOS sequoia and future releases.

Obviously your M2 Pro but definitely the M1/M1 Pro as well.

- Would I be able to sell my 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini with developer updates for the OS?

Don't know what "developer updates" are but I would imagine anyone purchasing your Mac mini would wipe the drive and reinstall macOS clean. I know I would. Your "developer updates" are not a selling point.

 

[CarnelianClout]

2023 M2 Pro Mac mini for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for 2023 M2 Pro Mac mini at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

Very much so for your computing needs.

Obviously your M2 Pro but definitely the M1/M1 Pro as well.

Don't know what "developer updates" are but I would imagine anyone purchasing your Mac mini would wipe the drive and reinstall macOS clean. I know I would. Your "developer updates" are not a selling point.

I was thinking about the base model M1. Price for those are under 500 dollars it seems. Am curious about looking into laptops for that price range too. Obviously will wipe the drive before selling.

 

[CarnelianClout]

Would the Base Model mac mini work well just for basic internet tasks? Which is all I use my computer for, thinking of downgrading.

 

[mr_roboto]

The only thing it's bad at is supporting the type of user who keeps dozens or hundreds of tabs open, especially if you want to use Chrome as your primary browser. If you do that kind of thing, you probably need more RAM than the 8GB in the base mini. Otherwise it should be fine.

 

[CarnelianClout]

The only thing it's bad at is supporting the type of user who keeps dozens or hundreds of tabs open, especially if you want to use Chrome as your primary browser. If you do that kind of thing, you probably need more RAM than the 8GB in the base mini. Otherwise it should be fine.

Yeah, I don't use Chrome or open hundreds of tabs. So it seems like a fairly good decision at least in my books.

 

[uller6]

Yes. I have a base model M2 Mac mini and it's a surprisingly awesome little feller.

 

[Ben J.]

I'd say a base model M1 Mini, or if you would like to have the portability, the base model M1 Macbook Air. Both very capable machines that will last you long and qualify for a few more years of macOS updates. Both are discontinued now, people are selling them to get the latest M2/M3s, so not more than $500usd second hand. Fantastic value for the money. And the slim, cool, silent Macbook Air is nothing less than sexxy, with a battery that lasts all day.

 

[Ben J.]

wipe the drive before selling

No need. This prosess is much easier these days than it used to be:

Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings - Apple Support

Use Erase All Content and Settings to quickly and securely erase all of your settings, data, and apps, while maintaining the operating system currently installed.

support.apple.com

 

[Fishrrman]

This doesn't make sense.

That is has "specs greater than what you need" suggests that it will remain usable for a longer time than a less-well-equipped Mac.

Just use what you have, and stop worrying about it.
Particularly if "it's paid for..."

 

[Timpetus]

This doesn't make sense.

That is has "specs greater than what you need" suggests that it will remain usable for a longer time than a less-well-equipped Mac.

Just use what you have, and stop worrying about it.
Particularly if "it's paid for..."

I second this advice. I also bought more Mac than I need right now, with my 14" M1 Max 64GB/2TB MBP being 4x the specs I upgraded from. Sure, I would have been fine with an M1 Pro, but I got a great deal on it (basically paid the same as we did for my wife's 16" M1 Pro 16GB/1TB) that it was a no-brainer. I'll just keep it longer because it'll meet my needs for many years to come.

 

[EdwardC]

I have a M2 Pro Mini as well as a M1 Mini 16GB /256GB version. There is hardly any difference in the two that I can see for day to day tasks. They both drive the same Dell 4K monitor so it's easy to switch back and forth to see the differences or lack of in my case.

 

[splifingate]

If the time&effort involved with the sale+re-purchase is to your benefit, no harm in doing so.

I can't do that accounting, but there's really nothing wrong with holding an item that exceeds your current requirements . . . especially if there is a possibility of that 2% chance that you'll tap the potential.

Pocketing $200 vs $800 (arbitrary #'s, of course) may make sense, I suppose, but what effort do you have to expend to get from a) to b)?

 

[Yebubbleman]

I bought my 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini with 512GB brand new in March of last year. At this point I realize I bought something I don't actually need. I don't edit or film videos. I don't play much in the way of games. I just browse the internet and do social media apps.

It has led me to the decision that I want to downgrade to a computer that fits my actual needs rather than just getting something flashy for the sake of it.


---

I need something to do the following -

- Browse the Internet.
- Check Social media.
- I don't know the difference between 10GB of internet and not - so what is the actual functional difference?
- I never have made use of my 512GB storage, so it is overkill.
- I never used laptops or anything like that before, so I would be potentially interested in one.
- What would the 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini sell for these days?
- Is the base model M1 Mac Mini still usable these days?
- Something that is future proofed, able to do beta updates and such for MacOS sequoia and future releases.
- Would I be able to sell my 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini with developer updates for the OS?

Which configuration of M2 Pro Mac mini? I think if you maxed it out, that'd be one thing. But if you just went with the base model configuration, I don't know that you went so over the top that downsizing makes THAT much sense.

Like, I wouldn't downsize to an Apple Silicon Mac that only has 8GB of RAM. That's silly, considering that it will eventually be required (let alone beneficial to have). I also wouldn't downside to a smaller drive as they're not user-upgradable should something come up where you're using a bunch of internal disk space. However, the 512GB drives on M2 Pro/Max Macs and the 256GB drives on M2 Macs all are missing a NAND chip which has them running much slower than even the SSDs on a T2 Intel Mac.

If you're finding yourself with, let's say, a base M2 Pro Mac mini model (wherein you have one of the drives I mentioned), I'd sell it and use the money to spec out a M2 Mac mini with 16GB or 24GB (more only hurts your bank account today; it otherwise doesn't cause you any problems down the road) with a 512GB drive. It sounds like overkill, but really you will have bought a Mac mini designed to last you SEVERAL years before you're even slightly itching to shop for its replacement.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I personally would stay away from M1 though I own an M1 Max MBP. It’s gonna probably get security updates and upgrades for another 3 years. It may not be an issue if you upgrade often, but it may be an issue if you are planning to keep it longer.

 

[currocj]

I was thinking about the base model M1. Price for those are under 500 dollars it seems. Am curious about looking into laptops for that price range too. Obviously will wipe the drive before selling.

You can some on FB marketplace for 300

 

[currocj]

My advice, just keep it, for longer than you expect.

 

[Minghold]

I need something to do the following -

- Browse the Internet.
- Check Social media.

Literally any used intel-era machine off CL or FBM running Mojave or earlier in the $50-$150 range will do, because all you really need is a bright screen and a modern browser -- and for that, locate and install Chromium-legacy on it with uBlock Origin, Adblocker Ultimate, and FB Purity browser extensions. Imacs with DVDs are dirt cheap; macbook pros and thinside imacs run a hundred or two more.

 

[CarnelianClout]

I have a M2 Pro Mini as well as a M1 Mini 16GB /256GB version. There is hardly any difference in the two that I can see for day to day tasks. They both drive the same Dell 4K monitor so it's easy to switch back and forth to see the differences or lack of in my case.

I use a Dell 4K monitor as well. The M1 Mini is of potential interest to me.

If the time&effort involved with the sale+re-purchase is to your benefit, no harm in doing so.

I can't do that accounting, but there's really nothing wrong with holding an item that exceeds your current requirements . . . especially if there is a possibility of that 2% chance that you'll tap the potential.

Pocketing $200 vs $800 (arbitrary #'s, of course) may make sense, I suppose, but what effort do you have to expend to get from a) to b)?

I am one of the types of people who doesn't save anything on their computer. I don't do anything with my computer's storage so practically all of it is free. All I'd need to do is just purchase whatever computer I would be downgrading to, gather what little I have off of my computer, factory reset, then switch to the "new" one and sell my current.

 

[Ben J.]

I am one of the types of people who doesn't save anything on their computer. I don't do anything with my computer's storage so practically all of it is free. All I'd need to do is just purchase whatever computer I would be downgrading to, gather what little I have off of my computer, factory reset, then switch to the "new" one and sell my current.

Makes total sense. Go for it.
Don't mind the besserwissers, and put that extra cash to good use.

 

[Minghold]

I am one of the types of people who doesn't save anything on their computer. I don't do anything with my computer's storage so practically all of it is free....

People are often astonished when I inform them that a typical cosumer-grade computer usually has the exact same storage capacity (500gb to 1tb) as a decade ago and often the same amount of ram (8gb to 16gb) as an equivalent model ten years ago. To be sure, the processors are faster, but unless you're rendering video, your computer is running at the speed of "waiting for the human", and to make it subjectively fast all that is required is an OS tailored to it rather than trying to stuff in an inappropriate "newer" version with OCLP.

 

[Biro]

To the OP: Your 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini with 512GB is now more than a year old. You’re going to take a loss on it. Downgrading just doesn’t make sense. Thank about it - the M4 chip is already being introduced in Apple devices. By this fall, your Mini will be the downgrade option. I say keep the machine you currently own and use the specs you don’t need now as future proofing. Unless there’s another reason you want to do this that you’re not telling us.

 

[splifingate]

I use a Dell 4K monitor as well. The M1 Mini is of potential interest to me.

I am one of the types of people who doesn't save anything on their computer. I don't do anything with my computer's storage so practically all of it is free.

urhm, do you re-create everything from scratch on the daily, or are you entirely Cloud?

All I'd need to do is just purchase whatever computer I would be downgrading to, gather what little I have off of my computer, factory reset, then switch to the "new" one and sell my current.

So, what's the incentive to return/re-purchase?

Pardon my naiveté, but what does this switch get you?

 

[ChrisA]

I bought my 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini with 512GB brand new in March of last year. At this point I realize I bought something I don't actually need. I don't edit or film videos. I don't play much in the way of games. I just browse the internet and do social media apps.

What is the point if you already own a M2-Pro? You will spend money to "downgrade". I doubt you could sell the M2 for enough to pay for the lowest price new Mac.

Your best and most economical plan is to keep the current computer for the next 10 years and avoid the cost of buying anything.

You could downgrade to a Chromebook.

 

[Minghold]

So, what's the incentive to return/re-purchase?
Pardon my naiveté, but what does this switch get you?

To stop losing money on depreciation for currently-unneeded capacity.

What is the point if you already own a M2-Pro? You will spend money to "downgrade". I doubt you could sell the M2 for enough to pay for the lowest price new Mac.

The OP didn't say or imply that they were looking for a low-cost new Mac. Their listed needs were:

- Browse the Internet.
- Check Social media.

To do that....
...They don't need an $2,499 computer, or a $1,250 computer, or an $800 computer.

They need Chromium-legacy running on a $100 used computer with a stable OS that the OEM isn't messing with anymore.

Your best and most economical plan is to keep the current computer for the next 10 years and avoid the cost of buying anything.

Then they're eating depreciation on an underutilized asset.

You could downgrade to a Chromebook.

If you can tolerate Google's middle-finger.