Possible uses of old 2014 mini?

[Populus]

Now that I’ve embraced the Apple Silicon era with my M4 Pro Mac mini, I was wondering if my old 2014 Intel Mac mini could have any other uses or should I just sell it for 150 or 200€.

My old 2014 mini is a Core2Duo at 2.6GHz with 8GB of soldered RAM and a 1TB SSD. It still runs quite well to be fair, as long as the tasks remain simple. And it is running macOS 12.6 Monterey. No, I’m no going to use the OCLP patcher to install any recent macOS version.

So, what could I use this Mac mini for?

One thing I’ve thought about is using it as a smart TV player, but I’d rather sell the Mac and get an Apple TV for that price.

Another use could be having it as a media server but I’m not used to that. I usually have my content on external hard drives and plug them directly into the device I’m using, be it the Mac or the iPad. Also, most of the content I consume nowadays is from streaming platforms.

If I’d like to use it as a secondary machine, I’m not sure how easy it would be to remotely connect to that Mac because the Sequoia feature is only compatible with Macs running Sequoia as well.

What would you do with this machine even if you won’t have a second monitor to connect it to? I’m open to ideas.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Why would you need Sequoia on it for remote control? The built in stuff in macOS works across all releases.

 

[Populus]

Why would you need Sequoia on it for remote control? The built in stuff in macOS works across all releases.

I would use the official app Apple Remote Desktop but it says it’s not compatible with Monterey… although that may only refer to the client side and not to the server side.

Then, there’s the high performance mode which is only available if both Mac’s are running Sonoma. I guess I’ll have to perform several tests. I wonder if I must be logged in with my Apple Account on the old mac as well…

 

[redheeler]

A 2014 mini with Core 2 Duo? I assume you mean Core i5.

They make good web or file servers if you’re in need of one. You don’t need OCLP to run a current supported OS as Linux exists too.

The advantage over Apple TV is actually being able to block ads on services like YouTube, it makes a Mac mini worth it over an Apple TV for me.

 

[Populus]

A 2014 mini with Core 2 Duo? I assume you mean Core i5.

They make good web or file servers if you’re in need of one. You don’t need OCLP to run a current supported OS as Linux exists too.

Yeah, my bad. It is so old that I already forgot it is an i5 with two cores and four threads. Still, a great machine.

Now, I’ve suddenly gone from a 2 core CPU to a 12 core CPU. The jump will be significant!

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

I would use the official app Apple Remote Desktop but it says it’s not compatible with Monterey… although that may only refer to the client side and not to the server side.

Just select it under Network and press the Share Screen button. No need for other software.

 

[Populus]

Just select it under Network and press the Share Screen button. No need for other software.

And sharing screen may transfer any dangerous file to my new machine if I use the old Mac remotely and I get any malware on it?

On the other hand, is file transfer between the Macs (the server and the client) easy and convenient?

 

[fricotin]

Plenty of use for my 2012 mini, in fact it's the only computer I have and it is being used several hours every day...I hope it will last until the upcoming M5 c. 2026.

 

[Populus]

Plenty of use for my 2012 mini, in fact it's the only computer I have and it is being used several hours every day...I hope it will last until the upcoming M5 c. 2026.

The Quad core with ATI/AMD graphics and upgradable RAM? Man, that was a beast.

 

[fricotin]

The Quad core with ATI/AMD graphics and upgradable RAM? Man, that was a beast.

That's the one and it is!

 

[apostolosdt]

"12 incredibly useful ways to repurpose your old Mac mini | Macworld," May 21, 2024 by S. Wiesend & R. Loyola.

I can upload the article in pdf, if a moderator approves it.

 

[Populus]

"12 incredibly useful ways to repurpose your old Mac mini | Macworld," May 21, 2024 by S. Wiesend & R. Loyola.

I can upload the article in pdf, if a moderator approves it.

Wow! Thank you very much! I’ll do a quick search and read it later.

 

[Populus]

Update of the situation:

I’ve connected my old 2014 Mac mini to my router via Ethernet. And I’ll probably connect the printer too. And I’ve been testing the screen sharing feature, as well as the file sharing and printer sharing. Everything is operable from my new M4 Mac mini, and I don’t even need a mouse or keyboard for the old Mac.

I’m going to format it, and install the last version supported of Monterey. Then I’ll set the preferences of the Mac, install the latest drivers for the printer, the latest media players (IINA & VLC)…

Then I’ll log into the Mac App Store with my Apple ID, and install all the software that I might need remotely. And once done, I’ll log out, because I don’t want to expose my data on that Mac.

I assume that entering any malicious website through that Mac won’t infect my M4 Mac Mini, if the only files I import from it are video files, right?

That way, I can leave all the sketchy software and websites to that Mac.

Once set up, all I have to do is leave it sleeping, and whenever I need to use it, just log in and wake it up.

 

[apostolosdt]

Populus said: "I assume that entering any malicious website through that Mac won’t infect my M4 Mac Mini, if the only files I import from it are video files, right?"

Same line, same problems I guess.

 

[Populus]

Populus said: "I assume that entering any malicious website through that Mac won’t infect my M4 Mac Mini, if the only files I import from it are video files, right?"

Same line, same problems I guess.

I don’t understand.

If I connect remotely to an old Mac, without any type of personal information, and I expose that old Mac to some risks, the infection -if it happened- would only affect that old Mac, right? Not the Mac I’m using to view/control the old Mac.

 

[apostolosdt]

I don't know, but as a precaution I always assume machines connected to the Internet thru same line are exposed the same. So much the better if I'm wrong, but please wait for any response by members who know better. I'm interested, too!

 

[Che Castro]

Plex server

 

[carl varley]

I have one dual booting with big sur and a batocera for retro games. Mostly 16bit and 80s and 90s arcades. Works really well!

 

[ignatius345]

Now that I’ve embraced the Apple Silicon era with my M4 Pro Mac mini, I was wondering if my old 2014 Intel Mac mini could have any other uses or should I just sell it for 150 or 200€.

My take is that if you have to really scratch your head and think hard about how to use an old Mac... better to just get rid of it and use the money (and space) for something else. If you find down the road you really "need" an 10+ year old Mac Mini, there are millions of them out there available cheaply!