Purchased my first Mac Mini for my Mom, and I got questions?

[iNICK20]

I hope, I did OK on price. But I got her an (Price Match to Best Buy from Tiger Direct) Pre-Owned Mac Mini 2018/19/20 i3 8Gb 128Gb Model. I paid $370 shipped. I was planning on upgrade the ram later on, if I decided she needs it. But she currently using an Dell Optiplex 9020 AIO with an i5 4th gen, 8gb DDR3 Ram, I think 128Gb or 256Gb Sata SSD. Hardly any space used. But Storage is cheap.

What's a good Monitor for this? I would like something higher then 1080p. Would you recommend this one? Lenovo 4k Monitor Also She has my older Bose Companion 2 Series III Speakers. How does that connect to the Mac Mini?
Any decent keyboards/mouse for this MAC? Or would you recommend she gets the Magic Keyboard/Mouse? I know she always dreamed of having any MAC, Plus this gives her the option if any issues to run Windows 10 in bootcamp if needed. I don't imagine, she would have too. But its always something to keep in mind.

 

[Boyd01]

I think you did pretty well with the price, assuming that they gave you some sort of warranty. But be careful with your choice of monitor since you only have 8gb. Lots of complaints about problems with 4k screens on 8gb machines. The graphics chip takes 1.5gb off the top of your RAM, which only leaves 6.5gb for everything else. Generally speaking, I think 16gb should be the minimum, however people with modest needs have reported 8gb was OK.

LONG thread here about 4k issues:

Officially giving up on the Mac Mini 2018 + 4K monitor dream

I'm getting the i5 Mac Mini and will probably stay at 8 gigs of RAM for a while. I buying this computer as a desktop replacement for media consumption and word processing for the next 6-8 years. I was dreaming of getting something like the LG 27UK850 4K monitor and scale it at 1440p so that...

forums.macrumors.com

Lots of complaints about Bluetooth issues, but I have the Apple Magic Keyboard with keypad and no problems. It is only a matter of inches away from the Mini however. Also have the Apple Magic Mouse but it just doesn't work properly for my old Windows software so I mostly use a cheap wired mouse.

I run Windows with Parallels and am really impressed by the performance and stability. But I have the top-spec 2018 Mini with 64gb.

 

[snow755]

I hope, I did OK on price. But I got her an (Price Match to Best Buy from Tiger Direct) Pre-Owned Mac Mini 2018/19/20 i3 8Gb 128Gb Model. I paid $370 shipped. I was planning on upgrade the ram later on, if I decided she needs it. But she currently using an Dell Optiplex 9020 AIO with an i5 4th gen, 8gb DDR3 Ram, I think 128Gb or 256Gb Sata SSD. Hardly any space used. But Storage is cheap.

What's a good Monitor for this? I would like something higher then 1080p. Would you recommend this one? Lenovo 4k Monitor Also She has my older Bose Companion 2 Series III Speakers. How does that connect to the Mac Mini?
Any decent keyboards/mouse for this MAC? Or would you recommend she gets the Magic Keyboard/Mouse? I know she always dreamed of having any MAC, Plus this gives her the option if any issues to run Windows 10 in bootcamp if needed. I don't imagine, she would have too. But its always something to keep in mind.

if you can Afford it I get LG

 

[Mac... nificent]

She has my older Bose Companion 2 Series III Speakers. How does that connect to the Mac Mini?

You can use the 3.5 mm headphone jack, a HDMI audio extractor, or one of the USB-C ports for audio output.

 

[iNICK20]

if you can Afford it I get LG

What LG Monitor? I'm assuming the 5k monitor? I don't know what price range, I should be looking at for. She doesn't notice much differences between resolutions. She was happily using an 720p monitor up until 2018, when I got her an AIO 1080p touch screen Dell.

 

[iNICK20]

You can use the 3.5 mm headphone jack, a HDMI audio extractor, or one of the USB-C ports for audio output.

Can, I still use the volume knobs? I know my questions sound basic. But I just want it to be something, she'll be able to use with ease.

 

[iNICK20]

I think you did pretty well with the price, assuming that they gave you some sort of warranty. But be careful with your choice of monitor since you only have 8gb. Lots of complaints about problems with 4k screens on 8gb machines. The graphics chip takes 1.5gb off the top of your RAM, which only leaves 6.5gb for everything else. Generally speaking, I think 16gb should be the minimum, however people with modest needs have reported 8gb was OK.

LONG thread here about 4k issues:

Officially giving up on the Mac Mini 2018 + 4K monitor dream

I'm getting the i5 Mac Mini and will probably stay at 8 gigs of RAM for a while. I buying this computer as a desktop replacement for media consumption and word processing for the next 6-8 years. I was dreaming of getting something like the LG 27UK850 4K monitor and scale it at 1440p so that...

forums.macrumors.com

Lots of complaints about Bluetooth issues, but I have the Apple Magic Keyboard with keypad and no problems. It is only a matter of inches away from the Mini however. Also have the Apple Magic Mouse but it just doesn't work properly for my old Windows software so I mostly use a cheap wired mouse.

I run Windows with Parallels and am really impressed by the performance and stability. But I have the top-spec 2018 Mini with 64gb.

She is used to an basic fake mech keyboard. Because it lights up. Came with my PC lol. I wanna switch it to the Apple Magic KB/M Because of the wireless feature. Plus its the actual branded KB/M.

 

[Fishrrman]

She can probably keep using the keyboard and mouse she's using right now with the Dell.
I'll bet she would PREFER a "lighted" keyboard to a "wireless" one. And the wireless keyboards have been a source of connection problems on the Mini.

As for a display, how is your mom's vision doing?
Is it getting... well... "older" ?

If so, you should consider that she might LIKE a display with "larger text" (as the default) than you prefer.

In that case a 27" 1080p or 4k display might be "just right" for her.

The Bose speakers can plug into the Mini's headphone port (if they come with a "mini" plug.
Or, if they have USB input, connect them to one of the Mini's USB ports.

 

[iNICK20]

She can probably keep using the keyboard and mouse she's using right now with the Dell.
I'll bet she would PREFER a "lighted" keyboard to a "wireless" one. And the wireless keyboards have been a source of connection problems on the Mini.

As for a display, how is your mom's vision doing?
Is it getting... well... "older" ?

If so, you should consider that she might LIKE a display with "larger text" (as the default) than you prefer.

In that case a 27" 1080p or 4k display might be "just right" for her.

The Bose speakers can plug into the Mini's headphone port (if they come with a "mini" plug.
Or, if they have USB input, connect them to one of the Mini's USB ports.

Yeah, I have 20/20, and she wears contacts. I think on her (My Old) 11 Pro Max, I have the text set to bigger. So, I know, She would appreciate the bigger text. Is there a certain monitor to look at? Is the Lenovo, I linked any good? I know the LG 5k is amazing, but dropping $1,200 on something she wouldn't fully use. Doesn't make sense to me. She uses her iPad 5th gen for entertainment, and the PC for when she needs to for work, and everything else.

 

[Boyd01]

I wanna switch it to the Apple Magic KB/M Because of the wireless feature. Plus its the actual branded KB/M.

As I said, mine works fine and I really like the touch (I'm a fast touch typist) it's even better than the old Apple wired keyboards that were my previous favorite. The wireless part means nothing to me, keyboard is always right next to the Mini. However, if you want wireless in order to move it farther away, you might experience some of the bluetooth problems that many others have reported.

Also realize that you need to charge the wireless keyboard periodically. I use mine heavily and it goes for a couple months on a charge. You could just leave it permanently connected to the Mini with the included cable if that's a concern. BTW, the space grey version looks great with the 2018 Mini, but it costs a few bucks more.

 

[satcomer]

If see on Mini goes into System Preferences Keyboard and follow the steps she could get the Flag in Finder menu and see the Keyboard pop-up!

 

[iNICK20]

As I said, mine works fine and I really like the touch (I'm a fast touch typist) it's even better than the old Apple wired keyboards that were my previous favorite. The wireless part means nothing to me, keyboard is always right next to the Mini. However, if you want wireless in order to move it farther away, you might experience some of the bluetooth problems that many others have reported.

Also realize that you need to charge the wireless keyboard periodically. I use mine heavily and it goes for a couple months on a charge. You could just leave it permanently connected to the Mini with the included cable if that's a concern. BTW, the space grey version looks great with the 2018 Mini, but it costs a few bucks more.

I just want wireless due to less cables. I'm horrible with Cable management ha.

 

[Pib]

I'm probably in your mom's age and use-case group and I have the 2018 i7 MM (Mac Mini). I hope my feedback helps you:

I have a 27" 4k monitor (Dell U2718Q) that I'm satisfied with but I bought out of ignorance as I did most of my research from home. To really find out what works, it'd help for your mom to look at some monitors with various resolution settings so she can figure out what's most comfortable for her. For the record, my monitor's set to the 2560 x 1440 resolution so clearly, I'm not using 4k on a 4k monitor and I have it hooked up via HDMI. Looking at the RTINGS website, they recommend "ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV" as a "best budget MM monitor". I don't own this model but it has favorable ratings and some nice features based on Amazon.

You mentioned the Bose speakers that she has and I have a similar pair of speakers. As others above have pointed out, she can plug it right into the back of her MM and will be good-to-go. Just have to fiddle with the sound settings to ensure that MM is putting sound out to the Headphone Port. And yes, she can control the volume with the Bose's knobs. Depending on the keyboard she uses, she might also be able to adjust volume from the keyboard!

As for the keyboard/mouse, she probably can use what she already has from the Dell AIO. Otherwise, if she can get to a store to look at monitors, have her try out some keyboards and mice too. I have a Logitech MX series keyboard and mouse. I do not connect via bluetooth but via the Logitech wireless USB dongle. If you do go the wireless-route, I would recommend the use of the USB dongle as people have had mixed results with the bluetooth connection. I never tried with my MM and with a Logitech app, you can use the 1 dongle for both the keyboard and the mouse. Also, don't get hung up on having the Apple devices as I've had their keyboards, mice, and trackpads. They're good, don't get me wrong but don't think you have to have them as there are other good choices out there.

Finally, you didn't mention if your mom is interested in a webcam. You might want to ask her if that's an interest as she might want to chat with family from time-to-time.

 

[iNICK20]

I'm probably in your mom's age and use-case group and I have the 2018 i7 MM (Mac Mini). I hope my feedback helps you:

I have a 27" 4k monitor (Dell U2718Q) that I'm satisfied with but I bought out of ignorance as I did most of my research from home. To really find out what works, it'd help for your mom to look at some monitors with various resolution settings so she can figure out what's most comfortable for her. For the record, my monitor's set to the 2560 x 1440 resolution so clearly, I'm not using 4k on a 4k monitor and I have it hooked up via HDMI. Looking at the RTINGS website, they recommend "ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV" as a "best budget MM monitor". I don't own this model but it has favorable ratings and some nice features based on Amazon.

You mentioned the Bose speakers that she has and I have a similar pair of speakers. As others above have pointed out, she can plug it right into the back of her MM and will be good-to-go. Just have to fiddle with the sound settings to ensure that MM is putting sound out to the Headphone Port. And yes, she can control the volume with the Bose's knobs. Depending on the keyboard she uses, she might also be able to adjust volume from the keyboard!

As for the keyboard/mouse, she probably can use what she already has from the Dell AIO. Otherwise, if she can get to a store to look at monitors, have her try out some keyboards and mice too. I have a Logitech MX series keyboard and mouse. I do not connect via bluetooth but via the Logitech wireless USB dongle. If you do go the wireless-route, I would recommend the use of the USB dongle as people have had mixed results with the bluetooth connection. I never tried with my MM and with a Logitech app, you can use the 1 dongle for both the keyboard and the mouse. Also, don't get hung up on having the Apple devices as I've had their keyboards, mice, and trackpads. They're good, don't get me wrong but don't think you have to have them as there are other good choices out there.

Finally, you didn't mention if your mom is interested in a webcam. You might want to ask her if that's an interest as she might want to chat with family from time-to-time.

She's not a fan of webcams. She uses her iPhone/iPad for family chatting on Messenger. I think I'm going to go with that ASUS Monitor. Looks excellent and 3 year warranty is an added bonus. I know I don't need need Apple branded stuff. I just like the way its mechanically works with Apple Hardware. Sorta like my AirPods Max. I'm going to look at other options first, unless I find a can't believe it deal on a Magic KB/M. I know when I used Bluetooth keyboard in my room, its was horrible. The Lag was real strong. But I appreciate the more then helpful comment!

 

[Pib]

She's not a fan of webcams. She uses her iPhone/iPad for family chatting on Messenger. I think I'm going to go with that ASUS Monitor. Looks excellent and 3 year warranty is an added bonus. I know I don't need need Apple branded stuff. I just like the way its mechanically works with Apple Hardware. Sorta like my AirPods Max. I'm going to look at other options first, unless I find a can't believe it deal on a Magic KB/M. I know when I used Bluetooth keyboard in my room, its was horrible. The Lag was real strong. But I appreciate the more then helpful comment!

Understood and good luck!