What would be a good MacMini for my parents?

[Nat Steele]

My parents have a mid 2010 iMac i3 3gHz at the moment (which they bought new) and they want to upgrade to something more modern. I had wondered about them getting a 2nd hand Mac Mini and a separate display but having not really kept up to date with what's available I don't know quite what to recommend to them.

I think they're looking to spend £350-500 at most. They just use it for watching Netflix, general surfing, and zoom. I suppose they'll have to get a webcam too if they get a Mini.

Is there anything we should particularly look out for? I have a 2012 Mini myself which I'm very happy with and suggested to them since they're cheap on ebay, but they were worried about longevity if Apple stop supporting it anytime soon.

 

[now i see it]

The 2012 Mac mini won’t be able to run the next version of MacOS Big Sur. I wouldn’t buy one now.
Apple has a webpage with a list of all their computers that will run Big Sur. Choose from that.
Whatever you choose, make sure it has a SSD drive (not Fusion Drive). 256GB minimum.
A 2014 or later Mac mini would be fine. Just don’t get anything that has a spinning hard drive in it. 8 GB of RAM is pretty much mandatory on anything you choose

 

[Juicy Box]

I have a 2012 Mini myself which I'm very happy with and suggested to them since they're cheap on ebay, but they were worried about longevity if Apple stop supporting it anytime soon.

The 2012 Mac mini won’t be able to run the next version of MacOS Big Sur. I wouldn’t buy one now.

I disagree about the Late 2012 Mac Mini.

While it won't have Big Sur support, it will most likely continue to get security updates from Apple for the next 1.5 years with Mojave and 2.5 years with Catalina.

Another thing to keep in mind is that once Apple stops supporting the security, it isn't like the Mac Mini would be useless. There are plenty of people that use older devices.

For a secure and updated web browser, Firefox continue to gets updates long after Apple stops.

In many ways, the 2014 Mac Mini's were downgrades compared to the 2012's. If you could find a cheap 2012, I would go with that.

I agree with using a SSD, and they are getting cheaper too. If anything, you can use an external SSD.

 

[phoenix-mac-user]

My Dad uses the base 1.4ghz 2014 (with an upgraded SSD) and it works great for the same kind of stuff your parents do even with 4GB RAM. Before I gave it to him a couple months ago, my son used it to play Roblox.

Gotta find one with an SSD though (or add one yourself).

I personally think the additional OS longevity is more valuable than the additional performance a 2012 is going to give a user like your parents, but that is just my opinion.

 

[MisterAndrew]

The 2014 model would probably be good. You can still have 2 SSDs in those like the 2012 model. A 2.5" and a blade (either Apple or a M.2 NVMe using a 12+16 pin adapter like the Sintech). I would look for one with 16GB of RAM since that can't be upgraded.

 

[ashleykaryl]

If you can afford to wait and stretch the budget sightly a refurbish i3 2018 would be a far better longterm option with security updates for 5-7 years and the T2 chip. It's a much better machine in terms of performance with no wear & tear, since it's effectively new and comes with a warranty. Over the longterm I think it would work out cheaper. https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/refurbished/mac

My father bought a new i3 with the base ram a few months ago to replace his 2012 model and he's delighted.

 

[Fishrrman]

Agree with ashley above.

Get a 2018 i3 Mini with the 256gb SSD. They probably won't "need more room" than that.
My recommendation is 16gb of RAM (rather than 8gb), but if "budget" is a powerful consideration, 8gb will do.

This means you may need to get them a display, as well?
For older folks with older eyes, I would suggest a 27" display.
4k will give the best image, but..
... if 4k is "too much money", then 1080p will do.
For us older folks, the SIZE of text may be more important than the "clarity".

Or... consider a 32" display with NATIVE 1440p resolution. Also called "QHD".

You can use the keyboard and mouse from the current iMac, or get new ones.