Why buy 2014 when you can still get 2012?

[BJonson]

I don't understand why anyone would buy a 2014 model mac mini when you can get the 2012 for so cheap right now. Best buy has them for $449 and although that is not as good as the $399 deal its still a way better deal then the 2012 model, at least half the cost and performs the same or better. Better yet there are still 2.3ghz quads available from B&H and Best buy for $750. You can also get an additional 10% off movers coupon from you post office to bring it down even further.

Do you guys like throwing money away? Why not give some to the poor, or help your local schools instead of handing it over to Apple for nothing in return. I mean really?

Mac mini 2.5ghz dual core = $449
16gb Crucial ram = $136
512gb Crucial MX100 SSD = $209

That is a total of $794 for a pretty screaming machine and that is if you MAX it out. For the money you are wasting on a 2014 you could get 2 of these.

 

[Mcdevidr]

Replacing the hard drive looks like a pain in the ass. Have you done it before?

 

[BJonson]

Replacing the hard drive looks like a pain in the ass. Have you done it before?

Piece of cake on a 2012. It slides right out. Now the second hard drive is a pain as you have to dismantle the mini. I have done this but the little cables make it hairy.

 

[mapleleafer]

I don't understand why anyone would buy a 2014 model mac mini when you can get the 2012 for so cheap right now.

I’m not a psychiatrist (although I married one), but I do know that egocentrism is generally not a good thing.

 

[BJonson]

I’m not a psychiatrist (although I married one), but I do know that egocentrism is generally not a good thing.

Neither is ignorance.

 

[Jackintosh]

I don't understand why anyone would buy a 2014 model mac mini when you can get the 2012 for so cheap right now. Best buy has them for $449 and although that is not as good as the $399 deal its still a way better deal then the 2012 model, at least half the cost and performs the same or better. Better yet there are still 2.3ghz quads available from B&H and Best buy for $750. You can also get an additional 10% off movers coupon from you post office to bring it down even further.

Do you guys like throwing money away? Why not give some to the poor, or help your local schools instead of handing it over to Apple for nothing in return. I mean really?

Mac mini 2.5ghz dual core = $449
16gb Crucial ram = $136
512gb Crucial MX100 SSD = $209

That is a total of $794 for a pretty screaming machine and that is if you MAX it out. For the money you are wasting on a 2014 you could get 2 of these.

While I agree with your premise, the simple answer is the Iris (and even HD5000 on lower end) GPU. Dated graphics processing is one of the first things that gets noticeably old over time.

 

[mapleleafer]

Neither is ignorance.

Agreed. Neither is obesity. Do you have a point?

 

[Florals]

Well, my main reasons for buying the 2014 are:

1. Intel Iris. Not the biggest update over the HD 4000, but big enough. When I buy a computer it's not with the intention of upgrading it in a year or two; it's gonna last for six years minimum. I'm sure I'll notice the difference between Iris and HD 4000 in those last couple of years.

2. Apple-installed SSD. At the moment I don't have time or the tools to perform the upgrade myself. Sourcing the hard drive, buying the tools, spending a considerable amount of time researching how to do it without breaking my computer and then having to mess around with TRIM... not worth it for me right now. Why not pay Apple £144 to do it for me, when I would probably end up spending that much myself if you include the tools.

3. Three-year warranty. As a grad student I get two extra years of warranty; something I wouldn't get if I'd bought a 2012 machine through the refurb store. A friend of mine recently had problems with their two-year old Macbook Pro, and the educational warranty saved them a lot of money in repairs.

I am well aware that I am paying over the odds for this, I am not naively bumbling around thinking I've got a good deal. I know I haven't, and it smarts. £800 for a 2.5GHz, 16GB RAM, 256 GB SSD mini is a lot of money. I recently got hold of one of the base 2012 models for my boyfriend, and I agree that it's a great machine, but it does not fit my needs as well as the 2014 mini. If I'm willing to pay the difference (which will probably be around £160 when you factor in everything that would be needed to get the 2012 mini as close to the standard of the 2014 mini I'm getting) then so be it. Making an informed decision as to what I want does not make me ignorant.

Do you guys like throwing money away? Why not give some to the poor, or help your local schools instead of handing it over to Apple for nothing in return. I mean really?

I'm pretty sure that my contributions to charity are a) above average, and b) nobody else's damn business. I work hard for my money and I decide where I spend it.

 

[Richard8655]

Well, my main reasons for buying the 2014 are:

1. Intel Iris. Not the biggest update over the HD 4000, but big enough. When I buy a computer it's not with the intention of upgrading it in a year or two; it's gonna last for six years minimum. I'm sure I'll notice the difference between Iris and HD 4000 in those last couple of years.

2. Apple-installed SSD. At the moment I don't have time or the tools to perform the upgrade myself. Sourcing the hard drive, buying the tools, spending a considerable amount of time researching how to do it without breaking my computer and then having to mess around with TRIM... not worth it for me right now. Why not pay Apple £144 to do it for me, when I would probably end up spending that much myself if you include the tools.

3. Three-year warranty. As a grad student I get two extra years of warranty; something I wouldn't get if I'd bought a 2012 machine through the refurb store. A friend of mine recently had problems with their two-year old Macbook Pro, and the educational warranty saved them a lot of money in repairs.

I am well aware that I am paying over the odds for this, I am not naively bumbling around thinking I've got a good deal. I know I haven't, and it smarts. £800 for a 2.5GHz, 16GB RAM, 256 GB SSD mini is a lot of money. I recently got hold of one of the base 2012 models for my boyfriend, and I agree that it's a great machine, but it does not fit my needs as well as the 2014 mini. If I'm willing to pay the difference (which will probably be around £160 when you factor in everything that would be needed to get the 2012 mini as close to the standard of the 2014 mini I'm getting) then so be it. Making an informed decision as to what I want does not make me ignorant.

I'm pretty sure that my contributions to charity are a) above average, and b) nobody else's damn business. I work hard for my money and I decide where I spend it.

Couldn't agree more with your assessment. The graphics upgrade is significant. I also never understood the unnesessary risk in trying to install an SSD. Memory yes, as it's Apple supported for 2012 machines and basic. But taking the device apart and potentially ruining an expensive piece of gear? There's a thread here now on the woes of doing that:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1349896/

 

[Mcdevidr]

My local apple repair facility will put an SSD in for 60 dollars, considering I don't have any of the tools and would have to buy them I may use them to put an SSD into the machine.

 

[VDhightower]

Deleted

 

[cinealta]

No reason to.

 

[belltree]

I bought a 2012 Mac Mini Quad core i7 last week.
The Iris graphics is not enough of an upgrade for me to consider purchasing a 2014. I think the 2012 Mini will be my last unless there is a big change (for the better) in the future.

 

[BeatCrazy]

While I agree with your premise, the simple answer is the Iris (and even HD5000 on lower end) GPU. Dated graphics processing is one of the first things that gets noticeably old over time.

This. I only typically only upgrade computers every ~3 years. For sure, the HD4000 will feel pretty damn old/weak in 2018.