NVMEs and SSDs might be similar prices but decent NVMEs enclosures are a bit steeper. Probably video projects is one area where you'd see the difference.
*** The official 2023 and 2024 Mac mini thread (it has the M2 chip, the M4 chip and everything!) ***
- Thread starter Feek
- Start date
NVMEs and SSDs might be similar prices but decent NVMEs enclosures are a bit steeper. Probably video projects is one area where you'd see the difference.
The cost of the M4 is likely to be more than the electricity no?
Caporegime
Some people just like new gadgets, some people do it out of necessity.
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Soldato
2012 was an absolutely banging year for Apple products, had my 2012 Mini until M1. Then the 2013 11" MBA - the first good battery life product.
Soldato
That’s not how my mind works.
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We are going to get a new M4 mini, have not had a mac since our 27" i7 iMac (2009?) Just deciding between a normal M4 or an M4 pro.
I think you need to work out how much the Mini will cost as compared to how much using your PC every day with 'expensive electricity' I doubt you're going to be spending £500+ on electricity to make up the difference
Mine either, I get you. I bought the MII and the biggest thing i notice is that really...The only sounds i really notice in my study now are the occasional whirrs and shunting of my DAS box as it shifts the armature of the hard drives, but the mac itself is just silent and i love it. i'll probably get around to rebuilding my PC at some point, but it's just nicer to have something smaller and quieter simply sit on my desktop and say hello. I would say that it's been noticably cheaper on my electric consumption as well. Just as an afterthought. lol
Caporegime
What do you mean? If you spend crap loads speccing a "boggo mini" then it won't be a boggo mini any more, it will be an absolute powerhouse.
Soldato
Bog standard? I'm assuming.
Oh, well that would make sense. THE THING IS...If it's just daily driver territory, you really wouldn't need more. 16gb shared memory is...Actually more than sufficient, and Sequoia allows you to install apps over 1gb onto an external drive, so if you were absolutely determined to keep prices down, you really wouldn't need anything more than the base model.
Soldato
I think it depends on what you do as a 'daily driver' I went for 24GB Memory, but didn't increase the SSD size because my needs are more memory but I don't use a whole heap of actual disk space. For reference, I do quite a lot of docker work, and spin test containers up locally often, write code and I am also one of those weird people who now exclusively games on a Mac, so the increased memory for that is useful.
Have to take into account AI too, and what that will take if you don't/can't turn things off - I haven't looked into it at all yet. Plus future proofing, I want to keep my Mac mini realistically for 5-6 years. That's the downside to choosing the base product these days, but more around not being able to upgrade without purchasing new.
I'm of the opinion that base-model will suffice for the vast majority of average users, and that's realistically what Apple will base their pricing/offering on I suspect.
Have to take into account AI too, and what that will take if you don't/can't turn things off - I haven't looked into it at all yet. Plus future proofing, I want to keep my Mac mini realistically for 5-6 years. That's the downside to choosing the base product these days, but more around not being able to upgrade without purchasing new.
I'm of the opinion that base-model will suffice for the vast majority of average users, and that's realistically what Apple will base their pricing/offering on I suspect.
AI doesn't interest me. I mean...It *does* on a purely intellectual and curiosity level, but I have no real use for it in daily workflow. i actually worry about the way what we currently think of AI in the public eye is being pushed because it's counterproductive on so many levels.
As for the base model, in an effort to make my life a little easier i've pre-ordered two base models for my (increasingly elderly) parents for christmas in the hopes that I can ween them off of windows and save me a little personal sanity every time something goes wrong. i've already added their accounts to my setapp and apple one, and installed cleanmymac, so we'll see. I'm hopeful. MacOS does a lot of legwork these days, and I think I have a chance in converting my dad over to the proverbial dark side with the discovery that I have Myst preinstalled for him. I have to say with windows getting ever more intrusive, now is probably a good time to get family members motivated to switch things up a little.
Soldato
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Surely an iPad is the way to go? My grans love theirs and are able to use it no bother at all.
You'd think that, but my mother is neither a rational nor a logical woman
- she's been told repeatedly that she needs to put her fet up more, I've thrown one iPad and two macbooks her way and still she insists on sitting at her desk. My dad on the other hand has always been a bit into his crafts (still makes wedding dresses) and would benefit from something on his desktop, but I'm thinking of tossing my M1 MBP at him to encourage his newfound interest in photography.Really?!
I've always installed it because macaddress mentioned it and had positive things to say - I don't use it personally (I prefer onyx) but figured it would be an easy fix for my parents to use every now and then.