That1NJGuy

I'm thinking of purchasing one of these. I've done some research and realize I'll have to purchase all the peripherals, but still have a decent set up.

This will be my first Apple product. I'm not here to stir up the Windows vs Apple debate.

Does anyone use these and what is your experience? Good and bad, let's hear it!

Thanks in advance

JohnH3 Loc: Auburn, AL

Following

tgreenhaw

I've bought a number of these over the years for business use. Thy are fine and I like the option of selecting the type of screen best suited to my needs.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

I am thinking a Mac mini might be a good choice when I eventually replace my iMac.
Following.

Just Shoot Me Loc: Ithaca, NY

Hi,
I have been a long time Apple user and have had 2 Mac minis. They are a great investment. I had my first one for 9 years and the second is still going after 12 years. I only use it for minor web surfing when I'm in my shop and I have replaced it with a desktop model and just recently a Mac book Pro.
Yes you have to buy everything separately but you get the advantage of having every peripheral that suits your needs.
Not trying to get anyone in an uproar but "Once you go Mac you never look back" Enjoy your purchase.

Ron

Laramie Loc: Tempe

Does the Mini have the same performance specs of the iMac or other Mac devices?

r1ch Loc: Colorado

I am a pc guy and would not buy a crapple crapintosh so my opinion is biased. BUT, the M1 chip is good and no one can deny that. If you search youtube you will find photo and video editors will tell you you have to have 16gb of ram minimum. Do not get the 8gb which is cheaper. You can't upgrade apple and this is the most important thing you can do. You can always add a USBC nvme ram drive but you can't add ram. If you are going to only use it for the web then 8gb is fine If you get 16gb of ram, you will thank me that you did, you mac will last longer without having to be upgraded..

mudduck

I had a Mac Mini and the only thing I didnt like about it once it got a few years on it ,Apple wouldnt let it update to the latest software.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

My first Mac was a Mini and here 20 years later I am now using a iMac, I found the Mac to operate enough like a Win.machine there was very little to get used to.
Jump in get your feet wet, The Mini is a good way to see if a Mac is for you.

rwm283main Loc: Terryville, CT

I recently bought, back in August, a Mac M1 mini with 512 Gb hard drive and 16 Gb memory. I've owned many Mac computers, they all still work just fine but like everything else with computers and technology they can no longer be updated with the latest OS which subsequently limits their use on the internet.

But, back to your inquiry, since I have already own a couple of displays (I always use 2 displays side by side) and Apple keyboards I was able to get up and running in a matter of, at the most 15 minutes, if not less.

I also purchased a Satechi dock with an additional 1 Terabyte Samsung EVO Plus SSD that mounts in the dock (make sure you order the correct one if you should go that route). The Mac mini sits on top of the Satechi dock (no heating issues whatsoever...there have been some reviews where people are experiencing heating issues).

The Mac M1 mini handles all my photo editing needs (and everything else) nicely. I'm using Photoshop and Lightroom. Quite often, since I use two displays, I have two applications running simultaneously without any performance issues that I can see.

I don't think I could have bought a comparable Mac product for what I paid compared to what I was able to put together with what I already have. For me, it's a great system.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

As always, I recommend reading reviews. From what I've seen minicomputers are fine. There are lots of non-Apple minicomputers at various price range. The link below will take you to a guy who has reviewed several of them.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=britec09+mini

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

I've been a PC guy since the late 70s.
I've been running and repairing and "de programing" Macs for @ 15 years.
This is yet another crappie Craigslist MacPro. 50 pounder tower.
Replaced the 2.4ghz CPU with a 6core 3ghz. 8gb to 32gb Ram.
AND NOW it runs Windows 10 like a dream!
My wife has an old i5 Mac Mini. 16gb ram, 1tb SSD.
She likes the cute quiet thingie on her desk. Soon to be under it.
Over kill for her, she just uses Firefox and Office. On Windows 10!
.
The mini wouldn't run/upgrade past High Sierra anyway. "Buy newer!"
The cMPs would ... just add a $300 (and up!) crappy video card!
Yeah ... um .... no.
These all work too well to go back in evolution.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

I would add that the SSD should be upped to 1 TB giving you oodles of SWAP space. it only adds $200 and is a good investment.

rcarol

I have the Mac Mini with the M1 chip, 16GB of memory and 512GB SSD. It is very fast.

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

I’m basically a PC person, but have an iPhone. A couple of years ago I bought a Mac Mini. The only time I use it is when I’m traveling, instead of taking my PC laptop.
Which means most of the time it just sits there gathering dust. If I had to do it over again I probably wouldn’t.
It has a nice cover on it, so at times it substitutes for a nice coaster for my drink, though.