Lifelong PC Owner - Never Owned a Mac - Older Core i5 Mac Mini

Kintarō Hattori

Hi Folks,

Apart from having been gifted a MacBook Air at once point and which I never really used as I had a very competent work Windows laptop, I've never owned a Mac or used the MacOS all that much. I've noticed that the price on the early Core i5 Mac Mini's have fallen to a very respectable level and with these machines having the likes of HDMI it for me thinking whether or not I should pick one up.

Now I don't have much of a use for one per se. There's a gaming PC in the living room, along with a sweet little mini PC that doesn't get much of a look in, a laptop which would be my general day to day personal machine and of course a work laptop. However I was thinking it might be no harm to pick one up to at least learn how to use the OS. I have a 5 year old whom I'm forever taking photos and videos of, so I wouldn't mind perhaps checking out the editing options for that.

What do you think folks. Silly idea? Worth checking out?

shanec1928

assume this isn't direct from apple as the i5 is more expensive(1259) than the m1 core which start from 799. unless its extremely cheap i wouldn't consider it. the m1 macs are way ahead of the intels and the fact that apple have started reserving features for the m1's it will get out dated fairly quick.

Kintarō Hattori

It's not something I'd be using every day, really it's more for a bit of fun, getting to know the OS, maybe as a photo back-up machine etc. I wouldn't be spending €800 on a machine for such casual use. The earlier Core i5 models are around €200 now.

Kintarō Hattori

Late 2012 models are very upgradeable

2015 model isn't but is newer

Any advice on which to get?

shanec1928

each to there own but i wouldnt waste my money on such old hardware the 2012 is 10 year old tech and the 2014 model is quickly catching it up.

will give you an idea of what os the mini will support the 2012 is two versions behind, the 2014 will go to the latest(wont have all the features due to being an intel processor) id say it has gotten its last OS upgrade

https://eshop.macsales.com/guides/Mac_OS_X_Compatibility

Noxegon

If you just want to dip your toe in the water, buying an i5 machine at a knockdown isn't an altogether terrible idea.

However, I'd reiterate what others have said here. The writing is on the wall for macOS on Intel at this point; if you want to be a bit more future proof, then a M1 would be a better bet.