The advantage is that there are very few moving parts - with a SSD really only 1 - the cooling fan. Plug it into a quality UPS and you should get years out of it.
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2.3ghz quad core 2012 Mac mini advice (or 2014?)
- Thread starter max_os17
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That was my thinking as well. I bought a 2012 quad with the original Apple 256gb internal SSD, just seemed safer not to have the vibration and heat coming from a mechanical disk over the years. And I did not want a used machiine that somebody had opened up to install their own ssd either.
My only concern if I went that route now was how many writes were on that SSD. Plus an 850 EVO or Pro would crush whatever Apple put in circa 2012.That was my thinking as well. I bought a 2012 quad with the original Apple 256gb internal SSD, just seemed safer not to have the vibration and heat coming from a mechanical disk over the years. And I did not want a used machiine that somebody had opened up to install their own ssd either.
We've still got two 2007 Minis in the house, both working fine. My main computer for the last 4 years has been a (non-Apple) refurbished 2007 MBP (17"), as I needed some portability, with 1 year warranty (which I needed to use twice since, including for a new logic board...).
Don't need the portability anymore and 10.11 (the latest version that this MBP takes) will receive its last security update Spring 2018, I guess; so looking for something to replace that with, preferably a mini, for at least 5 years.
I find the MBP (with 4 GB RAM) slower on 10.11 than the mini (with 2 GB) on 10.6, especially launching stuff like MS Office (2011), but also Apple stuff like System Requirements. I guess I'd go for a SSD in any replacement and (min.) 8 GB RAM. Maybe there'll be a 2018 mini (I doubt it), otherwise next year will have to choose between 2012/2014 mini or leaving Apple.
Don't need the portability anymore and 10.11 (the latest version that this MBP takes) will receive its last security update Spring 2018, I guess; so looking for something to replace that with, preferably a mini, for at least 5 years.
I find the MBP (with 4 GB RAM) slower on 10.11 than the mini (with 2 GB) on 10.6, especially launching stuff like MS Office (2011), but also Apple stuff like System Requirements. I guess I'd go for a SSD in any replacement and (min.) 8 GB RAM. Maybe there'll be a 2018 mini (I doubt it), otherwise next year will have to choose between 2012/2014 mini or leaving Apple.
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This is what I get with the original internal Apple SSD. I don't think you can get much better with the interface on the 2012, can you? Really, it doesn't matter to me at the moment. I left Mountain Lion on the internal SSD (another advantage of the 2012) for when I need my expensive legacy software. But 95% of the time it boots into Sierra from a 1tb external Samsung T3.
Pretty darn good, you’d maybe get a bit better on write but not worth the hassle for sure.This is what I get with the original internal Apple SSD. I don't think you can get much better with the interface on the 2012, can you? Really, it doesn't matter to me at the moment. I left Mountain Lion on the internal SSD (another advantage of the 2012) for when I need my expensive legacy software. But 95% of the time it boots into Sierra from a 1tb external Samsung T3.
I have a 2012 Quad, 2.6ghz, 16gb + fusion drive and six years on, no complaints. I sometimes switch between ethernet and Wifi as need location settings for programs like calendar and maps. Even though the internet is a little slower on Wifi, it's still adequate for my needs. It's strange for me to still have this setup six years on. I normally replace my systems every 2-3 years but haven't needed too with this configuration - along with (touch wood) the amazing reliability I've experienced.
I purchased the Mac Mini as a stop gap and have continued to spec it up over the years i.e. ram and fusion drive thinking I would replace it in 2016. I know hardware support is no longer available and future macOS's may not be compatible, but its here to stay now until its last breath. One of the best decisions I ever made. There isn't much difference between 2.3-2.6 and you can always upgrade RAM and HD.
One of the best setups they ever made for the Mini. Such a shame Quad core discontinued from 2012.
I'd like to chime in with a rather specific problem, that may occur more often in the future, though, depending on setup. I'm not exactly sure whether it's hard- or software-related and if a newer Mac could solve the problem, but my guess is that it's indeed hardware-related (and that a new(er) Mac would indeed solve it):
It seems that the mini has problems with a two-monitor setup with changing availability of the monitor connected via TB (DP), i.e. the plan was to use the main monitor for 2 other (PC) computers at times and keep the Mac side running exclusively on the second monitor.
However, after switching the input on the main monitor for a couple of times, it wouldn't be recognized by the mini anymore. Even worse - if I would switch both monitors off and came back another day, more often than not neither monitor would light up and I'd have to reboot the mini to make it responsive again.
Same problem with 2 different monitors from two different brands, with the Dell connecting via TB -> DP and the LG via TB -> TB (which is effectively still DP encapsulated in the TB signal, but DP being required for the screen resolution).
My guess is that the culprit is the outdated DP 1.1 in the mini, which doesn't seem to cope well with multiple changes in the DP topography (though it could also be the PRAM). Going from El Cap to High Sierra seemed to improve things a bit (no more recurring PRAM reset necessary and the LG screen res is now working stable, where it would be a blocky mess in the lower third when trying to use native resolution), but did not solve the problem entirely.
TL;DR: Beware of using that 2012 mini in multi-monitor multi-computer environments.
It seems that the mini has problems with a two-monitor setup with changing availability of the monitor connected via TB (DP), i.e. the plan was to use the main monitor for 2 other (PC) computers at times and keep the Mac side running exclusively on the second monitor.
However, after switching the input on the main monitor for a couple of times, it wouldn't be recognized by the mini anymore. Even worse - if I would switch both monitors off and came back another day, more often than not neither monitor would light up and I'd have to reboot the mini to make it responsive again.
Same problem with 2 different monitors from two different brands, with the Dell connecting via TB -> DP and the LG via TB -> TB (which is effectively still DP encapsulated in the TB signal, but DP being required for the screen resolution).
My guess is that the culprit is the outdated DP 1.1 in the mini, which doesn't seem to cope well with multiple changes in the DP topography (though it could also be the PRAM). Going from El Cap to High Sierra seemed to improve things a bit (no more recurring PRAM reset necessary and the LG screen res is now working stable, where it would be a blocky mess in the lower third when trying to use native resolution), but did not solve the problem entirely.
TL;DR: Beware of using that 2012 mini in multi-monitor multi-computer environments.
That's not correct, the 2011 Mini is no longer supported but the 2012 is still hanging on by a slender thread.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/ht201624
That's not correct, the 2011 Mini is no longer supported but the 2012 is still hanging on by a slender thread.
Only the Mac mini Server (Mid 2011) is no longer supported. The base models with Intel or AMD graphics are supported.
He quoted my post, and the subject was *hardware* support, as listed in the link that I posted above - https://support.apple.com/en-us/ht201624
And he was correct: the 2010 Mini is no longer supported, but the Server configuration is the only 2011 Mini that has been dropped from support, the regular 2011 Mini is not on the list yet. This gives me hope that we still have a couple more years of hardware support for the 2012 Mini. But I suppose they could do the same as 2011 and drop support for the 2012 server before the other models - which would suck, because I have a 2012 server
Operating system support is anybody’s guess, I think that is usuallly longer that Apple’s hardware support.