2014 mini for the next 4-5 year

[TyShawn]

Currently I still have a self upgrade 2006 mini for the most part is at the end of its life. I am now looking for a replacement unit that will last me the next 4-5 years. I was really hoping to pick up a used 2011-12 mini off of Ebay for a few hundred, but to my surprise those things are going for crazy prices.

Fast forward I was lucky enough to win 300.00 in Bestbuy gif cards so I am looking to purchase my Mac from them. My question is how is the 14 Mini for web surfing, email, movie encoding, and random odds and ends. I know they won't do any gaming, and to my knowledge they aren't the greatest for hardcore video editing.

For anyone that is able to weigh in on this post its greatly appreciated.

 

[jpietrzak8]

My question is how is the 14 Mini for web surfing, email, movie encoding, and random odds and ends. I know they won't do any gaming, and to my knowledge they aren't the greatest for hardcore video editing.

Web surfing and email are fine, but then you can do that on practically any machine. Video encoding will use as much CPU as you can throw at it, and none of the 2014 Minis really have standout CPUs; but compared to a 2006 Mini, they'll all run at light speed.

Minis are not made for gaming, but it's a bit too harsh to say that they won't do any gaming. In particular, the higher-end Minis now have Intel Iris (5100) graphics, which has some ability to run at least older 3D games. As for video editing, I have been informed (most emphatically! ) by people on this forum that a Mini upgraded to use an SSD can perform video editing just fine...

 

[treekram]

I just did a transcoding of a 1080i PBS broadcast. It was a 3-hour broadcast, the main part of the broadcast was 2-1/2 hours. Using Handbrake, it took my 2014 Mini (2.6 Ghz) about 6-1/2 hours overnight to encode using the "High Profile" setting. For a lot of my recordings, I go from 1080i to 720p using the "Normal" setting with a "Fast" decomb and that takes a little more than the length of the content itself. For me, the 2014 Mini is able to keep up with video transcoding of content that comes over the cable box but YMMV depending on what your video needs are. Because it's CPU-bound, an HDD works fine as the destination and source (although I like to have a different HDD for each).

For video editing, I just do basic editing of the broadcast content and other content I acquire. I use EyeTV to record and rough-edit. If I need more refined editing, I use Adobe Premiere Elements on my 2012 Mini (quad-core). If you're familiar with the EyeTV software, it's all about disk speed, not CPU (unless you use the transcode options). With Adobe, it'd be difficult to use on my 2014 Mini because it always transcodes when producing a good-quality export file and the export always sets the fan going so it's using all 4 cores. I don't hear the fan otherwise so I think when I'm actually editing, it doesn't use all 4 cores (never thought to check it in Activity Monitor, however). Note that for my 2014 Mini, I never hear the fan, even when Handbrake is working. So whether the 2014 Mini works for a person depends a lot on the video editing software they use and their particular requirements.

 

[TyShawn]

Thank you both for your information and it does look like this upgrade will workout for me . The Mini I was looking at getting is this one.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-m...hite/7812053.p?id=1218861115648&skuId=7812053

 

[jpietrzak8]

Thank you both for your information and it does look like this upgrade will workout for me . The Mini I was looking at getting is this one.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-m...hite/7812053.p?id=1218861115648&skuId=7812053

Sounds good. BTW, I just took a look at the Best Buy link, and the photo they've got appears to be of a 2012 Mini rather than a 2014 (looking at the ports on the back). But the model number and specs are correct.

 

[Fishrrman]

I'd think you'd want something with either an SSD or a fusion drive inside.

2014 Minis -without- either of the above tend to be......... S....L....O....W

 

[jedisaga]

I'm kinda in the same boat. I have a 2006 mini and I've upgraded as much as I can. Since I cannot run the latest OS and certain software, I'm thinking I'm going to upgrade this year as well. Want to wait to see if Apple releases a new Mini but considering getting the 2014. Just would hate to get that one and pay the same price as a new one if released this year.

J