Help buying my first mac

[EddieKeyton1]

I’m going to preface this with…. I don’t need the fastest system out there. Right now I use an older i5 windows desktop and get along just fine. I just want something a little faster.

I’ve been using iPhone the last few months. I love it. I picked up the 13pro max iPhone, AirPods 3, apple wallet, battery pack etc etc. I enjoy everything literally “just working together”.

I’m kind of interested in switching over to a mac. But don’t want to spend a grand on a desktop or laptop either. Is there any lower end systems that will get me through basic tasks without being slow or giving me lots of problems doing tasks? My price range is roughly around $400. Is that even enough to purchase something second hand? It doesn’t have to be new either. Just something that I can enjoy videos, web surfing etc etc on. No work or anything like video editing. I do all of my videos on my iPhone.

Thanks in advance.


Edit: I do play some games. Well, my kids do. So it at least needs to run low end things like roblox. I know a lot of games don’t work on mac from what I read but I don’t want it to be so out dated that it is only useful for video and web surfing. I want a bit of room to expand if I want lol

 

[Realityck]

I’m going to preface this with…. I don’t need the fastest system out there. Right now I use an older i5 windows desktop and get along just fine. I just want something a little faster.

I’ve been using iPhone the last few months. I love it. I picked up the 13pro max iPhone, AirPods 3, apple wallet, battery pack etc etc. I enjoy everything literally “just working together”.

I’m kind of interested in switching over to a mac. But don’t want to spend a grand on a desktop or laptop either. Is there any lower end systems that will get me through basic tasks without being slow or giving me lots of problems doing tasks? My price range is roughly around $400. Is that even enough to purchase something second hand? It doesn’t have to be new either. Just something that I can enjoy videos, web surfing etc etc on. No work or anything like video editing. I do all of my videos on my iPhone.

Thanks in advance.

Nothing really that cheap via Apple store. If you got a external display then just get a M1 Mac mini. You can get a refurbished Mac mini Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU w/512 GB SSD for $759.00 currently, normally $899 Thats with full warranty. see here. Just something to consider that is a lot more usable even if its above $400.

 

[Boyd01]

You can get close to your price target with a 2018 Mini from MacSales (aka OWC). They have the original base model i3/8gb/128gb model for $450. This would be a used machine but with a 90 day guarantee. OWC is pretty highly regarded, I got my 2012 top-spec Mini from them about 5 years ago and it has been perfect.

They also have the same model new, factory-sealed, with more memory for $100 more. Now, I will leave it to somebody else to debate the pros and cons of getting an Intel Mac. But can say that I have the top 2018 Mini and love it. I run Windows 10 and legacy versions of MacOS in virtual machines and that works very well. You can't really do that with the new M1 Mini.

No connection with OWC, just a satisfied customer over the years.

Used & Refurbished Apple Mac mini (2018) from OWC

Save money on a used 2018 Mac mini professionally refurbished and inspected by Apple Certified Technicians. View our unbeatable prices online.

eshop.macsales.com

 

[Fishrrman]

I'd look for either a 2018 Mini (i5 at least) -- but that's gonna be more than $400.

Or... a late 2012 i7 Mini. You'll probably need to add an SSD (either internal, or you can boot and run it from an EXTERNAL USB3 SSD).

 

[Boyd01]

I have a 2012 i7 Mini and it has been terrific, I still use it as a server. However I would not buy one today. Just too old and not compatible beyond MacOS Catalina. Catalina will stop receiving security updates one year from now. And you don't want a 2014 Mini either, they were a real step backwards from 2012.

If you don't want to get the current M1 Mini, the 2018 is the only way to go IMO.

 

[tphan91]

You can get close to your price target with a 2018 Mini from MacSales (aka OWC). They have the original base model i3/8gb/128gb model for $450. This would be a used machine but with a 90 day guarantee. OWC is pretty highly regarded, I got my 2012 top-spec Mini from them about 5 years ago and it has been perfect.

They also have the same model new, factory-sealed, with more memory for $100 more. Now, I will leave it to somebody else to debate the pros and cons of getting an Intel Mac. But can say that I have the top 2018 Mini and love it. I run Windows 10 and legacy versions of MacOS in virtual machines and that works very well. You can't really do that with the new M1 Mini.

No connection with OWC, just a satisfied customer over the years.

Used & Refurbished Apple Mac mini (2018) from OWC

Save money on a used 2018 Mac mini professionally refurbished and inspected by Apple Certified Technicians. View our unbeatable prices online.

eshop.macsales.com

Hi Boyd01,

Hope you're doing well.

I'm also in the process of purchasing a used Mac. And I've been deciding between a mac mini 2014 (i7, 16gb) from eBay and OWC.

eBay has a better price but I really don't trust the whole buying computers off eBay thing. It feels risky to me.

OWC, on the other hand, is a little more expensive. But they have different tiers of condition (Very Good, Excellent, and Mint), plus a 90-day warranty like you mentioned.

Now that I read your comment, I feel more confident going with OWC even with a higher price tag. You pay extra for a peace of mind, right?

That said, if you don't mind me asking, which conditions that you'd recommend for a used Mac from OWC (Excellent vs Mint?). The price difference is around $30. One thing I don't like is that they don't have any real pictures for the unit.

Any inputs are appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Tee

 

[Boyd01]

I actually just posted about this in your other thread. Regarding condition... no idea. But for $30 I'd probably go for the best they offer. Since a Mini is just a slab of metal, I don't think pictures would help all that much... do you?

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...i.2118732/page-11?post=30973531#post-30973531

[edit]Just to add... consider the price difference between the 2014 and 2018 Mini. Even the base model 2018 will literally "run circles around" the top 2014, plus it will be supported much longer and has a much better selection of ports.

 

[tphan91]

I just saw your comment on the other post. Thank you for the answer.

Haha yes, I agree with you on the pictures. Maybe I'm just a little picky ?.

I was looking at the 2018 Mac mini from OWC, but they only offer a 128GB SSD. I know that you can upgrade the RAM so that isn't a worry for me. I'm planning to use the mini for learning how to code so I might need a little more storage than 128GB. It's too bad that you can't upgrade the SSD on the Mac mini.

I do hear that you can connect an external SSD via usb-c hub. What are your opinions on that one?

Thanks again, Boyd01.

Tee

 

[Boyd01]

I get ~700MB/sec write speed from the internal SSD on my 2014 Mini. But I get over 800MB/sec write speed from an external Samsung T7 USB-C SSD on my 2018 Mini. That same SSD will only deliver ~500MB/sec connected to the USB-A port on a 2014 Mini.

So, an external SSD on the 2018 Mini will be faster than the internal on a 2014. Now, the internal SSD on the 2018 Mini should be faster than 2000MB/sec, so having a big one is certainly an advantage. But with the 128gb version you could just put your home directory and essential files on it and all you other user files on an external SSD. This will be a big performance win over the 2014 Mini.

Also remember that you can have up to 64gb RAM on the 2018. Bottom line.... a 2014 Mini just wouldn't interest me today. I use Windows and MacOS VM's heavily, so the M1 Mini would not be a good choice for me. However, if you don't need those then I would seriously consider getting a 2020 M1.

 

[tphan91]

I like that you provide some numbers here. It's easier to see the big picture. That's a great idea to just use the internal for important files and have other stuff stored on your external.

I live in Canada so an M1 Mac Mini with the specs I want (16gb RAM 512gb SSD) is around $1500. Quite a lot of money for just learning web development. Also, there are many issues with software compatibility for the M1 chip. In addition to that, the M1 is only 1.5 years young. I would like to wait a few more years until I commit to the transition from Intel to ARM.

Now, are there any advantages of having more RAM than SSD on the 2018 besides the fact that you can open up more applications at the same time? The reason I ask is because I'm just getting into MacOS recently. I've only used a Macbook Air 11" mid-2013 from 8 years ago but that's pretty much it. I also have many iPhones but I don't think you would count them as proper computers ?. I know how to navigate the system, but I have no in-depth knowledge about it at all.