Is there any Mac even worth buying in 2018

[dmsea1]

On audio, what I know is this:

Some people are complaining about audio drop-outs;
Other people are complaining about audio drop-ins.

In my person experience, using two minis for 26 days straight, with an audio interface connected all the time, and computer speakers or floor speakers or headphones going the whole time, I don't know what they are talking about.

I also know that the number of people who have raised actual problems on the audio issues thread in this forum can be counted on less than ten fingers; indeed, last I looked, about five.

Same here. I have a Harmon Kardon BT speaker, a KRK studio monitor wired into my Scarlett 6i6 for recording and playback when I can't afford BT latency and have had no issues, no drop outs at all, not one. I have 2 HD monitors attached and also do video editing and have tried to tax this machine out and I have yet to find that spot. I have used this machine for over a month straight and haven't had any audio issues.

 

[Ploki]

A little bit off-topic, but I presume you already have an Apollo Twin MK2 QUAD for doing audio stuff.

Dropouts weren't CPU overload related and i prefer not to invest into the UAD ecosystem, i rock RME interfaces.

The audio drop outs seems kinda weird. While I don't think it's the T2 chip's fault, you're going to be hard press to find any new macs without it. There are external audio processing options you might want to consider if it really that was the case.

I've been using my i7 mac mini without any stuttering, all while transcoding h.265 in the background for days.

I assume OP checked if they had enough ram, didn't have faulty audio cables (because all the machines having audio drop out seems unrealistic).
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my i9 was specified with 32gb of ram, dropouts occurred using both external interface and internal audio on extremely undemanding projects. (I know how an audio driver sync error or CPU related overload sounds like - this wasn't it.)

There's a very specific thread on logic forums: "Audio dropouts while using external USB interface"

Running the same project on the 2012 rMBP posed no issues. (Also running Mojave)

I appreciate your suspicions but I know my audio stuff - what was happening on the i9 shouldn't have been happening on a new computer. (I returned it because it also had a flickering display and overheating issues, like dropping the cpu to 1,35GHz while under load)

But you don't have the mini yet and therefore don't know from personal experience whether any of this is true. All you know is what a bunch of anonymous people on an Internet forum, who represent a minuscule number of purchasers, claim.

You're right. You're panicking.

Take a Valium. And assess the computer yourself when you receive it.

Thanks, i needed that. Didn't take Valium tho

 

[pl1984]

But to address his issue with his APPLE COMPUTERS, do we always sweep these concerns under the table? It reminds me of when people say if you don't like it here leave. I like it here, but there is nothing wrong with a little constructive criticism. For some like the OP, Apple has been a big letdown as of late.

For me I am just fine. Purchased an iPhone XS, Apple Watch 4, and have no problems. Does not mean others won't have legitamite problems. I may have misinterpreted the comment, but telling people to look elsewhere seems like an excuse not to deal with some of Apple's quality and product issues.

My point is if Apple doesn't offer anything suitable for him he might want to consider looking into alternatives.
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Hey 1984, what Mini did you purchase?

I own two 2012 i5 Mini's.

 

[Ethosik]

But to address his issue with his APPLE COMPUTERS, do we always sweep these concerns under the table? It reminds me of when people say if you don't like it here leave. I like it here, but there is nothing wrong with a little constructive criticism. For some like the OP, Apple has been a big letdown as of late.

For me I am just fine. Purchased an iPhone XS, Apple Watch 4, and have no problems. Does not mean others won't have legitamite problems. I may have misinterpreted the comment, but telling people to look elsewhere seems like an excuse not to deal with some of Apple's quality and product issues.

That’s the thing with businesses and capitalism. If you complain but still buy the new hardware, they won’t listen. Speak with your wallet.

 

[inmnbob]

If this thread is any indication it's not uncommon:

2018 Mac Mini coil whine
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This reminds me of the IBM days where IBM held all the cards and the customers just had to accept what IBM did.

I'm a big fan of the HP Z-series systems having owned a Z600 and currently own a Z440 and Z620 (which I'm typing this on right now).

Didn’t work out too well for IBM

 

[pl1984]

Didn’t work out too well for IBM

Exactly my point. Customers got fed up with their behavior and moved to alternatives. Perhaps there's a lesson for Apple to learn here?

 

[Cashmonee]

Exactly my point. Customers got fed up with their behavior and moved to alternatives. Perhaps there's a lesson for Apple to learn here?

It will be interesting to see what happens to Mac numbers now that most of the line has been replaced. Leading up to the release of the mini and Air, sales and market share have been on the decline. It seems the Mac is still bucking PC sales trends except this time it is declining while most manufacturers are gaining.

 

[macdos]

It will be interesting to see what happens to Mac numbers now that most of the line has been replaced. Leading up to the release of the mini and Air, sales and market share have been on the decline. It seems the Mac is still bucking PC sales trends except this time it is declining while most manufacturers are gaining.

I think MM sales will surprise a lot of people.

 

[Duncan68]

I think MM sales will surprise a lot of people.

I already see "Apple focused" tech journalists treating it like a redheaded step-child.

 

[Cashmonee]

I think MM sales will surprise a lot of people.

I think there will be a bump from the mini. Not sure how big it will be, but I suspect there is a lot of pent up demand. There has been an overall downward trend for a while though, and while releasing the Air and mini may give a bump, I do not think they will reverse the trend.

 

[ElectronGuru]

Assuming nothing controversial and difficult to fix happens, I expect 2 things to drive new mini sales

Pent up demand. People haven’t been excited to buy mini since 2012. That’s 6 years of waiting.

Gpu aside, this is nearly a mini pro. New categories of mini buyers are coming out of the woodwork to try it out.

These are tempered by higher prices and the power of iOS. But minis versatility should overcome some of this.

 

[pl1984]

Assuming nothing controversial and difficult to fix happens, I expect 2 things to drive new mini sales

Pent up demand. People haven’t been excited to buy mini since 2012. That’s 6 years of waiting.

Gpu aside, this is nearly a mini pro. New categories of mini buyers are coming out of the woodwork to try it out.

These are tempered by higher prices and the power of iOS. But minis versatility should overcome some of this.

I would add, GPU aside, you have entry Mac Pro users replacing their systems with the Mini. For non GPU work the new Mini is competitive with the hex and octa Mac Pro models.

 

[Cashmonee]

Assuming nothing controversial and difficult to fix happens, I expect 2 things to drive new mini sales

Pent up demand. People haven’t been excited to buy mini since 2012. That’s 6 years of waiting.

Gpu aside, this is nearly a mini pro. New categories of mini buyers are coming out of the woodwork to try it out.

These are tempered by higher prices and the power of iOS. But minis versatility should overcome some of this.

I agree with what you are saying, however I do not think there are that many people who want a desktop machine. So while I think we will see a bump, I cannot imagine there will be a sustained sales boost from the mini. Especially at these prices.

 

[09872738]

I think there will be a bump from the mini. Not sure how big it will be, but I suspect there is a lot of pent up demand. There has been an overall downward trend for a while though, and while releasing the Air and mini may give a bump, I do not think they will reverse the trend.

I have a feeling the bump will be short lived, if there is one at all. Its a neat machiche, but waaay too expensive, in particular when upgraded from the pretty limited base model

 

[Cashmonee]

I have a feeling the bump will be short lived, if there is one at all. Its a neat machiche, but waaay too expensive, in particular when upgraded from the pretty limited base model

I agree. Once you start speccing a mini, it gets pricey fast. I think most normal users will take a look at the cost and just go with an iMac or one of the laptops thinking they are getting better value. The mini will be bought by those who have thought it through and have specific use cases and needs. Those types of customers make up a small portion of the market.

 

[ElectronGuru]

I agree with what you are saying, however I do not think there are that many people who want a desktop machine.

Agreed. 1995-2005 was about getting online and desktops were the vehicle of choice. Mobile has taken over that roll, leaving desktops a specialized role of content creation.

Apple has acknowledged this by going after the smaller remaining pool of creators with increased performance and capabilities. But the higher price points also means they need fewer units sold to achieve an increase in platform revenue.

That also means Mini is now to expensive to be a household hub serving files and backing up iPhones. So long term demand will come down to how many things it can handle and how many of those things are valuable enough to justify buying one.

 

[dmsea1]

I agree. Once you start speccing a mini, it gets pricey fast. I think most normal users will take a look at the cost and just go with an iMac or one of the laptops thinking they are getting better value. The mini will be bought by those who have thought it through and have specific use cases and needs. Those types of customers make up a small portion of the market.

I had waited several years to upgrade to a new iMac from my early 2009 iMac - saved up expecting to sink iMac money this year. When the Mini was announced and no new iMac, I was able to grab the i7/16gb model, buy a widescreen monitor that is better for music production than the iMac, and buy a new iPad Pro for the money I saved going with the Mini. My iPad was the 2nd Gen version. For those that exercise a little more financial discipline and don't upgrade every couple of years, this is not an expensive proposition for a machine that will last easy - another 6-8 years. My iMac is still very much usable, just not good at editing video or music at this point.

 

[harriska2]

I had waited several years to upgrade to a new iMac from my early 2009 iMac - saved up expecting to sink iMac money this year. When the Mini was announced and no new iMac, I was able to grab the i7/16gb model, buy a widescreen monitor that is better for music production than the iMac, and buy a new iPad Pro for the money I saved going with the Mini. My iPad was the 2nd Gen version. For those that exercise a little more financial discipline and don't upgrade every couple of years, this is not an expensive proposition for a machine that will last easy - another 6-8 years. My iMac is still very much usable, just not good at editing video or music at this point.

This was how I also bought the mac mini - to replace my 7 year old PC. If you hang onto it and use it daily, I’m willing to pay a premium - to a certain point.

 

[stillcrazyman]

I replaced an aging Late 2012 iMac 27" with the new Mini (my first one). I didn't want to deal with the AIO design any longer. Modular works better for my needs as an amateur photographer. I can choose what screen I want, what eGPU, storage etc. As I priced out the components for the new Mini, I see the cost is very close to what I paid 6+ years ago for the iMac. For me, it's a great value.

 

[Coyote2006]

I just want to see the next iMacs and how the MacPro will be. Thefore I'm working on my MacBookPro until my good old MacPro 5,1 works again and gets some "speedpimps".