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Mac mini buying

D

Dylanpika

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 2, 2014
6
0
Hello, I had an older mac and it broke so I have been using windows for a little while and I really need a mac again because I am a mac user and have a lot of programs/apps, same thing that I need to use in OS X. I plan to get a mac mini because of my tight budget and I already have the monitor, mouse, keyboard. I heard they are going to release a new mac mini this year soon. I want to know if I should really wait for the new mac mini or if I will be fine off with the 2012 one for now and for 2-3 years. Thanks for the help. :apple:
 
You should wait if you can.
Unlike other product line, the gap between Mini generations is wide. Waiting a bit more gets you much better than the current Mini.
The next question is how much better?
It may not be much.
Yes, you can survive with the current Mini for at least a few years. If you need something more than the current Mini, the new Mini will probably not enough for you either.
But but but, it will be the same price. Why don't you wait to spend that money to get you something better?
 
In the same boat...been waiting a while for a Mini update but will not buy a Mini with the current specs. The only thing I need/want is the new integrated graphics. Intel HD5200 is quite a bit faster than HD4000.
 
I was in the same boat recently but went ahead and got the current 2012 base i7 and put a Samsung 250GB EVO in it. I am very pleased. I very much doubt that you will see much improvement with a new model except for slightly better processor performance and better graphics, but certainly not HD5200 level. If you need it now, get it. If you can wait, it doesn't hurt. If you don't like the changes in the new model then get a refurb.
 
would have liked the new one
but the day after I've received it...it will come out
 
OK, I will wait till the 15th of March and if it is not refreshed by then, I will go to the apple store and buy the current mac mini and put a ssd in it. Thanks for the replies! :)
 
I plan to buy the mac mini on the 15th because of money issues, and just in case the new one comes out. I heard someone say it won't come out until June. I wonder if that's true.....
 
If you have to buy -right now-, the best choice might be an Apple-refurbished late-2012 Mini. You'll get the full warranty at a lower price. One shouldn't pay "full retail" for a product that is a year-and-a-half past its introduction and is soon-to-be superseded by a newer model.

If you have a computer that will keep working for a few more months, it might be best to "hold out"...
 
Buy second hand now. That way you get your Mac now and if/when a new one comes out, you can see if it is worth upgrading to and sell your current second hand mini - hopefully at little loss to yourself. If the new mini comes out and isn't what you want e.g. not user upgradeable then you already have the mini you need and didn't hold off just to be disappointed. The key is to pick up the right mini now at a good price.
 
Lots of people here are saying 'wait' but nobody is sure if Apple will update the mini, it's all speculation. For all we know they might even drop it (again speculation). If you really need one now then just buy one. It's not going to become unusable overnight because a new one has come out. If budget is everything then buy a used one from ebay.

I bought a mini around 2 months ago and have no regrets whatsoever. If a new one came out tomorrow they only thing that would make me want to change from the current model is a dedicated GPU that can run games at 1440p. Otherwise I would not be interested - haswell is more about power efficiency than an increase in performance, and changing to PCIe for storage means that I probably wouldn't be able to add a second internal SSD if I wanted one. And while Iris graphics are definitely faster than HD4000 they aren't a patch on a GTX 780 and wouldn't be enough for the games I currently play on my PC.

Personally I think the current models are good enough for most people as a general purpose computer.
 
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