Making a purchasing decision: Macbook Pro or Mac Mini and windows laptop?

[chooyoshi]

I have started to make videos on youtube under the channel Orange pig Productions. Currently using a 2012 Macbook air with only 64GB of storage, which isn't enough for proper video editing honestly.

I am now considering between two options:

1. Buying the 2018 Macbook Pros with 256GB of int.memory and touchbar. will cost around S$2.5K... but I have reservations about the need to buy a dongle to make it useful, as well as issues with the scissor keyboard.

2. Buying the next-generation Mac Mini when it comes out later this year- would be less than S$1000. Subsequently I would spend about $1000 or so on another windows laptop for university-presumably from HP or Dell.

please note that I intend to use Mac OS andimovie for video editing. Altogether both options would be more or less the same price. what is the best option to take? Thanks

This is my channel btw: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqO5ZJidFmS23vbLycklFqg

 

[Boyd01]

The "next generation Mac Mini" doesn't exist - it's only a rumor and nobody knows what the specs will be or what it will cost. How could we possibly say if that is a good choice?

 

[chooyoshi]

The "next generation Mac Mini" doesn't exist - it's only a rumor and nobody knows what the specs will be or what it will cost. How could we possibly say if that is a good choice?

But let's just assume it exists and has the specs I desire-i.e min 500gb storage, usb a and sd ports.

 

[Boyd01]

Sure, buy the imaginary computer with imaginary specs at your imaginary price. Can't beat that deal.

Seriously, this is kind of silly. But I can tell you that I use my 2012 i7 quad 2.6ghz 16gb Mini exclusively for video and audio editing and it's a great machine, although the HD4000 video is its weakness. I would get an updated version of that for $1000 instead of a MBP. But I am skeptical as to whether Apple will actually introduce such a thing.

 

[Fishrrman]

For video production you would probably do best with a 27" 5k iMac -- either midrange or high-end model. Particularly if you have any interest in 4k.

You will get no answer here about "the next Mini", because no one here knows when or if it's coming out.
Well, there might be someone here who does, but if there is, he won't tell you!

 

[theluggage]

But let's just assume it exists and has the specs I desire-i.e min 500gb storage, usb a and sd ports.

That's a long wait for a train don't come. (maybe Apple's new TV arm will pick up Firefly while they're at it?)

Snark aside... if you're prepared to wait for a hypothetical product then you might be better off waiting for the rumoured new low-cost laptop/Air replacement, which currently sounds more likely than a new Mini (the non-touchbar MacBook Pros didn't get upgraded in July so maybe something new is coming). If you have "got by" with a 64GB, 2012 Air then its likely to be a massive improvement.

Otherwise, if you want to use iMovie without wishing for a unicorn, your current viable choices are (a) 2018 MBP (and some dongles), (b) 2017 iMac or (c) get a second-hand 2015 rMBP.

If you're prepared to consider a Windows laptop then other low-end video editing software is available, and there is a far wider choice of hardware. Or if you're not using it for professional purposes you could try and Hackintosh it.

 

[now i see it]

People have been waiting for a new mini for four years (6 really). To wait for the mythical next mini is madness. It ain't coming and Tim C never said specifically that it would. (He only said that it was important). Important for what? Pushing people to higher speced machines?
It's a goner.

 

[chooyoshi]

Thanks for all your replies. I assume that a brand new Mac mini will be out this year based on MING Chi Kuo's predictions. Is he usually spot on regarding Mac releases?

 

[sublunar]

Thanks for all your replies. I assume that a brand new Mac mini will be out this year based on MING Chi Kuo's predictions. Is he usually spot on regarding Mac releases?

I wouldn't set your mind on a Mini - wait until October by all means but you may be disappointed even if it is updated.

 

[chooyoshi]

I wouldn't set your mind on a Mini - wait until October by all means but you may be disappointed even if it is updated.

Would you mind elaborating?

 

[Sackofnickels]

Thanks for all your replies. I assume that a brand new Mac mini will be out this year based on MING Chi Kuo's predictions. Is he usually spot on regarding Mac releases?

Well bottom line would be if they DO NOT release a new mini, get a reasonably spec'd 2104 version and call it a day. I use my 2.6, 256gb SSD, 8gb of ram to do moderate video and audio editing using iMovie, FCP X, and Logic Pro. Not the fastest but gets the job done. A current Mac Mini with an i7 would do even better.

 

[sublunar]

Would you mind elaborating?

Firstly, as other say, we've been waiting for a Mini refresh for years. The 2014 update was a let down for the people looking for horsepower as the quad core option was eliminated. There's fresh hope for quad core to return to the Mini because of the Kaby Lake Refresh CPU i5-8250U that Apple may have got a good deal for.

None of this means that Apple will release a Mini this year or next. They may even discontinue it.

You can't even assume it'll have USB-A or SD ports when it gets a refresh although it would be unusual for a desktop to lose them.

You're better off looking at the more likely machines for update - the iMac for example.

 

[twalk]

Option 3:

On Ebay you can get a used current Mac Pro for around $1500. Then get a MBA or the MBA replacement when it comes out. If you go for a Windows laptop instead, there's a lot of really good options between $500-$750, plus a few decently solid performers down as low as $300

Option 4:

If MacOS is optional, there's quite a few quad-core Windows laptops around $750 which could do everything that you want

 

[Boyd01]

If MacOS is optional, there's quite a few quad-core Windows laptops

He was already very clear about what he wanted...

please note that I intend to use Mac OS and imovie for video editing.

@chooyoshi - reading your OP again, it seems that your main complaint with the 2012 MBA is the small 64gb SSD. The 2012 MBA has USB 3.0, so you can add an inexpensive external SSD, such as a Samsung T5. That is what I'm doing on my 2012 quad Mini, I have a 1TB Samsung T3 as a boot drive. I use that machine with Final Cut Pro and it runs great on the external SSD. Just clone your internal SSD to the external SSD, select it in the startup disk preference panel and restart.

If you add an external SSD, then you could keep using your 2012 MBA for a bit longer and see what Apple actually introduces in the fall. There was news story here that suggested the "new MBA" will have a quad core processor, so it might be a nice machine. My guess is that you may need dongles with any new mac however.

The T5 should be almost as fast as your internal SSD, this is what I get with the T3 (which is the previous model SSD from Samsung).

 

[chooyoshi]

He was already very clear about what he wanted...



@chooyoshi - reading your OP again, it seems that your main complaint with the 2012 MBA is the small 64gb SSD. The 2012 MBA has USB 3.0, so you can add an inexpensive external SSD, such as a Samsung T5. That is what I'm doing on my 2012 quad Mini, I have a 1TB Samsung T3 as a boot drive. I use that machine with Final Cut Pro and it runs great on the external SSD. Just clone your internal SSD to the external SSD, select it in the startup disk preference panel and restart.

If you add an external SSD, then you could keep using your 2012 MBA for a bit longer and see what Apple actually introduces in the fall. There was news story here that suggested the "new MBA" will have a quad core processor, so it might be a nice machine. My guess is that you may need dongles with any new mac however.

The T5 should be almost as fast as your internal SSD, this is what I get with the T3 (which is the previous model SSD from Samsung).

Thank you for the advise. I'll rather wait and see by the holiday season..before I decide to pull the trigger.

 

[Neodym]

Well bottom line would be if they DO NOT release a new mini, get a reasonably spec'd 2104 version and call it a day.

I would say a base model would be way more than sufficient :-D scnr ;-)

 

[mjoshi123]

Since new Mac Mini is out, what did OP ended up getting ?

 

[chooyoshi]

I ended up getting the 21.5 inch 2017 imac, top of the line with 16gb ram and 1tb fusion drive. Talking to Apple's sale representative led me to change my mind.