My mom needs a computer. I want her to get a Mac Mini. Looking for a refurbished one around $400. Have some questions.

[TwitchOSX]

So, my mom is using my brothers old PC right now and that thing is a piece of **** and it runs Windows which is another stupid thing to have.

I've always been a Mac guy so I suggested she get a Mac Mini. The new ones run $800+ which I think is overkill. All she needs to do is surf the web, facebook, email, manage photos.... simple **** like that. I found a refurbished Mini on Newegg (https://www.newegg.com/apple-mac-mi...ini&cm_re=mac_mini-_-2TS-0008-00C91-_-Product) which looks decent. i5, 256gb SSD, 8gb ram. But thats from 2011. Not sure how long those Mini's work well for. I have a 2010 Mac Pro at home that is still running strong and as awesome as ever but thats much better hardware than whats in a Mini. Looking for suggestions. I want it to last her for quite a while. Thanks!

 

[chscag]

Remember, if you go for a Mini, you'll need a keyboard, mouse, speakers, and of course a good monitor. That $400 cost is basic and will certainly cost more.

Also, I personally only trust refurbished Macs that are sold by Apple, no one else. But that's up to you.

Why don't you buy your Mom a MacBook Air instead?

 

[casperes1996]

Honestly, don't bother. I love Macs way more than most people, but just pop CloudReady on that old ****** PC and it will fly for her, and have a good software UX experience. Threw CloudReady on a laptop for my dad which has a low end Celeron chip and like a single GB of RAM and it feels fast. - If all you do is the simple stuff, you don't need the overhead of a "full" OS.

But as for the Mac mini already is not supported on the latest macOS

 

[TwitchOSX]

Remember, if you go for a Mini, you'll need a keyboard, mouse, speakers, and of course a good monitor. That $400 cost is basic and will certainly cost more.

Also, I personally only trust refurbished Macs that are sold by Apple, no one else. But that's up to you.

Why don't you buy your Mom a MacBook Air instead?

I'm aware it will need a keyboard and the extras. I want it to have a large monitor. She's like 71 now or something. And a full size keyboard. Don't want all the compactness of a laptop

 

[TwitchOSX]

Honestly, don't bother. I love Macs way more than most people, but just pop CloudReady on that old ****** PC and it will fly for her, and have a good software UX experience. Threw CloudReady on a laptop for my dad which has a low end Celeron chip and like a single GB of RAM and it feels fast. - If all you do is the simple stuff, you don't need the overhead of a "full" OS.

But as for the Mac mini already is not supported on the latest macOS

Never heard of cloud ready. But I want the macos experience and ease. I want the "just works" use of a mac and it's hardware. Not concerned that it can run the newest version of macos. I just want her to have ap fast and simple way for her to manage her photos on a computer that won't ask for stupid updates every day, etc like windows. Something that due to the os, won't deteriorate over time, like macos. She has so many photos but no way to manage them. The photo software that comes on windows is a ****ing joke.

 

[cdcastillo]

Isn't an iPad 8 (+ a Logitech BT keyboard and a BT mouse if you like) a better (as in more efficient) solution for what you tell us she mostly use?

I mean, Websurfing, FB, email, photos... those are easily iPad territory.

 

[TwitchOSX]

Isn't an iPad 8 (+ a Logitech BT keyboard and a BT mouse if you like) a better (as in more efficient) solution for what you tell us she mostly use?

I mean, Websurfing, FB, email, photos... those are easily iPad territory.

Yeah, but tablets get weak over time. Seems like the performance degredation is much more evident in "mobile" devices. And I want her to have a large monitor. 27" or so.

 

[casperes1996]

Never heard of cloud ready. But I want the macos experience and ease. I want the "just works" use of a mac and it's hardware. Not concerned that it can run the newest version of macos. I just want her to have ap fast and simple way for her to manage her photos on a computer that won't ask for stupid updates every day, etc like windows. Something that due to the os, won't deteriorate over time, like macos. She has so many photos but no way to manage them. The photo software that comes on windows is a ****ing joke.

Honestly think you’d be well served with CloudReady for her. Think ChromeOS without as heavy a tie to Google. Simple, just works, won’t nag you or get messed up over time.

If you do really want a Mac, the 2011/2012 Minis are a better bet than the 2014 I think - biggest factor will be if it has an SSD or a hard drive. Could also spring for a refurb 27” iMac - I’d probably do that one personally.

 

[TwitchOSX]

Honestly think you’d be well served with CloudReady for her. Think ChromeOS without as heavy a tie to Google. Simple, just works, won’t nag you or get messed up over time.

If you do really want a Mac, the 2011/2012 Minis are a better bet than the 2014 I think - biggest factor will be if it has an SSD or a hard drive. Could also spring for a refurb 27” iMac - I’d probably do that one personally.

A refurbed 27" iMac gotta cost quite a bit. Afraid that would be overkill. I'd love for her to have one. That would really be perfect. I know...I have a 5k iMac at work as my main workstation (I'm a graphic designer)

 

[ian87w]

So, my mom is using my brothers old PC right now and that thing is a piece of **** and it runs Windows which is another stupid thing to have.

I've always been a Mac guy so I suggested she get a Mac Mini. The new ones run $800+ which I think is overkill. All she needs to do is surf the web, facebook, email, manage photos.... simple **** like that. I found a refurbished Mini on Newegg (https://www.newegg.com/apple-mac-mini-a1347/p/2TS-0008-00C91?Description=mac mini&cm_re=mac_mini-_-2TS-0008-00C91-_-Product) which looks decent. i5, 256gb SSD, 8gb ram. But thats from 2011. Not sure how long those Mini's work well for. I have a 2010 Mac Pro at home that is still running strong and as awesome as ever but thats much better hardware than whats in a Mini. Looking for suggestions. I want it to last her for quite a while. Thanks!

That Mac mini is already not supported with Mojave. It won’t get any more security updates in a year or two after Big Sur. So I don’t think that old of a mini is a good idea. You will need to find at least the 2014 version for BigSur.

 

[casperes1996]

A refurbed 27" iMac gotta cost quite a bit. Afraid that would be overkill. I'd love for her to have one. That would really be perfect. I know...I have a 5k iMac at work as my main workstation (I'm a graphic designer)

Right. I mean, the Mini might do her fine, it’s just I don’t really feel it’s worth it tbh. But then again, I may just be setting the bar too high. If you make sure it has a small SSD for the OS (not necessarily the photo library) it’ll probably be pretty fast, but with a spinning hard drive it would likely be slow.
And I’m still in favour of trying out CloudReady instead of using any money to begin with

 

[brianmowrey]

Not sure how long those Mini's work well for.

I had the 2011 Mini Radeon on a beautiful ASUS monitor until God killed it in a house fire last November (running High Sierra with no problems at the time). It's quite a sturdy vintage aside from a bit of GPU degradation over the years, and absolutely would meet your criteria, but Newegg has it kitted it out the wrong way. 8gb memory is excellent, but 256 SSD is a waste of money since the machine isn't going to be writing a billion photos to the drive every day; they should have put in a nice hybrid 500GB+ drive like I subbed into mine and it would cost a lot less. It's not a terrible bang-for-buck ratio but these days you can get a contemporary 2nd gen MBP for less.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Never heard of cloud ready. But I want the macos experience and ease. I want the "just works" use of a mac and it's hardware. Not concerned that it can run the newest version of macos. I just want her to have ap fast and simple way for her to manage her photos on a computer that won't ask for stupid updates every day, etc like windows. Something that due to the os, won't deteriorate over time, like macos. She has so many photos but no way to manage them. The photo software that comes on windows is a ****ing joke.

I also don't think CloudReady (or fill-in-the-blank OS) is a good idea - you'll have to be learning something new for yourself, all while being tech support for your mom. You'll likely both end up frustrated!

Try to find a cheap Late 2014 Mac mini. Ebay will be fine. Older versions won't support the latest updates for macOS, and you'll be back to a loop of trying to be tech support for a legacy OS, whereas you'll likely be using Big Sur, eventually.

 

[hobowankenobi]

Honestly, don't bother. I love Macs way more than most people, but just pop CloudReady on that old ****** PC and it will fly for her, and have a good software UX experience. Threw CloudReady on a laptop for my dad which has a low end Celeron chip and like a single GB of RAM and it feels fast. - If all you do is the simple stuff, you don't need the overhead of a "full" OS.

But as for the Mac mini already is not supported on the latest macOS

I second this. If she (or anybody) is changing OSes, they will have a learning curve. Unless she is a Mac user, this won't be any harder to learn. And honestly, it will be about 95% browser...so go Firefox or Chrome and the platform does not even matter. And even if one is new to it...Chrome OS is really simple and easy compared to a full OS.

If...after a long period of adjustment, if it just is not a good fit, or you don't like supporting it (cuz...you will be the support, no matter what ) then look at a Mini. With the new AS hardware right around the corner ( a matter of months...possibly a year), you might find a new AS Mini that is a great fit, or a really good deal on a 2020 refurb Intel Mini that should last for many years.

Either way, if the PC got another year or so of life with a better OS, you would have lots of options. And if she likes it...yer done. If she really likes it, you could build a cute little PC with new parts and an SSD that would be very cheap and would fly!

 

[Boyd01]

I wouldn't buy a 2011 Mini today and "refurbished" could mean just about anything, certainly not the same as a real Apple refurbished computer that is "like new" with the same 1 year warranty as a new. You won't be able to run a current version of MacOS on the 2011 Mini and soon Apple will stop providing security updates for it.

You can get a refurb base 2018 Mini with full warranty from Apple for $599, there are some available right now here

Refurbished Mac Deals - Apple

Save up to 15% on a refurbished Mac. Tested and certified by Apple including a 1-year warranty. Free delivery and returns.

www.apple.com

This will last her for years to come, will include full support from Apple and you can even get AppleCare for it. If $599 is too expensive, a 2014 Mini is a possibility but you should really try to find one with at least 8gb RAM and an SSD. The 4gb 2014 Mini is horrible and will not be a good experience for a new user. But really, the refurbished 2018 is going to be the best option if you want a Mini.

 

[Fishrrman]

DO NOT buy any Mini unless it's a "late-2012" (or newer).
These are the first to come with USB3.

RULES for buying a 2012 Mini:
If you find a 2012, it's easy to add RAM (although she may do well enough with just 4gb), and if the internal platter-based drive is slow, you can buy a cheap 128gb or 256gb 2.5" SATA SSD (the 120gb units can be bought for under $20), and an external enclosure like this:

SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)

SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)

tinyurl.com

... and create an external USB3 boot SSD that will make it a fairly fast performer.

RULES for buying a 2014 Mini:
- DO NOT buy the 4gb RAM model (RAM is NOT upgradeable on the 2014).
- DO get an 8gb RAM model.
- A 1tb fusion drive may work, as these had 128gb SSD portions.
- Or... add an external USB3 SSD as with the 2012.

For a display:
If your mom is older and her vision isn't what it used to be, find a 27" display (preferably IPS or similar panel) with a NATIVE RESOLUTION of 1080p (1920x1080). Text displayed at normal sizes may "look grainy" to you, but TO HER it will look much better. I speak from experience.

Get a full-sized WIRED USB keyboard.
If you can find one with lighted keys, that will help, too.

If she has a mouse she likes now, she can use that.
Otherwise, I'd suggest a Logitech product. I haven't used anything else for years.

 

[Euroamerican]

If you switch her OS/interface, be prepared to support that OS/interface. If you yourself are not familiar with her new OS or interface, you're going to have lots of support questions to have to research when she asks them during a casual conversation, at the last minute before she has to fill an RX in some web app, when you are about to go out the door on a night out with your chums! ;-)

In other words, I find the idea of moving someone else to a new OS much less worrisome if I know that OS'es ins and outs.