2014 MAC MINI REVIEW UPGRADE
2014 MAC MINI REVIEW FULL
2014 MAC MINI REVIEW PRO

IвЂ™m currently writing this review on the i7 model, with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and almost everything about this $2,499 machine feels like overkill. Storage constraints, on the other hand, can always be better managed with external drives. Both upgrades will cost you heavily, with only the RAM being really worth springing for now rather than later, because of how finicky Macs can be when using aftermarket memory.

2014 MAC MINI REVIEW UPGRADE

You can of course pay to upgrade both the RAM and the SSD in small chunks, up to 64GB of memory and 2TB of storage. ThatвЂ™s a smart move in my book, and it will give the device more speed and mileage in the long run. If you know youвЂ™re not going to need a large amount of storage - in other words, youвЂ™re not editing video on this thing or using it as a media server - you can spring for the $799 base model and spend that extra cash on an upgrade to an i7. There are some ways to help make this choice easier.

Ports: DisplayPort, Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps), Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), HDMI 2.0 port, Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet), 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Storage: 128GB SSD (configurable up to 2TB).

Processor: Intel Core i3-8100 quad-core CPU / Intel Core i5-8500B six-core CPU (configurable with Intel Core i7-8700B six-core CPU).

The only other difference between the two configurations is that the cheaper model starts at 128GB of flash storage, while the i5 model comes with 256GB. Choosing between the two, or shelling out for the optional i7, is the hardest and priciest choice youвЂ™re going to have to make because you will not be able to upgrade that component whatsoever. You also get a 3.5mm headphone jack and an Ethernet jack.ДЇor configurations, you have two options: the not-so-powerful i3 version costing $799, or the decently powerful i5 version starting at $1,099. On the back, you have an all-new port layout: four Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and one HDMI 2.0 port.

It is essentially the same weight - itвЂ™s put on a couple of ounces - with the same dimensions as the 2014 model. ItвЂ™s the same old Mac mini, in the familiar frame, but with a new and attractive space gray finish. The company didnвЂ™t reinvent the wheel in an effort to sell you a space-age-looking computer. The most obvious judgement you can make about the new Mac mini is that Apple has smartly retained the design in its entirety. After all, costing pretty much the same amount of money as a Mac laptop, with its built-in display and keyboard, is a much different value proposition than a Mac that used to cost half as much as the next most expensive Apple computer. So the important questions now are whether the new Mac mini justifies its higher price, and even in the event it does, whether it offers enough value for the right kind of consumer to still be considered a viable budget option. (This time around the RAM is user replaceable, while the SSD is not.) You can spec out a lowly Mac mini all the way up to $4,199 if you really desire. In fact, AppleвЂ™s cheapest Mac has moved from a sub-$500 purchase to a $799 one, and much more if you want a larger solid state drive, a faster processor, or more memory.

2014 MAC MINI REVIEW PRO

It is much more powerful - it is, without hyperbole, a miniature Mac Pro - and as a result, it is no longer all that cheap. So well, in fact, that it took on a second life for many owners as a home media PC, a NAS server, and even as part of a compute cluster.Д«ut the 2018 Mac mini is a different beast. But the Mac mini was simple, it was cheap, and it did its job well. You could of course just buy an iMac, or a display stand for a MacBook Air or Pro.

2014 MAC MINI REVIEW FULL

The Mac mini has historically been the budget option Mac for consumers who lived in AppleвЂ™s ecosystem, but liked the aesthetics of mini PCs, as well as the benefits of a full mouse, keyboard, and monitor setup.

IвЂ™ve been using a Mac mini as my primary home computer for the last half-decade, and I love it for its simplicity and the tiny corner of real estate it takes up on my desk.Д«ut thatвЂ™s precisely what makes evaluating the newest iteration of AppleвЂ™s smallest desktop computer so difficult. But the Mac mini has always had a special place in the hearts of Apple fans. And itвЂ™s never been the versatile product of choice for the coder class, the modern office worker, or the well-off college student. ItвЂ™s not the preferred workstation of graphic designers or video editors. For years, the Mac mini has been the black sheep of AppleвЂ™s computer lineup.

2014 mac mini review