Best mac mini desktop setup

What is a Mac mini and what does it do?

Yes, I bought a Mac mini (and here's how I spec'd it out) | ZDNet

A new Mac mini is also expected to launch in , if the rumors are to be believed. Before you begin setup some of the questions you may want to consider include: What screen will you be connecting to? Add power Plug the power adaptor into your Mac mini and plug the other end into your power outlet.

Connect to Wi-Fi Once turned on, the setup guide should take you through a few simple steps, including setting up a Wi-Fi connection. Sign in with your Apple id This will give you access to the App Store and and will link your iCloud account if you wish to connect to your Mail, Photos, Calendar and so on. Begin using your Mac mini From here, you can begin using your PC or TV screen as a computer, using the desktop to search for apps, open web pages and more. What can you do with your Mac mini?

Here are some ideas on how you can use it: Set up digital signage with the Mac mini The Mac mini is a great way to turn any screen into a digital sign. Create a home viewing centre With the Mac mini and a screen, or desktop, you can create a home viewing centre that allows you to watch movies, surf the internet and listen to music. Mac mini question buster Can you use any monitor with a Mac mini?

How do you turn on a Mac mini? This new Mac mini is exactly what it needs to be. Today the Mac mini is about flexibility and filling niches. This update allows it to span a wide range from basic server needs all the way up to high-end applications that require a great deal of processor power, fast storage, ultra-fast networking, and even beyond via Thunderbolt 3.

The high-end configurations might actually provide enough power for people to consider them over buying the Mac Pro, whenever it comes out. It remains to be seen just what ground the Mac Pro will cover, and what its starting price might be. Apple edges the desktop toward Pro territory, pricing entry-level buyers out in the process […]. The footprint also means the computer is easily stackable, for workloads that require the output of multiple machines at once […].

ZDNet argues in its Mac mini review that the modular nature of a Mac mini setup remains a benefit, and actually makes it more appealing than an iMac. You can connect whatever accessories you want. Prefer a mechanical keyboard from Razer, an Amazon Basics mouse, and a p display? No problem.

Apple Mac Mini (2018) buying guide

It can be as expensive of a setup, accessory wise, as you want. For the past four years, Mac mini users have wanted more from the desktop-like portable computer. And with the model, Apple has delivered. The versatility it offers, combined with performance, is just too compelling. But the view we see is remarkably consistent: No, Apple hasn't activated a secret Mac repair kill switch -- yet. And then I have my main desktop machine. My main machine has always been the one where I produce the bulk of my work output.

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That's a fully-equipped inch iMac that I bought back in I've used it as my main daily driver for five years! Prior to the iMac, I'd never been able to use a machine for more than 18 months without needing a major upgrade. The iMac lasted five years.

To be fair, it's desperately needed an upgrade for about a year, but the hurricane and the big house move took precedence and I just didn't want to get a new machine until we were moved back into a permanent place. I use all my machines for light writing, web browsing, keeping up with social networks, and email. But I use my main machine for seven main workloads:.

Video production: This is what finally killed my iMac. It does one 4K stream reasonably well, but just choked with four camera feeds. Giant PowerPoints: I make big PowerPoint briefings containing lots of graphics, slides, and data. I need PowerPoint, Photoshop, Illustrator, and other apps open, along with a bunch of research resources.

Here's what you need to know before buying a Mac Mini

Big analysis documents: When I'm working on a big analysis, I often need a bunch of documents open. I used to have four screens on my iMac and even that wasn't quite enough screen real estate to see everything. I support a number of open source projects, one of which manages donations for more than 10 thousand non-profits. With all the 3D printing and desktop fabrication projects I'm doing and documenting on ZDNet, I need to build some relatively complex 3D models.

VM simulations: I used to do network simulations of up to 16 simultaneously-running VMs. I'm not doing quite as much work with this now, so I usually don't need more than four VMs open at once. Fortunately, running Parallels, I can cut and paste between both environments, which saves a ton of time. With a lot of my bigger projects, I've been craving a wider screen. When the ultrawide monitors started appearing a few years ago , I was bummed to discover that my iMac wouldn't support them. Then, when I started doing multicam video either with four talking heads or lots of camera angles shot simultaneously it became clear the iMac had met its match.

For me, the best fit was a Mac rather than a Windows machine. The Mac would run Windows, and since I need to run applications on both, I couldn't just run out and buy or build any old Windows machine. That put me in wait-and-see mode for new Macs. As I discussed a few weeks ago, there were four scenarios for a new machine to meet my workload. A Hackintosh could have done it, but I just didn't want to go that route if I could help it. While I'm not uncomfortable with the technical hacks to set one up, I am uncomfortable with the ongoing fiddling required for maintaining them, especially during upgrades.

When I have an assignment to work on, it's sometimes very time-sensitive and I need a machine I can rely on. Since I wanted an ultrawide monitor, the screens that come with an iMac or a MacBook Pro would have been more pain than gain. The MacBook Pro screen is too small for desktop use, and the iMac screen is unwieldy and heavy for most standard monitor stands. I really wanted a headless computer, and since the Mac Pro is missing in action, that meant a Mac mini -- if Apple ever upgraded it.

How to pick the best monitor for your new Mac mini

To almost everyone's surprise, they did. And I bought one last week. It'll arrive on Wednesday. That's just silly. To be honest, I would have liked an even higher performing processor, but this will still be a huge boost. Early Geekbench scores put the Mac mini at for single core and for multi-core.

In terms of single-core performance, that puts the Mac mini at just below the 4. In single-core performance, that's about 25 percent faster than my old iMac. Here's why Apple doesn't really care about the Mac or iPad. In multicore performance, it still lags a bit behind the old Mac Pro 8-core Xeon processor, but not by much. The new Mac mini also lags behind the 8-core Xeon iMac Pro, but that's five grand, just to start. Beyond the two hugely expensive pro machines, the new Mac mini with the processor I chose appears to be faster in multicore performance than all the other Macs.

In single core performance, only one machine bests it.