Getting a brand new mac mini

Hi folks,

 

There's no turning back, my 2012 mac mini is dying. (I tried many things to avoid this.) I currently am running High Sierra 10.13.6 and Logic 10.4.6.

 

I'm of course super worried about an upgrade to Catalina and Logic 10.5(?). I have Spitfire, Omnisphere, tons of Waves plug ins, etc.

 

I fortunately finished a film project just in time but I am right in the middle of an album project. No way I can finish it quickly. Everything is, of course, backed up on multiple drives.

 

What do people think?

 

Thanks, Basswalrus

Hi,

 

I'm on Mojave with new macmini bought last year. It's great! incredibly powerful machine. I didn't upgrade to catalina though.

doesn't sound like you have much choice... unless you buy a refurbished, older mac. you could do that, but... might be worth just moving forward.

 

check with the developers, make sure all your plugins will work in catalina; seems most should at this point (unless they're 32bit, or just really old; you can scan thru this forum to find some discussion about that).

 

and check your other apps; for example, older versions of adobe apps and office will not work in catalina.

 

good luck with this!

Thanks!

Hi,

 

I'm on Mojave with new macmini bought last year. It's great! incredibly powerful machine. I didn't upgrade to catalina though.

 

Hi, Was your older machine on Mojave as well?

I’m considering a new Mac Mini as well but I’m concerned about performance driving an Ultrawide screen (3840x1600) monitor.

I’m considering a new Mac Mini as well but I’m concerned about performance driving an Ultrawide screen (3840x1600) monitor.

 

One opinion:

 

I’m using a Mac Mini 2018 with Catalina. I’ve got 64GB and running three monitors (two 27” and one 23”), and three of the SanDisk 2TB SSD connected.

 

Just started using Spitfire products, the BBCSO in particular. (The cheap version... the $1,000 edition will have to come later.) I’m on Logic 10.4.8.

 

I intensely dislike the lack of easy upgradability with the current Mini compared to earlier models, but there’s nothing I can do about that.

 

Other than that, the system runs pretty slick. I haven’t done any music work that would really stress the system, though. Generally speaking, it can get hot at times, but not too bad. I have a laptop cooler underneath in the belief that it helps a bit. I don’t have a ton of plug-ins so I don’t know how that might affect performance.

 

Good luck with whatever move you make. A new system is both exciting and stressful.

I’m using a Mac Mini 2018 with Catalina. I’ve got 64GB and running three monitors (two 27” and one 23”), and three of the SanDisk 2TB SSD connected.

 

Just started using Spitfire products, the BBCSO in particular. (The cheap version... the $1,000 edition will have to come later.) I’m on Logic 10.4.8.

 

I intensely dislike the lack of easy upgradability with the current Mini compared to earlier models, but there’s nothing I can do about that.

 

Other than that, the system runs pretty slick. I haven’t done any music work that would really stress the system, though. Generally speaking, it can get hot at times, but not too bad. I have a laptop cooler underneath in the belief that it helps a bit. I don’t have a ton of plug-ins so I don’t know how that might affect performance.

 

Good luck with whatever move you make. A new system is both exciting and stressful.

 

what current mac is easily upgradeable? not apple's thing (anymore), so always... best to future-proof, and get what you need now...

 

what current mac is easily upgradeable? not apple's thing (anymore), so always... best to future-proof, and get what you need now...

 

Mac Pro, perhaps? Don’t know... not in my price range so I haven’t examined it that closely.

 

Didn’t mean to make it sound like any Mac is easily upgradeable or that upgradability should play into the OP’s decision, though.

 

Just mourning the specific loss of a Mini having that option with the HD and the RAM. I think you can still get to the RAM, but it’s not made easy. A step back from the prior model where RAM was right there when you opened the Mini.

the last 'accessible' mini was in 2012, eight years ago. the prevailing wisdom, for some time is... get what you need when you buy your mac (ram, storage). only the 27" imac (&, of course, the mac pro) are user-upgradeable by design.

I’m considering a new Mac Mini as well but I’m concerned about performance driving an Ultrawide screen (3840x1600) monitor.

 

I use a 4K monitor on mine, no issues at all.

Hi,

 

I'm on Mojave with new macmini bought last year. It's great! incredibly powerful machine. I didn't upgrade to catalina though.

 

Hi, Was your older machine on Mojave as well?

 

 

I’m near 100% certain that the 2020 Mini is downgradable to 10.14.