Mac Mini 2012 or 2014

I am a recent iPhone convert, currently languishing on the "bottom rung" with an 8Gb 4s, but really enjoying the device and it's interface ;D

I'm now considering getting a Mac Mini (probably in December)

Having looked at lots of prices new and second-hand and refurb it seems I have a number of choices if I want to keep costs down, but till get the most bang for my buck in terms of processing power/storage.

1) The simple option - Mac Mini (late 2014) 4gb 1.4Ghz 0.5Tb HDD refurb (£339/$525)
[Will buy external HDD and other peripherals on a monthly basis as money allows]

2) The expensive simple option - Mac Mini (late 2014) 8Gb 2.6GHz 1TB HDD (£569/$882)
[Will need to save a bit longer so will buy in approx 12 months]

3) The Gamble - Mac Mini (late 2012) 16Gb 2.5Ghz 1Tb HDD - (approx £350/$542)
[This will be via ebay or Amazon second hand so very much an unknown quantity]

Any suggestions?

My opinion - the simple solution is way underpowered, and will frustrate you for years with its limitations.

Thanks

That was my suspicion, I'm just about coping with 3Gb of Ram and a 300GB HDD PC, so I suspected that the simple solution would be underpowered.

So which would be better?

2.5 Ghz 2012 model with a memory upgrade to 16Gb and 0.5Tb HDD
or
2.6GHz 2014 model with soldered 8Gb memory and a 1TB HDD

When looking at new Mac models make sure to determine whether the model(s) you're interested in have user upgradeable memory and drives. Some models have been designed so that the drives and memory cannot be upgraded at a later date.

Slydude said:

When looking at new Mac models make sure to determine whether the model(s) you're interested in have user upgradeable memory and drives. Some models have been designed so that the drives and memory cannot be upgraded at a later date.

Click to expand...

Indeed.. sometimes the product descriptions are quite vague... but the 2012 model *seems* to be the last version with easily upgradeable memory... as for HDD upgrades.. I'm sure thats possible too but probably waaay outside my skillset!

OWC has video clips demonstrating memory and hard drive installation for various model. Click on either memory or hard drive and choose the model you're interested in. iFixit also has a lot of good information but it can get overwhelming.

neon suntan said:

So which would be better?

Click to expand...

I'd get the 2012 with 16 GB. (you asked...)

Which is BETTER? Option 2 is "better". But option 3 may be "good enough", possibly even "better" if you actually need that much RAM. You should probably tell us what sort of software/tasks you'll be running on your Mac.

gsahli said:

I'd get the 2012 with 16 GB. (you asked...)

Click to expand...

Thanks! I need to start researching second hand mac Minis now!

The third choice is probably the best one in terms of value for money, but if you have to wait 12 months to get the one you really want, they will certainly have a new model out sometime before then, so that adds to the equation a bit.

Me, I'd get the 2012 one now and expect to replace it in 2-3 years.