$987 is the lowest price according to 3 Camels.
Amazon :
If you want to use Mac OS on an M1 Mac in the cheapest way possible.
OK. Thank you
https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/macbook-ai…
Macbook Air M1 - $1347. That's not 2K.
That MacBook Air only has a 7-core GPU whereas the Mac Mini has an 8-core GPU. The MacBook Air also does not have a fan, so it may overheat/slow down during intensive tasks like video processing. The MacBook Air also has fewer ports than the Mac Mini.
Mac mini - Gigabit ethernet x1, Thunderbolt/USB type C x2, HDMI x1, USB type A x2, headphone jack x1
Macbook Air - Thunderbolt/USB type C x2, headphone jack x1 (keep in mind, one of these USB type C ports needs to be used for the power cable, leaving you with only one port).
If you use your computer at a desk and prefer more ports and cheaper price over being able to compute away from your desk.
Do we need apple Care? Australian consumers are already covered by Consumer Laws for 1 -2yrs for purchasing electronics…
Not for accidents
Up to you. We’re good for warranty related issues for two years as you say and the fact it’s sitting at a desk means you’re less likely to break it by dropping.
I’d say it’s less likely to be a good choice for a desktop but that’s just me.
It's better as a general purpose computer. It has more ports and better cooling, and it's less bulky because it doesn't have a screen or keyboard. So, e.g., you can set your desk up with a big screen and clicky keyboard and fast ethernet cable, and not have to find room for a laptop plus a hub.
Also, I expect a box like this can be stuck in a drawer or under a shelf and be less likely to be nicked than a laptop permanently sitting on your desk. In fact you know what would be funny? Stick one of these plus a network drive inside a scratched el-cheapo computer case with big "Pentium Power" and "Designed for Windows XP" stickers on the outside. I can almost guarantee nobody would ever steal it.
Have you had a PC stolen before?
A lot of your comments seem to theme around that.
Once, as a matter of fact, but I believe you’re wrong about me mentioning it before.
@Tatanga: Sorry, that should have read "a lot of you comment themes that".
Depends on your needs. I like having a desktop as well as a laptop. Since lockdowns I've had to buy a monitor for work, so rather than invest in an iMac when I next need to upgrade, I'll be getting this.
Is RAM upgradable?
RAM is integrated into the chipset, so it's probably a no.
no but 8gb on theses chips is equivalent to 16gb on Intel boards.
Not if you’re running virtualisation use cases!
Nonsense. macOS may/not be more RAM efficient, but (user) data is data, regardless of OS.
No it's not. Here is a useful video on what the 8GB Mac Mini is capable of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omvs1juXC9U. I've got the 16GB version as I run VM's.
Windows VM or other OS VMs? Would you say you wished you’d (waited for the M1 Pros and) gotten 32GB RAM?
W11. No, 16gb is plenty enough for my tasks.
3 Camels link to save you a few keystrokes
https://au.camelcamelcamel.com/product/B08YXKS9FV
Can anyone vouch for these docks?
USB-C Hub with Hard Drive Enclosure, Hagibis Type-C Docking Station & Stand for Mac Mini M1 with SATA, USB 3.0, SD/TF Card Reader and USB 2.0 Ports for New MM M1 Laptop (Silver for Mac Mini 2020) https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08QHN3229
some polarising critical Amazon reviews if you scroll down the page
$400 for 8GB of Apple RAM
It’s $300 extra to upgrade from 8gb to 16gb on the Mac Mini. Where do you see $400?
Officeworks
The $400 differential is due to the 8GB being on special and not the 16GB model. It’s usually $300.
@DrKB108: The 16GB one is never on special.
@shaybisc: Therefore you are always paying $400 for 8GB of Apple RAM. Unless you can find a 16GB one for $1300.
We moved from PC to Mac and this machine is a beast.
If you're looking for a mid range PC, you won't be disappointed
I have Macs and PCs. Honestly, with M1 devices, including Mac Mini, you are essentially after that CPU. The CPU is great, no doubt about it. However, there are some sacrifices. Performance of USB ports is subpar, despite being USB 4 (also, do you wonder why Apple opted to call those USB-C ports USB 4, rather than Thunderbolt 4? M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple indicated Thunderbolt 4). $300 for 8 more GB of RAM and $300 for additional 256GB storage. There is no way you pay that much for those on the PC land. Bluetooth issues (though I think I am yet to use a laptop or desktop where bluetooth is perfect).
I was at my local JB store. Both the Macbook Air M1 and iMac M1 crashed. I tried rebooting both of them and they still crashed. Was I blown away by the bootup of M1? Not really.
It's best to have realistic expectation. These are first gen Apple silicon products.
Can you join the 2 Mac minis and form a powerful server?
I vaguely remember a photo where there were 10 Mac minis joined together in a server environment.
I guess it’s better to buy 2 of them instead of upgrading the RAM
I mean, it's cheaper to just buy the 16GB version - if that's what you're trying to achieve.
As for your original question, I believe you can (there was a video on Youtube of someone who achieved something like that) - but there's probably a lot of caveats.
Get the 16GB RAM model. If you are asking whether you can join Mac Minis together, then that setup is not for you.
I/O for M1 isn't a strong side (the USB 3 transfer speed is subpar). The internal storage is PCIe gen 3 like. The standard for 2021 is PCIe gen 4 (think M1 Pro, M1 Max, Intel 11th gen, Ryzen 5000, 3000) with PCIe gen 5 around the corner.
Over committing on first gen Apple silicon is silly, especially for M1. It's fine to get M1 if you do a fair amount of video work, especially with Final Cut Pro. However, with M1 Pro and M1 Max out, unless you have a tight budget, you should go for those (if you use Final Cut Pro).
Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 are evolving standards. Sure, the "minimum" requirements have been set, but neither Intel nor Apple has implemented Thunderbolt 4 to the max. It is still a PCIe gen 3 based bus. To be fair though, general public don't use Thunderbolt 3 devices (too expensive), only the professionals do. M1 is Thunderbolt 3/USB 4. Only M1 Pro and M1 Max are Thunderbolt 4/USB 4.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Apple-Mini-chip-8%E2%80%91core-256…
https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/mac-mini-8…
512GB Mac mini is 1257 AUD today.
Why would you get this instead of a laptop? What's the use case?