Mac Mini

Mike bought a used 2012 Mac Mini that he wants to turn into a media server. Will he be able to manage it locally, or does he have to do window sharing? Leo says that a Mac is kinda expensive for a media server, but it will do the job great with Apple's macOS Server software, which is $20 from the app store. You can also use PLEX for free. If you want to access from the internet, you'll need to set up port forwarding. But if it's just from your network, it'll work as is. But there's a heat issue. Leo says that you can use external hard drives to bring the heat down.

Jerry bought a new MacMini a few months ago, and after he shut it down, it never came back on.  Apple replaced the logic board, but when he returned it, his RAM capacity was cut in half. So he returned it to Apple. After a few weeks, he got an error and would restart. Now it just locks up. Leo suspects that Jerry has a "Lemon." He should take it into Apple, talk to the manager, and tell them you want a brand new one. Be direct, but pleasant. You catch more flies with sugar than honey. Use the term CRU - Complete Replacement Unit. 

Shane has a 2014 Trashcan Mac Pro and he's having trouble uploading his raw photo files. Would the new Mac Mini handle them, or should he bite the bullet and get the new cheesegrater this fall? Leo says that the new Mac Mini is a great computer and he can max it out for a great price. Leo also says that he will likely slow down the computer when he uses extra cores during rendering. So it's difficult to gauge the specs.

Jeff has reached the end of the line on his iMac since it won't work with updates anymore. So he's looking at buying a new Mac. Should he get an iMac or a Mac Mini? Leo says that he's a real fan of the new Mac Mini because it has a ton of connectors, including Thunderbolt 3, so he can run an external GPU if he wants. He can also upgrade the RAM. He can save some money and get his own screen, keyboard, and mouse.  He can also get a better webcam or connect a video camera to do streaming. 

Dave has a 2009 Mac Pro and he's thinking of replacing it with the new Mac Mini. Leo says it's getting close in specs, but you really need a XEON processor for higher-end video editing, and that means the Mac Pro. An iMac Pro is what other video editors are looking at now. That's what Leo would do instead of waiting for the modular Mac which will likely be as bad as the TrashCan MacPro.

Jerry is looking to get a new computer and wants to know if the new Mac Mini is good for occasional video editing and sound recording. Rich says that the Mac Mini was thought dead, but the new version has had a bump in specs. Pretty much any computer will work for editing basic video for the internet. But 4K video is going to require more power. For $800, the basic Mac Mini really isn't up to the task. Rich recommends maxing out the RAM and hard drive if the budget allows. But remember, that the Mac Mini also requires one to buy a monitor. keyboard, and mouse.

Dan has a 2011 iMac and wants to know if he should upgrade to an iMac Pro. Leo says that the 5K iMac is still a great computer, but he doesn't know if he would spend the money to get the Pro version. One thought is to go with the new Mac mini and get a big monitor for it. June will be WWDC, and Apple frequently announces new iMacs in June, or in the fall. So if he can wait a few months, he can find out. If he can't wait, then Leo suggests looking at the Mac mini.

Fred has a 2008 MacPro Cheesegrater, and he doesn't want to replace it. But it's having kernel panics. What can he do? Leo says a kernel panic is Apple's version of the blue screen of death. And it usually means it has a driver issue or a hardware issue. And sometimes, the first line of the panic will tell you something useful. Bad memory is a common cause of them. Power supply failing is an indicator. Try swapping out single RAM cards. That can tell Fred which RAM is acting up. He could just get one of the latest MacMini's and get a Thunderbolt 3 connection.

Fiona's computer died and she wants to know if she can buy a computer without a monitor or keyboard. Leo says yes. The Mac Mini is a great option for that. There's also Chromeboxes and NUCs. All three do all the work as a regular computer, but could save her a lot of money. But with a Chromebox, she'll need internet access to use it. She can get an Asus ChromeBox 3 for around $460.

Bruce upgraded to an LG C7 TV, and it's been the best TV he's ever owned. He has an older generation Apple TV, not the new 4K version that's out now. He's wondering if it would be better for him to get a Mac Mini instead. He wants to know what the difference would be between Apple's tvOS and macOS. Leo says the new Apple TVs support UHD and high dynamic range (HDR). One of nice things about using an Apple TV is that it's automatic, Bruce would just have to plug in the HDMI cable and everything would work. The other thing it does is Dolby Atmos sound.