New Desktop computer

[AlbacoreA]

There are two negatives (i) no USB-A ports so you cannot connect a usb stick without a separate usb hub and (ii) the power button is in a really awkward place.

There is some software that only runs on Mac and that is why I have one.

In this day and age I would only be using cloud based office software e.g. Google Docs unless there is a good reason not to.

You can buy a usb c stick. Or use an adapter. Same on the MacBooks for years so not a new problem. I do like having both.

Yeah the power button. What were they smoking that day.

Probably fine for most people. I find the cloud too slow and clunky for many things, especially for lots of files. Use it daily for work.

 

[ClubMan]

I really like that Mac mini, the internal power supply is much more compact and reduces cable clutter. I'd like one. But I use my windows more than I do my MacBook. I may be too old to change habits. I fear I wouldn't use a mini if I bought one.

I like NUC/1L small form factor Intel/AMD PCs and use them for most of my computing needs/wants (running Windows (10), Linux, Proxmox etc.) these days. Mostly bought second hand on Adverts or simply pulled from the WEEE recycling cages while the corpo guy turns a blind eye. It's amazing/shocking what people throw out. So far I've repurposed a few small form factor PCs, a laptop, a BNIB front/rear car dashcam kit, two Android TV boxes, and miscellaneous other bits and pieces...

 

[mathepac]

Nothing wrong with the hardware Microsoft are obsoleting it's not all cheap hardware either. No idea where you got that from.

A lot of it is from 3rd or 4th tier manufacturers which can't keep pace with Microsft's software upgrades, ergo cheap and nasty a lot of it. You can't sell bargain basement-priced computers using leading edge components. Does that make my meaning clearer?

Apple obsolete stuff all the time. They are no different. Probably worse since they make things unrepairable with no upgrades possible.

Not all the time. If you don't see any difference(s) between Apple and Microsoft then this interaction becomes almost obsolete

My brother and I must have daydreamed our respective ways through the years we owned and operated an Apple dealership and a parallel business specialising in Apple-compatible hardware upgrades and repairs.

Other World Computing in the US, owned by Larry O'Connor, has a significant worldwide business in repurposing, upgrading, repairing, developing, manufacturing, and selling Apple-compatible hardware as well as being an Apple software developer and an Apple main dealer. I'm still a customer of that business.

I fear you may have forgotten more about Apple's product lines than you ever knew

Interestingly that new Mac mini is an extrusion not milled from a block. Which is clever manufacturering.

The Macmini is a brilliant implementation of the "system on a chip" concept. Upgradability gets binned at an early stage in this process in order to support overall size & heat reduction & speed improvements.,

 

[ClubMan]

A lot of it is from 3rd or 4th tier manufacturers which can't keep pace with Microsft's soft upgrades, ergo cheap and nasty a lot of it. You can't sell bargain basement-priced computers using leading edge components. Does that make my meaning clearer?

Most hardware is commodity stuff these days. But companies try to "innovate" to make it seem like constant upgrading is a necessity even when it's not for what most people need to do on a computer.

 

[AlbacoreA]

Edited not useful....

 

[AlbacoreA]

I like NUC/1L small form factor Intel/AMD PCs and use them for most of my computing needs/wants (running Windows (10), Linux, Proxmox etc.) these days. Mostly bought second hand on Adverts or simply pulled from the WEEE recycling cages while the corpo guy turns a blind eye. It's amazing/shocking what people throw out. So far I've repurposed a few small form factor PCs, a laptop, a BNIB front/rear car dashcam kit, two Android TV boxes, and miscellaneous other bits and pieces...

We maintain a bunch of NUCs for AV systems. I like them, and you can usually upgrade the storage and memory unlike a Mac Mini.

But all have external power bricks. Which is ugly. The Mac Mini is so cutesy.

 

[AlbacoreA]

...on line banking letters etc and will my office 97 still work

Whatever you decide. If you're thinking of upgrading make sure you have backups of your data, all up-to-date AND tested.

 

[AlbacoreA]

Thanks for your reply. I thought a desktop would be Easier to upgrade or repair, I previously had a laptop that couldn't be repaired .
If I was to purchase a later version of Office, would it be backward compatible for old Office files

What have you upgraded in the past that you might want to upgrade.

Formatting is mostly the issue with office files. But you hardly care how old office files are formatted. You're unlikely to print them. I assume just reference them..

 

[Freelance]

After over 30 years I switched from Wintel to Apple in 2017 and have never regretted the decision. The last straw for me was late one night when Windows did an unannounced spontaneous reboot to install some random update and I lost 4 hours work that was needed for a presentation at 7am the following morning. I bought an Intel based iMac and a Microsoft 365 Business Standard subscription and I have never looked back. The hardware and OS are so incredibly reliable, upgrades have been painless, integrated backup (Time Machine) works without fail, and the general integration with phone, contacts, photos etc etc are seamless. Plus all my files are stored in the cloud, version controlled, available from anywhere and I have my own Exchange (e-mail) server. The biggest surprise is that Microsoft's Office software operates at least as well if not better on the Mac.

The iMac is now end of life (hardware still perfect but no longer receiving OS updates) so I bit the bullet last month and ordered a fully speced Mac mini (M4 Pro). It's a really incredible piece of hardware - the performance is stunning. I fully endorse the move to USB-C, even if there is a bit of initial pain having to jettison older peripherals/cables. I expect to get at least 6/7 years from this hardware, hence my decision to order the best possible spec.

The solution I describe isn't the cheapest, but it's been highly beneficial and I have no regrets. Any time I see friends struggling with Windows PCs I just tell them to get get a life and get a Mac.

 

[mathepac]

What can you buy from OWC that will internally upgrade any recent Mac Mini?

The Macmini is a brilliant implementation of the "system on a chip" concept. Upgradability gets binned at an early stage in this process in order to support overall size & heat reduction & speed improvements.,

It's reached a stage now where your posts are beginning to read as obtuse. Tell me what it is you don't understand about the bolded section of my prior post and I'll try to help you understand and explain more clearly.

This is the same as the ridiculous criticism of the MacBook Air advanced by a poster who observed it lacked enough ports to attach external devices/peripherals. The MacBook Air is as light as air in order to be portable and to access networked devices; hard-wired ports were designed out.

Your question and the MacBook Air observation bring to mind the criticism of the new F1 car owner who observes his purchase won't tow his motorcruiser to Cannes. DOH!

 

[AlbacoreA]

After over 30 years I switched from Wintel to Apple in 2017 and have never regretted the decision. The last straw for me was late one night when Windows did an unannounced spontaneous reboot to install some random update and I lost 4 hours work that was needed for a presentation at 7am the following morning. I bought an Intel based iMac and a Microsoft 365 Business Standard subscription and I have never looked back. The hardware and OS are so incredibly reliable, upgrades have been painless, integrated backup (Time Machine) works without fail, and the general integration with phone, contacts, photos etc etc are seamless. Plus all my files are stored in the cloud, version controlled, available from anywhere and I have my own Exchange (e-mail) server. The biggest surprise is that Microsoft's Office software operates at least as well if not better on the Mac.

The iMac is now end of life (hardware still perfect but no longer receiving OS updates) so I bit the bullet last month and ordered a fully speced Mac mini (M4 Pro). It's a really incredible piece of hardware - the performance is stunning. I fully endorse the move to USB-C, even if there is a bit of initial pain having to jettison older peripherals/cables. I expect to get at least 6/7 years from this hardware, hence my decision to order the best possible spec.

The solution I describe isn't the cheapest, but it's been highly beneficial and I have no regrets. Any time I see friends struggling with Windows PCs I just tell them to get get a life and get a Mac.

Mac Mini M4 Pro nice machine. Starts from €1,679.

FYI you can turn off automatic updates in windows or set the schedule.

Out of curiosity. What upgrades did you do on your Intel iMac.

 

[mathepac]

The iMac is now end of life (hardware still perfect but no longer receiving OS updates) so I bit the bullet last month and ordered a fully speced Mac mini (M4 Pro).

Keep the iMac as a standby machine, you never know! By the time you de-personalise it, advertise it, etc. it might be more cost-effective to keep it. If Apple "obsoletes", to coin a phrase, your printer, scanner, DSLR software, etc, having the networked iMac as part of your setup could pay dividends, at least saving the cost of new cables or connectors.

Apologies if you've already thought of this or have considered using it as a handy little server.

I'm mad to know what spec of M4 Pro you ordered. My 2020 16GB/1TB M1 running Sequoia 15.1.1 is slowing down considerably running certain tasks. I'm sure it's a memory issue, caching, or paging problem. In the olden days, I'd nail a few more memory modules onto it and the job would be OXO. My fault, I under-specced this machine to begin with and now it's annoying me, so M4 Pro here I come, mid-range jobby with the M1 running server software on the local part of the network, after Apple's installation software on a new M4 hoovers out all the useful stuff.

Here's what I'm thinking of:

• Apple M4 chip with 10‑core CPU, 10‑core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine
• 32GB unified memory
• 1TB SSD storage
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, two USB‑C ports, headphone jack

Any spec higher than this pushes the price north of 2K, and as I already have a 2TB external SSD, I can avail of a new MacOS feature that allows a user to install and execute new software on an external non-bootable drive, and I'll have the M1 server to run all that stuff that requires "driver" software.

 

[ClubMan]

Microsoft closes the door on Windows 11 supporting older hardware

Microsoft is sticking to its strict hardware requirements.

www.theverge.com

Microsoft has poured cold water on any hopes of lower hardware requirements for Windows 11. With Windows 10 end of support approaching in October 2025, the software giant now says that its Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 requirement for Windows 11 is “non-negotiable.”

In a blog post entitled “TPM 2.0 – a necessity for a secure and future-proof Windows 11,” Microsoft makes it very clear that it won’t lower Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements to encourage people to upgrade from Windows 10.