Should you opt for the new Mac mini if you have a 2018 or early 2020 model?
That depends on your immediate needs. In case you’re running a pre-Catalina
version of macOS, you might want to stay there for a while, if you rely on
essential 32-bit apps that don’t have equivalents on this side of the macOS
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look like on just how big a deal the M1 is for real world use.
That said, if you’re languishing with an older Mac desktop, or have the need for
a good basic macOS-based system, the new Mac mini comes up mostly roses.
With Apple’s already robust basic apps that are part of the OS, and key reasons
you get a Mac, like Final Cut Pro, in the Universal camp, there’s no reason to
wait. As long as your eyes are open to the app-compatibility nuances and fewer
Thunderbolt ports, the M1 looks like a dead-on opening salvo in a new battle for
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on any platform that outdoes it on performance potential, sheer elegance of
hardware and software design, and user experience.
JOHN BUREK
PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE (^) I DECEMBER 2020