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Apple Mac Mini

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Re: Apple Mac Mini

#121

Post by dankohn1 »

dirtae wrote: post #86
dankohn1 wrote: post #84

This is a credible answer for our new default developer machine, now that it has 2 Thunderbolt ports, but it doesn't seem cheap enough. We want dual 27" 2560 x 1440 displays, 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB fusion drive. This is for Rails development, so we're not taxing the CPU or GPU, although we do run parallel_rspec and parallel_cucumber, so more cores are helpful. The 27" iMac is $2199 + $399 for this Monoprice monitor…

You don't tax the CPU, but you want to pay an extra $200 for a build-to-order option to bump the CPU by 0.2 GHz? How about getting the mid-tier 2.6 GHz Mac mini, with 16 GB RAM, 1 TB Fusion Drive, keyboard, and trackpad for $1,237? Then you'll be saving an additional $300, for a total of $563 in savings. If you want to save a little more, don't buy additional memory from Apple, buy it from Crucial or another vendor i…

Good advice, thanks.

Re: Apple Mac Mini

#122

Post by dankohn1 »

JohnBooty wrote: post #94
dankohn1 wrote: post #84

This is a credible answer for our new default developer machine, now that it has 2 Thunderbolt ports, but it doesn't seem cheap enough. We want dual 27" 2560 x 1440 displays, 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB fusion drive. This is for Rails development, so we're not taxing the CPU or GPU, although we do run parallel_rspec and parallel_cucumber, so more cores are helpful. The 27" iMac is $2199 + $399 for this Monoprice monitor…

parallel_rspec and parallel_cucumber, so more cores are helpful. How well do parallel_rspec and parallel_cucumber use all cores? I was a little dismayed by the move from 4 to 2 cores as well, since I was looking at using the new Mac Mini as a server. Was hoping for a max of 32GB of RAM for the server as well. Now, though? I'm thinking of this as a development machine. I think the higher single-core performance might…

parallel_test by default divides your tests by your number of cores and runs them each in parallel. There's a startup cost, and some contention, so I find that running on 4 cores is a little better than 2x faster than running normally.

Re: Apple Mac Mini

#123

Post by bronson »

dirtae wrote: post #86
dankohn1 wrote: post #84

This is a credible answer for our new default developer machine, now that it has 2 Thunderbolt ports, but it doesn't seem cheap enough. We want dual 27" 2560 x 1440 displays, 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB fusion drive. This is for Rails development, so we're not taxing the CPU or GPU, although we do run parallel_rspec and parallel_cucumber, so more cores are helpful. The 27" iMac is $2199 + $399 for this Monoprice monitor…

You don't tax the CPU, but you want to pay an extra $200 for a build-to-order option to bump the CPU by 0.2 GHz? How about getting the mid-tier 2.6 GHz Mac mini, with 16 GB RAM, 1 TB Fusion Drive, keyboard, and trackpad for $1,237? Then you'll be saving an additional $300, for a total of $563 in savings. If you want to save a little more, don't buy additional memory from Apple, buy it from Crucial or another vendor i…

All true, except the 2014 Mini has the RAM soldered down. Buy it with the memory you think you'll need.

Re: Apple Mac Mini

#124

Post by mbreese »

gambiting wrote: post #117
mbreese wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, it could be due to heat issues. It's a small device and faster drives can get hot. Apple has tried to support that market before, and it's just not a big market, and it isn't a one-size fits all market. Many people have been clamoring for an Apple solution for SMB server, and it just isn't profitable. This is especially true when you take into account cloud shared storage providers like Dropbox or Box.net.…

It can't be due to heat issues, because Apple sells this exact same machine in "server" spec, with 2 HDDs stacked on top of each other, so if that enclosure can deal with 2xHDDs then it certainly can deal with 1x7200rpm hdd.

It looks like it's a similar design externally, but it might have changed internally. For example, there are two thunderbolt ports now. They also don't sell the "server" configuration anymore, which had also had 5400rpm drives.

So, it still could be from heat. It's probably a cost issue, but there is a lot at play in such a small system.

Re: Apple Mac Mini

#126

Post by walshemj »

oso2k wrote: post #93
karpodiem wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

which is totally insane. Yes, let's alienate the group of people who build 3rd party software and want a reasonably priced headless mac, and user upgradeable memory/HDD. Idiots. $100+ billion in cash or marketable securities and total spite for the dev/performance market. Just blind arrogance at this point - 'we don't need to offer this option anymore'

Apple has never been shy that "developer" Macs are the MacPros. The fact that you can get a reasonable developer experience on a Mac Mini or an iMac the last few years has been coincidental.

but at a huge premium to a bog standard standard wintel system which is now 8+8 core at the top end and 6+6 entry level - for those that really want to push its will be the dual xenon E5 V3 using a pair of those 18 core monsters

Re: Apple Mac Mini

#127

Post by oso2k »

4ad wrote: post #112
oso2k wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple has never been shy that "developer" Macs are the MacPros. The fact that you can get a reasonable developer experience on a Mac Mini or an iMac the last few years has been coincidental.

Let me put it this way. If I do a pkgsrc bulk build, what do I build it on? Previously there was the XServe platform that I could have in a rack along my other infrastructure. They ditched that. The old MacPro's you could install in a rack, though they were massively overpriced for what it was a purely CPU-bound job. Now the new MacPro's are not rackable any more. Mac Mini's were never great, but they were cheap enou…

Again, you're missing the point. Mac's are built for workstation style development. The distributed, shared infrastructure that's en vogue today isn't a factor if you're building iOS & OSX apps. And, if you dedicate the time and infrastructure, you can build those up to stronger processes with Xcode and it's distcc.

Re: Apple Mac Mini

#129

Post by cherry_su »

cherry_su wrote: post #19
jrochkind1 wrote: post #17

Not a bad price until you see it costs $300 to go from 4GB RAM to 16GB RAM. Do these have user-upgradeable RAM? I can buy RAM a lot cheaper than that.

Yes. Tech specs do not say "onboard memory." http://www.apple.com/mac-mini/specs/

Just kidding. Even if Apple doesn't say "onboard memory," that doesn't mean the computer does not have onboard memory.

http://blog.macminicolo.net/post/100240431773/a-look-at-the-...

Re: Apple Mac Mini

#130

Post by IbJacked »

greglindahl wrote: post #80
xngzng wrote: post #56

Any idea if the harddisk is user upgradeable?

Since the design seems to have stayed the same as the previous generation: Yes, but you have to take the entire thing apart to get to the drive, and the parts are laptop parts so they're kind of finicky. iFixit is your friend. The RAM, on the other hand, is extremely easy to change out.

Unfortunately, the RAM on the new models is soldered on. Someone above said the drive is soldered, too, but I can't confirm that.
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