mac experts...is a mac studio total overkill vs. a mac mini?

[AZG]

i am tempted to get the mac studio now. :)

the mac mini is on backorder so i could probably just order an in-stock mac studio.

I know I'm always temped by the Studio, but then I think I could buy an updated Mini in 4-5 years that is probably even faster than the current Studio for a total cost less than just the current studio. And then I remember that my 5 year old 5k iMac is still doing the job well and I do nothing. GAS is not just for guitar gear

 

[andergtr]

I know I'm always temped by the Studio, but then I think I could buy an updated Mini in 4-5 years that is probably even faster than the current Studio for a total cost less than just the current studio. And then I remember that my 5 year old 5k iMac is still doing the job well and I do nothing. GAS is not just for guitar gear

smart.

 

[the swede]

I could easily have settled with the 8gb m1 Air… but the 90’s teenager in me said that 16gb was the shit… haha.. could have saved a few bucks there. can’t imagine I’ll use this little Air to its full power…

 

[laxu]

The Mac Studio is a bit of a weird product for me because it ticks a lot of boxes on paper, then has problems like a fixed amount of RAM, non-upgradeable proprietary disk drives, a dated HDMI 2.0 port and other Apple shenanigans.

There's likely to be a new Mac Mini with the M2 processor next year. While it isn't much more powerful than M1, if they have the Pro/Max models of that available in the Mini then that's probably what I would buy.

Apple loves to nickle and dime you with their overpriced RAM and SSD upgrades that are at least 2-4x more expensive than they should be.

I use Macbook Pros for work but really can't be bothered to buy their Mac hardware for personal use. MacOS also is not getting better.

 

[andergtr]

The Mac Studio is a bit of a weird product for me because it ticks a lot of boxes on paper, then has problems like a fixed amount of RAM, non-upgradeable proprietary disk drives, a dated HDMI 2.0 port and other Apple shenanigans.

There's likely to be a new Mac Mini with the M2 processor next year. While it isn't much more powerful than M1, if they have the Pro/Max models of that available in the Mini then that's probably what I would buy.

Apple loves to nickle and dime you with their overpriced RAM and SSD upgrades that are at least 2-4x more expensive than they should be.

I use Macbook Pros for work but really can't be bothered to buy their Mac hardware for personal use. MacOS also is not getting better.

apple is way different/shittier since jobs died.

 

[paisleywookiee]

apple is way different/shittier since jobs died.

Not really, no.

 

[jellodog]

yep...i bought the 16GB RAM mac mini. too bad it's on backorder and will take a few weeks.

I believe that you've made a decent choice with the M1 Mini.

I use a 16GB M1 Macbook Air for my day job writing software, and most days I put it through some very intensive loads; much heavier loads than you'd get with a DAW, recording audio and running a few plugins.

The M1 with 16GB copes just fine. Up until this point, I used to always have the top spec'ed Macbook Pro machines, and I had planned to get an M1 Pro once it was released, but with the M1 Air, I just don't see the point now. The Apple Silicon is just that good. I should add that I can have any device that I want.

 

[andergtr]

Not really, no.

i guess i am confusing all the software bugs that happened under jobs with the shitshow that keeps happening under the current guy.

or maybe you have a short memory.

 

[paisleywookiee]

i guess i am confusing all the software bugs that happened under jobs with the shitshow that keeps happening under the current guy.

or maybe you have a short memory.

Nope. Been on Mac since 2006, no major problems at all. Memory is great! My M1 Mini is killer, iPhone (9th one) is great, iPad (8th one) is great, Apple Watch (5th one) is fantastic, and wife is still using my 2014 MBP15, son is still using my 2012 MBP13. Furthermore, I supported a couple hundred Macs in an enterprise environment at my last gig, in addition to even more iPads/iPhones, and currently about a thousand iPhones and iPads. Apple stuff is great. What's your experience with them?

 

[laxu]

Apple stuff is great. What's your experience with them?

iOS is annoyingly restrictive for no good reason at times, Siri sucks, Apple keyboard is a joke for my language and my iPad Pro 2017 sometimes stops accepting touch input and this seems to be a common problem on that model.

MacOS has an absurdly bad external display handling if you deviate from a 60 Hz display. The same display that works at 4K 144 Hz on my PC refuses to output image over Displayport on my 2019 Intel MBP and has to be forced to HDMI 2.0 to work at a miserable 4K 60 Hz over HDMI. I have had so many issues with various monitors and other peripherals on this pile of crap, top of the line (at the time) laptop. MacOS DPI scaling is also worse than Windows for 4K and below displays.

I am starting to move away from Apple for any personal devices. I don't see myself buying another iPad ever again and I am much happier with my Samsung Fold 4 as a phone. For work it is more convenient to use a MacBook Pro but I would not buy one with my own money.

If you asked me in 2015 and earlier I would have been far more positive about Apple.

 

[paisleywookiee]

iOS is annoyingly restrictive for no good reason at times, Siri sucks, Apple keyboard is a joke for my language and my iPad Pro 2017 sometimes stops accepting touch input and this seems to be a common problem on that model.

MacOS has an absurdly bad external display handling if you deviate from a 60 Hz display. The same display that works at 4K 144 Hz on my PC refuses to output image over Displayport on my 2019 Intel MBP and has to be forced to HDMI 2.0 to work at a miserable 4K 60 Hz over HDMI. I have had so many issues with various monitors and other peripherals on this pile of crap, top of the line (at the time) laptop. MacOS DPI scaling is also worse than Windows for 4K and below displays.

I am starting to move away from Apple for any personal devices. I don't see myself buying another iPad ever again and I am much happier with my Samsung Fold 4 as a phone. For work it is more convenient to use a MacBook Pro but I would not buy one with my own money.

If you asked me in 2015 and earlier I would have been far more positive about Apple.

iOS is restrictive for good reason, whether you agree with that or not is a personal choice. Siri works fine for what I use it for, which is to dictate and ask it for search terms. Can't relate to the language thing; it works great for English. I had a 9.7" iPad Pro (might precede yours?) with no issues.

MacOS does have issues with external displays that aren't Apple, that's for sure. I had to make sure what I bought (LG 27" 2K) was compatible and worked well. Usually a quick google of the monitor+MacOS solves that.

I wouldn't touch a Samsung phone with a ten foot pole. I've had them in the past and also had to support them, and they're awful, IMO.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

My read when an OP asks about which Mac to get to replace a pre-existing Mac is that the OP could give a shit about the "does Mac suck?" debate; OP wants a Mac.

 

[paisleywookiee]

My read when an OP asks about which Mac to get to replace a pre-existing Mac is that the OP could give a s**t about the "does Mac suck?" debate; OP wants a Mac.

Sorry, I devolved it.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Sorry, I devolved it.

Huh. Looking up-tgread it appears OP actually started it, so my bad.

For me personally, switching away from Mac for music making would be an enormous ask at this point. I'd have to change DAWs, would have to get back in the habit of caring about device drivers, and that doesn't even get into the need to learn about an OS and machine configuration that I forgot about over a decade ago. So somebody trying to get me to switch because Mac Sux is like some Fractal Fanboi to get a dude that has a Helix at church, at his rehearsal space, in his bands trailer, at home, with a StompXL at his in-laws, a regular Stomp in his gig bag, and a StormTrooper Stomp on the board he keeps in his studio, the board not having any wires and used solely for Instagram modeling to switch to Fractal because the crystal lettuce is slightly crunchier.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Huh. Looking up-tgread it appears OP actually started it, so my bad.

For me personally, switching away from Mac for music making would be an enormous ask at this point. I'd have to change DAWs, would have to get back in the habit of caring about device drivers, and that doesn't even get into the need to learn about an OS and machine configuration that I forgot about over a decade ago. So somebody trying to get me to switch because Mac Sux is like some Fractal Fanboi to get a dude that has a Helix at church, at his rehearsal space, in his bands trailer, at home, with a StompXL at his in-laws, a regular Stomp in his gig bag, and a StormTrooper Stomp on the board he keeps in his studio, the board not having any wires and used solely for Instagram modeling to switch to Fractal because the crystal lettuce is slightly crunchier.

Yeah, it really doesn't make a lot of sense in either direction, really. If you're entrenched in one or the other, it's a PITA to switch. I suppose you could argue "vendor lock-in", but that's somewhat true whichever way you slice it. If I were a Windows guy running even something available on MacOS, I still wouldn't want to completely switch platforms, unless there's a really good reason.

What's odd is the OP, asking for advice about Studio vs. Mini, is the one saying Apple is way shittier. Er, okay. If it's so much shittier, vote with your wallet and switch. If I thought the same thing, I'd certainly be switching.

Apple's value has gone from 300B to 2T since Jobs died, so I have to think most Apple customers on some level are pretty happy with their shit though.

 

[laxu]

iOS is restrictive for good reason, whether you agree with that or not is a personal choice. Siri works fine for what I use it for, which is to dictate and ask it for search terms. Can't relate to the language thing; it works great for English. I had a 9.7" iPad Pro (might precede yours?) with no issues.

MacOS does have issues with external displays that aren't Apple, that's for sure. I had to make sure what I bought (LG 27" 2K) was compatible and worked well. Usually a quick google of the monitor+MacOS solves that.

I wouldn't touch a Samsung phone with a ten foot pole. I've had them in the past and also had to support them, and they're awful, IMO.

Apple's stock iOS keyboard can't even do prediction in Finnish and its autocorrect works poorly for the same language. I used Swiftkey until MS said they will discontinue the iOS version. I think they have since reversed that decision which shows that I am not alone with this.

MacOS external display issues are 100% Apple problems. You can plug the same stuff to a PC even with USB-C adapters and it will work but Apple might not show image, not get full res or refresh rate, might not show scaling options. It's a complete shitshow and the only way around it is limiting what you use to either Apple's ridiculously overpriced displays or 60 Hz monitors with a standard 16:9 aspect ratio.

Samsung gets flack for some of their software for good reason, but I have been seriously impressed by the Fold 4. I use the stock keyboard and it works as well as Swiftkey for Finnish. There's a lot of stuff I prefer over what Apple does. I am not saying it's perfect but I am surprised how good the experience has been.

Apple in general is stuff that works as long as you use it in the "closest to Cupertino" setting. English, no unusual peripherals and so on. The more you deviate from that the more problems you run into.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Apple's stock iOS keyboard can't even do prediction in Finnish and its autocorrect works poorly for the same language. I used Swiftkey until MS said they will discontinue the iOS version. I think they have since reversed that decision which shows that I am not alone with this.

MacOS external display issues are 100% Apple problems. You can plug the same stuff to a PC even with USB-C adapters and it will work but Apple might not show image, not get full res or refresh rate, might not show scaling options. It's a complete shitshow and the only way around it is limiting what you use to either Apple's ridiculously overpriced displays or 60 Hz monitors with a standard 16:9 aspect ratio.

Samsung gets flack for some of their software for good reason, but I have been seriously impressed by the Fold 4. I use the stock keyboard and it works as well as Swiftkey for Finnish. There's a lot of stuff I prefer over what Apple does. I am not saying it's perfect but I am surprised how good the experience has been.

Apple in general is stuff that works as long as you use it in the "closest to Cupertino" setting. English, no unusual peripherals and so on. The more you deviate from that the more problems you run into.

1. In case it's not obvious, I'm not debating with you that there are problems in Finnish. I don't speak or type Finnish. This isn't my struggle to have.
2. I didn't say the display problems were anyone's but Apple's. However, you're incorrect that you need to use 60hz monitors with 16:9 aspect ratio. That's not completely accurate, as I've gotten many, many others working just fine.
3. Samsung phones are crap, IME. I'd much prefer something else in Android, if forced to make the choice. I get tired of seeing different permutations of Android, depending on the brand. Reminds me of the Windows shitshow in the 90's.
4. Sure, or you get stuff known to work well with Apple, which isn't at all difficult.

Let's keep arguing though, it's entertaining, despite the massive difference in sample size between yours and mine.

 

[laxu]

2. I didn't say the display problems were anyone's but Apple's. However, you're incorrect that you need to use 60hz monitors with 16:9 aspect ratio. That's not completely accurate, as I've gotten many, many others working just fine.
3. Samsung phones are crap, IME. I'd much prefer something else in Android, if forced to make the choice. I get tired of seeing different permutations of Android, depending on the brand. Reminds me of the Windows shitshow in the 90's.
4. Sure, or you get stuff known to work well with Apple, which isn't at all difficult.

Let's keep arguing though, it's entertaining, despite the massive difference in sample size between yours and mine.

I was saying basically the same thing, you avoid Apple issues if you pick say monitors that aren't oddball aspect ratios or high refresh rate. Doesn't mean they can't work, but you are far more likely to run into issues that simply don't exist on Windows. It is an aspect of MacOS that is truly bad and Apple seems to have no desire to fix.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I was saying basically the same thing, you avoid Apple issues if you pick say monitors that aren't oddball aspect ratios or high refresh rate. Doesn't mean they can't work, but you are far more likely to run into issues that simply don't exist on Windows. It is an aspect of MacOS that is truly bad and Apple seems to have no desire to fix.

So I doublechecked; my monitor is indeed 16:9 (the dominant aspect ratio these days for consumer monitors, whether we like it or not), but it's 75Hz native, and is currently running as such, using default settings. It's beautiful, for such an affordable monitor (LG). There's no doubt there are quirks with MacOS; always have been. But I'd much rather Google compatibility when buying a peripheral, than deal with all the other issues with Windows.

 

[laxu]

So I doublechecked; my monitor is indeed 16:9 (the dominant aspect ratio these days for consumer monitors, whether we like it or not), but it's 75Hz native, and is currently running as such, using default settings. It's beautiful, for such an affordable monitor (LG). There's no doubt there are quirks with MacOS; always have been. But I'd much rather Google compatibility when buying a peripheral, than deal with all the other issues with Windows.

Yeah on something like that you are unlikely to encounter issues. But when you get to say 4K 144 Hz MacOS often supports only 120 Hz on the newest models because Display Stream Compression is downright broken on it. 5120x2160 ultrawides might not work at full res or may have scaling issues on different Macs. These sort of issues are common when dealing with higher end displays.