Yeah… that seems like 10x what I can spend on computers. No thanks. When I buy something I make sure it’s what I need and if there’s a shortcoming I just deal with it - upgrading again or trading in is not an option. I’m leaning toward a 2018 or 2020 Mac Mini now - perhaps a used one.
I’m now leaning towards a Mac Mini for portability and affordability reasons.
The Mac mini + monitor idea has always had an appeal for me, but with a laptop, you get an uninterruptible power supply due to its battery. That mattered a lot where I used to live. Also, once you’ve added the keyboard and mouse/trackpad, the mini’s not really a space saver. Maybe someday.
1/ What is your budget?
2/ How long can you afford to wait?
1 Like
Build a PC from scratch for a fraction of the price. You will upgrade it later if needed. Windows 10 works very well today. Never had issues on PC with windows since 1998 (ok windows 98 had some bugs)
I was in a similar situation and decided to go with the 2020 Macbook Air with the quad i5. No keyboard issues and seems to be fast enough.
…the actual mini mac with i7 something chips on board is the biggest bang for the buck with ALL connectivity options and pretty much the last truu mac before the next big change and final turn away from intel…
flat screens of any size don’t cost that much anymore…
on the go in a coffee shop something, any old macbook air or ipad will do…
3 Likes
I totally think you’re on the right track with this. The best value seems to be to try to use your iMac as a monitor for a refurbed Mac Mini that you upgrade to 32GB RAM. You mentioned that your iMac has an SSD, so assuming that you did it yourself you could easily upgrade a Mini’s RAM. It actually looks kind of fun.
My 2008 iMac with SSD is actually hooked up next to me as I type this (on my employer purchased MBP 16" with 32GB RAM). It was my main machine for almost ten years and I intend on keeping it around indefinitely for legacy 32-bit software (like C6). No laptop will last 10 years with all of their unserviceable parts, and the premium you pay for portability is hard to justify if you’re using it mostly as a desktop. My experience with Macs is that if you run a tidy system, the core experience stays about the same regardless of how much power you have.
1 Like
You may be able to upgrade your iMac and keep using it a bit longer. I know that’s what I’m doing with my 2011, going to upgrade the graphics card to one on this guide: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2011-imac-graphics-card-upgrade.1596614/ . Upgrading the graphics allows you to run a newer supported OS. I’ve already upgraded the ram and hdd.
This reminds me that I need to get a new fan for my '09 imac. The good news is that until I do, I won’t need a heater for my workspace this winter. 
🤷🏻:fire:
1 Like
for people waiting for the ARM machines: even if Apple released them still this year, wouldn’t it still take a long time (years?) for software like DAW’s and plugins to adapt? genuine question, i’m curious!
Trying to keep everything (extra RAM, etc) under $1500
I just replaced my 2010 iMac 27” with a Mac Mini. Get the fastest 6 core and largest hardrive you can afford. I did the 1TB and plan to upgrade the RAM to 64GB myself.
I’ll add external storage eventually and maybe an external GPU if I need it. So far the integrated graphics hasn’t complained when using Fusion 360. For music stuff it’s definitely good enough. Noticeable improvements all around with the new Mac Mini vs my 2010 iMac 27” which was/is still running like a champ.
1 Like
I’m kinda surprised… only a “noticeable improvement” over 2010 iMac?! Not dramatic or massive improvement?! I watched YouTube stress test videos where the 6 core Mac Mini was able to handle 85+ tracks no problem each with a synth, EQ, compressor, etc! My 2009 iMac with 8Gb RAM would crap out by 15-20 tracks even with its upgraded SSD drive.
Mine (iMac) was a quad core with 16gb of RAM and an SSD. It “is” a significant improvement with a heavy load for sure but my old iMac is useable too. My determination of significance is subjective. I can say, it’s a great replacement. Probably more so when I upgrade the RAM from the current 8gb it shipped with.
1 Like
Yea, that’s the main downside with my 2011, the fan noise and heat. When I replace the graphics card I’m hoping to lube the fans if possible.
I would go for Mac Mini upgraded with
3.2GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 (TB up to 4.6GHz)
16GB 2666MHz DDR4
512GB SSD storage
––––––––––––––––
$1499
– The Mini has just been updated
– transportable
– you already have the keyboard/mouse. You can use ur iMac as a monitor
– CPU > RAM when it comes to DAW. Upgrade to 6-cores i7. Bump to 16gb RAM
– 512Gb storage to start. Add external SSD to store later on
1 Like
Yes this is exactly the one I want but I plan to get 8 Gb RAM for $1300 then replace it on my own with 32 Gb RAM (or maybe 16 is plenty) for much cheaper than what Apple charges. I’ll use the money saved towards 3 year Apple Care. I don’t need a 4K monitor right away. I’ll use the iMac as monitor then buy a 4k one when I sell the iMac (hoping to get about $350-400 for it). 
Good call.
If this can help,
1 Like