SHOULD YOU BUY the M2 Mac Mini for Everyday Use?

Should the average user buy the cheapest M2 Mac Mini? There are so many videos that talk about the M2 Mac Mini from the perspective of a Video Editor, a Photographer or a Creator - and that makes sense - because it’s a very capable computer - but I want to look at whether this new Mac Mini is a good value for the average user.

And because there are more configuration options, let’s talk about what the Mac Mini is, What you get when you buy it, which configuration option you should get, and what else you need.

#m2macmini #m2promacmini #apple

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[TechGearTalk]

What's up everyone?! I hope this overview of the M2 Mac Mini for everyday use was helpful. Did I cover what you wanted to know? What else did you want to see or learn about?

Would love to know what you think. Is the cheapest M2 Mac Mini a good option for you? Why or why not. If you’re currently using something else, please share your experience with me.  I am grateful in advance 🙏

[llvlletaloy]

I use Blender, Premiere Pro, InDesign, etc., with my BASE M2, which works perfectly. You don't need to get the Pro.

[thetinysideoftiny]

Just bought the base model M2 Mac Mini w 8GB RAM. I have it connected to a 36” SONY TV. Fantastic for web browsing with lots of tabs open and equally great for streaming movies. I’m a tech professional and always do “more RAM” but could not justify Apple’s insanely high price for 16GB RAM. $400 (teacher pricing) for the Mac Mini and another *$200* for the add’l RAM?!? No thanks! 8GB works awesome for normal everyday use!

[markkram]

I have had the M2 basic Mac Mini for a couple of weeks now. Upgraded from a 2012 Imac. It is a huge improvement. I have all the peripherals needed so it made the Mac Mini choice a no brainer. I am surprised how well the regular 24” Acer monitor looks. The resolution is great for regular use (Spreadsheets, Video viewing, browsing, etc.). I have Mail, Notes, Day One, Safari, Reminders, Excel, Messages, and what ever else I need up and running, with no issues at all. Having everything sync with the Iphone and Ipad is wonderful. I use the Ipad with notes for work and have it all available where ever I am. I use 1 2TB drive for backup and another 2TB drive for storage. I have a Brother multifunction printer attached so printing and scanning is very easy. I had it on a windows machine before and could never get it setup on wifi. The Mac Mini set it up on wifi automatically. The brother software works great with the Imac OS. Overall I am quite happy with how well the little beast is working out. Thank you for a good straight forward review on the basic MacMini. It is spot on. I did take your advice and got the Satechi hub. Front ports are very handy when you need to use something once in a while.

[driven]

As a long time user that's always had a top of the line MacBook Pro (currently my work computer is an MBP with Intel i9 with 32GB RAM), I'm realizing that we are at a point that even these baseline M2s are insanely powerful. I could literally replace my current MBP with a 16GB MacBook Air (or Mini) and still see improved performance.

What a great thing to experience.

[martinavaslovik]

Well I bought the M2 Pro Mini with 16gb RAM and I'm very happy with it. With 3 years of Applecare it came out to $1588, and I think I did very well with it. With my old M1 I had browser tabs locking up on me while running other apps and that was not good. Then too I needed a lot more GPU than the M1 had for Second Life. My M2 drives 2 monitors, a 32 and a 70 inch and mounts my 72tb disk array, 2 keyboards, 2 mice and it just plain rocks! I'm so very happy with it :)

[michaelmoul]

I just replaced a 2013 intel iMac with an Mini Pro. There’s no question the Pro has WAY more firepower than I’ll ever need. I wanted both 16GB memory and the 512GB storage, so the regular Mini came to $999. Costco then put the Mini Pro on sale for $1099, and the Pro became a no-brainer. Very, very happy with it, needless to say.

[bjurne]

Let's be honest. Anyone who buys anything more than the base model doesn't "need" it, but "wants" it.

[heyyunya]

out of all the tech vloggers, there are...he is by far the best. His review is soooo damn easy to understand! He doesn't talk fast, he is on point, has cool recos, and is detailed.

[stevep]

I have the base model M2 Mac mini, I also have a 1TB SSD external drive connected. I use a lot of audio & video processing and it does everything perfectly- it is basically a very powerful little machine for everyday use, or will handle much more demanding applications.

[unemployedAFdad]

This was such a great review! I have been on the fence for awhile deciding if I want to switch from a MacBook Air to a Mac Mini and I really appreciate someone making a video for the average user who doesn't necessarily care about every last detail. Thank you!

[polluxtroy]

3:08, this is key here!, you reminded all of us to have a wired mouse / keyboard for the setup, might seem obvious, but nowadays having wired accessories lying around is a challenge, I don’t game on PC, and the old wired accessories I had I donated / recycle them some time back 😅

[notscot]

I beg to differ on one point... you are not stuck with your choice, whatever it is. I bought a 512GB M2 Mini because I usually keep my machines a long time. This time, I ditched a 2014 27"5k iMac that was no longer upgradeable to newest OS, and I just got tired of waiting on Apple to come out with another one with an M-series processor. Instead, I bought a 27" 5K Apple monitor and consider the M2 Mini to be what I'll use until I run out of capacity, which I won't. I'll just swap out the Mini for whatever comes next in a few years, and I think I'll be happy enough with the 5K monitor to keep it for at least 10 years. I'd almost recommend anyone go with the cheaper units and upgrade as needed. Resale should be good for a few years.

[seriouslee]

You know what we need from tech tubers like this guy? Videos that answer the "should I buy.." question about previous versions whenever something comes out. Like, now that the m2 is out, m1 is obviously even cheaper (right?). So should I still buy _it_? Is _it's_ performance still inline with every day use (or better) requirements of today?

Edit: Don't get me wrong though, I still want "should I buy..." videos about stuff that just came out, but instead of just making one video every time something comes out, make 2. It's a win-win for everyone 😁.

[albertkim]

I love how you respond to the comments diligently unlike other big channels. 💕

[tecoz]

I've bought a base m2 Mac mini a week ago, and it's been great. I'm use it mostly casually to browse the web, write some essays for my university, some photoshop and illustrator as well. I also like to edit and render simple video clips (usually about an hour long) of me driving my car, at those tasks it's absurdly fast. As for games, I enjoy playing some civ VI and it's fine for that if you don't expect 4k 144 fps at max settings. Given that I got it with the student discount (2900 PLN, about $650) it's one of the best purchases in my life. Good work Apple, for real.

[puma]

Yes just bought one, no regrets love it

[djross]

You should always buy the base model of any Mac (as a "normal" user), as their RAM and storage upgrade prices are so probibitively expensive that it doesn't make sense to go higher. I just purchased an M2 Mac Mini base model for $499, and it will serve me just fine.

[akin]

Outside of video/photo editing, no need for a Mac Mini. The Miniforum or Intel NUCs are better with a wider selection of lower costing accessories. Also, upgradable RAM & SSD.

[johnnisshansen]

I have had a mac mini for many years, and by turning the device 180 degrees I have all the ports on the front and the little useless lamp on the back.