Mac Operating System World - 2018 Mac Mini

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Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by KrisZ
Nice! Good to hear you like it. And just wait for the seamless updates that don't mess anything up. With Windows I constantly check what updates are being pushed and select them manually to be installed. No need for that with apple OS.

Having said that, I would watch that cooling fan. Apple is notorious for prioritizing quiet operation over cooling performance and if you get some dust in the fan, it can get hot quite a bit. I would download a temp monitoring software and see what temperatures are in there.


I use Monit, it sits in the little notification area. You have to pay for it, It was like $5 I think, but it's a great program.


Thats what I LOVE about APPLE, paying for apps. I MUCH rather pay, If you pay for it, its most likely not spying on you. No such thing as free.
ANYTHING Android is prostituting your information as well as your family. Its like the Wild West in the USA. Packaged and bundled like mortgage securities, sold on the world wide market for the highest bid.
 
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Thats what I LOVE about APPLE, paying for apps. I MUCH rather pay, If you pay for it, its most likely not spying on you. No such thing as free.

Unless the software's source code is open you have little idea what's going on, paid or not! There is indeed such a thing as "free"; both in terms of "no cost" and "freedom".
 
Originally Posted by alarmguy

Heck, I used to be right on top of this stuff, I wasn't even aware of the new USB C /Thunderbolt Ports. Amazing, loving it, feel like a kid again, discovering the APPLE "playing field" heck, before you know it, one day, I might even buy an iPhone XR or 11! I never really liked iPhones, always was supplied one from work and always preferred my personal android. But, never say never... ha ha
(also have been on this privacy kick and apple is a step in the right direction)


I've preordered 2 iPhone 11's, I'll let you know how good they are
wink.gif
I'm upgrading from an iPhone 8 and my wife is upgrading from a 6S.

I will say... I haven't gotten the absolutely creepy "here are ads/videos for something you were TALKING ABOUT even though the phone is in your pocket" situation on my iPhone... my Galaxy did it all the time.
 
Originally Posted by uc50ic4more
Quote
Thats what I LOVE about APPLE, paying for apps. I MUCH rather pay, If you pay for it, its most likely not spying on you. No such thing as free.

Unless the software's source code is open you have little idea what's going on, paid or not! There is indeed such a thing as "free"; both in terms of "no cost" and "freedom".


True, but I am talking about a platform/company who's philosophy is about privacy being a human right. that company is Apple.

Android/Google philosophy is bundling your information for advertisers and ok with selling your information for profit, to the highest bidders in the world, much like mortgage securities. This is why their software is free as in you trade your privacy and your kids wife for payment in free services.
Im willing to bet less then 10% of the people using an Android phone know that in their google account, they can look up where their phone has been on any day of the year, going back to the beginning of when they started the account. They can go to any date, anytime and google will even show you a map of where they have been.

Also to Apples credit, small example, if a third party app on your iPhone is tracking you, the phone alerts you.
Again, its a step, to me, in taking control of companies running wild selling your information to third parties. MUCH more protection the European Union with laws for data protection..
At least we have the CEO Tim Cook, making speeches on this and how dangerous it is. To me that is pretty darn impressive.
Tim cook speech... click
 
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Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by alarmguy

Heck, I used to be right on top of this stuff, I wasn't even aware of the new USB C /Thunderbolt Ports. Amazing, loving it, feel like a kid again, discovering the APPLE "playing field" heck, before you know it, one day, I might even buy an iPhone XR or 11! I never really liked iPhones, always was supplied one from work and always preferred my personal android. But, never say never... ha ha
(also have been on this privacy kick and apple is a step in the right direction)


I've preordered 2 iPhone 11's, I'll let you know how good they are
wink.gif
I'm upgrading from an iPhone 8 and my wife is upgrading from a 6S.

I will say... I haven't gotten the absolutely creepy "here are ads/videos for something you were TALKING ABOUT even though the phone is in your pocket" situation on my iPhone... my Galaxy did it all the time.


yes and read the post above, the link may interest you.
 
I also agree that apple's take on privacy is a step in right direction. Google is playing too fast and loose with the data they're collecting.
I was always turning off all data collection options on all of my phones and at the very least the data that I was able to download from google contained very little. No location history, no search or browsing history. It only had my online shopping history since I use a gmail account.

All of this is turned on by default and most people don't even know where to look to turn these things off. With Apple ot is mostly turned off, if not a clear alert will be seen. A much better apprach IMO.
 
Originally Posted by alarmguy
Originally Posted by bunnspecial
I'm glad it arrived and that you're enjoying your experience in the Mac ecosystem!

If you want to connect a monitor by VGA, you can actually go this route

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-USB-C-VGA-Adapter-Thunderbolt/dp/B00ZR19CCY
...


Yes, I am aware of various adapters, there is an adapter for everything in this industry. But not for me, I have an office monitor that I mentioned with HDMI and working fine.
I was just surprised/didnt realize the one I was using with my HP was a VGA connector. I had an excellent screen with that.
Anyway, this was all to get up and running right away.

I have been researching new monitors with all the latest ports and narrowing down my choices. I just wanted to use my new APPLE to do it and I am!
Heck, I used to be right on top of this stuff, I wasn't even aware of the new USB C /Thunderbolt Ports. Amazing, loving it, feel like a kid again, discovering the APPLE "playing field" heck, before you know it, one day, I might even buy an iPhone XR or 11! I never really liked iPhones, always was supplied one from work and always preferred my personal android. But, never say never... ha ha
(also have been on this privacy kick and apple is a step in the right direction)


Thunderbolt is amazingly versatile. My first Mac laptop and my current one(the first a late 2011 13" bought new, the second a mid-2012 15" non-retina bought a couple of years old) have a single TB1 port. I often say that I'm keeping my laptop as long as I realistically can because it does everything I need, I like the upgradability, and appreciate its collection of ports(FW800, ethernet, Thunderbolt, and 2x USB-A 3.0). With that said, Apple has upped the number of TB ports, and it's both a fast and versatile port that you really can do anything imaginable with. As I said early in the thread, if you decide down the road that you want a GPU, you can connect it via Thunderbolt and get both a better and less expensive option than buying something like an iMac with built-in discrete GPU.

As for an iPhone-I had one for several years before my first Mac. The amount of integration available in more recent versions of macOS and OS X is astounding. Photos taken from my iPhone just "appear" in Photos on the Mac as long as both are connected to Wi-Fi. I can send and receive text messages(both SMS and iMessage) from my Mac, something that I prefer doing especially for longer/more involved messages. My calendars sync up and work perfectly. If I leave my phone in a different room and it rings, I can answer and take the call from my computer. I don't use this feature, but if you use iWork(Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) an option called "handoff" exists where you can start a document on your computer and finish it on your iPad/iPhone or vice-versa. I don't have an Apple watch, but my girlfriend does and if she's wearing it her laptop(2014 I think MacBook Air) unlocks without her punching in her password. There's probably more that I'm forgetting, but they integrate seamlessly.
 
I haven't learned much about Thunderbolt, though I should. Been researching monitors (under $200) day and night .. driving myself nuts.
I was using an 23" AOC with my HP, right now using a 22" on a Viewsonic with the Mac mini... about to go buy a monitor at any time from seconds to a day or so.
Been researching and looking at 24 and 27 inch. two contenders are a Dell SE2717HR and Dell2419H
plus about half dozen others various makes. I decided against a curved screen and now for ht life of me can't make up my mind if 27 will be to big and well, whatever, know I am good at 23.8 (24)
Also like Acers ... always have...
and .. well ok back to my search .. .driving myself nuts, should start a new thread ..
 
Originally Posted by KrisZ
I would go for 27. You think it's too big until you start using one. I have one at work, and 24 i my house. I prefer the 27.


Yes indeed.

I have dual 23s on my Mac Pro at work.

I ran the same on my Mac Pro at home, but decided to swap one for the 27" LED Cinema, which is a big jump from a 23" Cinema both for higher pixel density and also LED backlighting. I'm now keeping my eyes open for another 27", as the 23" is just uncomfortable to use and gets relegated to being what seems like a cramped "parking spot" for stuff I'm not actively doing. It also looks tiny.

Of course, you can always wait until Apple start shipping their $5K "Pro" display with the new Mac Pro. It's TB3/USB C so should plug right into the Mini also. Don't forget to order the stand with it also-it's a real bargain at only $999.
 
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Kris and bunnspecial,

Well, after no less then maybe 12+ hours of research (yes I know I am a bit extreme at times) I ended up buying an HP 25 ER which is a true 25 inch..

I spent nearly, maybe over 8+ hours looking at 27", reading reviews driving myself nuts to an extreme. But finally concluded for me, that I am too close to the monitor now I am wondering if I should have stuck with in the 24 wish range but 25 not to far off that mark because I do at times lean on my elbow on my desk *L* But I know I will like the larger text and maybe won't have to scale, we will see, its gets delivered on Friday.

If my desk was more deep I would feel different, but my eyes are only 3 feet from the monitor.
I was way more then happy with my AOC 22.5 but figured I would update that too, it didn't even have an HDMI port, at first I thought it would go 24 but wasn't a bump up enough in size because most 24" are really 23.8 range, then discovered I could fit a larger one in before it would hit the shelf above it on my desk.
I did REALLY like one Acer 27 but with the stand it would have just about been hitting the top shelf, it all worked out better for me, didn't save any money getting the 25, in fact spending more.
Good news is, getting it delivered from Walmart so will be pain free to return if I choose. :eek:)

I am REALLY loving this Mac mini ... *L* just feels, for lack of better words, so precise, exacting, clean and fast as heck.
You know, I guess its just the Mac but darn it, we always had a fast connection and the Mac has the same (pretty much) exact Wifi speed as my Win 10 machine has yet, darn it, I click or hit the enter button, like even here in BITOG and faster then I can snap my fingers, the command is executed and I am on the next webpage with the Mac and I always considered my Win machine fast and it is but this is faster. SSD maybe?
Oh and in my shopping for a monitor, there were times I have 8 to 12 browser windows open, never noticed any kind of slowdown or issues. I have noticed rarely a page would load but maybe hang up on advertising loading and getting stuck, a refresh always fixed it, not common but has happened.

I don't know if you saw the Forbes story from Sept 15th, about the Win 10 update disaster. I posted it on another thread but Here it is

If this keeps experience keeps up, you might find me with an iPhone after Christmas *L*
 
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Alarmguy, we just got our 11's and they are amazing. Not too much bigger physically than my iPhone 8 or my wife's 6S, but the screen itself is way bigger. And I love FaceID way more than TouchID already.
 
The reason for the incredible speed is modern processor partially coupled to a high end SSD that runs nearly twice the throughput of typical ssd in a Windows machine. In 2018 they bragged the fastest.
 
Originally Posted by madRiver
The reason for the incredible speed is modern processor partially coupled to a high end SSD that runs nearly twice the throughput of typical ssd in a Windows machine. In 2018 they bragged the fastest.


Yes, I figured being it was the latest gen i5 6 core processor and the SSD and Apples operating system = fast

I just timed the boot up time, 18 seconds to fully boot from a dead cold start up and honestly, I threw in an extra second, for the time I was looking at my watch, just in case. :eek:)
Still amazing me, I click on the mouse and almost like a snap of the finger, I am there. Im feeling like this is the best thing I ever did being I like computers so much, after 25 years of Microsoft, I have gone to the "other side"
 
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Originally Posted by Skippy722
Alarmguy, we just got our 11's and they are amazing. Not too much bigger physically than my iPhone 8 or my wife's 6S, but the screen itself is way bigger. And I love FaceID way more than TouchID already.


Very cool, I need to check it out some day, for 6+ years I have used work supplied iPhones, never liked them as much as my Android personal phones, but that was then, this is now and I am making a stand against google, getting them out of my life as much as possible and the driving force for getting this new Apple Mini.

My one big problem with Apple phones are the narrow screens (well cost too) from what I hear, haven't looked at the specs yet, the 11 is wider. If so there maybe one in my future as I like the possibility of further integrating my stuff into the Apple world. More security, simplicity, and a company CEO theology of privacy is a human right.
Im starting to justify the cost of their equipment simply because they need to make huge profits too, google does it by selling your private information to the highest bidders in the world and using your and that of your family, private needs, wants and desires to sell advertising ...

Apple does it by selling you a quality product and rock solid ecosystem built on reliability, security, privacy.

So it comes down to do I prostitute my families information for free and lost cost stuff or do I pay for quality products from a company who doesn't turn me into a prostitute.
Well, I don't need to let any company sell my private information and cost is not a factor to a point, but I do limit what ever I can from google.
 
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Completed,
Ended up buying a HP 25er Monitor only to return it. Very frustrating, spent well over 12 hours researching and finally decided on the 25er only to be disappointed, I was freaking out, my eyes, no matter how much I tried adjusting things, was WAY worse AND even worse then that *L* I have a thing against GLOSSY SCREEN monitors!! Momentary lapse of reason on my part I guess, I was so into the numbers doing research that I didn't realize the 25 er was a glossy screen. The text wasn't super crisp either, all around, disappointed. I couldn't take it any longer and returned it. The text is one reason I didn't go to a 27, just dont think the pixels are there for the perfection I want using 1080p and was the reason I decided on a 25, pixels go from 81/82 to 88.

Anyway, bought another HP monitor last night, a HP 24f on sale WITH A MATTE SCREEN and its a 24 inch model (91 or 92 pixels), which is actually 1.25 inches smaller then the 25 inch.
FINALLY, I am done! Wow, super crisp text, fantastic matte screen, loving it, Im all done .. .and ... maybe (?) big maybe, if I continue to love the APPLE ecosystem Ill end up with a iPhone 11 someday... we will see!
The 24 still gives me plenty of screen real estate, max that I am from the screen is 36 inches, and most of all, the text is excellent/beautiful.



IMG_20190921_100721.jpg


IMG_20190921_100928.jpg
 
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Originally Posted by alarmguy
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Alarmguy, we just got our 11's and they are amazing. Not too much bigger physically than my iPhone 8 or my wife's 6S, but the screen itself is way bigger. And I love FaceID way more than TouchID already.


Very cool, I need to check it out some day, for 6+ years I have used work supplied iPhones, never liked them as much as my Android personal phones, but that was then, this is now and I am making a stand against google, getting them out of my life as much as possible and the driving force for getting this new Apple Mini.

My one big problem with Apple phones are the narrow screens (well cost too) from what I hear, haven't looked at the specs yet, the 11 is wider. If so there maybe one in my future as I like the possibility of further integrating my stuff into the Apple world. More security, simplicity, and a company CEO theology of privacy is a human right.
Im starting to justify the cost of their equipment simply because they need to make huge profits too, google does it by selling your private information to the highest bidders in the world and using your and that of your family, private needs, wants and desires to sell advertising ...

Apple does it by selling you a quality product and rock solid ecosystem built on reliability, security, privacy.

So it comes down to do I prostitute my families information for free and lost cost stuff or do I pay for quality products from a company who doesn't turn me into a prostitute.
Well, I don't need to let any company sell my private information and cost is not a factor to a point, but I do limit what ever I can from google.


Can confirm the 11 is noticeably but not annoyingly wider, just right in fact.

But I'm doing the same thing. Started using DuckDuckGo, changed my DNS servers to Cloudflare instead of Google's or my ISP's, and then followed the guide on this link. I know there's still more, but it's a step in the right direction.

https://joindeleteme.com/help/diy-free-opt-out-guide/
 
Originally Posted by alarmguy


Yes, I figured being it was the latest gen i5 6 core processor and the SSD and Apples operating system = fast

I just timed the boot up time, 18 seconds to fully boot from a dead cold start up and honestly, I threw in an extra second, for the time I was looking at my watch, just in case. :eek:)
Still amazing me, I click on the mouse and almost like a snap of the finger, I am there. Im feeling like this is the best thing I ever did being I like computers so much, after 25 years of Microsoft, I have gone to the "other side"


Just for fun I timed my win 7 PC, which I built myself and is installed on an SSD.

19.75 and this includes 4 seconds I set the boot screen to freeze for because I can never remember which button goes to bios, which one to boot setup etc. and it would always time out on me.
I also have not enabled any of the fast boot features my motherboard provides.

Having said that, I highly doubt any store bought PC would match this since they have so much bloatware installed that starts up the moment windows starts. My PC has none of that, just pure win7 and programs I need.
So Mac is a pretty optimized machine right out of the box, whereas with windows, one has to take matters in their own hands to make it fast.
 
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^^agree^^ yes, looks like you did a good job on that one. The more I think about it, maybe my HP was faster when I first got it just over a year ago, I too, remove all the cr@p that I can on any new PC.

Over time though and through many updates things go downhill, will be interesting for me in the Mac world to see if the same happens, I suspect not, time will tell ...
I was surprised that the HP did come pretty clean right out of the box for a mainstream HP PC.

This whole Mac thing is going to be a fun experience for me decades of the PC world and I was primed for something new.
I can see my first iPhone 11 POSSIBLY in the future to bring everything together but not to sure about that one, will not even be a consideration for a year ..
 
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It's always good to try out new things IMO. At one point I had Mac OS, can't remember which one though, installed on a virtual machine on my old PC, and it was a pretty good experience despite the limitations of VM.

Since you mentioned privacy and if you feel adventurous, you can try out Ubuntu, one of the easiest distros to get into Linux, on your HP laptop. It requires very small amount of HDD or SSD space and is very efficient. Going Linux is probably the safest route from privacy point of view, right now. You can actually try it without installing anything on your computer. You can simply run it from a 4GB USB flash stick.

Apple is good for now, but they are still collecting all the data, and they can choose to release it, sell it do whatever they want with it at any moment or when another CEO steps in.
 
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