Time to hook up the new Apple Mac mini M4

[alarmguy]

Ok, so I am wondering if I should ruin *LOL* my day after Christmas and attempt to hook up the new Mac mini M4 my wife bought me.

I currently run a Mac mini i5 (intel 2018 version) been rock solid and was the first computer entering the Apple world and leaving Windows forever. Never had such a carefree machine in my computing life which was since 1996/ and was always Windows until the year 2019 or 2020 when I got my first Apple Computer. Never going back.

So anyway the Old Mac mini I havent come close to filling up the 250 GB hard drive and still have 139.26 GB available of 250.69 GB for anyone concerned.
These are the stats of the old one. I'll post the new ones once fully hooked up and merged with my Apple account.

Here is a size comparison of the old gray one on the bottom with the new silver, the new one much smaller footprint and about 1/2 inch higher. Absent on the new is the old USB ports, the new has 5 USB - C, HDMI and Ethernet ports. Odd that the power switch is on the bottom but I can live with it.

 

[melk]

Nice! Will be a huge jump coming from Intel. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on it. Do you utilize iCloud? If so it’s literally as easy as just signing into your account and letting everything sync. Definitely one of my absolute favorite features of Mac OS.

 

[jhellwig]

It is the size of an HP docking station.

 

[alarmguy]

Nice! Will be a huge jump coming from Intel. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on it. Do you utilize iCloud? If so it’s literally as easy as just signing into your account and letting everything sync. Definitely one of my absolute favorite features of Mac OS.

Yes, I figure with iCloud it will be easy. However I think my "Downloads" file is not in the cloud?
The process seems straightforward and I expect perfect guidance. Just damaged a bit of so much time in the Windows world this is my first Apple desktop switch form the Mini i5 to the M4. My wife has a M1 mini and more recent iPad and both have iPhones, I have an M1 laptop and this intel desktop soon to be replaced. Most likely after I sign out of BITOG.

 

[alarmguy]

It is the size of an HP docking station.

Yeah, pretty amazing, even though the i5 version is fast as it is. I guess I am going to be blown away by the M4. I just dont know how much yet.

 

[alarmguy]

Well. I am about to give up for the day. I thought this would be quick. Will have to disconnect my wifes set up to use her display to migrate everything form one to the other computer and for some reason I cant get the blutooth mouse to connect on the new Mac. I'll give it another try, maybe just set up the new one first, migrate later.

 

[Variant_S]

Have you considered using Apple's Time Machine for this migration?

 

[alarmguy]

Have you considered using Apple's Time Machine for this migration?

I got it all done. Looking back it was pretty seamless? More so if you’ve done it before and allotted of the time for it..
I kind of went into it half assed as some family members went out shopping and thought I would just attempt it real quick. However, I needed two monitors two mouses two keyboards and I wasn’t prepared for that scenario.

Finally, I used one wired mouse, which is a roller ball that I use on the original Mac mini and switched between the two them as I needed.
I grabbed my wife’s monitor off of her computer and hooked it up so I had both monitors. I also used her wireless keyboard along with my wireless keyboard.

Maybe in my haste I messed something up when it forced me to generate a password and I can’t even go back and figure out exactly what it was and why. All I know is every time I entered the wrong password, which I knew was the right password cause I wrote it down. It would force me to wait by the time I was done up to one hour to do it again.

All I know is that password did not work when starting up the new computer after the migration.

I still to this moment do not know why, but I went through the process generated a new Apple account password for my existing Apple account and ironically, I used the old password that I was using on the old computer with the new computer and it works fine.

So all my passwords are still the same except I did change my Apple account password, which is fine.

So let’s forget about the Passwords for a minute because that was the only issue after I got the monitors and keyboards and mouses together

The migration itself went amazingly well as somebody else said it would in here.
I used an Ethernet cable between the two Mac minis as Apple said it would be the fastest method instead of going through the Wi-Fi.

I don’t know…something like 200,000 files or something and it went pretty quickly so quick I don’t even remember waiting that long maybe 20 minutes or so I don’t know. It did force me to update the new Mac mini before I could proceed.

So here’s the freaky thing. The new Mac mini desktop, apps and programs is exactly the same as my old Mac mini so I don’t even feel like I’m using a new computer except for the speed which is pretty cool. So the migration really is a duplicate of my old Mac mini on the new Mac mini that part was very impressive and it wouldn’t have been as much of an issue if I didn’t trip up the password thing which I still don’t understand what I did and I still can’t go back to it, but everything is perfect. My Apple account is intact the way it was and my passwords are the same as they were and the integration between my phone the new Mac mini and my laptop is all there.

Hope this makes sense time to eat dinner

 

[wavinwayne]

If I ever need another desktop computer, the Mac Mini will be it. I've owned the old style like your old one and loved it but it can't be updated to the current MacOS. I do everything on the M1 Macbook Air these days.

 

[alarmguy]

If I ever need another desktop computer, the Mac Mini will be it. I've owned the old style like your old one and loved it but it can't be updated to the current MacOS. I do everything on the M1 Macbook Air these days.

Yeah. I'll post more on the M4 when I can initial impression is the Mac mini (2018) Intel i5 is still a great computer. Yes, the pages load faster now but not that it makes much difference. I do think once I am running multiple browsers at once and doing more things at once I will notice more difference. Of course the M4 can also load the latest 26.2 which I havent updated yet.

 

[alarmguy]

All is good after a few initial snags, more so since I never switched an Apple Desktop before but I have to say pretty much idiot proof, meaning if you screw it up, it does not really let you screw it up, somehow it just figures it out and starts working.
As far as speed, nice and quick. Just updated to macOS Tahoe 26.2 I did it before I was about to start eating a small dinner thinking it would take a while. It didnt, shockingly fast and it was done. Cant put a time on it as I didnt time it. 10 minutes to download?? 10 minutes to update? I dont know wish I timed it. We cant count the download as all our internet speeds are different. I would be surprised if it took more than 15 minutes to install Tahoe. The Mac case which I dont think has a fan barely got warm.

Ok, that is the good. The dumb bad is the power switch is on the bottom of the unit left back corner. Maybe you arent supposed to bother turning it off? Got me but I always turned off my devices.
It has 2 front USB C ports and 3 combo USB C / Firewire on the back. No USB A. Next dumb thing is the sound port/jack is on the front of the unit. I guess this is all a matter of squeezing everything into a little box. Once a day goes by you are over the negative aspects, not really a big deal just seems dumb. Though it's kind of nice to have those 2 USB C's on the front.

Anyway, nothing glaringly bad and only good. I like it, it's a keeper, welcome to 2026. I'll be another 5years older (or more) before I get tired of this one.

 

[melk]

No real benefit to fully shutting down the computer every time. Put it to ‘Sleep’ instead. Tap the space bar (or any key really) to instantly wake it up.

 

[andrew_j]

Putting headphone jack on front is smart. Typically you plug in/out headphones with those jacks.

I went from
I5 at work to m4 MacBook Pro . The most major difference to me was power consumption needing charge just daily from after few hours. That is irrelevant on desktop.

 

[alarmguy]

Putting headphone jack on front is smart. Typically you plug in/out headphones with those jacks.

I went from
I5 at work to m4 MacBook Pro . The most major difference to me was power consumption needing charge just daily from after few hours. That is irrelevant on desktop.

I figured that might be the reason, for headphones but it sucks if you dont use headphones and plug in speakers instead. Which a lot of desktop people I know use. I have Boston acoustics satellites and woofer with built in amp under my desk.

I have a MacBook Air M1 but that is just used when I feel like using it in the living room or dining room and not sitting at my desk or on vacation. Meaning its more an accessory for a retired person

 

[alarmguy]

After a full 2 weeks or so. Happy to report that I am very happy with the new Mac mini M4

My older i5 Mac mini still works great and at first I reported it was nice having that little boast in speed but the old one was still great.
Well, I changed my mind. Having that boast in speed on the M4 is really cool. Why/// because I am always amazed (sometimes forget) how fast it really is, even when surfing the internet or clicking between screens/web browsers. It catches me by surprise enough, that it motivated me to come in here and post what I just did.
I click and its "there" even though I though the older one I wouldn't need anything faster I am amazed the M4 is faster*LOL* ... and I would not have thought that was possible over the i5 Mac mini ... so, very cool and the price (even though was a present from my wife) is stupid in-expensive for the performance you get at any price almost.

Ok, things that suck arent too bad. There are no USB A ports. I think I mentioned this, not a big deal, you just put a USB C adapter on any of your old stuff. The other that I mentioned with the audio jack in the front to me is stupid as well as the power button on the bottom. Anyway, in actual use it is what it is and I do not want to go back to my older Mac mini i5

 

[loneryder]

Do you use it with a screen? Can't you just turn it off on the desktop screen?

 

[wavinwayne]

I figured that might be the reason, for headphones but it sucks if you dont use headphones and plug in speakers instead...

You can get Lightning to Aux adapters. They are very short and plug into the lightning port on the back of the Mac Mini. This would allow you to plug your speakers in the back.

 

[alarmguy]

Do you use it with a screen? Can't you just turn it off on the desktop screen?

You still have to turn it on

 

[PWMDMD]

I've owned Macs with both Intel and M chips and it's a night and day difference with the M chips being several times faster/more responsive at a fraction of the power/heat. I currently own Macs with M1, M2, M3 and M4 processors, the oldest being nearly 5 years old now, and it is still as fast as it was on day 1, and I've had no reliability issues. Leaving Intel was one of the best decisions Apple has made, ever.

 

[alarmguy]

I've owned Macs with both Intel and M chips and it's a night and day difference with the M chips being several times faster/more responsive at a fraction of the power/heat. I currently own Macs with M1, M2, M3 and M4 processors, the oldest being nearly 5 years old now, and it is still as fast as it was on day 1, and I've had no reliability issues. Leaving Intel was one of the best decisions Apple has made, ever.

I agree, we have 2 computers with M1 chips a Mac mini and MacBook Air. Though I will say my i5 Mac mini was plenty fast for how I use the computer. I cant say it is night and day for the purpose I use a computer but noticeable FOR SURE> well maybe that is night and day after all even with my limited use.
That being said, I am enjoying the faster edge to the M4 for sure, new compact size is amazing.

Best part of Apple besides the new chips are the software. Its just works, all the time. I think the reason for the M chips was Intel couldnt produce the new chips Apple wanted so they went about it themselves. Best in the world is the way I understand it.