Thanks, but I would skip this Mac Mini and go for the latest maxed out NUC instead.
Having just moved to a Windows 10 shop running on cheapest-possible Dell hotdesking workstations, I’m starting to miss macOS and all its command-spacebar glory!
Of course Windows 10 is also in bad shape.
In macOS you'll find Disk Utility by typing "disk utility" in CMD+SPACE, even when you're on a different language system that has it's own name. I couldn't find anything in Windows even when that was the literal name of the panel. And hunting for formerly easy to find settings is one of the things that already drives me crazy in Windows 10.
Also when I type "alert sound" I still find the Sound and Notifications Control Panels even if they're not full matches, but they do deal with alerts.
There's a lot about Windows I like though. It's just not the UX, apart from the Explorer once I exactly set it up as I like it (well it looks the same as Windows 95 mostly).
Realistically, they both get the job done.
Search "alert" brings up the audio settings.
I'm not sure what you're doing differently.
I admit that this search sometimes works strange, but it adapts to me, so when I'm launching some program often, it remembers that and will always put that program on the top.
One less button press than on a mac.
I have 3 hades canyon nucs (homelab) and also a fully maxed mini. The great thing about the mini is it's versatility for expansion via TB3, as well as allowing me to triple-boot macOS, windows, and linux with minimal effort (no hackintosh workarounds needed)
Neat. Of course of the actual base of buyers for this, the fact that it runs macOS is a critical requirement. Running an outdated, hacked version is not a viable consideration for most (I'm fairly certain that the "I'll run a Hackintosh" comments outnumber people actually running a Hackintosh by at least 1000:1).
I don't think there has ever been an Apple release without a barrage of "Lame. No wireless. Less space than a Nomad" kind of responses. As if we are all unaware that it's a competitive space with lots of options.
Yes, there are alternatives. Lots of people buy those alternatives. But it is absolutely not an orange-orange situation.
As one fun aside -- I had a Mac Mini a few years ago and loved it. The power utilization of thing was absolutely bonkers tiny. It just worked 100% of the time. Bought it for like $799. Sold it after having it for I think five years for $500. The kind of bizarre ability of Apple devices to hold value is really a financial factor that many don't consider.
Biggest troubles are WIFI and Bluetooth (and therefore continuity, needs one of a few selected cards), graphics (no nVidia) and keyboard and trackpad (for desktops, use used Apple peripherals) as well as sound in some configurations (might use a Bluetooth speaker if BT works).
It always can happen that you mess up (or need access to a real Mac for downloading the OS in the first place), so have a Backup and wait a few days after system updates appear, read forums about possible showstoppers and necessary precautions. That said, Catalina is still not perfect and troubles may not be caused by the hackintosh but the OS.
Agreed. But this is where "I'll pay an extra $200 to not have to worry about that" comes into the equation
I have used and installed Linux and BSDs for a long time, and yet I had a look at the suggested procedures and I went "nope". There is basically a 50/50 chance that it will work, some features will likely not work at all (particularly cloud-related services), and every little update might doom your machine. Fun project for the hardcore Apple hacker, but imho it would be foolish to base your day-to-day production needs on such a build.
The caveat here is: I'm still on 10.12.6. Updating, especially in regards to audio apps, is generally done very slowly. So, I'm in no hurry to run the latest and greatest. But, upgrading to this point was pretty painless.
I don't know how well the modern macOS versions as Hackintoshes, but I suspect the community is still strong. The current challenge is probably around all the specialized hardware security and encryption chips on modern Macs, as well as the newer restrictions on signed/unsigned kexts and all the recent kernel/system API lock downs.
No matter the distro, under Linux it feels like I’m always fighting weirdness with X11/Wayland/GPU drivers and there’s more rough edges than I can count. It’s death by a thousand cuts. It has massive potential to be great, but it’s just not.
By contrast once your hackintosh is working properly, that’s pretty much it… the fight is over and you can just use your machine. If you set it up right, minor updates are uneventful and the only real maintenance that’s required comes with major OS releases every year or so, but that can be delayed for a long time if you’re not the type to keep pace with OS updates.
That said it is a bit of a technical endeavor, so be prepared for that.
I've been considering getting a Mac mini, but haven't committed yet. Can you tell me which NUCs run macOS so I comparison shop?
If you want to run Linux or Windows, buy a NUC. If you want to run macOS, buy a Mac. Hardware-wise, the Mac Mini is comparatively expensive, but you also fund macOS development and will have a much better experience than any other hardware.
Source: I use NUCs (currently NUC8i5BEH for Linux, plus two other around the house), a MacBook Pro, and have had Mac Minis in the past.