Are you wondering what goes on inside Apple’s Mac mini? Perhaps you’ve bought one and want to see what you can do with it?
If so, read on to discover everything you need to know about the Mac mini, from what it is, to how to set it up and tons of different things you can use it for, outside of a regular PC.
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What is a Mac mini and what does it do?
The Mac mini is a small desktop computer made by Apple. What makes the Mac mini different from a regular computer is that it’s shipped without an accompanying screen, keyboard or mouse. As Apple likes to say, it’s “BYODKM” (Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse).
The reason behind the Mac mini being shipped solo, is because most of its use cases feature around using it to power up another device, as we’ll discuss in more detail below.
It also makes for more of a flexible purchase. For example, if you already have a screen, or a keyboard and mouse, you can pair these with the Mac mini rather than forking out for new ones. And if you don’t, you can easily purchase them alongside the Mac mini anyway.
The Mac mini has been around since 2005 (launched at the same time as the iPod shuffle) but its design and functionality have changed since then.
The latest 1.4GHz Mac mini spec released in 2014 (which is the cheapest of the three at around US$499.00) looks like the below.
A new Mac mini is also expected to launch in 2018, if the rumors are to be believed.
Specification of the Mac mini
Uses for the Mac mini
- Share presentations to screen
- Listen to music through an app like Spotify
- Share photos to a TV screen
- Access emails
- Play games
Benefits of the Mac mini
Some of the key benefits of the Mac mini include:
- The cheapest Mac Apple sells
- Built in apps such as FaceTime, iBooks, Maps, iTunes and Mail
- Multiple ports, making it more akin to a PC than a media device
- Apple quotes that with fourth-generation Intel Core processors, the device is able to “keep up with computers twice its size”
- Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth
- Easy setup for a keyboard, mouse or screen
- The perfect size to use as the centre of a “digital home”
How to set up a Mac mini
Here’s how to get your Mac mini running, from getting it out of the box to using it for a purchase such as connecting to your home TV.
Before you begin setup some of the questions you may want to consider include:
- What screen will you be connecting to? You’ll need a desktop or a TV screen to get your Mac mini up and running
- How will you connect to the screen? Depending on what screen you’re connecting to you may need a converter lead
- Do you have a Wi-Fi connection? You’ll need this to set up some of the Mac mini features
- How will you control the Mac mini? You’ll likely need either a keyboard and mouse combo or an Apple remote
Once you’ve made your decision and purchased any additional items you need, here’s how to get set up.
- Add power
Plug the power adaptor into your Mac mini and plug the other end into your power outlet. Press the power button on the back of the Mac mini.
2. Attach to your TV or monitor
Connect your Mac mini to your TV or desktop. The Mac mini comes with a HDMI-to-DVI adapter for connecting to a monitor's DVI port, which will allow you to connect to an Apple monitor.
If you want to connect to a TV screen you may need to purchase a mini-displayport-to-VGA adapter which will allow you to connect your Mac mini to a standard analog monitor, projector, or LCD that uses a VGA connector or cable.
3. Connect to Wi-Fi
Once turned on, the setup guide should take you through a few simple steps, including setting up a Wi-Fi connection.
4. Sign in with your Apple id
This will give you access to the App Store and and will link your iCloud account if you wish to connect to your Mail, Photos, Calendar and so on.
5. Begin using your Mac mini
From here, you can begin using your PC or TV screen as a computer, using the desktop to search for apps, open web pages and more.
What can you do with your Mac mini?
Want to ensure you’re getting the most from your Mac mini device? Here are some ideas on how you can use it:
- Access apps on a TV screen
The Mac mini is a great way to take everything you’d usually do on your phone or laptop and access it on your TV screen. This could be sharing photos with a room, opening mail or accessing your documents.
- Use any screen as your computer
The Mac mini is super light, which means you can take it anywhere, plug it into a desktop and you’ll have a powerful computer. This allows you to work from anywhere, or set up shop in any location where there’s a monitor and Wi-Fi available.
- Set up digital signage with the Mac mini
The Mac mini is a great way to turn any screen into a digital sign. This allows you to pre-schedule and setup content to show on your digital screen such as social media feeds, presentations, travel updates, news feeds and more. Read the full guide on setting up digital signage with the Mac mini here.
4. Create a home viewing centre
With the Mac mini and a screen, or desktop, you can create a home viewing centre that allows you to watch movies, surf the internet and listen to music. Via streaming apps such as Netflix, or even through movies you’ve bought on iTunes, you can easily set up movies to play on any screen. You can also use music apps available in the Apple App Store or use Safari to get online.
5. View and share photos Oculus for mac.
The Mac Mini includes a SDXC card slot so you can simply remove the memory card from your camera and insert it. This allows you to view photos on a monitor, or share them with the room from your TV screen.
Mac mini question buster
Can you use any monitor with a Mac mini?
The Mac mini doesn’t come with a monitor, but you can connect it to one using one of the ports on the back of the device. https://kypottq.weebly.com/mac-address-for-ps4.html. Using the right adapter, you can connect the Mac Mini to any computer screen with a VGA port. The Mac Mini ships with a HDMI-to-DVI adapter but it’s only really Apple monitors which use DVI, so for a regular monitor you may need a HDMI-to-VGA or mini displayport-to-VGA connector instead.
How do you turn on a Mac mini?
Simply press the power button on the Mac mini box.
Can you use any keyboard with a Mac mini?
Most keyboards and mouses can be used with the Mac mini by connecting them using the USB port. For Bluetooth devices, connect the USB dongle to the Mac mini using the USB port.
Got a question to add? Email us: [email protected]. Seagate backup plus slim for mac user manual.
You can use any monitor with the new Mac mini 2018. (Except for an Apple one because they don’t make them any more!) The Mac mini has a HDMI port for a display, but you can also plug a monitor into any of the 4 USB-C ports. My strong advice it try to get a monitor that comes with a HDMI cable or a USB-C cable – don’t rely on Apple’s Thunderbolt to USB-C adapter.
If you have a choice go for a monitor with a HDMI cable so as to leave the 4 USB-C ports free. There are a wide variety of monitors available. I went down to the local computer shop and tried a few out and the ones that stood out to me were LG, BenQ, Samsung and Dell. I’ve also read good reviews on Acer and HP. But be aware that all of these brands make low quality monitors as well. So it’s more important to look at the quality of the monitor than the brand. e.g. Check out the contrast ratio, colour reproduction and resolution.
Don’t just look at the monitor in demo mode in the store. Make sure you plug it into a computer and have a look at some text on the screen. Take your own laptop in or ask the store for a demo plugged into a MAcintosh computer. The demo modes on the monitors are made to look crystal clear and sharp, but when you plug it into you computer and display plain text some monitors can be fuzzy or blurry or even look washed out. Read more to find out what monitor I ended up buying!
I ended up going with a BENQ BenQ PD2500Q 25″ 2K QHD 2560×1440 4ms 60Hz IPS HDMI DP mDP Designer Monitor and it is absolutely fantastic. I ordered mine from a local Windows PC shop and it set me back AU$452. Here’s why I’d recommend it the BenQ:
- It’s well built. It has a solid mechanism to move it up and down.
- Reasonably good colour reproduction. 100% sRGB which equates to 70% Adobe RGB. (My old Apple thunderbolt display had 76% Adobe RGB, 2017 Macbook Pro’s have 91%, the DELL mentioned below has 100%). This refers to how many colours the monitor can display. Did you know that there are some colours that a monitor cannot reproduce!
- It feels great on my eyes. It has some easy to access modes that cut down blue light. Brightness levels are reasonably easy to adjust.
- High resolution (2560×1440) for a 25 inch monitor.
- It was far cheaper than other professional displays in its class.
I would have preferred a Dell UP2516D 25 inch which also has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 but has even better colour reproduction than the BenQ. I could not find a Dell for under $600. The BenQ was $450.
If you want great coloraturas and are happy wth a smaller display then Dell have some nice 24 inch displays in their ‘Ultrasharp’ range. They have these models with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 for around $450:
Dell Ultrasharp U2419H (displayport)
Dell Ultrasharp U2419HC (USB-C)
Dell Ultrasharp U2415 (mini display port)
Dell Ultrasharp U2419HC (USB-C)
Dell Ultrasharp U2415 (mini display port)
Some things to be wary of when buying a display.
1. Resolution is more important than size.
When buying a monitor make sure you check the resolution. This is the amount of dots on the screen. Resolution is more important than monitor size. My BenQ 25 inch monitor has a resolution of 2560×1440.
![Best monitors for mac mini Best monitors for mac mini](https://cdn.igeeksblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Best-Mac-Mini-Monitors.jpg)
You can buy displays as big as 27 inch that have a resolution as low as 1920 x 1080. They may be bigger, but they have less dots. They simply zoom everything out to fill the screen. This is good for a display in a large space where you are some distance from the screen, but not good for close up work or things will look dotty.
1920×1080 is a good minimum resolution for a 21 inch monitor, 2560×1440 will suit a 24 or 25 inch. If you go to 27 inch you should aim for a 4K display which is 3840 x 2160.
Most 24 inch displays are only 1920×1080 so you will need to search for a monitor with a good resolution. You generally need to go to 25 inch to get to 2560×1440 which makes 24 inch monitors a bit of a dud as they have the same resolution as a 21 inch. The lesson, make sure you check the resolution (how many dots) not just the display’s physical size.
A 4K display is very nice if you can afford it.
2. Beware of ‘different’ colour measurements.
BenQ specs tell you that their display covers 100% of sRGB colours.
sRGB is not as good as Adobe RGB and Adobe RGB is not as good as P3.
So be careful when you are comparing colors and don’t confuse sRGB with Adobe RGB or P3. 100% sRGB equates to approx 70% Adobe RGB which means a monitor that is 100% sRGB will only display 70% of the colours compared with a monitor that is 100% Adobe RGB.
3. Don’t by an LG Display from Apple
It used to be that Apple didn’t want you using other brand products with your computer. They had a nice ecosystem where everything just worked. Now it’s the case that Apple don’t even have their own display – they are forcing you to use a different brand. Apple do sell an LG display, but I had a very bad experience with an LG Ultrafine 4K display. It caused me no end of grief and I have sold it…
- To plug it in I had to use a special Apple Thunderbolt to USB-C adapter. It would not recognise the display. It turned out there was a fault with the monitor but because of all the variables involved – cables, adapters – and the fact that the LG monitor would not even power up unless it had a signal from the computer (there is no power button on the LG display) it took a while to work this out – even at the Apple store!
- I rang Apple support and they told me that the warranty was done through LG. So I was instructed to take the monitor to the local LG repairer. There was a fault with the monitor, so LG replaced my monitor under warranty, but it took eight weeks (yes 8 weeks) for LG to replace the display because there were no ‘replacement’ 4K Ultra displays in the country.
In comparison I’m very happy wth the BenQ! And if there’s a fault I can take it back to the shop I bought it from.
![For For](/uploads/1/3/4/2/134299633/190127605.jpg)
This is just a warning that buying a non-apple product from the Apple Store does not make it an Apple product.
When you shop for non-Apple products from the online Apple Store you are outside the Apple ecosystem, so you may as well get them elsewhere.
Happy monitor hunting!