Uses For A Mac Mini

  



Swap or recycle minis as part of the. Apple Giveback program. You can trade-in your mini. Mac Minis are popular for personal use, home theater media centers, and users already having a display want to use. Our experienced Certified Technicians thoroughly test and refurbish each product. The Mac Mini has all the connectivity you will need to connect your existing printer and scanner, connect to your wireless network.

This old Mac mini could become your new server. Compatibility: If you want to serve protected iTunes content—TV shows and movies—to Macs, iOS devices, or an Apple TV, a Mac.

The 2018 Mac mini just launched as the most powerful Mac (for the price), and it got a massive upgrade after four years of neglect. This is prompting a lot of folks to wonder if it's time to upgrade the Mac minis in their life. iOS and Mac app development teams are interested in upgrading their continuous integration (CI) infrastructure. Mac minis behind TVs, under desks, and in closets could also be good candidates for a refresh.

We've definitely seen a wave of customers making the upgrade here at MacStadium. If you're not familiar, we host over 8,000 Mac minis, Mac Pros, and iMac Pros in data centers around the world for huge businesses, small startups, and individuals that need a Mac 'in the cloud.'

So, what happens when the world starts upgrading Mac minis? It's slightly different from other technology refresh cycles for two main reasons: 1) The Mac minis from 2014 or even 2012 still run great! 2) The four-year gap since the last refresh means the new minis are way faster. This leaves us in a position where lots of people are upgrading minis, but the old minis still have a lot of life in them.. so what to do?

We've put together a short list of ideas but would love to hear others. Have a good use for an old mini? Let us know! (#newlife4oldmini)

Swap or recycle minis as part of the Apple Giveback program. You can trade-in your mini with Apple in exchange for a store gift card or a refund on a new purchase. If your mini is in bad shape or isn’t eligible for credit, Apple will recycle it for free. Turn that old mini into something good for you, good for the planet, or both!

Give them away to kids, friends, or your local church or charity. Pay it forward – give new life to your old mini by passing it along to someone who can put it to good use.

Set them up behind a TV to run a dashboard or play movies. Here at MacStadium, we’ve been known to setup an old mini behind a TV or two. They are great for running sales dashboards, looping videos or slide shows, or streaming Apple keynotes on a big screen.

Setup your old mini as a media server. Use Plex to store and organize all your video, music, and photo libraries and stream them to your other devices.

UPSMON-PLUS 2.87 software package is a one-to-one application for computers, laptops and workstations used for monitoring UPS systems. When the UPSMON is operating, as a background program it collects messages sent from the UPS. UPSMON interprets the received messages and makes them available to the UPS. Upsmon for mac. MAC series added Diagram LCD Display and Six sections Fan Regulation for information indication directly and operating environment quietly, upgrades user experience and working quality. POWERCOM MAC series combine with high tech design and better model performance is the best choice for high-class computer, data center and server.

Create a home automation node.Homebridge is a lightweight Node.js server you can run on your home network that emulates the iOS HomeKit API. It supports plugins that can bridge HomeKit to various 'smart home' devices, allowing you to ask Siri to control devices that don't have any support for HomeKit at all.

Use a mini as a controller for an art project or robot. Make your own Mobile Mac mini bot!

Setup a remote macOS desktop for when you're on the go (you can remote-in from an iOS device in your pocket). Check out “iPad Diaries” from MacStories. Federico shares great tips and tricks for accessing and controlling a Mac mini from an iPad.

Set a mini up as a backup server with a big USB hard drive. Mac mini, the perfect Time Machine backup destination.

Set your mini up as a web/file server. Brian Stucki published a great list of ways to use your Mac server… the possibilities are endless!

Of course, you could send in your old Mac mini for colocation at MacStadium so all of these powerful things can be done from the cloud. Or ditch the old Mac mini and sign up for a brand new, shiny, space gray version at MacStadium. See how easy it is to get started with a 24-hour free trial.

USB port types and names

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard for connecting computers and other devices. It's available with many types of ports, and each type has a unique shape. On Mac computers, USB is available with these ports, depending on your Mac model:

USB-A

Type USB-A ports are commonly called USB, USB 2, or USB 3 ports, depending on the USB specification they support. They aren't reversible, so a USB-A connector plugs into the port only when oriented correctly.

USB-C

Type USB-C ports are available as either standard USB-C ports or Thunderbolt 3 ports that also support USB-C connections. They both look the same, and the connector plugs into the port in either orientation.

Learn more about identifying the ports on your Mac, as well as the adapters and cables you can use to connect older devices to type USB-C ports.

USB specifications

Generations

USB specifications are important primarily when you want the most speed and power for your USB device, or your device needs more power or is using too much power. Every USB port supports a particular USB specification, which determines the port's maximum>USB specifications on MacData transferPowerUSB 3.1 Gen 2
Also known as USB 3.2 Gen 2
Up to 10 GbpsUp to 15W at 5VUSB 3.1 Gen 1
Also known as USB 3.2 Gen 1 or USB 3
Up to 5 GbpsUp to 900 mA at 5VUSB 2.0
Up to 480 MbpsUp to 500 mA at 5VUSB 1.1
Up to 12 MbpsUp to 500 mA at 5V

Uses For A Mac Mini

To learn which specification is supported by a type USB-A or type USB-C port on your Mac model:

  • Choose Apple menu  > About This Mac, click Support, then click Specifications.
  • Check the System Information app for more details, including about USB devices connected to USB ports on your Mac. Select USB in the sidebar, then select a USB bus on the right.

Get the best performance from your USB devices

USB specifications all work with each other, but speed and power are limited by the cable or device that uses the earliest specification. For example, if you connect a USB 3 device to USB 2 port, your device is limited to USB 2 speeds, and it can't draw more power from the port than can be delivered over USB 2. In other words, to get the best performance, make sure that the USB port on your Mac and the USB cable to your device meet or exceed the USB specification of the device itself.

Seagate tool for mac. If your Mac doesn't recognize a USB device after you plug it into your Mac:

What Does A Mac Mini Do

  • Check all connections: Unplug the device from your Mac, then plug it back in, and make sure that all cables and adapters are securely connected at both ends. Test with another cable or adapter, if available.
  • Plug the device directly into your Mac instead of a USB hub or other device, and if necessary test with a different USB port on your Mac or device.
  • Some devices need their own software, such as drivers or firmware. Others work without additional software. Check with the maker of your device, and install all available Apple software updates as well.
  • If your device came with an AC power adapter, use it. Some devices can be powered by the USB port on your Mac. Others need more power than your Mac can provide.
  • Restart your Mac.
Uses

Uses For Mac Mini Server

Learn more

What Is Apple Mac Mini

  • USB 3 devices can create wireless interference that affects Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices. Learn how to resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interference.
  • Mac notebook computers with USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 can charge over that port using a compatible USB-C power adapter and cable.