Mac Mini as Your Office Computer

Most of us have a computer at our desk that does not resemble the huge clunky boxes of 2004. Since the Mac Mini came out, I have had one somewhere in my office or on my desk. I slowly started adding minis in my production facility where the weather environment was harsh. The minis are essentially outside under a roof throughout the year. Somewhere along the way I started adding iMacs in the office and after my first mini, I have had an iMac on my desk, at least until the Fusion Drive appeared in Apple's lineup.

My Mac Mini on my desk at work

It was then that a new computer was needed, and I wanted to try out a new mini with Fusion drive. I would need an Apple Thunderbolt monitor, which I picked up with my mini. Going forward my future costs of computing just dropped because I won't be replacing the monitor anytime soon. I have been running on this mini for several months, and it feels faster than the 27" iMac I used previously. It does everything I need, and I thorughly enjoy knowing that if something catastrophic happened with it, I am only out a third of what a new iMac would cost.

I run everything from Microsoft Excel, VMWare Fusion for my virtual machine (which I now rarely use, if ever), AutoCad LT for Mac, and Pixelmator with absolutely no problems whatsoever. It has run everything I have thrown at it marvelously including some iMovie projects which I thought for sure would slow it down. The inclusion of the Fusion Drive that is part SSD (Solid State Drive) and part conventional hard drive is the best of fast performance with big storage. 

When you get right down to it, small business owners/managers/office people who love new technology and use new technology don't need the lastest and greatest. We just need something that will last us and perform day in and day out without problems. 

My advice would be to get a Thunderbolt monitor from Apple and pick up a Mac Mini. You won't be disappointed with the life you will get out of this little workhorse. You see more cables compared to an iMac, which is the only benefit an iMac has over the mini, in my opinion. I cannot stand clutter, and the iMac is absolutely the epitome of clutter free; however, the mini is a solid second place.