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Mac

Best Dell monitors for the Apple Mac Mini

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When you finally decide to buy a Mac the sticker prices can quickly bring you back down to reality. With many of the computers costing $2,000 or more, some have resorted to buying a budget friendly Mac and pairing it with a traditional monitor. Given the current 27″ Thunderbolt Monitor from Apple is priced at $999, many can see the savings in buying good Dell monitor. To maximize the savings one could buy a Mac Mini and add a Dell monitor, this would give you the biggest bang for your buck. However all the monitors we mention in this article can be used with any Mac computer with the proper connections.

Dell Ultra HD 4k Monitor P2715Q 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor

With 99% sRGB color coverage and a factory color calibration report, you can be sure that colors are as accurate as they can be.
Maximize your viewing options by adjusting the monitor to your desired height, or easily tilt or swivel to your preferred angle.
Pivot from landscape to portrait view to easily see full pages at a glance.

We’ll start at one of the higher end Dell monitors only because there we still be some of you who require 4K resolution. If you are not a professional or don’t need next generation graphics this is not the monitor for you. Most devices out there don’t even support 4K resolution yet but for those who wan’t to match Apple’s Retina Display monitor resolution this is for you. It is about half the cost of the Apple thunderbolt monitor giving you an average savings of around $450.

Dell UltraSharp U2715H 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor

Refresh existing 27″ Dell Ultra Sharp monitor with new and improved features to drive productivity and dual or multi-monitor usage
A 27″ QHD resolution 16:9 aspect ratio monitor with an ultra-thin bezel.
Fully adjustable features like tilt, swivel, height adjust including pivoting both 90 Degree clockwise or counter-clockwise, allowing the thinnest possible edges to be placed side by side.

If you don’t need the 4K resolution this is your next option down in price. However because it is only $50 cheaper than the 4K we recommend upgrading. Many people prefer the UltraSharp monitors because of their thin bezels.

Dell S2715H 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor

Get sharp, vivid, cinematic-quality pictures with Full HD resolution and colors that are rich, consistent, and accurate across an ultra-wide viewing angle.
Offering easy connectivity with handheld devices and viewing comfort with choice of VESA mounting options and tilt capability.
Display content and stream audio directly from your smartphone/tablet to your monitor and charge it at the same time when you connect your device via HDMI (MHL) to your monitor.
Vesa mount capability offers you the choice to wall mount or attach the monitor panel to the optional Dell Single Monitor Arm Stand for a clutter-free desk top.
Made of environmentally preferable materials, the Dell 27 Monitor is made from more than 25% post consumer recycled materials in its chassis, has BFR/PVC-free laminates in its circuit boards, an arsenic-free glass and a mercury- free LED panel.

Your third option would be the S2715H monitor from Dell, which has a lower resolution of 1920 x 1080. This is slightly lower than the UltraSharp monitors but still gives you HD quality. The biggest benefit of this monitor is the savings. With and average price of around $300 this in combination with a Mac Mini could keep your total budget under $1,000.

Dell S2240M 21.5-Inch Screen LED-lit Monitor

Contemporary styling: Feel like you’re there with an elegant, virtually borderless 21.5″ display featuring an almost-invisible bezel.
Superb performance: Images come alive with color-boosting Image Enhance, ultrawide viewing and Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 max.) in a 16:9 widescreen format.
Versatile connections: Easily connect to your laptop or desktop with VGA and DVI-D (HDCP) connectivity.

Although not highly recommended you could buy a 21″ monitor from Dell. If you’ve worked on smaller monitors and are ok with the size this is a great budget item in the range of $100-$150. Even thought is had HD resolution you will have to purchase an adapter or correct cable to get your Mac Mini to work with this monitor. You’ll need either an HDMI to DVI or Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter. Still a complete solution for the lowest budget.

Ok great… What else do I need?

The Mac Mini comes with the computer and power cord, thats it. So you will need a keyboard, a mouse and a monitor with the proper cables or adapters. For the 27″ monitors above you will need either a Mini DisplayPort cable or HDMI cable. We recommend the Mini DisplayPort cable because it supports higher resolutions, but in general the HDMI is just as good. For the 21″ monitor we recommend an HDMI to DVI cable, you can get an adapter but its just as easy having everything in a single cable. If you are planning on using your TV as a monitor you will want to purchase an HDMI to HDMI cable. If you are not looking for a budget monitor you can check out our review of the high end options, in our opinion some of the best monitors for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

Mac

Which Mac should I buy?

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Apple has 6 Macs to select from and choosing one can be difficult. They are the iMac, MacPro, MacBook, MacBook Air, Retina MacBook Pro, and the Mac Mini. Each Mac targets a specific market but there are no set rules about crossing over to enjoy the features of a professional Mac like the Mac Pro as long as you can afford its much higher price tag. The choices have many potential buyers asking – Which Mac should I buy? To help you figure out the best Mac product for your needs, here’s a brief summary of each.

Apple MacBook Pro

This month Apple is launching the new MacBook model. It will have the Retina display and the Force Touch haptic trackpad. You can also expect a new basic processor and upgraded battery life. From all appearances though, the 2015 MacBook Pro looks exactly like the 2012, 2013, and 2014 models so that take a wee bit out of the excitement. Also the new MacBook Pro will only be sold with the 13 inch display and does not compared well to the new 12 inch MacBook which has an absolutely beautiful new design. However, the new MacBook Pro is all about what’s inside which is the Force Click, 97% sRGB coverage and 73% Adobe RGB, and contrast ratio of 880:1 – all of which are slight improvements from the 2014 model.

Apple MacBook

The new MacBook just came out this April 2015 and focuses more on portability and aesthetics. Read more about the design and new innovations in our recent write up.

Apple MacBook Air

The MacBook Air laptop by Apple first came out in 2008 and was the first laptop from Apple with the SSD flash storage. There was an upgrade released in 2014 and a new 13 inch released in early 2015. Aside from better quality graphics, faster storage, and a change from Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt 2, there is nothing significantly different with the precious model.

Apple Mac Mini

mac-mini-2015 — Mac Mini w/ Apple Thunderbolt Monitor

This is the compact desktop from Apple which first came out in 2005. It is also the cheapest Mac and can be plugged into your TV monitor if you want to create a home movie/media theater. The last update was in 2014 and is actually priced lower than the 2012 versions. One reason could be because the 2012 Mac Mini has a faster processor and is more upgradable. The RAM of the 2014 model is soldered on to the motherboard making it impossible to upgrade memory after purchase.

However, the newer Mac Mini has 3 models from a 500GB drive to a 2 TB Fusion drive. It also has build to order options so the 2TB Fusion drive is actually an upgrade of the high end 1TB that can be ordered with a corresponding fee.

Apple iMac

This desktop was first released in 1998 and is known for streamlining the design of the computer and away from the bulky-looking monitor. There were 2 new improvements introduced in 2014: the entry level, low cost iMac without Retina display and the 27 in 5k Retina. There are rumors of a possible new iMac this 2015 but nothing specific has been revealed.

Apple MacPro

The MacPro is the professional’s computer is a high-end Apple product where the base model costs almost $3,000. Apple has labeled it as the “pro-level desktop” with 6 Thunderbolt 2 ports, a built-in HDMI output, Wi-Fi antenna, and faster SSD storage. It is known to be very quiet, powerful, and if fully loaded, can cost over $8,000.

Mac

Will Apple release a new Mac mini in time for the holidays?

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Rumors of a new Apple Mac mini have swirling for quite some time now.

Some Apple fans were expecting Mac mini announcements, statements or teasers during the worldwide Apple event held last on September 9th. Lots of other products were discussed (the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the wearable Apple Watch, U2’s free album, Apple Pay to name a few) but absolutely nothing on the Mac mini.

Understandably, this has fans feeling a little disappointed.

Rumors previously speculated launch date of February 2014, but it’s now September and still nothing. Some are suggesting there might not be any Apple Mac mini at all this year, thanks to a lull in reports and insider statements from Apple employees.

The most recent report, by 9to5mac, showed a cached page from Apple support that hinted at a Mid-2014 release. But that time has come and gone.

For its part, Apple has never confirmed rumors about any of its releases, opting instead to let public hype build up until they make their own announcement. Fans are still hopeful for a 2014 release.

According to various Mac mini rumor sites, the a future Mac mini will be shipped with OS X Yosemite and will be powered by Iris-integrated graphics and Haswell processors.

The upcoming device will also implement next-generation 802.11 Mac-based Wi-Fi internet, suggesting three times the connectivity speed of existing Mac wireless networks. The Mac mini will also contain the latest Mac OS features, including HandOff, AirDrop, MailDrop, Continuity and a host of other unnamed software programs.

The current Mac mini comes in two build types and there is little doubt that the next Mac mini will follow suit but with better specs, while still maintaining the pricing structure of $599 and $799.

Some speculation points to a November or December release just in time for the 2014 holiday season, to allow the iPhone and the Apple Watch enough time to establish themselves in the public eye before a other new Apple products are introduced.

News

Updates few and far between for the Mac Mini

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Over the last year, Apple has updated every single Mac in its lineup except the Mac Mini. The Mini is the cheapest Mac that Apple makes; yet it hasn’t received an update since fall 2012. Where is the next Mac Mini, and when it does come, what can we expect?
Why Hasn’t Apple Updated the Mac Mini?

This is the question a lot of Mac Mini aficionados have been asking since all the other Macs were updated in late 2013. There is obviously some reason why Apple has chosen to leave the Mac Mini out of all the fun. Here are several reasons we’ve come up with:

They just haven’t had time – Apple has a lot going on, even in the Mac department. They’re dealing with Mac Pro delays and Mavericks issues, as well as updates to OS X. That doesn’t even mention what’s happening in other parts of the company. Perhaps they just haven’t gotten around to it.
They aren’t planning on updating it again – This is a possibility. As we said the Mac Mini is the cheapest of the Macs, hence also the one with the lowest margins. Perhaps Apple has chosen to focus on the higher end Macs. Unlikely, but possible.
They are redesigning it – Redesigns take longer. If they are going with the new Intel chips, they’ll need a new interior architecture, so that could take time, even if they leave the outside the same.
Supply Constrictions – There’s a chance that there just aren’t enough processors or memory available for Apple to dedicate to the Mac Mini at this time.

No matter the reason, there haven’t been many rumors about a new Mac Mini, so an update could still be months away.

What We Expect of a New Mac Mini

The most obvious improvement for the Mac Mini is the inclusion of Haswell processors. This would also mean the addition of USB 3.0, and possibly the first computer outside of the Mac Pro with Thunderbolt 2.0. Other improvements, however, are also likely yet harder to predict. As we said above, in order to use the new Haswell processors, Apple will need to tweak the internal layout of the Mac Mini. This could lead to a complete redesign of the computer or it could just be an internal redesign.

MacRumors suggests that we’ll see a bigger hard drive and the inclusion of more RAM. This seems highly unlikely, since all of Apple’s other desktop and laptop computers are abandoning traditional storage for PCI flash-based storage. Even the Mac Pro has gone this direction. There is no reason to suspect that Apple will abandon that direction now and keep a mechanical hard drive in the new Mac Mini.

According to the only Mac Mini rumor we could find, Apple is planning on bringing the Mac Mini to market by the end of February. If that’s the case they had better get a move on as there are only a few days left. More likely we’ll see something at WWDC or perhaps at the annual fall event.