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Old 01-04-2019, 08:38 AM   #1
thehipcola
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Default 2018 Mac Mini Performance?

Hey folks,

Anyone have any experience, good or bad, with the new Mac Minis? I'm about to pull the trigger on switching the studio over to Mac, already have a MBP for mobile tracking and need to replace the studio desktop computer.

I've seen scattered reports of audio dropouts and crackling, allegations of core audio having some bugs causing this - or messaging/wireless tech causing cpu spikes etc... USB3 sucking and conflicting with wireless.

I'm suspecting a majority of users are having no problems, but in the UAD forum these issues are mentioned as well as on the Apple Communities forum...

Anyone here care to share? Thanks in advance!

Rob
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Old 01-04-2019, 09:03 AM   #2
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I can tell you what DOESN'T have issues with hardware (logic board issues within 3-5 years) or alleged core audio bugs. Apple machines from 2011/2012 and OSX 10.6 - 10.9.

Newer OSX has some DIY required here and there and the post-Jobs hardware they sell just isn't the same quality anymore IMHO. Haven't used this machine and would love to be wrong.
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Old 01-04-2019, 10:18 AM   #3
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Thanks for the feedback. I've read this a fair bit where complaints have been posted about the new Mac Mini.

Trouble is the creep of sw/os and hardware compatibility. I'd sure like to buy something new and avoid buying again in a few years...
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Old 01-04-2019, 02:01 PM   #4
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It's not Core audio that has the bugs. Rather, it's other, new parts of the system.

Most of the troubles are somehow connected to iCloud. Unfortunately, not using iCloud doesn't prevent them. In the latest machines, the ones with the T2 security processor, some new bugs are added, resulting in hairloss for a few owners. Apple doesn't seem to care, but they are working on it.

At least one of the bugs, involving batteryd, shouldn't show on a Mini, as it doesn't have a bettery. And the Mini is, hardware wise, probably Apple's most reliable offering atm, if you're buying new.
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Old 01-04-2019, 02:44 PM   #5
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I believe the M.2 SSD is soldered to the logic board. This model is almost still reasonable with at least a couple standard USB ports and an HDMI port and not USB-C only. But the soldered in hard drive... Kind of enforces the disposable design element there.

It feels like "in-between" times right now. You can build a cutting edge custom build and run Hackintosh of course. Considering the cost of new vs used, a used machine with a new SSD installed can be a lot more bang for the buck.
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Old 01-04-2019, 03:49 PM   #6
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3rd party repair can replace M2 drives. Not yet economically viable yet, as there's only one supplier for the type of drives Aplle uses. But I suppose there will be others.
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Old 01-04-2019, 06:07 PM   #7
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I picked up a 6-Core 2018 Mac Mini for my home setup and overall it's very solid.

The fan can run a little more than expected (my iMac and iMac Pro fan never run) but also when I'm working from home I'm often working in my Dropbox Sync folder so files are constantly uploading and syncing so that might be adding to that. I haven't had time to test turning sync off while I work.

All my audio apps feel pretty snappy and stable. Not quite as much as the iMac Pro but still a really nice machine if you want something more than a laptop but not quite an iMac.
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Old 01-04-2019, 11:44 PM   #8
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Do some serious research regarding Apple products before you buy.
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Old 01-05-2019, 03:42 AM   #9
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I spent a LONG time researching before I settled on a mid-to-late 2011 Mac Mini Server.

Takes 2 hard drives, either spinning platter or SSD. Regular only takes one.
Takes up to 16gb of ram and can be upgraded as there are two ram slots onboard.
Comes in the solid aluminium case rather than the plastic one the regular Mac Minis came in.
Although I have mine still on mavericks (using Logic Pro 9 for a pal) it is readily upgradeable to the latest OSX version.

I paid £500 for mine in excellent condition with a mouse, two keyboards and all the necessary cables to run either HDMI or thunderbird or whatever that Apple connection for hi-dpi monitors is called.

Incidentally mine came with the quad core 2ghz option installed - there was also I believe a 2.3 and the "rare as rocking horse poo" 2.6 version available in late 2011 early 2012. That said, I have never had any issues with speed or reliability running Logic Pro or Reaper.

(grin) and having finished the pal`s project several months ago, I am STILL trying to make up my mind if I will sell it or not. Judging by the state of current Mac Minis, I don`t see it losing any ground in the hear future.
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Old 01-05-2019, 09:07 AM   #10
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The 2011 & 2012 models are still the flagship Macs. (2009 & 2010 for the Mac Pro).

It's not that some of the newer ones don't have any redeeming value. If you spend through the roof to get the more pro spec models (equal in speed to the 2011 models or the couple that might be slightly faster on a cool day) you get some nice hardware and performance. It's just that you're paying 4x or more over current street prices for the older flagship machines. You wouldn't want to settle for a slower more performance reduced machine than you could have bought used because you can't afford a similar spec new model. That's no fun. Then we get into the cheapened bits: Most ports removed (USB-C/TB3 only on most of these). Magsafe power port removed. Screen shield removed (it's the raw LCD screen open to the world). But mostly the planned obsolescence stuff like soldering the freakin hard drives to the logic boards. Then the "security chip" business that drm's every internal component to prevent doing ANY repairs.

Post 2012 Macs are not very Apple-like anymore. Buyer beware and all.

The iMac is a really poor format choice for audio work too IMHO. Great machines (again pre-2013) but the configuration would be a PITA for audio work. The screen built-in for starters. You typically put the computer in the next room or a closet in audio world. You sure don't have a machine with fans running in your control room! So... that built-in screen just became your computer closet monitor. Every time you'd want to swap hard drives around you have to pull the screen (the magnet attached screen shield and then the display screen itself). Not hard... just a little obnoxious for the user that swaps drives around. Got to make sure you get all the little dust specs before snapping that shield back on! Oops... missed one! (Pull shield, clean, repeat...) You get the idea.

Don't even consider one of the iMacs made after 2012 either. Would you believe they started not only gluing the screens on but literally gluing the screen shield to the actual display? The cost reduction on these was to glue this stuff together!!! Crack your screen shield and it's not just a $60 new part anymore. You're replacing the entire display assembly for a cracked screen shield because they glued the whole thing together.
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Old 01-05-2019, 12:44 PM   #11
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The 2011 & 2012 models are still the flagship Macs. (2009 & 2010 for the Mac Pro).
Damn you. Stop saying that. I need to buy a couple soon and you're bound to drive up prices.

Quote:
Then the "security chip" business that drm's every internal component to prevent doing ANY repairs.
That's not entirely true. There are reset procedures for most key related stuff, like the firmware password. And some of these key were already in use with the old SMC. Not all of these procedures have been found out, but most have. And nothing's keeping a good tech from replacing ram, SSD or most other components. Only the T2 and a few peripheral chips are completely unavailable. That's also why Apple started shredding all defective machines. One peripheral chip, that ties the T2 via USB to the Intel processor, is also the source for the audio/video stuttering on some recent Macs. I'm not sure a software fix is possible.

The T2 is a very good solution for Apple Pay's security. Unfortunately, that's only good news for Apple.

And, yes, sure, glueing stuff doesn't make repair any easier.
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Old 01-05-2019, 01:17 PM   #12
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Thanks for all of the input everyone. Much appreciated.

Lots to digest here - ugh.. I really want to buy a current box so I don't have to deal with this again for as long as possible - but I definitely hear the folks suggesting older models that still perform well.

Thanks again!

Rob
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Old 01-05-2019, 01:33 PM   #13
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I'm thinking of getting a 2018 mac mini also.

Here's some info on basic openability/repairability of the mini:
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.m...-teardown/amp/

I'm just hoping Allen and Heath support their Zed R16 on Mojave soon.
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Old 01-05-2019, 05:12 PM   #14
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A lot of good advise already given.
You will get less hassle and more options by avoiding
the recent apple offerings, I cant stand microsoft and was
looking forward to getting a mac book pro, until I read up on
the newer models, my daughter won't part with her 2012 mbp that
she rarely ever uses, so am keeping an eye out for a high spec
laptop, well until the amiga os hardware is up to scratch, and someone
makes a daw run on it.

Its better not to be in a hurry when spending on a computer
for music, for there is a lot to take into consideration else
one could spend a lot of time head scratching and wishing if
only I had of looked into this more.

Either way, I hope you find a suitable tool for your needs.
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Old 01-05-2019, 06:16 PM   #15
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going well so far with my late 2012 i7 mini that i got last year. still on sierra atm..
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Old 01-07-2019, 02:40 AM   #16
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You should wait on buying anything Apple until they have gotten their house in order.
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Old 01-07-2019, 03:44 AM   #17
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I dont honestly think the prices on older Mac Minis are going to skyrocket, so if you DO go that route I strongly suggest you look at the server models rather than the regular ones.

There is a laundry list of reasons WHY the 2011 to 2012 Mac Mini Server machines are not only better than the current Mac Minis, but also better than the older non-server models.
I did a TON of research before buying mine & dont regret it, particularly since Apple keep telling me I should "upgrade" mine to the latest version of OSX, so it is very much still current.
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Old 01-07-2019, 04:04 AM   #18
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...Apple keep telling me I should "upgrade" mine to the latest version of OSX, so it is very much still current.
SO annoying!

If they want people to upgrade OS, they should send it to developers before releasing it!
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Old 01-07-2019, 06:23 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by thehipcola View Post
I've seen scattered reports of audio dropouts and crackling, allegations of core audio having some bugs causing this - or messaging/wireless tech causing cpu spikes etc... USB3 sucking and conflicting with wireless
Sorry, missed this one.

The Mini's where USB3 was conflicting with Wifi, were a limited serie where the shielding sticker wasn't put on properly. Since USB3 and Wifi use the same frequencies, it's a problem.

Makes you wonder what kind of genius decided to make USB3 operate in the same band as wireless...
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Old 01-07-2019, 07:32 AM   #20
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SO annoying!

If they want people to upgrade OS, they should send it to developers before releasing it!
One thing occurred to me: Wonder what version of Windows was current back in mid-2011& if yer average windows box from back then could run Win10 64bit today...
Just sayin`...
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Old 01-07-2019, 09:26 AM   #21
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3rd party repair can replace M2 drives. Not yet economically viable yet, as there's only one supplier for the type of drives Aplle uses. But I suppose there will be others.
It's not M.2 on the new mac mini. It's flash chips and the controller soldered directly onto the board. Thanks to the T2 chip, there's no way to replace it even if you feel like soldering on your logic board.

If you're not happy with the included storage, you must use external storage. Period. And that won't change unless someone figures out how to break strong encryption...which would open a MUCH bigger can of worms.

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Originally Posted by thehipcola View Post
Thanks for all of the input everyone. Much appreciated.

Lots to digest here - ugh.. I really want to buy a current box so I don't have to deal with this again for as long as possible - but I definitely hear the folks suggesting older models that still perform well.

Thanks again!

Rob
I get that, and I kidna support it. As good as the 2011-era Macs were, I don't think they were good enough to buy one today.

I was about ready to buy a new iMac Pro several months ago and decided to just ditch Apple instead. It hurt. But, they just don't seem to care about anything like professional use anymore. The "real computer" offerings are seriously limited.

I was happy to pay the "apple tax" for OS X until it got to the point that the cost of additional chassis for hardware that wouldn't fit in the box grew to the cost of a comparable PC. The closet thing to a regret after my last upgraded is that I didn't go workstation class and can't use ECC RAM. But...it's honestly not a problem for audio work. At least, not as much as paying thousands extra for my desired upgrade path.

If they ever bring out another tower-based Mac Pro, I'll seriously consider it. I still don't like Windows. But, it does work. And unlike modern T2-chip Macs, my PC will dual boot linux or FreeBSD if I decide I can't stand Windows for daily use.

Quote:
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One thing occurred to me: Wonder what version of Windows was current back in mid-2011& if yer average windows box from back then could run Win10 64bit today...
Just sayin`...
I don't remember the windows version. XP? Vista? Whatever. I never used it. And, yes. They do as long as they weren't bargain basement PCs.

In 2011, I got sick of dealing with Apple support and bought a Lenovo x230 (i5, 16GB aftermarket ram) on a whim as a backup. I never ran Windows on it at the time...threw away the hard drive that came with it, installed a samsung SSD, and put Linux on it. The MBP became a music-only computer after that.

The same x230 is still running. It now dual-boots Windows 10 Pro and Linux. And being 8 years old, it doesn't feel like a new computer anymore, but it's far from unusable.

It was also my test system to see if I could get away with running Windows for audio stuff. It ran Wavelab, Reaper, my plugins, etc. without issue. The only change in its entire life has been switching from a 256GB SSD to a 1TB SSD.

The case has been cracked since it was about 3 weeks old (dumb colleague at work knocked it off a desk). I've taken it apart to clean out the cat hair and dust from the cooler. And I carried it daily for years. It's been a much better experience than any I've had with Apple. The hardware is just better. Frankly, it's the best laptop I've ever owned...including a couple MBPs, several black plastic Macbooks, and a pile of older Thinkpads (back when IBM made them).

I don't know if their modern offerings are as good. Their website sucks. Their shipping takes forever unless a reseller has a model you want. But, Lenovo > Apple when it comes to hardware based on my experience.
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Old 01-08-2019, 01:31 AM   #22
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It's not M.2 on the new mac mini. It's flash chips and the controller soldered directly onto the board. Thanks to the T2 chip, there's no way to replace it even if you feel like soldering on your logic board.
You can replace the memory chips. I'm not certain about the controller. Sure, you need a microscope and a professional rework station, but it can be done.

It has not much to do with the T2, unless you use a firmware password, or full disk encryption. There's a reset procedure for the password, but that's Apple only atm. Shouldn't be a real problem, as long as you have proof of ownership. Apple sends you a file, on a USB stick and you boot from that to reset the password.

Full disk encryption (AKA filevault) is of course dependent on the T2 that decrypts on the fly. As long as you have the password, it's not a problem. And if it's a managed Mac, you'll have the master password.

Security wise, it's a balanced solution, as a thief can't do much with a Mac with full disk encryption. It's value will be very limited because of the T2. Even for spares, it won't bring much. It's a bit of a pita for repair, but what fails most, is stuff like voltage regulators and these don't depend on the T2 at all. The same goes for the screen etc. I'm not sure about the Intel processor, but these are very expensive or unavailable and don't fail too often.

The difference between 3rd party repair and Apple is that 3rd parties repair at component level, Apple exchanges boards.

I've recently seen a case where Apple decided a MB Pro needed it's screen and logic board replaced (because of a black screen of death), while only the connector between screen and logic board went bad. And that went bad because of a serious design error. Normally, there's a ground between every pin, but Apple has done away with that. So, the highest voltage/current on the connector will fail, because it sparks to the next pin, which is an LVDS pin (3,3V), damaging the GPU.

Quote:
If you're not happy with the included storage, you must use external storage. Period. And that won't change unless someone figures out how to break strong encryption...which would open a MUCH bigger can of worms.
If it's only upgrading storage, you have the password, obviously and should decrypt before upgrading. After all, you need a backup of your data, do you?

The problem is the availability of the chips. These are scarce and expensive, but technically, it can be done.
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Old 01-08-2019, 03:29 AM   #23
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SO annoying!

If they want people to upgrade OS, they should send it to developers before releasing it!
Think you misunderstood, or this is a joke too subtle for my feeble old brain to get.
All they are doing is nagging me to go from Mavericks to whatever the lates OSX version is - and with Apple it is of course free.

Just that my Logic Pro 9 wont run on anything newer than Mavericks & I only bought the Mac to do ONE album for a pal who only uses Pro9.
It has been sitting in its laptop bag ever since I finished work on the album & I just cant be arsed to fiddle around learning any more about it while my W10 system runs fine, apart from the usual minor disruptions when W10 updates itself.

Forgot to add that on the Mac Mini servers from the 2011-12 era, the ram is socketed & is a drop-in replacement like on any Windows machine. Only 2 slots but that gives you an easy and relatively cheap upgrade.
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Old 01-08-2019, 03:54 AM   #24
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Think you misunderstood, or this is a joke too subtle for my feeble old brain to get.
All they are doing is nagging me to go from Mavericks to whatever the lates OSX version is - and with Apple it is of course free.
Nope, you didn't miss anything. I was actually just moaning about the little nag pop-up, because the only way to dismiss it is to open the App Store and then quit it.

Having a section of screen obscured and having to open and quit an app to get rid of it is not great for someone who earns their living in graphics.

If Apple were more open with developers this would not be a problem because all my software would work with the OS update.
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Old 01-08-2019, 06:22 AM   #25
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Having a section of screen obscured and having to open and quit an app to get rid of it is not great for someone who earns their living in graphics.
Yeah, 10.6.8 didn't have OS bugs like this.

Maybe next year we'll see 10.15 as a bug fixed 10.14 and actual 'pro' MBP's with a full complement of ports, proper power connector, screen shield, and dual M.2 slots? Perhaps even professional quality logic boards and build quality? Sorry, haven't had my coffee yet so I might be a little delusional...
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Old 01-08-2019, 06:34 AM   #26
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Yeah, 10.6.8 didn't have OS bugs like this.

Maybe next year we'll see 10.15 as a bug fixed 10.14 and actual 'pro' MBP's with a full complement of ports, proper power connector, screen shield, and dual M.2 slots? Perhaps even professional quality logic boards and build quality? Sorry, haven't had my coffee yet so I might be a little delusional...
On a positive note, at least with High Sierra I've got stability that was lacking since 10.6.8. It's been pretty flakey for me in-between, and my Win 10 PC was more stable than El Capitan or Mavericks, which was really irksome!
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Old 01-08-2019, 01:04 PM   #27
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What's the feeling on the (audio ) ground re which OS is good or one to avoid ATM? Am on sierra as mentioned, but when recent projects done, will probably upgrade, my rme hardware should be fine so wondering if all is good better or worse with latest ?
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Old 01-08-2019, 01:33 PM   #28
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My main studio machine (iMac Pro) is running High Sierra and all is good.

My home studio machine is a 2018 Mac Mini which of course shipped with Mojave and all is good there too although I don't push that machine as hard as the iMac Pro. Initial tests seem fine and I'm considering moving to Mojave on my main machine after the next decimal point update if nothing breaks.
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Old 01-08-2019, 01:43 PM   #29
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Cheers for the info
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Old 01-08-2019, 01:57 PM   #30
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I'm on High Sierra and all is working fine. I'm waiting for statements from a couple of companies before updating to Mojave.

Here's a list of statements about Mojave compatibility: https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/pro...-compatibility
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Old 01-09-2019, 07:04 AM   #31
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You can replace the memory chips. I'm not certain about the controller. Sure, you need a microscope and a professional rework station, but it can be done.

It has not much to do with the T2, unless you use a firmware password, or full disk encryption. There's a reset procedure for the password, but that's Apple only atm. Shouldn't be a real problem, as long as you have proof of ownership. Apple sends you a file, on a USB stick and you boot from that to reset the password.

Full disk encryption (AKA filevault) is of course dependent on the T2 that decrypts on the fly. As long as you have the password, it's not a problem. And if it's a managed Mac, you'll have the master password.

Security wise, it's a balanced solution, as a thief can't do much with a Mac with full disk encryption. It's value will be very limited because of the T2. Even for spares, it won't bring much. It's a bit of a pita for repair, but what fails most, is stuff like voltage regulators and these don't depend on the T2 at all. The same goes for the screen etc. I'm not sure about the Intel processor, but these are very expensive or unavailable and don't fail too often.

The difference between 3rd party repair and Apple is that 3rd parties repair at component level, Apple exchanges boards.

I've recently seen a case where Apple decided a MB Pro needed it's screen and logic board replaced (because of a black screen of death), while only the connector between screen and logic board went bad. And that went bad because of a serious design error. Normally, there's a ground between every pin, but Apple has done away with that. So, the highest voltage/current on the connector will fail, because it sparks to the next pin, which is an LVDS pin (3,3V), damaging the GPU.



If it's only upgrading storage, you have the password, obviously and should decrypt before upgrading. After all, you need a backup of your data, do you?

The problem is the availability of the chips. These are scarce and expensive, but technically, it can be done.
It's also not necessary. Full Disk Encryption is available on everything, without the limitations Apple's T2 chip entails.

I don't think I've had a laptop without FDE since around 2005. It's transparent and simple.

While your claims don't match other things I'm seeing, I'll concede that I haven't tried and don't care. There's no reason, even encryption/security-focused reasons, not to allow the use of off-the-shelf SSDs.

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What's the feeling on the (audio ) ground re which OS is good or one to avoid ATM? Am on sierra as mentioned, but when recent projects done, will probably upgrade, my rme hardware should be fine so wondering if all is good better or worse with latest ?
Check your software vendors for their supported OS list.

In the past, I've basically followed Avid's advice regardless of whether I was using Pro Tools at the time or not. But, if a particular piece of software is essential to what you do, make sure it's happy with an OS before you upgrade.

But, again, using something as old as 10.6 seems dumb.
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Old 01-09-2019, 09:48 AM   #32
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Nope, you didn't miss anything. I was actually just moaning about the little nag pop-up, because the only way to dismiss it is to open the App Store and then quit it.

Having a section of screen obscured and having to open and quit an app to get rid of it is not great for someone who earns their living in graphics.

If Apple were more open with developers this would not be a problem because all my software would work with the OS update.
Ha Ha! Totally forgot about that - thankfully I don`t get it on either my iPad or my various Android machines!
It really has been a long time since I fired up that Mac Mini - perhaps it IS time tyo sell it on to someone who will get some use out of it
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Old 01-09-2019, 02:42 PM   #33
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It's also not necessary. Full Disk Encryption is available on everything, without the limitations Apple's T2 chip entails.
It's not the same encryption. T2 offers a more secure and faster one. You or I don't need it, but for those that do, it's a big difference. Like people working on govt contracts that require presribed security levels. T2 makes it all more manageable for large operations.

There are also no new limitations. Apple put it's keys on the SMC before. Now the SMC has been replaced by an Apple bred ARM processor. The SMC was available before, and the firmware could be extracted and rewritten, that can't be done now, because we can't get T2's. That's the main difference.

And there's the new USB bridge in the T2 machines, that's causing a lot of trouble with audio. We can't get that one either. But the rest of the components are still replaceable.

I don't like it either, but Apple wants to be a bank. Security wise, they're going in the right direction.

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While your claims don't match other things I'm seeing, I'll concede that I haven't tried and don't care. There's no reason, even encryption/security-focused reasons, not to allow the use of off-the-shelf SSDs.
Apple doesn't block replacement. Just like in the iphone, these are standard chips and can be replaced. There's an American, living in China, who upgraded an iphone 16 GB to an iphone 64 GB. Or was that 128? Don't remember. You can find him on Youtube, if you look for Shen-Zen.

And what are you seeing that doesn't match?
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Old 01-09-2019, 03:09 PM   #34
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I'm on High Sierra and all is working fine. I'm waiting for statements from a couple of companies before updating to Mojave.

Here's a list of statements about Mojave compatibility: https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/pro...-compatibility
This is a great list - thanks for sharing.

Still unsure how to proceed.. hoping an OS update is coming and I see a wave of "all audio related issues are fixed!!"...

It's a race between my studio pc/interface dying and green lights across the board for the mac mini upgrade.

Would love to get an iMac Pro, but don't quite have the business case for that type of money yet. . Maybe next cycle!

Thanks again everyone! Great thread -lots of awesome info here.
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Old 01-09-2019, 06:43 PM   #35
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Still on my late 2012 iMac. Had some thermal issues this summer, which magically disappeared. But I was so afraid, that I ordered an iMac 2018. Boy, was I disappointed. That crap machine was slower than my 6 year old iMac. I got a 1TB Fusion drive and it consists of a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. Guess what, newer iMacs with a 1TB fusion drive consist of a 32GB SSD (!!!) and a 1TB HDD. That's how Apple makes money and sells inferior hardware for almost double price of an 2012 iMac.

If this iMac breaks, I'm likely to build a Hackintosh. I already put too much money into Apple to switch completely to PC...
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Old 01-09-2019, 11:48 PM   #36
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I got tired of fighting with Windows in 2015 and bought a new Macbook Pro with i7, 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. It came with OSX 10.10.3, so the worst bugs were already sorted out.

I updated to 10.11.6 and everything worked nicely. Last year after I added an iMac Pro, that came with High Sierra, I updated the MBP to 10.13.6 too.

Both machines run smoothly without any issues, even when using WiFi for DAW and synth remote control.

My tips would be:

1. Make your homework regarding the needed hardware specs.
2. Never update macOS before the third update is released. Usually that‘s half a year later and most vendors did their homework too.
3. Switch off the backup to iCloud for unused files, that was introduced with Sierra.
4. Don‘t use Filevault.
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Old 01-10-2019, 02:27 AM   #37
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Do some serious research regarding Apple products before you buy.
Indeed, I have tried to replace my 2007 imac, working fine, by a new imac but I think i would better pass my turn.
I went to 2 shops and sellers did no more advice to buy a mac as they used to do a couple of years ago.
Mac warranty returns number are the same than PC, so the quality of bulding can no more explain than the price of a mac machine is much more expensive, and get worth if you want to put a decent SSD drive.
He proposed me a 1700 € PC laptop, the macpro equivalent was more than 3000 € and some component (graphic card) were not as powerfull as the PC.
And be prepared to change the motherboard !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2_SZ4tfLns
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Old 01-10-2019, 02:30 AM   #38
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Still on my late 2012 iMac. Had some thermal issues this summer, which magically disappeared. But I was so afraid, that I ordered an iMac 2018. Boy, was I disappointed. That crap machine was slower than my 6 year old iMac. I got a 1TB Fusion drive and it consists of a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. Guess what, newer iMacs with a 1TB fusion drive consist of a 32GB SSD (!!!) and a 1TB HDD. That's how Apple makes money and sells inferior hardware for almost double price of an 2012 iMac.

If this iMac breaks, I'm likely to build a Hackintosh. I already put too much money into Apple to switch completely to PC...
I was near to buy a 2018 imac for Christmas ! thanks for the feedback.
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Old 01-10-2019, 02:40 AM   #39
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hat crap machine was slower than my 6 year old iMac. I got a 1TB Fusion drive and it consists of a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD.
Without wanting to be offensive ... it's well known, that Fusion Drives are a no-go for music production machines.
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Old 01-10-2019, 05:21 AM   #40
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I use the Mac only as video slave, office, mail, web machine... no music production there.
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