A couple of years ago, I got an old Intel Mac mini Core Duo. It was long obsolete—it had been years since Apple had any OS support for it—but it was dirt cheap at Goodwill. I reasoned that since it had an Intel processor it could run other operating systems, and so it could be a backup for my regular computer. I also have to admit that I've had a weakness for the Mac mini design ever since the first Mac mini. Part of that is that I'm cheap...and so the cheapest option is usually my favorite. But I also like the idea of a very compact, quiet desktop computer.
But the biggest selling point was that this new Mac gave me a chance to play with OS X (which is now branded macOS...but I'll use OS X in this piece, since OS X was the name Apple used for the operating systems that could run on this Mac).
I was curious about OS X. I'd been a Classic MacOS user for many, many years, but I never made the transition to OS X. In the early OS X years, the Classic MacOS systems I was using did almost everything I needed. The only reason for moving on was for Internet. Linux on a cheap used Windows PC was good enough for my Internet needs, and was considerably cheaper than an OS X Mac. So I embraced a double standard of Classic MacOS for work and Linux for Internet. Eventually, Linux application software (like LibreOffice) evolved to a point where I was happy with using Linux systems for all day to day tasks.
Still, I always wondered what OS X was like. I wondered, sometimes, if perhaps I'd be better off migrating to a OS X system. I had been, after all, so happy with Apple computers and operating systems for so many years.
I had some OS X experience, of course, but it was severely limited. Machines that weren't mine and thus couldn't be customized to meet my needs. Or an elderly G4 running an ancient version of OS X. The Mac mini gave me a fairly mature version of OS X. It would also be my computer, and so I could do anything I wanted to with it without someone screaming at me.
It was interesting playing with OS X. And it did leave me thinking that there would be real pluses to moving back to using an Apple computer as my one and only. It is nice, for one thing, having high consistency across software. I also think word processor choices are better with Apple. There certainly are more choices than Linux. Most of the good word processors available for Linux are also available for OS X (or macOS now). And there are several titles that are Apple only. There is probably a better chance of finding software that fits a person's needs.
But one sticking point with Apple is the price tag... I've gotten spoiled by low used Windows PC prices, I'm afraid.
But I've gotten even more spoiled by the idea of open source software that costs $0. Is it really worth paying (say) $80 for a word processor, when LibreOffice is $0? Even if the $80 word processor is better in some ways, is it $80 better? For some, the answer is probably yes. But I'm not sure it is for me...particularly given how tight my budget is.
I also found myself liking how small and quiet the Mac mini was. Indeed, it probably comes closer to being my ideal desktop computer than anything else available. Expansion is limited, of course, but I've generally not been into adding stuff internally.
The Mac mini was useful as a secondary computer. One of its biggest jobs was connecting by Bluetooth to my cell phone to retrieve photos. (My regular computer doesn't have Bluetooth.)
Recently, I gave some thought to other uses. Possibly as a media PC (probably less than ideal—but given that my video systems tend to be simple, it might have been fine). I have also often thought of going back to a model of having a separate computer for distraction free writing, and the Mac mini seemed like an interesting choice.
Unfortunately, before I could try any of this, the Mac mini died. One night, when I wanted to get some photos off my phone, I switched the Mac on. It turned on—but there was no chime, and the screen remained dark. I did a little tinkering to rule out obvious stuff, like problems with the memory. But the Mac refused to come back to life. Perhaps it could be fixed, but I'm not sure it's worth the effort. Not given that it's so old, and that it was only a secondary (and non-essential) computer.
Still, I'll miss it.
