Mini M1 vs Macbook Air M1

[Kizza]

Hello, wondering if anyone is running VW2020 on a Macbook Air M1?

 

It's time to retire my 2012 mini (which currently runs VW2016 with Mavericks).

I have a VW2020 licence which I use on Windows, but I want to transition it back to Mac.

 

FWIW, I find I mainly use the 2012 Mini with VW2016 as I prefer the mac OS–but I can't upgrade it to a Mojave or Catalina because VW2016/Mavericks is as far as I dare to go with it for compatibility reasons.

 

I'm also considering an Intel Mini (current) vs the M1 Mini because it has a few more ports - is that such a big deal? It seems though, that the M1 machines are very capable.

 

I currently run 2 x Dell 24" monitors (although I plan to get two 4K monitors in the not-to-distant future).

 

Thanks

[Pat Stanford]

Your current mini is 9 years old.  If you normally keep machines this long, you will want to get the M1 as it will still be supported for close to that long where the Intel Mini will be the very last of the last.

 

If you need more ports, get a thunderbolt dock with the ports you need. A dock plus an M1 Mini will give you a machine that will offer you better performance for longer than anything Intel.

[zoomer]

4 hours ago, Pat Stanford said:

get a thunderbolt dock with the ports you need.

 

or wait a few months for the M? Mini in space gray,

which should have again all ports and be much faster.

[Kizza]

32 minutes ago, zoomer said:

 

or wait a few months for the M? Mini in space gray,

which should have again all ports and be much faster.

@Zoomer, how do you know a space grey version is coming?

 

[zoomer]

I can't guarantee but so far the M1 replaced the lowest

mobile devices and had exactly the same poor port options

as their predecessors.

Everyone expects the next MacBook Pros,

(that were expected to be announced at WWDC !?)

will have at least the same specs as the predecessors, like

the current 16" Intel, so should also get more ports.

 

The M1 itself does have 2 TB channels but otherwise it is a

bit limited in ports. The next M SoC needs to have more lanes

and suport more I/O ports.

That the current M1 Mac Mini has not 2 TB channels but 4 ports like

the new M1 iMac maybe be just a marketing decision.

Therefore the silver only option ?

But the current space gray Intel Minis with more ports are still sold

as the M1 isn't atrue replacement for the top Mini models with lots

of ports, lot of user replaceable RAM and capable CPU offers,

for now.

 

So it is pretty likely that there will be a next semi Pro Mini with the next

M iteration SoC and all the ports the Intels Models had.

 

[Kizza]

I'm leaning towards the intel, because I need the additional ports. By the time you add a TB dock, cost would be comparable. Besides, it's an interim machine, may upgrade to M2 or M3 later...

Any info on whether Intel UHD 630 integrated graphics would run VW2020 for light residential with very light modelling would be appreciated.

 

[zoomer]

AFAIK Jim Wilson did some VW testing on 630 Mini and

a comparison with Mini + eGPU, somewhere on this Forum.

[Pat Stanford]

 

11 hours ago, Kizza said:

Besides, it's an interim machine, may upgrade to M2 or M3 later...

 

There is nothing more permanent than that which is deemed temporary.  ;-)

 

[zoomer]

I also feared (even from the beginning) that I will spend much more time

with that interim M1 than I had hoped for.

Not much faster than the still existing Trash Can but I don't regret it though.

[Kizza]

5 hours ago, Pat Stanford said:

 

 

There is nothing more permanent than that which is deemed temporary. 😉

 

Pat, that is so true! 😎