Is an M1 Mac Mini The Right Choice For Me?

I wouldn’t count on being able to use the iMac as a monitor for the M1 Mac mini. The configuration is not supported by Apple.

Target display mode has been abandoned in the macOS since the release of Big Sur, and in hardware, the last Macs that could host an old iMac as a monitor were the 2019 models.

If you want to use the iMac as a display, there are reports of the 2010 27" iMac working in Target Display Mode with any Mac, including those that Apple says won't work. Apparently this is because the 2010 27" iMac behaves exactly as a Mini DisplayPort display, so the other Mac doesn't have to know about Target Display Mode. This won't work with newer iMacs because they use Thunderbolt, which requires Target Display Mode support on the other Mac.

You will need a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort cable

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HN8B2ZM/A/mophie-usb-c-cable-with-mini-displayport-connector

The iMac used as a display must have macOS High Sierra or earlier installed.

Press Command-F2 on the iMac to enter Target Display Mode.

Use your iMac as a display with target display mode - Apple Support

Hi Bob Baron,

May I posit a question, which is, why go the route of using your old iMac in a way that is no longer supported and that maynot be long-term viable? Would it not be better and less likely to be annoying, to instead purchase a new monitor and a new Mac mini, setup from scratch and known therefore to work, than to go the franken-mac route? It maybe nice to want to re-use your old iMac (I completely understand the desire not to spend where needed); but a good, cheap monitor and the Mac mini will likely last you longer, run better together and have a much better image quality then the old iMac monitor will provide.

The beauty (I find) of a separate Mac and monitor is, you can choose which works best for your needs and desires. I personally use a Mac mini (2014 at the moment, though will be soon upgrading to the M1 version) and a 32" monitor and find it a nice balance.

Another option, if I might, maybe go the route of the new iMacs, their screen quality and resolution are significantly more than the 27" iMac you had, though in a smaller form factor, so if you do need the larger screen, it will be a possible issue. Just an idea though.

Just my two cents worth.

Cheers,

Anthony

Bob Baron wrote:

...Parallels desktop, etc)....

Note that on any M1 Mac, Parallels (latest version) and some open source alternatives can only run ARM64 versions of Linux and only Windows 10 ARM64 Developers Preview Edition or Windows 11 ARM64 Developers Preview Edition which means only ARM64 versions of apps will be able to run in Virtual Machines, i.e. no Intel based apps can be used.

Besides that, you would want to special order a model with 16GB of RAM (max you can get in a Mini) and at least a 512 GB drive or larger.

Since your iMac is a 2010, you are lucky that you may be able to use it as a display. Models 2011 or later cannot.. Although, from an energy viewpoint or even a ease of use, you would be better off getting a new display.

which means only ARM64 versions of apps will be able to run in Virtual Machines, i.e. no Intel based apps can be used.

are we sure of this?

read reviews of windows 10 tablets running the arm windows version and understood it as they had a emulation system like rosetta stone enabling x86 apps to run even if a less impressive performance than rosetta stone, not sure how even less impressive it would be to emulate x86 in a virtual machines