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What is the OPTIMAL version of the OS for a 2010 Mac mini?

Searching for expert opinions on which is the optimal (not necessarily the latest) version of OS X to run on a 2.4GHz Mac mini 4,1 2010 model, built in Feb of 2011? It's currently on Snow Leopard 10.6.8. This is my wife's machine.

Additionaly, if it happens to be 10.7.5, are there any considerations when attaching an external FW800 2-GB hard drive regarding partitioning the drive?

Thanks in advance.

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5), 2.66GHzQuad 2006,16GB RAM,1GB VRAM

Posted on Aug 14, 2013 3:15 AM

Best reply

MlchaelLAX

Level 4

2,286 points

Posted on Aug 14, 2013 9:21 AM

If you have no need to upgrade, such as access to iCloud, apps that require Lion or Mt. Lion, or otherwise, many users here recommend that you stay with Snow Leopard.

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40 replies

MlchaelLAX

Level 4

2,286 points

Aug 18, 2013 10:14 AM in response to den.thed

That thread started one year ago, but continues to be updated very frequently.

Anecdotally speaking, the majority of posts on this question conclude:

• If you do not need iCloud

• If you do not need to run an application that requires Lion or Mt. Lion

• If your Mac will boot Snow Leopard, then the better choice is Snow Leopard

AND to answer your question:

Besides, someday sooner or later you will be replacing her computer and is it not an easier transition, if both the old computer and the wife are up to date....?

Not necessarily so!

The primary consideration, especially if data is shared among both computers, is that both computer run the exact same version of OS X. It depends on WHEN and WHAT is being run that will determine which version of OS X at that time.

den.thed

Level 9

77,248 points

Aug 18, 2013 11:36 AM in response to MlchaelLAX

Excuse me, but Ramon's wife is wanting to use iCloud and he wanted to hear what others have to say.

Ramon G Castanda wrote:

But my wife wants to have access to her iCloud in order to synchronize all her other devices, like her phone, her notebook, her iPad and so on.

I'll be interested to hear what others have to say.

I am trying to share the positive experience that I am having with Mountain Lion on the same system that Ramon's wife has.

If you have a problem with Mountain Lion, that is fine.

If you have a problem with me, that is fine too.

What I find most disturbing, is your willingness to keep pressing on with more negative thought's and information in this and other ASC threads.

MlchaelLAX

Level 4

2,286 points

Aug 18, 2013 12:01 PM in response to den.thed

What I find most disturbing, is your willingness to turn this into a personal attack on me and my posts in other threads! That is NOT fine!

den.thed

Level 9

77,248 points

Aug 18, 2013 12:35 PM in response to MlchaelLAX

Apologies, you always have great input and that was uncalled for...

I just hate to see so much of that input wasted beating a dead horse thread.

MlchaelLAX

Level 4

2,286 points

Aug 18, 2013 1:19 PM in response to den.thed

apologies accepted

den.thed

Level 9

77,248 points

Aug 18, 2013 1:46 PM in response to MlchaelLAX

thank you

Aug 18, 2013 5:25 PM in response to den.thed

den.thed wrote:

Once again, I'm incline to disagree…

😕

Sorry, den.thed, I'm confused by this post because I cannot tell waht you are referencing or with whom or what you are disagreeing. 😕

den.thed wrote:

…Besides, someday sooner or later you will be replacing her computer…

😮 Why would I be replacing her computer? 😮

That decision and that action will be taken by her as she pleases whenever she feels like it. I've shared my life with my wife for well over half a century and we're coming up on our 43rd wedding aniversary next month. Have you ever been married? 😉

I'm merely helping her with the legwork involved in gathering elements of judgment on which she can base her decision because as a retired and functionally disabled I happen to have more time for this than she does.

You are absolutely correct in that staying with Snow Leopard is not an option. I suppose I should have stated that clearly and phrased the thread title accordingly.

Aug 18, 2013 5:47 PM in response to den.thed

den.thed wrote:

…Besides, someday sooner or later you will be replacing her computer and is it not an easier transition, if both the old computer and the wife are up to date....?

My several old computers have absolutely no impact on her computer setup.

I have Lion on my 65-lb MacPro because I bought it second hand with Lion 10.7.5 already installed, and I do have an alternative, physically separate internal HD set up as a bootable Snow Leopard 10.6.8 volume.

Mountain Lion does not even run on this machine, but I'm also not fond of its mobile-device-like User Interface. I have no iPad, iPhone or smart phone of any kind, but my wife does have all of the above; she may well like ML.

My wife's computer and mine share no data whatsoever. When there are documents or images to share, we do it through Dropbox or via e-mail.

I'm extremely grateful for your generous and thoughtful input, as well as for MichaelLAX's contributions to this thread.

The 8 GB of RAM are arriving on Tuesday, and I will proceed to install the modules in my wife's Mac mini, back up her drive and install Lion. If she finds that she needs ML later, we'll try that too,

den.thed

Level 9

77,248 points

Aug 18, 2013 6:12 PM in response to Ramón G Castañeda

Ramón G Castañeda wrote:

Sorry, den.thed, I'm confused by this post because I cannot tell waht you are referencing or with whom or what you are disagreeing. 😕

Sorry, it was not with you.

😮 Why would I be replacing her computer? 😮

If I may, "someday sooner or later she will be replacing her computer" etc....

Have you ever been married?

Yup' for 35 years next week.

I'm merely helping her with the legwork involved in gathering elements of judgment on which she can base her decision

I can relate, that's what makes us keepers. 😉

Aug 21, 2013 10:04 PM in response to den.thed

Well, the Mac Mini is up and running smoothly with 8GB of RAM and under Lion 10.7.5.

There were a few applications that would not run because they required PPC emulation, but they were stuff that my wife hadn't used in years (and I never used myself), like ICQ, MSN Messenger, etc., so we just nuked them.

Her Quicken accepted the "re-engineered for Lion" patch.

Best of all, she reports that she doesn't "notice much difference at all", except that the little preview thumbnail in the Print dialog box is gone from her web browsers and she now has to go through the more convoluted way through "Open PDF in Preview".

Thank you again to den.thed, MichaelLAX, and any other contributor I may be unintentionally leaving out.

What is the OPTIMAL version of the OS for a 2010 Mac mini?