Latest MacOS for Mac Minis

[JM19]

Sorry if this is not the right sub-forum to post this on.

I came across a post on FB marketplace for two Mac Mini computers selling for $80. Are these specs ok for the price? I'm more a Windows guy when it comes to computers. My 15 year old has been wanting a Mac but I've always thought of them being expensive. This seems like an ok deal though, especially since she will just be using it for school, web browsing, etc... Both have High Sierra v10.13.6 installed. Which leads me to also ask, is that the highest version OS for these Minis? Is this version no longer supported (patched) by Apple?

Mac Mini Server Mid 2010
-2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
-8GB DDR3 RAM
-2-500GB HDDs
-NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256MB

Mac Mini Mid 2011
-2.3GHz Intel Core i5
-4GB DDR3 RAM
-500GB HDD
-Intel HD Graphics 3000 384MB

 

[EdwinG]

Which leads me to also ask, is that the highest version OS for these Minis?

MacMini Server 2010: macOS 10.13.6
MacMini 2011: macOS 10.13.6

Is this version no longer supported (patched) by Apple?

That is correct. It came out in 2017, and Apple usually only patches the two prior versions.

This means macOS 12 (Ventura) and macOS 13 (Monterey) are currently receiving security updates, with macOS 14 being the current version.

 

[JM19]

MacMini Server 2010: macOS 10.13.6
MacMini 2011: macOS 10.13.6
View attachment 133291
View attachment 133293

That is correct. It came out in 2017, and Apple usually only patches the two prior versions.

This means macOS 12 (Ventura) and macOS 13 (Monterey) are currently receiving security updates, with macOS 14 being the current version.

Great. Thanks for the detailed info. Thoughts on price for both? Worth it?

 

[EdwinG]

Great. Thanks for the detailed info. Thoughts on price for both? Worth it?

I don't have any thoughts on the price.

 

[doogald]

Unless it was for just playing around, I wouldn't buy these computers at any price.

Macsales is now offering a 2014 Mac mini that can run up to MacOS 12 (Monterey) for $99 with 8 GB RAM and 250 GB SSD. https://eshop.macsales.com/configure-my-mac/UAEG2FS3XX2XXXC

And even these 2014 Mac minis will not be all that useful for very long.

 

[CRTS]

Sorry if this is not the right sub-forum to post this on.

I came across a post on FB marketplace for two Mac Mini computers selling for $80. Are these specs ok for the price? I'm more a Windows guy when it comes to computers. My 15 year old has been wanting a Mac but I've always thought of them being expensive. This seems like an ok deal though, especially since she will just be using it for school, web browsing, etc... Both have High Sierra v10.13.6 installed. Which leads me to also ask, is that the highest version OS for these Minis? Is this version no longer supported (patched) by Apple?

Mac Mini Server Mid 2010
-2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
-8GB DDR3 RAM
-2-500GB HDDs
-NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256MB

Mac Mini Mid 2011
-2.3GHz Intel Core i5
-4GB DDR3 RAM
-500GB HDD
-Intel HD Graphics 3000 384MB
Will this be enough for the school? When I wrote my dissertation, I ran a program for calculating the trajectory of particles on a computer from the same years, and it worked for two or three days. I couldn’t use the computer, so I used https://essays.edubirdie.com/dissertation-proposal-writing-services so as not to waste time preparing the text part. Of course, for such tasks, you need something more powerful to have a reserve of power, but there is no way to buy it yet.

To be honest, I find it hard to believe that they will remain useful for long, considering they're almost 15 years old. Performance requirements increase every year. Of course, for browsing web pages, you don't need much, it's not gaming, but still, it's doubtful.