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I agree. The mini pc are a great option to replace most home computing needs. For all the reasons you mention, taking up less space and hidden behind your monitor attached with VESA mount. Also easy to bring here in your luggage. Even a tiny raspberry pi can handle many peoples needs as a websurfer and office applications for under $100.
My mini setup is Intel NUC11 i5 with 1TB nvm and 32gb ram. Mostly for programming, and as a media server. So far only music streaming server, though meaning to do other media. With Ubuntu Linux, and have it running VMs of Windows 10 and another w11.
I think the Beelink you mention has better eGPU options for gaming than my NUC.
I’ve only brought an Amazon Fire tablet with me as I felt my laptop was too big and heavy to bring. I’m travelling cabin luggage only for 6 months!
Whilst I can do all of my work on the tablet I’d still prefer something more substantial.
I score well here in Olivos though as the host leaves his PC for me. That’s not a privilege I’d get at most airbnbs.
I’m thinking of buying a much smaller laptop though when I get back to the UK..
As for those mini PCs I’ve seen them online before but never seen one in the flesh so to speak. I can certainly see the utility of them.
I'll try avoid anything Intel for the foreseeable future.
I work from a MacBook Air hooked on a 27" external gaming monitor when I am at home. It works well for me as I can bring my office with me when I am in class. Small, but powerful. The convenience of being able to take my office with me, makes miniPC not very attractive because you still need a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse. I would consider it if I only needed a desktop solution. An all-in-one computer was also on the table, but then I had to opt for a notebook since it has to be bought abroad and brought to Argentina.
My mother's Macbook Pro is dying and we are considering switching mine so that I can upgrade. Tbh, my current computer works well but I am toying with the idea of a larger HD and more RAM since even my basic office configuration was judged "demanding" by an Apple genius last time i went to an Apple Store.
Apparently, Parallels (where I run a translation tool) and offline dictionaries (which run on Java), plus Chrome, are RAM sucking apps. I have 16 GB of ram and a 512 GB SSD. My upgrade would be to 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD.
Stupid me thought that storing files in the cloud would solve the HD capacity issue, but I found out that you can't search files in the cloud as you can with those stored locally. So, my cloud is mirrored on my HD.
I don't do advanced stuff, but often need to search by keyword among thousands of files (as in Word files) and I can't do it if the files are stored in the cloud. Bummer!
I work from a MacBook Air hooked on a 27" external gaming monitor when I am at home. It works well for me as I can bring my office with me when I am in class. Small, but powerful. The convenience of being able to take my office with me, makes miniPC not very attractive because you still need a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse. I would consider it if I only needed a desktop solution. An all-in-one computer was also on the table, but then I had to opt for a notebook since it has to be bought abroad and brought to Argentina.
My mother's Macbook Pro is dying and we are considering switching mine so that I can upgrade. Tbh, my current computer works well but I am toying with the idea of a larger HD and more RAM since even my basic office configuration was judged "demanding" by an Apple genius last time i went to an Apple Store.
Apparently, Parallels (where I run a translation tool) and offline dictionaries (which run on Java), plus Chrome, are RAM sucking apps. I have 16 GB of ram and a 512 GB SSD. My upgrade would be to 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD.
Stupid me thought that storing files in the cloud would solve the HD capacity issue, but I found out that you can't search files in the cloud as you can with those stored locally. So, my cloud is mirrored on my HD.
I don't do advanced stuff, but often need to search by keyword among thousands of files (as in Word files) and I can't do it if the files are stored in the cloud. Bummer!
Wouldn't it be simpler and cheaper to go Windows?
Wouldn't it be simpler and cheaper to go Windows?
It is difficult to give up some advantages of MacOS operating system. Even though I have the above mentioned mini, my main machine is a MacBook pro laptop. It is getting old, which is the reason I am slowly transitioning to a mini with Linux instead of Windows.
I am a very basic Mac user, tbh. However, I couldn't fathom going over the learning curve once more to switch back to Windows + Android, tbh.
I am not sure if Apple products are actually giving me more than other brands, but at this point, I do not have the patience nor the willingness to change hardware and software.
It's the flexibility of the PC platform that I appreciate, both hardware and software.
You can build your own PC and upgrade it, which is alien to the Mac universe. And as for installing Mac OS, I run a mile if asked to do it. It's a horribly tiresome experience.
That is why I like Linux. It works on all the same windows hardware and more, like the designed and built in UK Raspberry Pi. When I need to test or practice something, booting to a fresh OS is free or cheap in the cloud, a VM on Windows, or a bootable usb on even the oldest hardware that no longer works for Windows. After years on DOS and Windows, it was nice to move to MacOS, which is almost the same as Linux when working at the command line.
After years on DOS and Windows, it was nice to move to MacOS, which is almost the same as Linux when working at the command line.
Indeed, if I recall correctly, the Terminal is based on Unix, so if you are used to Linux, you would have no problem in using Terminal.
I just dipped my toes in Linux during university and it was too time consuming and complex for me, but my IT classmates all used it and tried to "convert" me for five long years. 
While I appreciated the flexibility and leaniness of Linux, the learning curve was too step for me.
Along the years, I stopped doing anything technical that I enjoyed doing in the past, as I don't see the point. Things are just too complex and changing too soon for me to keep up with them in a useful manner. When I was much younger, I liked HTML and spent hours learning HTML. But I hadn't yet mastered it that it was already surpassed by Java, which I then studied for a year at the university (Java 2, to be more precise). Now Java is a dinosaur, and so do I.
I am also frustrated by certain basic bugs that are still found in staple programs. But this calls for another thread.
That is why I like Linux. It works on all the same windows hardware and more, like the designed and built in UK Raspberry Pi. When I need to test or practice something, booting to a fresh OS is free or cheap in the cloud, a VM on Windows, or a bootable usb on even the oldest hardware that no longer works for Windows. After years on DOS and Windows, it was nice to move to MacOS, which is almost the same as Linux when working at the command line.
I have played with Linux Mint over the years and used Wine to install and run some games. It's very quick, but one has to climb a learning curve and be dedicated to it.
I couldn't run Linux as my main machine simply for gaming reasons.
I couldn't run Linux as my main machine simply for gaming reasons.
Right. Most games are limited to mostly Windows. I have tested Steam on Linux just to see the options. I do not have any machine with a decent GPU for gaming. I do hear Steam for Linux keeps getting better.
I was interested in trying Linux some years ago but it seemed it would be too techy for me but I don’t know.
I'll be doing this later because it's years since I dualled booted Windows and Linux Mint.
I'll be doing this later because it's years since I dualled booted Windows and Linux Mint.
https://davescomputertips.com/installing-lin…ngside-windows/
That is a good project. Interesting article. I did not know about the Zorin OS which the author mentions is most similar to Windows.
Mint is the Linux distribution I also recommend the most for people to experiment or to revive an old windows computer. There are many people who just need a machine to surf the Internet, and this is the way to help them without spending money. Especially in Argentina, I have seen friends and family who have old (or black market) Windows and MS Office limping along when instead Linux and all the many Open Source programs would work much better for their needs. Huayra is one I used to suggest here https://huayra.educar.gob.ar/ though less often now.
I do not setup dual boot as often as I did in the past. A virtual machine does the job if I want an alternative OS on a primary machine. For Windows the easiest, and free, is https://www.virtualbox.org/. Not great for things that need to be "on the metal" like games or other graphics needs, but getting better every year.
