#Mac mini as a server review update

But there's a learning curve and I'm not there yet. I'm almost certain that 100% of what I'm accomplishing with those tools could be replicated on other platforms вЂ“ maybe even better and more simply through some shell scripts. I have a whole universe of Keyboard Maestro workflows, AppleScripts, Hazel rules and more that manage all sorts of automations across the Mac mini. I'm just very comfortable with macOS and the apps I use everyday on my regular computer. I'm always eager to learn new tools and systems, but sometimes it's really nice to just use a tool you know inside and out.

#Mac mini as a server review update

A macOS update may take 20-30 minutes for the first device to download, but any Macs after that pull the update from the local cache in about 2-3 minutes. This is a substantial benefit for our house with several iPhones, Macs and iPads floating around. Our Mac mini caches OS updates, recovery images, app updates, and iCloud files for all other Apple devices on the network. However, there are still a few benefits to using a Mac (for me): I won't be in the market for new server hardware for a while, but when I am I will be seriously considering non-Mac alternatives.

And the more things I run through something like Docker or VMware, the less it matters that the hardware and host OS are Mac. It is sometimes difficult to justify the cost and hurdles. As someone who runs a headless Mac mini вЂ“ I don't disagree.