I am contemplating purchasing a mac mini. However, now that Apple has just released newer models of the mac minis, I find myself a bit confused.
Basically, my requirements are: A mac to learn and develop ios apps, within a $700 budget.
Apple hardware is expensive and because I will also need to purchase an iPhone and iPad, I want to ensure that if I buy a Mac Mini it should at least last me for 3-4 years (i.e., support iOS development for 3-4 years) with only the occasional RAM or HD upgrades needed.
My doubts are:
Is it prudent to buy the cheaper 2012 Mac Mini model, and just upgrade the RAM and HD, rather than opting for the 2014 mac mini? (I do not see any significant differences in the hardware between the 2012 and 2014 model except for the better processor and integrated graphic support.)
The newer 2014 Mac Minis come with the 4th generation (Haswell) intel processors, while the 2012 mac mini models come with older i5 and i7 processors. Seeing that the lowest specs of the 2014 mac mini is 1.4 Ghz i5, how much weight should be given to the processor considering future compatibility when it comes to future mac OS X releases?
How is apple's hardware support for older models, in general?