Question When setting up a new macbook do I need an apple email account? or any specific account?

[shortylickens]

I wanna set up a relatively low-cost laptop in the corner of my living room for family and guests that prefer macs. Also it keeps them off my high end Windows gaming rig in the den. They'll just be using it for web browsing and maybe movie watching while their iphones charge.
OR, if theres a cheaper monitor/computer combo than a laptop I may go with that. Are the Mac Mini's still popular?

 

[TheStu]

The mac mini just got refreshed with the M1, so yes, it's still popular. It's been a while since I've had to setup a new Mac, but I _think_ that you will need an icloud account to set it up properly.

 

[shortylickens]

Thanks for the info. Was looking into saving money and possibly get an older imac, something with the core 2, refurbished.

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Says it will ship with the latest compatible version of the OS, but I dont know what that is. Will it require an icloud account to set up?

 

[TheStu]

You can set up the mac without an iCloud account, but at least on newer version it nags you to log in.

 

[manly]

Thanks for the info. Was looking into saving money and possibly get an older imac, something with the core 2, refurbished.

Refurbished Apple iMac from PCLiquidations

Save big with a refurbished iMac. In-stock & good as new. 13,000+ happy customers. Free Shipping on purchases $500+.

www.pcliquidations.com

Says it will ship with the latest compatible version of the OS, but I dont know what that is. Will it require an icloud account to set up?

That thing is totally obsolete, don't bother.
I don't have a specific recommendation since a new M1 mini sounds like overkill. I personally think all Intel-based Macs are obsolete too (honestly, they're fine for a few more years), but perhaps you can find a great deal on a 4 year old Mac mini? Yuck, were these really not updated between 2014 and 2018's full refresh? LOL fucken Apple.