Use your Mac as a server
Use your Mac as a server
Stash and retrieve files and media from an old Mac
Turn your old Mac Mini into a home file server.
Storage is expensive, so an old Mac with a large hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD) can be useful. You can turn yours into a file server, a backup destination or a media hub, thereby reducing the storage load on newer devices.
A Mac mini can run ‘headless’ (without a display) and be tucked away somewhere with adequate ventilation. An iMac’s built-in display makes it useful as a media player as well as a server – and a 2019 model running macOS Monterey can act as an AirPlay receiver. This lets you beam video from an iPhone to play on the iMac’s large screen. Laptops can be useful in this space too, if you need portability.