M4 Mac Mini - Uneventful Usage Is Good Usage!

So I've been using the M4 Mini a few weeks now.  It's been uneventful since getting it all up and running.

I did have set-up issues that I don't remember occurring with my M1 Mini.

The biggest pains was during the setup phase.

An immediate issue was that the Mini wouldn't notice my Mac wireless keyboard, at all.  Now, I'm using the keyboard that came with my 2009 iMac, so I'm not sure if there was a compatibility issue, but I'm using that keyboard now.

I eventually got past that.

I then used the Migration Assistant (MA) tool to migrate the data from the M1 Mini to the M4 Mini.  I had to let the OS get the latest updates, which took awhile.  I attempted to use MA initially but got through a portion of the process before it told me that it had to perform updates to continue.

I then had issues afterward with the Edge browser - it would ocassionally reset pages, especially login pages.  I'd enter login creds and hit the ENTER key, only for the page to refresh without logging me in.  I ended up uninstalling and then immediately reinstalling Edge, which seemed to help some, but the issue persisted sporadically for a few days - during that time, I'd pivot to the Safari browser.

I decided to continue using the Quiizlab USB-C Hub that I was using with the M1 Mini, as I like the fact that I can use it's extra ports and card reader, plus I do have an SSD in the dock/hub.

I've already used it to create several YouTube videos for my channel.  It's been seamless and eventless when using the M4 in that fashion.  I'm not going to lie, though - the base M1 was sufficient for that, although there weren't many instances where I was taxing that system when using DaVinci Resolve, and I was using a large SSD in my workflow.

I should've done this a long time ago.

Some folks have been holding out for the M5 Mini.  No one knows when the M5 is coming so waiting is a bit silly.  As well, the M5 isn't going to be leaps/bounds better than the M4, and we don't know if there will be issues with the implementation that would impact consumers.  And then there's the SSD and memory shortages that might impact production of the M5 Mini - that crap might last years.  Nah...there was really no need to wait.  

I'm happy with the M4 Mini and may have even been happy with an M3!

Browser Extension - Workona Tab Manager

Since I've been using the Mac Mini and Macbook Air, I've migrated my browser usage to Microsoft Edge.

Why?  I like the way Edge manages tabs.  I can have many tabs but the tabs that aren't being actively used are disabled until you begin to use them (they're on standby, using minimal memory).

I decided that I wanted to use the same browser and tab manager browser extension combination on my gaming machine, which runs MS Windows 10 Pro.

The results were disappointing.  While the browser extension works, it also apparently kills YouTube audio.  No matter what "fixes" I applied, the only solution that allows YouTube audio is removing the Workona Tab Manager browser extension.  When I removed it, I regained audio.  When I reinstalled it, I lost audio.

I left the following review for the Workona folks:

So, I can either continue to use Workona's Tab Manager on the Macs and find another for the Windows box, or I can find a good one for all three.  I haven't decided what to do yet.

UPDATE:

I decided to stop using Workona's products.  I've been using Tab Session Manager the past 3 months.  It's simple enough to use and doesn't have any bad side affects.

UPDATE 2 (12/10/2023):

I noticed maybe 3-4 months ago that Microsoft Edge has something that is very similar to Workona, called Workpsaces.  I'm able to use the workspaces based on the types of projects I'm working and can swap from one to another at my whim.  I'm using this in conjuction with Tab Session Manager.

UPDATE 3 (5/24/2024):

Noticed awhile ago (maybe 8 month ago) that, if I switch to another Mac and use MS Edge, the workspaces I created and use on one Mac is accessible fron other Macs.  I basically no longer lose track of browser tabs.