If you have an old iMac you would have had a bluetooth keyboard and mouse with the device. All you need is a replacement machine (Mac mini is the cheapest option) and a screen. I would go for a 4K monitor/ TV as long as it has HDMI or a converter to connect to HDMI that would be fine. Your old Mac keyboard and mouse will work fine with the latest macOS so why buy additional hardware if there is no need.
Finally the nice extra device would be a webcam. Your old iMac would have that built in so its something to consider as you cost up a replacement silicon machine. As of publishing this article the Logistic C920 is a decent camera that is plug and play for the Mac. This device works fine for the basic interface of day to day life running teams or zoom and a cheap price. There are several other webcams and 4k Monitors out there a quick search will give you a wide selection of devices. I would tent to stick to know brands. Some of the un known branded hardware may be very affordable however are they reliable. Reviews will help you make that decision.
As for what Mac you can use the cheapest option as already mentioned is the Mac mini however laptops like the MacBook Air can be considered. If cost is not too much of an issue then the new Mac Mini Pro or Studio are ideal desktop devices. They also don’t break the bank with costings unlike the MacPro and the Apple Displays like the Studio.
For screen options any 4k Monitor is fine. The size does depend on the budget however a 28″ 4k monitor (or even TV) comes in at a UK cost of around £120 if not less. There are a lot of deals out there (certainly in the UK Market) so don’t always stick to Amazon for your one stop shop. In the UK we have several retail stores that are very competitive with pricing and in some cases if you buy from them they do a lost leader deal so something may be thrown in to sweeten the deal.
A few UK sites worth looking outside of Amazon shopping empire:
With the duel option monitors remember not all Macs can run more than 2 monitors. Anything pre 2024 I would check. You should be fine with a 1st – 2nd Gen Silicon Mac mini you just need a USB-C adaptor for the second monitor. The new Mac min (2024) can run up to 3 screens, just remember those extra screens need to plug into a USB-C port to get the screen working. The new Air can run duel screens which again is a nice feature that was lacking in the older laptops.
In short if you have a legacy iMac and/or Apple Magic keyboard and mouse and need to move to a silicon machine (Recommended just for macOS reasons let along the speed option) its worth looking at the Mac mini as a workable solution. Finally it’s always worth looking at Apple Refurbished site to see what hardware is available. There are other sites like very, jigsaw24, Select online (Stormfront) to new just a few the advantage with the Apple store is the warranty and if bought for personnel use it comes with the UK Consumer Law for home users, (Not available for Business accounts) which can give you additional warranty than the standard 12 months of electrical devices.
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