Dedicated hardware · US datacenter

Rent a real Mac mini in the Cloud

A physical machine, racked in a United States datacenter and assigned to you alone. You connect by remote desktop and run it as the administrator, the same as if it sat on your own desk.

Requests are handled by email at support@rentamini.cloud. There is no online checkout yet.

Line drawing of three small desktop computers on rack shelves, one highlighted as yours yours — one customer, one machine
Illustration, not a photograph of our racks.

The short version

  • PhysicalReal hardware you could put your hand on. Not a virtual machine.
  • DedicatedOne machine per customer. Nobody shares it with you.
  • Remote desktopSee the full macOS desktop from wherever you work.
  • Full adminYour own administrator account. Install what you need.
  • In the USHoused in a United States datacenter.

What “real” means here

Plenty of services use the word cloud for a slice of someone else’s computer. This is the other kind.

A machine from Rent a Mini

  • A whole physical computer, assigned to one customer.
  • macOS runs directly on the hardware, with no virtualization layer between you and it.
  • All of the machine’s processor, memory and storage are yours while you rent it.
  • You hold the administrator account.

A typical virtual machine

  • A portion of a larger host, shared with other tenants.
  • The operating system runs inside a hypervisor.
  • Performance can depend on what your neighbours are doing.
  • Some software behaves differently, or not at all, when virtualized.

What people use one for

Anything you would do with a Mac mini on a shelf, minus the shelf.

Building and testing apps

Run Xcode, compile and sign, and test on macOS without buying and housing the hardware yourself.

An always-on build machine

Point your continuous integration at a machine that stays up when your laptop lid is closed.

macOS when you don’t own one

Reach a full macOS desktop from a Windows or Linux computer when a job calls for it.

A second, separate desktop

Keep long-running or client work on its own machine, apart from your personal computer.

How it works

We are at an early stage and doing this by hand, over email. No sign-up form, no card page.

  1. Email us what you need

    Write to support@rentamini.cloud. Say what you plan to run, roughly how long you need the machine, and any hardware requirements.

  2. We reply with what we can offer

    A person answers with what we can provide, the terms, and the cost. If we can’t meet the request, we’ll say so plainly.

  3. You get access details

    Once agreed, we set up the machine and send you what you need to connect by remote desktop and sign in as administrator.

  4. Use it as your own

    Install software, change settings, leave things running. For help with the machine, the same email address reaches us.

Plain answers

Something not covered? Ask at support@rentamini.cloud.

Is it really not a virtual machine?

Really. Each customer gets one physical Mac mini. It is not divided up, and it is not shared with anyone else while you rent it.

How much does it cost?

We don’t publish a price list yet. Email us with what you need and we’ll quote you directly.

Can I sign up and pay online?

Not yet. There is no online checkout. Every request starts with an email, and we arrange the rest with you from there.

Is a machine available right now?

We don’t show live availability on this site. Email us and we’ll tell you what we can provide and when.

Where are the machines?

In a datacenter in the United States. The Sheridan, Wyoming address in the footer is our registered mailing address, not an office and not where the machines are kept.

Can I install my own software?

Yes. You have the administrator account, so you can install and configure software as you would on your own computer, within the law and the software’s own licence terms.

Do you also sell phone numbers?

Yes, as a separate product with its own page and its own contact address. See Phone numbers.

Request a machine

Start with an email

support@rentamini.cloud

It helps if you include:

  • What you plan to run on the machine
  • How long you expect to need it
  • Any memory, storage or macOS version requirements
  • Your company name, if you are renting for a business