MacinCloud和Mac Stadium等云服务能否取代真正的物理Mac？毕竟，人们喜欢他们的 Apple 电脑有很多原因。硬件是最明显的硬件之一。
苹果(Apple)电脑拥有业内最好的硬件。他们的电脑符合人体工程学，屏幕令人赏心悦目，而且这种体验通常会吸引一些铁杆粉丝。
尽管如此，设计和硬件只是故事的一半。macOS 和许多特定于 Mac 的(Mac-specific)软件包都有其专用的人群。购买Mac可能会很昂贵，那么有没有什么方法可以轻松访问Mac软件世界而无需花费数十万美元购买物理Mac？
虽然您可能会考虑制作Hackintosh，但基于云的(cloud)Mac可能是一个可行的替代方案。
什么是基于云的 Mac？(What Is a Cloud-Based Mac?)
通常，当您租用基于云的计算机时，它是运行在大型多核服务器上的虚拟机。在云中使用Mac并非如此。这是因为 Apple 的 macOS 许可协议将软件与硬件联系在一起。在虚拟机(virtual machine)（不是在Apple硬件上）运行 macOS或在非Apple硬件上运行它是非法的。
这意味着您使用的基于云的Mac是连接到远程计算系统的实际Mac 。从这个意义上说，这就像使用您面前的本地Mac 。然而，在走云(Cloud)路之前，有一些严重的警告需要考虑。
云 Mac 的优势(The Advantages Of Cloud Macs)
在云中使用Mac的最大优势是您只需为使用的内容付费。买Mac很贵。没有办法解决这个问题。数据中心的Mac(Macs)由成千上万的用户共享，每个用户在每台机器上只使用一点点时间。
因此，这笔费用由许多人分摊。然而，无论何时登录，您的Mac配置都应该在等着您。定价可以是每小时或给定期间的固定费用。所以成本控制很容易，如果您现在需要访问 macOS，没有其他方法可以以如此低的价格获得它。
这也意味着您不必为拥有一台物理Mac而烦恼。您永远不必担心您的模型对于最新版本的 macOS 来说太旧，或者不必等待Apple送回一台已经死机的关键工作机器。
您还可以使用各种远程桌面客户端从任何地方访问基于云的Mac 。当然取决于具体的服务提供商。
简而言之，这是使用 macOS 最便宜、最轻松的方式，但是(BUT)您想要使用 macOS 的具体事情是云Mac(Macs)适用性的主要因素。
云 Mac 的局限性(The Limitations Of Cloud Macs)
当您使用的Mac(Mac)在数十万英里之外时，会有一些特殊的考虑。一方面，您可能不会从需要尽可能少的延迟的应用程序中获得太多乐趣。
当我们查看Google Stadia和GeForce Now 等游戏流媒体服务时，很明显，消除互联网上的延迟是一项艰巨的工程任务。不是基于云的Mac提供商可以证明为他们最常见的用例做的事情。
这给我们带来了下一个大问题：互联网本身。如果您（例如）购买了一台真正的MacBook，那么无论您是否有互联网连接，它都可以正常工作。因此，如果您在另一个国家，在地铁或飞机上，都没有问题。如果您因任何原因无法访问网络，则无法访问您的云Mac。
下一个潜在问题是您对云Mac(Mac)有多少控制权。你有管理员权限吗？你能安装任何你想要的软件吗？你的数据是私密的吗？这三个问题的答案可能都是肯定的，但不一定如此。请注意您登录的任何服务的条款和条件。
谁应该使用基于云的 Mac？(Who Should Use Cloud-based Macs?)
我们认为，基于云的Mac(Macs)不能替代个人Mac。相反，它们更适合其他用例，并且比固定的本地Mac计算机更好。
一个非常好的用例适用于macOS 和 iOS 应用程序开发人员(macOS and iOS app developers)。这两个平台都很热门，许多开发人员都想为它们制作软件，但硬件成本高得令人望而却步。现在，您只需支付每月订阅费即可编码、测试和发布您的应用程序。
一些机构还在其计算机实验室中使用了基于云的Mac(Macs)。学生可以在非Mac终端上执行他们的(Mac)Mac项目，这些终端的更换成本要低得多，并且不需要现场技术支持来维护它们。有些人甚至使用基于云的Mac(Macs)作为其小型网站的 Web 服务器。
这些托管Mac(Macs)的一个非常重要的用例是专业用户。如果您需要运行需要Mac Pro(Mac Pro)的工作站级软件（例如 macOS 3D 渲染作业），您可以通过远程租用一台来完成工作。
MacinCloud vs Mac Stadium：提供什么？(MacinCloud vs Mac Stadium: What’s On Offer?)
在撰写本文时，基于云的Mac(Mac)行业有两个主要参与者： MacinCloud和Mac Stadium。虽然比较这两家公司的“最佳”是很有诱惑力的，但这并没有多大意义，因为两家公司提供的服务只有部分重叠。
Mac Stadium主要以其在其数据中心拥有数千台Mac Mini(Mac Minis)以及数量较少的Mac Pro、新的Mac Pro(Mac Pros)（即将推出）和一些单独的 i Mac Pro机器而闻名。他们构建了许多自定义基础架构，以使云Mac(Macs)变得可行。对于普通用户来说，这也是更直接的解决方案。
租用一台专用的Mac Mini以获得固定的每月奖励，然后用它做任何你想做的事情。您还可以从那里租用上述Mac Pro(Mac Pros)的时间，或支付数千美元购买企业级Mac云解决方案。
对于单个用户，这可能是两者中的最佳选择。每月 79 美元购买您自己的专用Mac Mini，并提供 24/7 全天候支持，这是一笔非常有吸引力的交易。
话虽如此，MacinCloud提供了一些有趣的定价选项。您可以注册“即用即付”选项。这意味着您为使用的时间付费，仅此而已。30 小时的基本金额为 30 美元，但这会随着您定制所需的硬件而有所不同。
MacinCloud还提供 eGPU 选项。他们的其他计划更侧重于企业，并以固定的每月价格提供服务器，并根据您的选择提供各种限制。我们建议那些希望使用该技术进行应用程序开发的人首先考虑MacinCloud 。
云 Mac 是“真实”Mac 的可行替代品吗？(Are Cloud Macs a Viable Alternative To “Real” Macs?)
这个问题的答案是肯定的。绝对地。只要您的用例符合技术和服务的限制。它们不是您的个人Mac以及大多数人使用它们的方式的替代品，但对于那些不将Mac(Macs)作为其正常工作流程的一部分但需要工具来进入Mac市场的人来说，这是一个很棒的产品。好消息是这些计划中的许多都提供短期试用，那么为什么不亲自去看看呢？
MacinCloud & Mac Stadium – Are They a Viable Alternatives To a Real Mac?
Can cloud services like MacinCloud and Mac Stadiυm replace a real physical Mac? After all, there are plenty of reasons people love their Applе computers. The hardware іs one of the most obvioυs ones.
Apple computers have some of the best hardware in the industry. Their computers are ergonomically pleasant, the screens are a pleasure to look at and the experience is generally one that creates some pretty hardcore fans.
Still, design and hardware are only half of the story. macOS and many Mac-specific software packages have their dedicated crowds. Buying a Mac can be expensive, so is there any way to easily access the Mac software world without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a physical Mac?
While you might think of making a Hackintosh, a cloud-based Mac could be a viable alternative.
What Is a Cloud-Based Mac?
Usually, when you rent a cloud-based computer, it’s a virtual machine running on a massive, multi-core server. That’s not quite the case with using a Mac in the cloud. That’s because Apple’s macOS license agreement ties the software to the hardware. It’s illegal to run macOS in a virtual machine (not on Apple hardware) or to run it on non-Apple hardware.
That means the cloud-based Mac you are using is an actual Mac hooked up to remote computing systems. In that sense, it is just like using a local Mac you’ve got right in front of you. However, there are some serious caveats to take into account before walking down Cloud road.
The Advantages Of Cloud Macs
The biggest advantage of using a Mac in the cloud is that you only pay for what you use. Buying a Mac is expensive. There’s no way around that. The Macs in the data center are shared among thousands of users who each only use a little bit of time on each machine.
So that cost is split between many people. Yet whenever you log on, your Mac configuration should be waiting for you. Pricing can be per hour or a fixed fee for a given period. So cost control is easy and if you need access to macOS now there’s no other way to get it for such a low price.
This also means you don’t have to deal with all the headaches of owning a physical Mac. You’ll never have to worry about your model being too old for the latest version of macOS or having to wait for Apple to send back a critical work machine that’s died.
You can also access your cloud-based Mac from anywhere, using various remote desktop clients. Depending on the specific service provider of course.
In short, this is the cheapest, most hassle-free way to use macOS, BUT the specific things you want to use macOS for is a major factor in the suitability of cloud Macs.
The Limitations Of Cloud Macs
There are going to be some special considerations when the Mac you are using is hundreds of thousands of miles away. For one thing, you probably won’t get much joy out of applications that need as little lag as possible.
When we looked at game streaming services such as Google Stadia and GeForce Now, it became clear that eliminating latency over the internet is a huge engineering task. Not the sort of thing cloud-based Mac providers can justify doing for their most common use cases.
This brings us to the next big issue: the internet itself. If you (for example) buy an actual MacBook, then it will work regardless of whether you have an internet connection. So if you’re in another country, on a subway, or a plane there is no issue. If you can’t access the net for any reason, you can’t access your cloud Mac.
The next potential issue is how much control you have over the cloud Mac. Do you have administrator access? Can you install any software you want? Is your data private? The answer could be yes to all three questions, but not necessarily so. Be aware of the terms and conditions of any service you do sign on with.
Who Should Use Cloud-based Macs?
In our opinion, cloud-based Macs are not a replacement for a personal Mac. Instead, they are better suited for other use cases and can be better than a fixed, local Mac computer.
One very good use case is for macOS and iOS app developers. Both of these platforms are hot and many developers would like to make software for them, but the cost of hardware is prohibitive. Now you can code, test, and publish your applications by simply paying a monthly subscription.
Some institutions have also used cloud-based Macs for their computer labs. Students can do their Mac projects on non-Mac terminals, which are much less expensive to replace and don’t require on-site tech support to maintain them. Some people even use cloud-based Macs as web servers for their small websites.
One very important use case for these hosted Macs is for professional users. If you need to run workstation-grade software (such as macOS 3D rendering jobs) that needs a Mac Pro, you can get the job done by renting one remotely.
MacinCloud vs Mac Stadium: What’s On Offer?
At the time of writing, there are two major players in the cloud-based Mac industry: MacinCloud and Mac Stadium. While it is tempting to compare these two in terms of which is “best”, that doesn’t make that much sense, since the two companies offer services that only partly overlap.
Mac Stadium is mainly known for having thousands of Mac Minis in its data centers, as well as smaller numbers of Mac Pro, new Mac Pros (soon), and a few lone iMac Pro machines. They have a lot of custom infrastructure built to make cloud Macs feasible. It’s also the more straightforward solution for the average user.
Rent a single dedicated Mac Mini for a fixed monthly prize and do just about anything you want with it. From there you can also rent time on the aforementioned Mac Pros or pay thousands of dollars for enterprise-grade Mac cloud solutions.
For single users, this is probably the best option of the two. $79 a month for your own dedicated Mac Mini with 24/7 support is a pretty compelling deal.
That being said, MacinCloud offers some intriguing pricing options. You can sign up for a “pay-as-you-go” option. This means you pay for the hours you use and no more. The base amount is $30 for 30 hours, but this varies as you customize your desired hardware.
MacinCloud also offers eGPU options. Their other plans are more enterprise-focused and offer servers at fixed monthly prices with various limitations depending on what you choose. MacinCloud is what we’d suggest those looking to use the technology for app development consider first.
Are Cloud Macs a Viable Alternative To “Real” Macs?
The answer to this question is yes. Absolutely. As long as your use case fits the limitations of the technology and service. They aren’t an alternative to your personal Mac and the way most people use them, but it’s a brilliant offering for people who don’t use Macs as part of their normal workflow but need tools to tap into the Mac market. The good news is that many of these plans offer a short trial, so why not go see them for yourself?
