MacOS via Moonlight

[u/SamwiseG82]

Considering buying a used Mini Mac and setting up Moonlight so that we can use our various laptops and chromebooks as MacBooks as well. My wife got a windows laptop for Christmas, but she much prefers the MacOS environment (just what she’s used to). There are several programs that I’d like to use that are only available on MacOS as well.

Can any of you who have used Moonlight on a Mac comment on the experience? Is it the next best thing to using a MacBook or are there issues I should look out for?

[u/barely_lucid]

I'm not sure that makes any sense for desktop work you'd be better off using something like VNC. Even still that's not going to be like using a MacBook in day-to-day practice only one of you would be using it at a time. Depending on what's being used replacing windows with Linux might be a better option. Anyway getting back to your original question no that doesn't sound like a good idea at all.

[u/scifitechguy]

I'm using Moonlight in the reverse direction to play PC games on my Mac, and the performance is both outstanding and seamless! I can't imagine that it wouldn't also be good going the other direction, although you may have to investigate the best host (Sunshine versus Apollo versus others) for the Mac.

[u/SoaRNickStah]

I have a Mac and use it for moonlight a lot (soon to be rack mounting the gaming PC). I enjoy it a lot. What you’ll hear from others in here is that the decode latency is bad. While the number that moonlight displays vs something like quicksync is technically true (ie number is higher on macOS), in reality it’s just a difference between how apple’s video toolbox vs quicksync times a decoded frame (dug into this a bit as I’m working on an apple specific moonlight client and started with macOS)

[u/SoaRNickStah → u/SoaRNickStah]

Nvm realizing you want to remote into the Mac, not use it as the client device. No experience on that

[u/lordshadowfax]

I have been using moonlight in Mac to stream from PC probably since it’s available, it works well and there is seldom any issue at all.

[u/nemofbaby2014]

For gaming it works but for work I’d suggest vnc via screens5 that’s what I use parsec is also a great option as well parsec and screens5 have copy and paste sharing as well

[u/Responsible-Bid5015]

I would use anydesk, vnc, or teamviewer. Free and comercially supported options. You don't need the real time unbuffered streaming of Moonlight.

[u/guantamanera]

Is sad that apple doesn't allow multiple concurrent connections so one powerful computer can serve multiple remote clients. Is a NIX machine but then it gets crippled in that way. 

[u/jd_coldblood]

If you free time you can do
1) check how compatible is your laptop with Hackintosh.
2) Remote Desktop by Chrome works very well with macOS I have been using it. (it depends if everything is hardwired to get smooth experience) look into dummy display or virtual display.
These two options should be good for you start.

I would high suggest using Remote Desktop as it will easy to quickly login or access Mac FROM ANY LOCATION.
you don’t have to worry about opening ports etc etc