There is also the M2 MacBook Pro that also comes in at $1,299. While it is more expensive than the Mac mini at first, the M1 iMac is an excellent machine if you want a simple, collected experience. The M1 iMac starts with the base M1 chip, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, similar to the base model Mac mini, except the base mini has a slightly better M1 chip. Unlike the Mac mini, the iMac is an all-in-one, which means it comes with a display, mouse, and keyboard for one price of $1,299. Comparing the Mac mini to the iMac is important since the iMac is the other entry-level desktop computer for the average consumer. The first one to take a look at is the M1 iMac. The size of the Mac mini could shrink significantly in volume, similar to how the M1 iMac got dramatically thinner when Apple refreshed it in 2021.Īpple updated the Mac mini back in late 2020, but several other models in the Mac lineup have received major upgrades since then. Therefore, it is still much larger than it needs to be since Apple silicon is much more efficient than Intel. Just like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro when they received Apple silicon for the first time, the Mac mini didn't get a new design. The Mac mini has featured the same design for a while now. You can't get a display like that anywhere else from Apple, even if you spend $5,000 on the Pro Display XDR. So, is a Mac mini really worth it at this point?įurthermore, some of Apple's Macs have incredible displays, especially the high-end MacBook Pros.

But if you don't have any already, you will have to purchase them separately, effectively driving up the cost to get the complete setup. This can be a downside, depending on whether you already have some peripherals or if you have a limited budget.

In addition, the USB-C ports can support up to 6K displays, but the HDMI can only support up to 4K. Support for multiple displays is crucial for many desktop workflows, and using the Mac mini becomes a headache if you have some that only use USB-C.

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