I’ve been reviewing PCs and laptops for almost 20 years – which is why I’m more excited about a potential M4 Mac mini than any new MacBook

Apple is rumored to denote a scope of Mac devices this week (the institution has hinted arsenic much) and while I don’t cognize what nan institution has successful store, it’s apt we’ll beryllium seeing new MacBook Pros and an iMac 2024, each powered by nan M4 chip that launched pinch nan iPad Pro earlier this year.

While those are nary uncertainty breathtaking products, 1 rumor has maine really keen to spot what Apple announces – an M4-powered Mac mini.

Yep, for each nan promises of caller MacBooks and iMacs, I really judge that an M4 Mac mini will beryllium nan astir breathtaking motorboat (if it does happen).

I ❤️ nan Mac mini

Why? Well, successful a alternatively scary spot of Monday-morning calculation, I’ve figured retired I’ve been reviewing and penning astir laptops and PCs for almost 20 years. And complete nan (many) years I’ve been doing this I’ve sewage a consciousness for erstwhile caller releases are iterative updates, and erstwhile they are genuinely exciting.

If nan rumors are true, nan caller MacBooks and iMacs autumn into nan erstwhile category: iterative updates. There will apt beryllium nary caller designs (both person had awesome redesigns successful nan past fewer years), pinch nan biggest changes being nan summation of nan M4 chip.

I person thing against nan M4 chip. Since I reviewed nan iPad Pro earlier this year, I’ve been hopeless to spot what it’s tin of successful a Mac instrumentality wherever it tin tally overmuch much eager software. But Apple’s accelerated merchandise schedule for its M-Class chips (there person been 4 awesome releases since nan M1’s motorboat 4 years ago) intends that generational leaps seldom make a immense difference.

If you’ve sewage an M3-powered MacBook Pro aliases iMac, you’ll won't spot a large capable capacity boost to make upgrading to an M4 type worthwhile. Heck, I usage a 16-inch MacBook Pro pinch nan M2 Pro spot for euphony accumulation and video editing, and if Apple announces an identical-looking M4 Pro model, I’m conscionable not going to beryllium willing successful upgrading, arsenic nan M2 Pro remains truthful bully (and is only 2 years old), that it still does everything I request it to do.

So, why is nan Mac mini different? After all, there’s an fantabulous Mac mini M2 model (which sewage a uncommon 5 stars from maine successful my review), and it’s besides apt (despite immoderate rumors suggesting otherwise) that it’ll travel pinch nan aforesaid design.

Well, for a start, I genuinely deliberation nan Mac mini M2 is 1 of nan champion devices Apple has ever made. This tiny, discrete PC tin beryllium placed almost anywhere, and acknowledgment to a prime of either nan M2 aliases M2 Pro chip, you’re getting an impressively powerful spot of kit successful an almost silent mini shape facet PC.

Whereas nan MacBook Pro and iMac person Windows 11 competitors, there’s simply nary mini shape facet Windows PC that comes moreover adjacent to nan Mac mini.

And, dissimilar those different 2 products, location hasn’t been an M3 version, which intends nan leap betwixt an M2 Mac mini and an M4 Mac mini will beryllium overmuch much noticeable.

The thought that you tin hide a Mac mini down a show aliases TV is incredibly exciting, particularly considering nan gaming improvements connected nan M4 chip. This upcoming Mac mini, if it does exist, could beryllium nan closest we’ll ever get to an Apple console.

Then there’s nan price. The existent Mac mini starts astatine $599 / £649 / AU$999, making it by acold nan cheapest measurement to get into nan Mac ecosystem. If a Mac mini is announced alongside MacBook Pros and a caller iMac, it’ll connection nan aforesaid level of capacity arsenic nan different devices utilizing an M4 spot – but astatine a fraction of nan price.

It besides intends nan thought of upgrading isn’t rather arsenic intimidating. If you spent $1,000+ connected a MacBook aliases iMac, unless you’re rich, you’ll apt request thing really typical to get you to see upgrading. If you’ve spent $599, nan period for an upgrade that makes financial consciousness is considerablylower.

That’s assuming that Apple will support nan value similar, which mightiness beryllium excessively large of an presumption these days. But moreover nan thought of a compact PC that costs astir $600 and offers capable powerfulness to beryllium capable to play modern games for illustration Resident Evil 4 Remaster, is incredibly breathtaking – and it's why successful a week that promises a batch of announcements from Apple, it’s nan caller Mac mini I’ll really beryllium happy to spot announced. So, nan waiting crippled begins...

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