Apple's Tiny Titan: The M4 Mac mini Has Officially Lost Its Mind (in the Best Way Possible)
(Image: A close-up shot of the new M4 Mac mini next to something for scale, like a roll of duct tape or an iPhone, emphasizing its small size.)
Alright tech lovers, buckle up, because Apple just pulled a fast one. Instead of the usual fanfare, they dropped a series of press releases last week, stealthily updating their entire Mac lineup to the shiny new M4 silicon. And while the headlines might be dominated by MacBooks and iMacs, there's one little powerhouse that's got my jaw on the floor: the new M4 Mac mini.
Now, I know what you might be thinking. The Mac mini? That unassuming little box that usually just sits there, being the most affordable gateway to macOS? Yeah, that one. But this refresh isn't just a chip swap; it's… well, it's kind of insane. And not in just one way, but three.
Insanity Level 1: Honey, I Shrunk the Desktop (Again?)
(Image: A side-by-side comparison of the old Mac mini design and the new, more compact one.)
The first thing that hits you is the sheer tininess of this thing. Apple has been on a redesign spree with their Apple silicon Macs, giving everything a fresh look. Except the old Mac mini… until now. This new iteration looks less like a shrunken version of its former self and more like a baby Mac Studio.
We're talking a five inch by five inch footprint and a mere two inches tall. Let that sink in. A fully functional desktop computer that's smaller than my camera with a lens on it! Smaller than a fresh roll of duct tape! It practically disappears on your desk.
Sure, we've seen small form factor PCs before. The mini ITX scene is alive and kicking. But this is next level. Apple's obsession with miniaturization, even pre-Apple silicon, has clearly found a new gear. They've managed to cram impressive power into a chassis that makes the Apple TV look chunky.
And despite its diminutive size, it's not lacking in the essentials: Gigabit Ethernet, a full-size HDMI port, three Thunderbolt ports on the back, two USB-C 3 ports on the front, and a headphone jack. Sadly, the SD card reader and USB-A ports are still MIA.
Trying to build or buy something this small with this level of capability, or something this capable with this level of smallness? Forget about it. This Mac mini exists in its own hilariously, unnecessarily tiny universe. And honestly? I'm here for it.
(Mini Rant Interlude: The Case of the Obnoxious Power Button)
(Image: A close-up, slightly annoyed-looking shot pointing to the bottom-rear corner of the Mac mini.)
Okay, let's dive into my new conspiracy theory. There's someone at Apple. Just one person. Their sole purpose? To put one inexplicably annoying thing on every new product redesign. This is the person who gave us the iPhone notch. The person who decided the Magic Mouse should charge from the bottom. And their magnum opus? The power button on the bottom of the new Mac mini.
Seriously, Apple? The bottom? There are approximately one million better places to put a power button. The front, the side, literally anywhere on the back like all your other small Mac desktops! Even the top would have been acceptable! But no, they opted for the back corner underneath. Sigh.
Look, I don't use the power button that often. It's mostly sleep and wake. But every couple of weeks, I'll have that moment of fumbling around the back, trying to remember where this geniusly hidden button resides. It's just dumb enough to be meme-worthy without actually ruining the product. Well played, mysterious Apple button placer. Well played.
Insanity Level 2: A Base Model That's Actually a Steal? (Hold the Phone!)
(Image: A graphic highlighting the key specs of the base model M4 Mac mini: M4 chip, 16GB RAM, $599 price.)
Now, let's talk money. Because this is where things get truly interesting. The base model M4 Mac mini, priced at $599, isn't just affordable; it's arguably one of the best deals in tech right now, especially within Apple's current lineup.
For that price, you get the brand-spanking-new M4 chip, but here's the kicker: it quietly doubles the base unified memory to 16GB! That's a significant jump from the previous 8GB. You also get a solid 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU.
We're four generations into Apple silicon now, and the performance gains are really starting to stack up. While the M1 was a game-changer compared to Intel, the M4 is genuinely tempting even for those of us on older Apple silicon. (Stay tuned for my MacBook Pro review for a deeper dive on that!)
This base M4 chip is fantastic for everyday tasks – browsing, streaming, multitasking like a maniac. But it's also surprisingly capable for medium-grade stuff like coding, development, and photo editing. Pixelmator? Runs like a dream (and Apple just bought them, interestingly!). It's the kind of performance you expect from a chip with the world's fastest single-core performance.
Think about it: the new M4 iMac, which is essentially the same internals in an all-in-one form factor with a non-replaceable display, starts at $1,299. That's a $700 difference! You could buy a fantastic display with that kind of savings.
Now, Apple being Apple, they have their upgrade ladder ready. The base model comes with 256GB of storage, which is fine for many. But if you need more, bumping it to 1TB will cost you an eye-watering $400 extra. Want 10 Gigabit Ethernet? That's another $100 on top. Suddenly, those upgrades almost cost as much as another entire Mac mini!
So, while the base model is a screaming deal, be warned: pre-purchase upgrades are where Apple's pricing gets… ambitious. If you know you need more RAM or storage upfront (which you do, as it's not upgradeable after purchase), the value proposition becomes more standard. However, if you can live with the base specs, you're looking at an incredible entry point into the M4 ecosystem. And if you have a .edu email? That $499 student discount is just chef's kiss.
Insanity Level 3: The Surprisingly Portable Powerhouse
(Image: A photo of the maxed-out Mac mini tucked into a travel bag or Pelican case alongside other portable tech.)
This last point might not apply to everyone, but for someone like me – who used to lug an entire iMac Pro in a Pelican case through airports for on-location editing – the maxed-out M4 Mac mini is… well, it's kind of sick.
Think about it. The Mac Studios and Mac Pros are still rocking the M2 generation. The new iMac has the M4, but no "Pro" chips. This little Mac mini is the easiest way to pack an M4 Pro chip with you. Just toss it in a bag, plug into monitors wherever you go, and boom – instant powerful workstation.
An equivalent spec'd MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro starts at $2,000, which is a decent deal in itself for the performance and portability. But if you don't need the laptop form factor, the $1399 M4 Pro Mac mini is incredibly compelling.
And the M4 Pro upgrade isn't just about processing power. The back Thunderbolt ports also get bumped up to Thunderbolt 5, allowing you to drive three 6K displays instead of two.
I've been testing the M4 Pro version with 48GB of memory, and the synthetic benchmarks are mind-blowing. This tiny machine achieved the highest CPU score of any desktop Mac ever, even beating out the Mac Pro and Mac Studio in single-core performance. Multi-core performance is right up there at the top of the all-time Mac list. While CPU gains aren't the biggest leap between chip tiers, the GPU performance is significant, putting up numbers comparable to the M1 Max!
Having edited videos on an M1 Max MacBook Pro for the past three years, this little Mac mini feels like the impossibly small yet powerful computer Apple has always strived to create. Remember the "Trashcan" Mac Pro? The overheating thin i9 MacBooks? Apple silicon's efficiency has finally made this kind of power in a tiny package a reality.
Nobody was explicitly asking for an even smaller Mac mini, but clearly, someone in Cupertino was dreaming about it. And you know what? They nailed it.
Final Thoughts:
The new M4 Mac mini is a fascinating piece of technology. It's tiny, surprisingly powerful (especially the base model for its price), and the maxed-out version offers a unique blend of power and potential portability. The power button placement? Well, that's just Apple being Apple.
What do you think of the new Mac mini? Are you tempted by its diminutive size and surprising value? Let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for reading, and I'll catch you in the next one. Peace.
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