Samsung makes something that’s smaller than the Command key. Here’s my review of the 512GB version with a photo: https://www.amazon.nl/gp/customer-reviews/RATCDN8ZMNB5O?ref=pf_vv_at_pdctrvw_srp
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Review: Apple's M4 Mac Mini is the Best Desktop Mac
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There’s a few people think your comment is funny but they don’t seem to get it that you mean the best computer for the money, you correctly think it is, it’s a monster for $599, but only because of a few things, first, the insanely good M4 chip, and then there’s the aluminium body and macOS, there are no comparable computers…fact.
It’s the package as a whole, no equivalent at the time of release or until something even better.
I think Apple shopt themselves in the foot, it’s actually too good.
I recently replaced my base model iMac Pro with the base M4 Pro Mac mini. I was skeptical at first, because the base M4 Pro mini has a 512GB hard drive and 24GB of ram. By contrast, the base iMac Pro had 1TB hard drive and 32Gb of ram. For me, I thought the ram part would be an issue but my usage has never gone over 20GB for my everyday tasks. As far as storage, I don't have to download everything from the cloud, so it has been fine. Overall, I'm very happy with my decision and I love it!
Except when you have to force it to shut down holding the button for several seconds, which happened to me the other day after getting a dark screen when quitting a game. Couldn’t force quit (cmd opt esc) or do anything.
But, still not a problem to reach the power button. Can easily be found/felt without looking, so I don’t understand at all what the fuzz is about.
The only thing I don't like about my M4 Pro mini is that it doesn't support Hey Siri (unless you have an Apple Studio Display, which costs as much as the mini - it won't work with any other microphones).
I've been looking forward to Hey Siri and I'm disappointed about this limitation.
I've been looking forward to Hey Siri and I'm disappointed about this limitation.
I like mine fairly well - once some issues resolved. It does the job. I do agree the power button placement is wonky especially when troubleshooting.
If you are looking for a powerful, compact, versatile and not too expensive desktop computer, go for the Mac mini M4 base model; I tested it and you will not be disappointed. The 256GB storage will be the only significant limitation (however, you can ignore it by using external SSDs that do the job very well).
Unless you are a full-time content creator or a hardcore gamer, I think that the base model of this machine is more than enough for most of the tasks we do today on a computer.
What we would like is for Apple to stop thinking of itself as Mercedes on its storage and RAM and finally offer them for prices more in line with reality.
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Very happy with my Mac mini pro - very powerful 2x as fast as my 2019 Mac Pro Tower!!! Amazing 🤩
You're lucky ... I have to reboot on a fairly regular basis with the prev. gen mini. I don't think changing hardware would change that.
Thanks for that. I appreciate the limitation of the 256GB (it’s why I went for 1TB on my Macbook Pro) but, as a secondary/backup machine, I don’t see that being a big hurdle. Sometimes YouTubers come across like salesmen, so any and all advice I can gather together from real people who have and use the base Mac mini is very useful to me. Thanks!
When I compare it with my iMac, I am not convinced.
My 2020 iMac (1TB "disk", 64GB RAM (3rd party), nano-texture glass) was $3200 (not including tax).
A new Mac Mini (1TB, 32GB RAM) and
Studio Display (nano, adjustable)
Keyboard
Mouse
is $4000 (not including tax)
My 2020 iMac (1TB "disk", 64GB RAM (3rd party), nano-texture glass) was $3200 (not including tax).
A new Mac Mini (1TB, 32GB RAM) and
Studio Display (nano, adjustable)
Keyboard
Mouse
is $4000 (not including tax)
I think they just run the projections on what percentage of users will want/need component upgrades and they make bank on those
The only actually good value M4 Mini is the absolute base model paired with bring your own external NVMe
I guess I’ll shut down the native ARM Windows Server 2025 VM I’ve been trying out then.
Cutting the power won't make it reboot on power return? Even when getting a dark screen? I haven't had to do this, so don't know.Except when you have to force it to shut down holding the button for several seconds, which happened to me the other day after getting a dark screen when quitting a game. Couldn’t force quit (cmd opt esc) or do anything.
But, still not a problem to reach the power button. Can easily be found/felt without looking, so I don’t understand at all what the fuzz is about.
It's really tiny but I also think it's too long, the possibility of something catching on it could destroy the port as well as the drive itself.
I'm looking for something that is extremely low-profile, less than 5mm would be ideal. Something like a YubiKey 4C Nano. Given the size and thickness of microSD cards, I don't see why it couldn't be done as far as physical limitations are concerned.
For me, I have tested several USB sticks and so far, I have not found anything more reliable and fast than a Sandisk Extreme micro SD coupled with a TRIDENITE type-c adapter that goes super well with one of the front ports of the Mac mini M4.
The writing speed goes up to 110 MB/s without a hitch and remains stable there which is very important for a key; the reading goes up to 170 MB/s.
For several years now, I have been using exclusively these Sandisk Extreme cards for my USB FLASH storage and never one has blocked or corrupted since.
The writing speed goes up to 110 MB/s without a hitch and remains stable there which is very important for a key; the reading goes up to 170 MB/s.
For several years now, I have been using exclusively these Sandisk Extreme cards for my USB FLASH storage and never one has blocked or corrupted since.
That's unfortunate. I'd expect Linux on ARM to be generally stable, although maybe not optimized for various Mx variants.
At first I thought Ugh another crappy design from Apple. But am now intrigued. Still I do not like the base model with 256GB storage. And lack of any USB-A means I would definitely need a Dock.
Apple refreshed the Mac mini back in November, adding M4 chips and increasing the base memory. We did a hands-on impressions video at the time, but we thought we'd follow that up with a more in-depth review now that we've had more time to spend with Apple's cheapest desktop machine.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Priced starting at $599, the Mac mini offers the most affordable way to get access to Apple's new M4 chip, plus the machine got a design overhaul with the 2024 refresh. The Mac mini now measures in at 5 inches by 5 inches, and it's more than two inches smaller than the prior-generation model. It takes up much less space on a desk, and while it isn't quite as small as the Apple TV, it offers impressive performance in a super compact package.
With Apple Intelligence and the M4 chip, Apple stopped using 8GB as the base amount of memory that Macs ship with, and upped it to 16GB. The $599 Mac mini has an M4 chip and 16GB of RAM as a result, and it is an excellent deal for a desktop machine. Of course, you're going to need to supply your own display, keyboard, and mouse, but it's so small that you can easily move it between desktop setups at home and work.
The base Mac mini comes with an M4 chip, but there is an option to upgrade to the faster M4 Pro for those who need more power. The M4 models have three Thunderbolt 4 ports, but choosing the M4 Pro nets you three Thunderbolt 5 ports with faster transfer speeds. There are also two USB-C ports with 10Gb/s transfer speeds at the front of each machine. Compared to the prior-generation M2 Mac mini, the M4 models are up to 55 percent faster in terms of CPU speed.
If you're looking for a desktop Mac, the base Mac mini is the best deal that you're going to get. The performance is more than enough for day to day tasks and even gaming, photo editing, and video editing, and that $599 price tag really can't be beat.
Article Link: Review: Apple's M4 Mac Mini is the Best Desktop Mac
I have been using & still using a 2012 dc 2.5ghz I Mac Mini as my main every day work computer. I upgraded it several times in the 13yrs I've been using it. I use a KVM HD switch to connect my Mini to 2.1 speaker system, wired mechanical keyboard, Trackball, and 27in display & switch to a Win11 gaming PC.
Went with a base-model M4 Pro for my mini and have been loving it. It's my daily driver at home. I have a maxed out M1 Max laptop for the road. I mainly do CAD and programming. The M4 Pro, even base, keeps pace at worst, and at best, whips my M1 Max in most tasks like code compiling. I can't complain. Don't regret the purchase, which is the first in a while when it comes to tech.
There are USB A to USB C adapters. Don't expect them to have wholly reliable connection every time.
Yes, you are correct about the need for physical cables to connect the mouse and keyboard to the Mac Mini. Once I experienced the failure of Bluetooth to connect with my Logitech mouse. I couldn't even use the keyboard to navigate and to type in the Terminal app to activate the Bluetooth connection for Logitech mouse. I had to rush out to the computer store to buy the cheap mouse with USB-A connection and cable to fix this issue. At the store, I noticed almost all of the mouses still have USB A connectors despite the EU regulations calling for USB C as the sole standard.