Why don't more people who buy MacBooks buy a Mac Mini as well?

[darngooddesign]

With the M4 pro, max memory for the Mini is 64GB, while the MBP topped out at 48GB. The 16" MBP can be spec'ed with the M4Max, which is Studio territory. In the latter case, the Studio will have better cooling and more memory.

The best choice depends on what the user does - a user that needs computing horsepower on the go would usually be better off with a laptop, whereas a user doing the heavy work from a desktop would usually be better off with a desktop machine such as a Mini.

The 14" MacBook Pro can be specced with an M4-Max and up to 128GB memory.

 

[Acronyc]

I don't need two Macs, but I prefer to have this setup as it works better and is more convenient for me.

Most of my computing is done at home and I need more power there, so I have an M4 Max Mac Studio (recently upgraded to this from an M4 Pro mini). On the road, I have an M4 Air (recently upgraded from an M2).

I used to just have a single Mac, but I left it docked most of the time so moved to a desktop as my primary machine. If I were to go back to a single Mac setup, I'd stay with just a laptop as I need something to take with me on a few long trips during the year.

 

[DeepSix]

Ok - but what is the advantage of doing this versus carrying an equivalent laptop? You can spec a MacBook Air or Pro to be as powerful as (or more) than a Mac mini.

Lower cost. Also Easier and better to dock a mini over a macbook because it takes up a lot less.

 

[DeepSix]

I have four years on my M1-Pro MBP and there is no sign of it wearing and tearing. Battery is at 84% which more than gets me through any day where I don't have access to an outlet; replacing MacBook Pro batteries is easy so while I could do that there is no real reason to before I upgrade to an M6 or later MBP.

Your wear and tear is the 84% battery life remaining and the higher cycle count. If you have a mini it puts zero wear on your battery. Also zero wear on the keyboard.

 

[Adelphos33]

Lower cost. Also Easier and better to dock a mini over a macbook because it takes up a lot less.

You need a keyboard and screen for a Mac Mini, which should always be factored into the cost. I guess it is easier to dock, but I am not buying the idea it is very mobile without an embedded screen/keyboard.

I think the answer to your question is that many people have a home computer (Mac Mini, iMac, Mac Studio, whatever) and a laptop and use them for different things. I have an iMac and MacBook Air.

 

[NotApplicable]

Why would I need a Mac mini in addition to my MacBook Pro and iPad Pro and iPhone Pro? It would be a useless addition.

 

[darngooddesign]

Your wear and tear is the 84% battery life remaining and the higher cycle count. If you have a mini it puts zero wear on your battery. Also zero wear on the keyboard.

A replacement battery is only $100, how much is that Mac mini again? The keyboard won’t fail before it’s time to upgrade. I also have my 2014 MBP and the keyboard is still going strong. Guess what also puts zero wear on my MBP keyboard, an external one.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Basically for me, the freedom of being untethered and the flexibility that comes with this. In retrospect, also the money.

Living in a big city and a small apartment, there isn't the viable living space to even have a dedicated Mini, Studio, Pro plus screen and KB. So the MBP "16 resides on the couch to 99 % of its life, yet has accompanied me to other rooms and balcony on occasion.

If my situation changes, well then I could always purchase those peripherals to use it in clamshell mode...not the other way around however.

 

[Gengar]

I do have both. A 16GB RAM/512GB M4 Mac Mini with a Studio Display and also a maxed out M3 MacBook Air (24GB RAM/2TB SSD). I like to play The Sims 4 and watch movies and TV shows on the Mac mini. I use the MacBook Air for music, videos, photos, and traveling.

 

[LizKat]

I live in an area with frequent power outages. Long since decided that laptops are for me...