The M1 family has grown to include the M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max and M1 Ultra (basically a doubled-up M1 Max). And that system, even without an M2 update, is still more powerful in many cases than the new Mac Mini, which only goes up to an M2 Pro.Īpple's chip-naming system is clearer than some others but still confusing if you don't follow it closely. Since then, the Mac Studio from early 2022 offered a bigger, more powerful take on the small-form-factor Apple desktop, with M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips. They included the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the Mac Mini, each with the original M1 chip. That was in fall 2020, when the very first Apple Silicon products were released. The last time I tested a new Mac Mini was the last time there was a new Mac Mini. Especially if you have your own display and maybe your own keyboard/mouse setup, the Mac Mini gets you all the advantages of MacOS, and its speciality chops in design, audio production, and photo and video editing, for a lot less. The M2 Pro version of the Mac Mini starts at $1,299.Īs a long-time Mac reviewer, the relative affordability of the Mini line is still one of its most important selling points.

The relatively ancient M1 MacBook Air from 2020 is the closest competitor price-wise, at $999. Read more: M2 Pro MacBook Pro 16 Review: Apple Peps Up Its Creative WorkhorseĪt $599 (£649, AU$999) to start, the Mini also remains the least expensive way to get a MacOS computer by a large margin.

And, with an optional M2 Pro processor from Apple's chip line, the new Mini can take on more complex multimedia assignments on par with the also-new M2 Pro MacBook Pro. Sometimes called the podcaster's favorite computer, that description still applies to this new iteration of the Mac Mini. Unlike MacBook Pro and Air laptops, or the iMac desktop, the Mini is designed to work behind the scenes, fitting into small spaces and pairing with your choice of display and input devices. All these years later, it retains the same basic shape and appeals to much of the same audience.

Now available in a new, more powerful version, the Mac Mini desktop is one of Apple's longest-standing product lines, dating back to 2005 (in a pre-Intel version), a year before the first MacBook. It's since been updated with new test results, including storage speed scores. Editor's note: Our Mac Mini review was originally published on January 23, 2023.

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