Mac mini M4 is the best value computer…. I think even Apple cannibalised their M4 MacBooks and older M3,M2,M1 product MacBooks with this

[Isengardtom]

Sometimes I wonder why are people still getting windows laptop when apple chips are superior in every way…. Of course unless they’re getting a laptop gaming rig with gtx 4080 gpu etc.

For a home / non business and non gaming personal computer I agree, unless you don't like MacOS.
I generally like MacOS, but there are definitely things that Windows does much better on the productivity side (eg Multi windowing).



For non creative professionals - businesses
- Some software needs windows
- Microsoft apps are more feature complete on Windows (Excel for example)
- the hardware is generally cheaper - especially when you start upgrading storage and memory.

 

[mattoruu]

Many people just take the face value of $599 when evaluating the value of the Mac mini. You literally can’t use it without a display and KBM. Of course you can say that you already have them, but they also have their respective costs which cannot be ignored - you just don’t assume them to be free. So Mac mini has quite a good value, but not that “extreme”.

Also, nowadays I seldom hear any people buying desktop computers anymore except “gaming” people who are buying PCs.

Nevertheless I’m also considering the Mac mini, but 256GB for the base model is really not going to make it for a desktop computer. Once it’s upgraded (only to 512GB) then the value becomes bad. USD799 is starting to get close to the (non-existent yet, i know) price point of the base M4 MacBook Air which has a screen, a keyboard with Touch ID, webcam, plus portability, etc.

But then you, of course, need to add $200 to the MacBook Air price as well for the same storage upgrade.

 

[haruhiko]

But then you, of course, need to add $200 to the MacBook Air price as well for the same storage upgrade.

Good point. Most likely they will keep 256GB as the base line.

 

[JPack]

Many people just take the face value of $599 when evaluating the value of the Mac mini. You literally can’t use it without a display and KBM. Of course you can say that you already have them, but they also have their respective costs which cannot be ignored - you just don’t assume them to be free. So Mac mini has quite a good value, but not that “extreme”.

Also, nowadays I seldom hear any people buying desktop computers anymore except “gaming” people who are buying PCs.

Nevertheless I’m also considering the Mac mini, but 256GB for the base model is really not going to make it for a desktop computer. Once it’s upgraded (only to 512GB) then the value becomes bad. USD799 is starting to get close to the (non-existent yet, i know) price point of the base M4 MacBook Air which has a screen, a keyboard with Touch ID, webcam, plus portability, etc.

Most people are aware of this, they haven’t forgotten it.

The $700 difference between Mac mini and iMac is enough to buy a 32-inch 4K monitor, Bluetooth keyboard/mouse combo, and still have $400 left in their pocket.

If comparing to a MacBook Air, the savings is $200.

A lot of people like the idea of a notebook computer, like an SUV, but will never drive off road. The Mac mini is great for people who have realized they never take MacBook Air outside the house.

 

[familychoice]

I’d love an M4 MacBook Pro, but it’s literally 2x the price of an identically specced Mini (base 14” MBP £1599 vs base + 512 upgrade Mini £799).

As I’ve already got a screen, keyboard, mouse etc. it’s difficult to justify the difference, since it would mostly be used around the home/office.

I still want one though.

 

[Tago]

You greatly underestimate the ever increasing and currently much higher demand for mobile computers and devices at large (iPhones, iPads, MacBooks).

That really doesn`t matter. What matters is what a individual user wants or needs, and that there is a product which matches those requirements. For my usage, a Macbook Pro is a near total waste. If spending 2k+ on a mac, it certainly would be a Studio.

 

[kasakka]

What is the best value for a 5K display on the market? I'm looking to replace my aging iMac 27".

ASUS ProArt PA27JCV. At $799 it's finally in line of what a 5K display with basic office monitor level specs (60 Hz, no proper HDR capability) should cost.

 

[Timster83]

We’re getting one for our daughter at Christmas.

Unless she goes heavily into development or AI or big data etc then it seems like the sort of computer you could buy and then forget about for 10 years or more.

I’m generally a Windows guy but I can’t build anything close to the Mac Mini M4, which would deliver the same performance per £ and be suitable for a wide range of use cases including games / schoolwork etc.

 

[magbarn]

Many people just take the face value of $599 when evaluating the value of the Mac mini. You literally can’t use it without a display and KBM. Of course you can say that you already have them, but they also have their respective costs which cannot be ignored - you just don’t assume them to be free. So Mac mini has quite a good value, but not that “extreme”.

Also, nowadays I seldom hear any people buying desktop computers anymore except “gaming” people who are buying PCs.

Nevertheless I’m also considering the Mac mini, but 256GB for the base model is really not going to make it for a desktop computer. Once it’s upgraded (only to 512GB) then the value becomes bad. USD799 is starting to get close to the (non-existent yet, i know) price point of the base M4 MacBook Air which has a screen, a keyboard with Touch ID, webcam, plus portability, etc.

External fast SSDs are a thing. I would never rely on an external ssd for app storage on a MacBook but it’s perfectly fine for a mini. In fact I’m doing it right now with a 4TB SSD for what apple charges for a 256gb upgrade. Once you option up the mini, its value proposition goes away. I was thinking of going all out with a mini m4 pro but after pricing it out with more ram and a 1tb ssd, it’s way too close to the price of a future m4max studio.

 

[haruhiko]

External fast SSDs are a thing. I would never rely on an external ssd for app storage on a MacBook but it’s perfectly fine for a mini. In fact I’m doing it right now with a 4TB SSD for what apple charges for a 256gb upgrade. Once you option up the mini, its value proposition goes away. I was thinking of going all out with a mini m4 pro but after pricing it out with more ram and a 1tb ssd, it’s way too close to the price of a future m4max studio.

Exactly this.

 

[ignatius345]

I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at the used Mac market, but people seemingly don’t care about the actual value dropping, prices for used Macs are still really high and I don’t see people be like “Oh Apple released this new thing now my old thing has to be cheaper” when there are still many intel macs priced well above 1k just because they don’t care about loosing on money just cause there is something new out.
They should be more affordable, but I won’t bet on it.

I certainly have looked at the used Mac market, having bought and sold quite a few Macs on eBay (carefully) over the years. You're right, they do tend to hold their value decently well. Depreciation still happens, though. My M1 iMac (16GB/1TB) which I paid upward of $1800 for is probably worth about half that at this point. Not terrible considering it's got a chip 3 generations back, but still depreciated.

One thing I've found that helps with resale value is keeping the original box and accessories. I think it signals to the buyer that the machine has been well taken care of. I also find that Macs with upgraded RAM and storage tend to hold value better than the base models.

 

[brofkand]

I think it’s probably the highest value and best computer ever made.

 

[ignatius345]

External fast SSDs are a thing. I would never rely on an external ssd for app storage on a MacBook but it’s perfectly fine for a mini. In fact I’m doing it right now with a 4TB SSD for what apple charges for a 256gb upgrade. Once you option up the mini, its value proposition goes away. I was thinking of going all out with a mini m4 pro but after pricing it out with more ram and a 1tb ssd, it’s way too close to the price of a future m4max studio.

Totally. I'm working with a 2 TB external SSD that holds my relocated media libraries for Photos, TV and Music. It's pretty easy to move that stuff and I don't see any big performance hits really.

 

[magbarn]

I certainly have looked at the used Mac market, having bought and sold quite a few Macs on eBay (carefully) over the years. You're right, they do tend to hold their value decently well. Depreciation still happens, though. My M1 iMac (16GB/1TB) which I paid upward of $1800 for is probably worth about half that at this point. Not terrible considering it's got a chip 3 generations back, but still depreciated.

One thing I've found that helps with resale value is keeping the original box and accessories. I think it signals to the buyer that the machine has been well taken care of. I also find that Macs with upgraded RAM and storage tend to hold value better than the base models.

I took a bath selling my $1800 M1 16/1tb on OfferUp for $500 which is what ebay sellers are getting after fees and shipping. That’s $1300 lost vs. $300 on what base M1’s were bought and are now selling for. You get killed on upgrades on purchase and resale.

 

[ignatius345]

Many people just take the face value of $599 when evaluating the value of the Mac mini. You literally can’t use it without a display and KBM.

Yeah, the iMac is really a great value if you like the display it comes with. For $700 more than the Mini, you get

- a bright retina 4.5K display
- 12 MP webcam
- integrated speakers & mic
- keyboard and mouse that would set you back upward of $200 bought separately

The downside, of course, is that you can't reuse that display later on if you upgrade your CPU. And of course the Mini also comes in a lot more configurations and has a Pro chip which the iMac doesn't.

 

[ignatius345]

I took a bath selling my $1800 M1 16/1tb on OfferUp for $500 which is what ebay sellers are getting after fees and shipping. That’s $1300 lost vs. $300 on what base M1’s were bought and are now selling for. You get killed on upgrades on purchase and resale.

Are you talking about an iMac?

 

[mcled53]

Apple enables you to download big external apps to an external drive with the latest macOS, and you can use aliases for data folders, so there goes the need for a bigger internal drive, on desktops at least. You just need it for booting at this point.
Also base RAM is fine, the day you need more than 16GB you can just resell the Mini and enjoy an upgrade of the whole system.

What about iCloud's local disk space, which resides in ~/Library (I think)? For me, that is substantial. I already off-load iTunes to an external.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

At just $499 with student discount , the Mac mini m4 base is truly a beast that is almost equivalent to a m2 pro or M1 Max (excluding the GPUS) at this pricing it is truly stupid to upgrade the ram or storage or even move to m4 pro in my opinion .

Let’s bid farewell to second hand market for the price of m1 and m2 Mac minis, I reckon their selling price should be < 50% of the m4 mini 🤣

As well as 8gb MacBook Air m1,m2,m3s, the second hand price definitely took a great hit.

Well, Mac mini m4 is truly the best device in the world at least for now

Well yes, anyone who bought 8 GB RAM computers should have expected to see sub-optimal performance fairly quickly and concomitant loss of selling value.

Users with modest demands could of course continue their undemanding work in 8 GB RAM for many years.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Most people are aware of this, they haven’t forgotten it.

The $700 difference between Mac mini and iMac is enough to buy a 32-inch 4K monitor, Bluetooth keyboard/mouse combo, and still have $400 left in their pocket.

If comparing to a MacBook Air, the savings is $200.

A lot of people like the idea of a notebook computer, like an SUV, but will never drive off road. The Mac mini is great for people who have realized they never take MacBook Air outside the house.

Even if folks "never take MacBook Air outside the house" it sure is nice to be able to sit on the couch with a laptop sometimes instead of only ever being at a workstation. IMO the only reason to own a desktop computer since MBPs became so competent [in 2011] is by also owning a laptop. YMMV; some folks like desktop + tablet which is also a good solution.

 

[JPack]

Even if folks "never take MacBook Air outside the house" it sure is nice to be able to sit on the couch with a laptop sometimes instead of only ever being at a workstation. IMO the only reason to own a desktop computer since MBPs became so competent [in 2011] is by also owning a laptop. YMMV; some folks like desktop + tablet which is also a good solution.

As you alluded, the iPad works well for those who want to sit on a couch to consume media. With the 13-inch iPad Air, it's even better and more affordable now. Mac is largely a productivity device, so many people prefer to sit down to do work with a large monitor.

 

[Tago]

Many people just take the face value of $599 when evaluating the value of the Mac mini. You literally can’t use it without a display and KBM. Of course you can say that you already have them, but they also have their respective costs which cannot be ignored - you just don’t assume them to be free. So Mac mini has quite a good value, but not that “extreme”.

Also, nowadays I seldom hear any people buying desktop computers anymore except “gaming” people who are buying PCs.

Nevertheless I’m also considering the Mac mini, but 256GB for the base model is really not going to make it for a desktop computer. Once it’s upgraded (only to 512GB) then the value becomes bad. USD799 is starting to get close to the (non-existent yet, i know) price point of the base M4 MacBook Air which has a screen, a keyboard with Touch ID, webcam, plus portability, etc.

Had everything else for years, used MBP as a desktop. I do prefer 32" and a proper desk, and never used my mbp in my sofa. For a while I got a iPad pro 12.9/4G and used that, but far from enough to keep it. Got my money back anyway. With the Mini I get what I need - pragmatically - and it will be far more economical to stay up to date. Believe that works for Base iteration Studios too.

 

[AlixSPQR]

I would love a new M4 mini, but I don't have the space for a desktop workstation any longer, so I'll get by with my laptop.

 

[JPack]

You greatly underestimate the ever increasing and currently much higher demand for mobile computers and devices at large (iPhones, iPads, MacBooks).

-Without a built-in battery and display, the average consumer isn’t touching a computer these days, Mac or otherwise.

Yes, M4 mini is the best value/$, sure. But it’s not a laptop replacement to any extent, unless you don’t need a laptop at all, and therefore won’t make a dent in MacBook sales.

You get the best of Mac mini and MacBook Air in a MacBook Pro and that’s what most would want. Not the best value/$, but the most use cases.

Apple knows what they’re doing.

And for what the average person actually does on their Mac, there’s not much gained from or any immediate need to upgrade to any newer 16GB RAM Mac, M4 or otherwise.

The media truly has everyone hyping these new Macs like Apple is a new company and MacOS launched yesterday.

M4 is an amazing value. But stop acting like it’s a new product or worth getting for all Intel and Apple Silicon Mac owners.

It’s much more powerful and greater value. But it’s not an entirely new experience, not at all.

It's far more nuanced than that. The average consumer does not need a portable, high productivity device like a MacBook.

Many home consumers are happy with either a notebook or a desktop. They don't need to take a Mac outside the house, not even for travel because the iPhone and iPad are more than enough. Work supplies them with a notebook already, so why would they need a MacBook?

This type of customer, who bought a PC or MacBook a decade ago may consider buying Mac mini for home use. This will make a small dent in MacBook sales.

Mac mini has also dropped in price, from $699/$679 edu in in 2020, to $599/$499 edu today. This makes the desktop choice more compelling.

 

[WC7]

That’s why I ended up converting my iMac instead of buying a new display. The display market for Mac users (or just anyone who‘s used to greater than 4K iMacs, even on another OS, and doesn’t want to downgrade their experience) has been in a weird limbo for years now.

I just parked my new Mac mini under the side of the iMac screen, turned on Screen Sharing on the iMac, and the iMac became the display for the Mac mini. I use two FullScreens on the iMac and flick the mouse between the iMac machine and the Mac mini machine. (Note: borrowed an older 4k monitor to set the Mac mini's default screen.)

 

[Niceisnice]

It's amazing until you need portability... though I guess you can always just carry one of those tiny portable monitors around, and a cheap bluetooth mouse + keyboard. Then you can use your Mac Mini at coffee shops too. 😆

You may also need a battery 😂