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

[familychoice]

Okay, but let's take other people's situations. Namely me, as I am buying an M4 Mac Mini soon.

Let's go apples to apples: M4 Mac Mini 16/512: $799 vs. M3 Macbook Pro 16/512: $1599 so 50%

Then factor in keyboard (MS Sculpt from years ago still works) for work and gaming: $0

Mouse: Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless (already own): $0

Don't use trackpads so no loss there:

Monitor: LG 4k Standard IPS 27" which I already own: $0

So.....there ya go. A literal 50% savings since all I need is the mac mini.

Of course, anyone who already owns a MacBook Pro quality monitor, trackpad (not mouse, the MacBook Pro includes a trackpad), quality audio/speaker system, and Apple keyboard will save cash on a Mini purchase as opposed to a MacBook Pro, as they've already paid for that stuff.

But on a like-for-like comparison, which I did, there is pretty much zero saving for a new Mini purchase if you haven't purchased all the peripherals beforehand.

"since all I need is the mac mini."

Bingo, you're getting a good deal. I considered the Mini too, since I'd be upgrading from an M1 and already have that stuff too, but since I now need to be mobile, the MBP is the most likely option instead.

 

[CharlesShaw]

But it does make sense in my situation. I have two offices where I work basically 100% of the time when I am not travelling (I have a work shed and a home office both). These offices are already set up with everything I need for work. I buy one extra power cord, and I can literally unplug the mac mini, go to my shed, and plug it back in. Am I going to do that every day? Probably not, but I can do it when needed.

Or you could buy a second Mac mini with the money you saved by not buying a MacBook Pro. 😁

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Or you could buy a second Mac mini with the money you saved by not buying a MacBook Pro. 😁

That is a crazy idea--which I kind of like!!!!

 

[familychoice]

Let's even go with the portable stuff, it doesn't have to be as expensive as you say.

Bluetooth keyboard: $50, mouse, $50. Portable Monitor with stand (Let's go nice here): $250

There, still a savings.

But that limits your portability to places that are happy for you to setup, what is in effect a mobile office, and plug all your stuff into their power sockets.

Which pretty much rules out almost every non-office setting a laptop user would want to do - cafe's, libraries, college, public transport, park benches etc.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

But that limits your portability to places that are happy for you to setup, what is in effect a mobile office, and plug all your stuff into their power sockets.

Which pretty much rules out almost every non-office setting a laptop user would want to do - cafe's, libraries, college, public transport, park benches etc.

No you are correct. If you need true portability, then go with the MBA or MBP. It wouldn't make that much sense to lug all that crap around and set it up in various spots.

My daughter is attending university next fall and will be getting my 13" M1 MBP 16/256. That little trooper will work perfect for her.

 

[redheeler]

In order to make it truly apples to apples, you would have to factor in the depreciated value of the keyboard, minority, etc.

But obviously, a desktop computer is a much better option if you want a computer for your desk - and the Mac mini makes it a good option.

Apple's laptops are also great for on the go, or more flexible computing (i.e. sitting on your couch).

I think a lot of people are coming to the realization that having a desktop and a MacBook may make sense.

My 16" Intel MacBook Pro is good enough when I need a laptop. I will go to Apple Silicon eventually but am fine with having a more powerful desktop instead for now.

 

[familychoice]

No you are correct. If you need true portability, then go with the MBA or MBP. It wouldn't make that much sense to lug all that crap around and set it up in various spots.

My daughter is attending university next fall and will be getting my 13" M1 MBP 16/256. That little trooper will work perfect for her.

The base Mini M4 deal is a cracker, if I didn't need to move away from the office desk (lingering back problem) then I wouldn't be even considering the MacBook Pro.

The Base M4 MBP 14" is a decent deal too (£150 off at the moment here), otherwise I'd be tempted to hang on to my Intel MBP (currently heating up my knees), but getting a device that isn't going to be abandoned by Apple is a big consideration for me. Pretty sure I'll be getting the Mini next year, once my savings have recovered!

 

[DeepSix]

I'm sorry, but seriously? Far superior experience? Lugging around a hard case, unpacking, connecting, etc etc, disconnecting, re-packing, lugging... is a far superior experience to any laptop? That simply does not track.

It's not that much work to unpack a Mac Mini and have it set up outside of the house. If you check online, there's lots of pics of people bringing their imacs to starbucks. How's this?

The biggest benefit to bringing something like the M4 Mini with you is that you can use mechanical keyboards and it's a far more ergonomic experience as you can rise your monitor. Your neck will thank you long term.

 

[familychoice]

My 16" Intel MacBook Pro is good enough when I need a laptop. I will go to Apple Silicon eventually but am fine with having a more powerful desktop instead for now.

I'm on a late 16" Intel at the moment too, they have held up extremely well, and the build quality is superb. I'm going to keep this one for basic office work, but looking at the new M4 base model for more demanding tasks and future OS updates.

 

[DeepSix]

Well the MBP did have nicer features such as the better screens and extra ports for the average users. I think the value proposition for consumers is so much greater now because Apple has put such an emphasis on graphics on their AS chips. Seriously, even the base M4 Mac mini has decent graphics capable of playing more games than you would expect on a budget machine from Apple.

As you can see below, while it might not match up with even the most budget Nvidia gpu in games the fact that it is in the discussion and outperforms it in various tasks on that Ryzen/nvidia build by snazzylabs says something. The AI benchmarks are quite telling at just how good the base M4 is.

So we extend that out to the MBA/MBP you are no longer stuck with relatively awful Intel integrated graphics anymore. You have a solution that is far more capable than we have ever seen on entry level Macs. The MBA was already the most popular line of Macs and I actually expect that slice of the pie to grow even larger.

I will re-visit the idea of owning a Macbook Pro when Apple can get the weight down to the current Air 13 (2.8lbs). By then, the Air 13 should be around 2lbs in total weight. Give it 5 years for this to happen.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

M4 Mac Mini is the first Mini to be small enough to be portable where many are planning to carry it with them on the go. Get a nice portable monitor, mechanical keyboard, monitor riser/stand and full size mouse and put it inside a hard case with cut out foam inserts. You now pretty much have a mini desktop on the go. Far superior experience than any laptop and more ergonomic because you can choose any size monitor, any keyboard you want and any mouse.

And the best part is the M4 Mini is 25% of the price of a M4 Macbook Pro.

Your price comparison does not include the cost of the MBP's superb 14"/16" XDR display and its excellent speakers. Schlepping all those components around is not IMO a "Far superior experience than any laptop and more ergonomic." Quite the contrary, it is a PITA; plus an MBP is much more powerful and has more available RAM.

If one needs a larger display than 16" XDR one can add a display in a carrier, and use it as an secondary external display to the MBP or mirror the MBP to the external for presentation purposes. Far superior to schlepping separate Mini, keyboard, trackpad, speakers and cables. Especially for presentations, a mirrored MBP rocks.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I'm on a late 16" Intel at the moment too, they have held up extremely well, and the build quality is superb. I'm going to keep this one for basic office work, but looking at the new M4 base model for more demanding tasks and future OS updates.

Agreed, with my 2016 MBP "the build quality is superb." If the (max available in 2016) 16 GB RAM had not evolved to no longer be adequate I would not have needed to upgrade to M2.

 

[DeepSix]

Where on earth is this a thing? The only time I’ve seen people using their iMac away from home is when they lug it over to the Apple Store for diagnostics.

Let's be real - effectively no one will be carrying around a Mac mini to do work portably, particularly a base Mac mini. The base Mac Mini is a great machine - but in terms of CPU power, it is no more powerful than many of the laptops Apple makes. Carrying around a desktop computer to do work portably only makes sense fi the desktop is intrinsically more powerful than available laptop options - and that is simply not the case with the Mac mini.

See my pic posted. Well the reason I got the M4 mini is because I've been looking at Mini PC's for the last few weeks and for the money of the base model Mini, you won't find a comparable PC for that price with that amount of power. And Im a believer that majority of mini PC's are garbage that have poor longevity. Even brand name mini pcs are a lot more than a base model M4 mini, so that's when I said I may as well just get a M4 Mini. Sure it's overkill for my uses used purely as a secondary computer but I know it will last me 10 years and when I sell it in 6 or 7 years it will still be worth something, whereas no name mini PCs on amazon will be e-waste within 5 years max.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

But that limits your portability to places that are happy for you to setup, what is in effect a mobile office, and plug all your stuff into their power sockets.

Which pretty much rules out almost every non-office setting a laptop user would want to do - cafe's, libraries, college, public transport, park benches etc.

Agreed. And you need to add kitchen table, living room couch, bed, etc. to your list. Grabbing one's laptop to do a new recipe in the kitchen or presenting work in process to clients are IMO huge value add to laptop form factor.

 

[DeepSix]

My daughter is attending university next fall and will be getting my 13" M1 MBP 16/256. That little trooper will work perfect for her.

I think it depends. If you're somewhere for say an hour to kill time or whatever then sure, the MBA or MBP makes the most sense. But what if you're somewhere like at your vendor booth at a big expo and you need computer usage for 3 or 4 full days? Or working out of town and you're staying in a hotel for 2 weeks?

Then without a doubt, I would bring the Mac Mini with external keyboard, mouse, monitor. I sure wouldn't want to be working on a laptop on and off for extended periods of time. Not worth the neck cramps and bad ergonomics. The physical size of the M4 Mini is it's biggest appeal and it makes the idea of using it as a portable desktop that much more realistic.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Sure the M4 Mini is overkill for my uses used purely as a secondary computer but I know it will last me 10 years...

Agreed. And we can be pretty sure that the refreshed mini design is not going to be changing for a very long time, so aside from new chips for power users, there will be little reason to upgrade over ten years for us with modest Mac needs. Funny, the comparable MacBook in ten years will have a battery that needs replacing and a keyboard that shows wear.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I think it depends. If you're somewhere for say an hour to kill time or whatever then sure, the MBA or MBP makes the most sense. But what if you're somewhere like at your vendor booth at a big expo and you need computer usage for 3 or 4 full days? Or working out of town and you're staying in a hotel for 2 weeks?

Then without a doubt, I would bring the Mac Mini with external keyboard, mouse, monitor. I sure wouldn't to be working on a laptop on and off for 3 full days on a standard laptop. Not worth the neck cramps. The physical size of the M4 Mini is it's biggest appeal.

Why would you want the much weaker Mac mini, even at an expo? And since when is "working on a laptop on and off for 3 full days on a standard laptop. Not worth the neck cramps?" I go back and forth among all kinds of full-keyboard and laptop keyboard configurations, and laptop usage has never been problematic. If you personally get neck cramps you can still use the much stronger MBP or a cheap MBA in clamshell mode if you like (wasting the XDR display).

I have been there done that, and at an expo one also can take a laptop with all the working files back to the hotel room at night and do nightly upgrades. And mirroring with a laptop is IMO by far the best way to do expo presenting, allowing one to see the displayed presentation and still be facing the client.

 

[familychoice]

Agreed. And you need to add kitchen table, living room couch, bed, etc. to your list. Grabbing one's laptop to do a new recipe in the kitchen or presenting work in process to clients are IMO huge value add to laptop form factor.

Yep, I take my MBP on client visits. I don’t think they’d hire me again if I turned up with a monitor, keyboard, trackpad, speaker/audio system, Mini computer, and once assembled on their kitchen table, asked them where I could plug everything in.

 

[DeepSix]

Agreed. And we can be pretty sure that the refreshed mini design is not going to be changing for a very long time, so aside from new chips for power users, there will be little reason to upgrade over ten years for us with modest Mac needs. Funny, the comparable MacBook in ten years will have a battery that needs replacing and a keyboard that shows wear.

For the price of the base model M4 Mini, it's a steal. It almost seems too good to be true. Maybe Apple regrets selling it for so cheap and in a few months they bump up the price. Another reason to get it now just in case Apple does bump up the price next year.

I think more people should be getting this instead of a shiny new over speced Macbook, if they only plan on using it at one spot and don't need to be portable. For what you save on a Macbook, you can put that money towards a much larger and better quality display and a high end keyboard and mouse and you will still be coming out ahead because like you said, you won't have a battery that goes toast in 5 years from leaving it plugged in 24/7 or a keyboard that is worn down with keys sticking or a fan that needs to be replaced.

 

[triptolemus]

How's this?

It's ridiculous.

 

[DeepSix]

Why would you want the much weaker Mac mini, even at an expo? And since when is "working on a laptop on and off for 3 full days on a standard laptop. Not worth the neck cramps?" I go back and forth among all kinds of full-keyboard and laptop keyboard configurations, and laptop usage has never been problematic. If you personally get neck cramps you can still use the much stronger MBP or a cheap MBA in clamshell mode if you like (wasting the XDR display).

I have been there done that, and at an expo one also can take a laptop with all the working files back to the hotel room at night and do nightly upgrades. And mirroring with a laptop is IMO by far the best way to do expo presenting, allowing one to see the displayed presentation and still be facing the client.

Primarily ergonomics. After having use monitor and laptop risers and stands the past few years, I find it very difficult to go back to using a laptop for long periods of time without having it on some sort of stand. I can do it for short periods of time but not longer periods over and over. Laptop ergonomics are detrimental to your physical body long term. Just because you can do it, doesn't mean it's beneficial long term.

Plus once you factor in bringing along a portable monitor, keyboard etc with your M4 Mac Mini, the Mini itself is more portable than even a Air 13 simply from a smaller physical size. It will take up a lot less desk space than an Air 13 in clamshell mode would.

 

[Tago]

Don`t really picture the trouble here.

It is all about preferences which both have advantages and disadvantages. Neither is better than the other just better or worse for different people, and people just choose the solution which is best for each.

One CAN run a laptop like a desktop like I have done for many years. But if that`s the only way it`s being used, a laptop is just tossing money out of the window. I won`t spend an extra 1.000-1.100-1.200 USD for features I don`t need and don`t contribute by performance or whatever. Makes no sense.

Many prefer laptops and that`s fine, just not for me, and I say that have only had laptops for the last 20 years.

 

[Tago]

I don’t think they’d hire me again if I turned up with a monitor, keyboard, trackpad, speaker/audio system, Mini computer, and once assembled on their kitchen table, asked them where I could plug everything in.

Why would anyone even think of that? Absurd.

 

[0423MAC]

I will re-visit the idea of owning a Macbook Pro when Apple can get the weight down to the current Air 13 (2.8lbs). By then, the Air 13 should be around 2lbs in total weight. Give it 5 years for this to happen.

Maybe with the reintroduction of the MacBook line. Those were sitting just slightly over 2lbs and with the advancements made in the past 5 years with the M-series products I can see Apple flexing with something lighter than the X1 Nano. Would be nice if Apple kept the screen size at 13" instead of going back to 12".

Going in 0.6" increments seems to work well for the three smallest models.
13" - MacBook
13.6" - MacBook Air
14.2" - MacBook Pro

 

[familychoice]

Why would anyone even think of that? Absurd.

Yes that’s right, that’s why I wrote it in response to Deep Six’s Mac Mini Mobile solution. Throw in a portable diesel generator and you can even use your Mini on the bus.