Mac mini

From time to time in computer setups coverage I come across a first-time Mac user, and their delight at having switched from Windows to Mac is often obvious. And that’s true of today’s M4 Pro Mac mini user, but they still need to work on a Windows laptop regularly. So they installed a Mac-Windows KVM switch in their setup to easily use the same peripherals with either machine with just the click of a button, as described and shown below.

Mac shipments in the last three months of 2024 rose sharply, hitting 17.3% in year-over-year growth according to a market research firm. Apple enjoyed a better growth rate than any of its top rivals, some of which saw their shipments decline.

The company also experienced growth in Mac shipments for the entire year compared to 2023.

As good as some speakers built into computers and monitors sound these days, it still often pays to use external speakers on the desktop. Today’s setup features a powerful M4 Pro Mac mini — with an improved built-in speaker, no less — but the user still opts for Creative Pebble Pro speakers in the computer setup.

What does Apple have planned for the Mac in 2025? For the last couple of years, Apple’s been killing it with its desktop and laptop computers. The chips scream, the industrial design has never been better, and the Mac lineup is undoubtedly the best in Apple’s history. Just look at the amazing new Mac mini.

But can Apple keep up the pace next year?

When you run a ton of peripherals with your Mac, how do keep it all connected and running smoothly? Well, today’s featured M4 Pro Mac mini user drives a pair of 4K external displays, runs a power hub and input devices, and keeps backups on portable storage devices. And they keep it connected without a hitch using the well-regarded CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 hub named “Element.”

Designer Basic Apple Guy, known for nifty wallpapers for Mac, iPhone and iPad screens, dropped his annual Apple Product Tier List Monday. The Apple product rankings give letter grades to everything the iPhone giant released in 2024. He considers M4/M4 Pro Mac mini the best of the best, by the way.

“For the third year in a row, I am once again painting a target on my head and releasing my tier rankings of the products Apple released in the 2024 calendar year,” he wrote. Undoubtedly, not everyone will love his choices, particularly those he grades in the low D and F tiers, but he takes care to explain them.

Today’s featured M4 Pro Mac mini user drives a pair of 4K external displays with the tiny new powerhouse desktop. And they keep an array of budget peripherals, including data and power hubs and solid input devices. And in addition, for physical backup, they like portable storage solutions in addition to cloud backup — in this case, fairly affordable hard drives from Samsung and La Cie (and the Samsung is deeply discounted right now — see below).

Not everyone would consider a well-equipped M4 Pro Mac mini driving a pair of 4K external displays a “budget” computer setup, but today’s user does. After suffering a job loss, they replaced an M1 Mac mini with the tiny new powerhouse and a nice array of peripherals, including data and power hubs and solid input devices.

Seems like the new Macs with M4 chips just got here — and you can already get great deals on them! Why? Well, Black Friday/Cyber Monday, of course. While it’s still a couple weeks away, that never stops deals from coming earlier and earlier every year, just like holiday decorations and pumpkin-spice-flavored everything. Check out early Black Friday Mac deals, below.

Update: The deals below saw updated on the runup to Black Friday and then again for Cyber Monday.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The rumored “iPhone 17 Air” supposedly will delete major features to become Apple’s thinnest smartphone ever — and sell at a premium price. We debate the pros and cons of such a scenario. Plus, Apple reportedly plans to make AirTags even better … and might be reconsidering making an actual TV set.

It’s a rumor-packed podcast!

Also on The CultCast:

• We discuss the possibility of Apple selling SSD upgrades for Mac mini.
• Apple slipped a surprise feature into the M4 MacBook Pro.
• Image Playground produces some truly ridiculous images. See a sampling below. Is this the best Apple Intelligence can do?

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Lots of folks who do live video streaming or video calls opt for purpose-built webcams rather than what comes in laptops or displays. That’s because the standalone cameras usually feature better-quality images and video plus more features in general. Today’s M4 Mac mini user fixes an Obsbot webcam atop his external Lenovo display. We rarely if ever see it, but it packs a lot of interesting features.

Recently, the phrase “Mac mini gaming” took on a whole new meaning. That’s because Apple released the M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini desktop computers in a much smaller form factor and with unprecedented performance. Today’s MacBook Air and MacBook Pro user is over the moon about what his new M4 Pro Mac mini can do with World of Warcraft and other games.

In a surprise move, the M4 Mac mini includes a removable, swappable SSD. Apple really should give customers the option to buy high-capacity versions of these as storage upgrades for the tiny desktop. It would be a win for both the Mac-maker and its customers.

The option would be welcome addition even if the SSDs only came from Apple at fairly high prices.

Anyone considering the newly launched Mac mini and iMac with the speedy M4 processor needs to watch our video reviews of these new desktops. We talk design and performance… just what you need to know to make a buying decision.

As a bonus, don’t overlook our video review of Apple’s USB-C Magic Trackpad, keyboard and mouse.

Watch them now:

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: So … many … M4 Mac reviews! Griffin tells us why the new Mac mini and the updated iMac make him go gaga. And the faster MacBook Pros are no slouches, either.

Also on The CultCast:

• The “updated” Apple accessories — Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse — pack exactly one new feature. It’s not exactly magical.
• Apple reportedly plans to launch an inexpensive touchscreen device for managing smart home gear. But what purpose would it serve, really?
• Apple Music turns its ridiculous 100 Best Albums list into an even more ridiculous $450 coffee-table tome.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

The M4 Mac mini is so tiny that taking it on trips isn’t an unreasonable idea. With the right accessories, you might not need a MacBook. Seriously.

Here’s the gear needed to turn Apple’s diminutive desktop into a portable computer for your next holiday or even business trip.

Trend alert: Folks are talking on social media sites and YouTube about using iPad as an external display for the new M4 Mac mini. Why? Well, as today’s setup user notes, the combination creates a credible mobile solution. And as others point out, it’s economical. Mac mini is a sensational value. And for a few hundred bucks more you can add an iPad (or you may already have one) and a few other inexpensive elements to make it work. But still, plenty of people see this and just say, “get a MacBook.”

Now that the new M4 Mac mini editions are even smaller than before but mightier than ever, plenty of other Mac users might migrate. That could include laptop devotees. Today’s M3 Pro MacBook Pro user, who also has an M1 Pro laptop, “couldn’t be happier” with his “incredibly impressive” new M4 Mac mini (the base model, no less). And he’s doing some intense work on his new desktop machine, too.

The new Mac mini with M4 Pro chip offers incredible power at an unbelievable price. The diminutive desktop computer reaps the rewards of Apple silicon’s trickle-down performance: It delivers capabilities similar to a Mac Studio (or Mac Pro) with an M2 Ultra, at just a third (or a fifth) of the price of those high-end computers.

We haven’t yet seen what the new M4-series chips will do for the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, but the remarkable Mac mini makes me question how much of a pro user you’d have to be to truly need them. And on top of all that, it’s super-tiny. What’s not to love?

Keep reading or watch our video review.

A teardown of Apple’s redesigned M4 Mac mini reveals a removable SSD. More importantly, the storage is upgradeable, though there’s a big catch.

The new Mac mini uses a non-standard SSD, though. So, you cannot just buy an off-the-shelf disk drive for replacement.

The SSD in the newly launched M4 Mac mini can be removed, but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s upgradable. At this point, it’s unlikely there’ll be an option to drop additional storage to the Mac mini.

Here’s why.

UPDATE: Further testing of the M4 Mac mini finds that the storage SSD can be swapped, unlike Mac Studio. But that still doesn’t mean upgrades are possible at this point.

If there were concerns that Apple overstepped by shrinking the 2024 Mac mini while also dropping in a super-fast processor, lay them to rest. Early M4 Mac mini reviews praise the redesign and rave about the performance boost that comes from Apple’s latest processors.

Here’s a roundup of comments on the tiny new macOS desktop.

Doesn’t it seem like the B&H Photo Holiday Head Start sale gets going earlier every year? Just kidding, never heard of it — but it looks tempting all the same. Sorting by brand, we saw that you can scroll down the page to see miles of Apple holiday deals, bagging more than 100 great bargains on pretty much the whole range of products, from MacBooks to AirTags.

In the world of high-resolution external displays, the LG DualUp monitor holds a special place. It’s a bit weird. The square-ish 28-inch display has an 18:16 aspect ratio, similar to two stacked displays. A developer swears by it because he no longer has to turn his head constantly, like he did when he used four 24-inch displays. And the monitor isn’t the only odd bit in his computer setup. He also uses two Mac mini desktop computers. He explains why below.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: After a whirlwind week of M4 Mac releases, we weigh up the pros (tons) and cons (very few). Mostly it’s a lovefest as we talk about the new M4 Mac mini, iMac and MacBook Pros.

Also on The CultCast:

• What’s up with Apple putting the new Mac mini power button on the bottom? (Luckily, the internet has some “fixes.”)
• Apple surprised us by upgrading the RAM on M2 and M3 MacBook Airs — without raising the prices!
• We wrap up with a discussion of what new Apple gear we ordered after this week’s Mac-o-rama.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.