Macs keep rolling along with the launch of a new Mac Mini. In the M4 edition, the company scales down the little desktop to nothing larger than an Apple TV. Apple TV 4K measures 3.66 x 3.66 inches, whereas Mini measures 5 x 5. Despite its small size, the new Mini packs a big punch!
Apple has made the Mac Mini much smaller thanks to their powerful in-house M4 chip. This allows them to squeeze the Mini into a box that is almost as small as an Apple TV. Even though it’s tiny, there is still a small fan inside to keep the chips cool. This is likely because the Mini comes with either a standard M4 chip or the new, more powerful M4 Pro chip which could get hotter under heavy use.
Apple’s M4 chip is about 1.8 times faster than the CPU in the original M1 Mini. The graphics processor, or GPU, is over 2 times faster too. You get even better performance if you opt for the new M4 Pro chip. Apple says this Pro chip is the “fastest in the world” for tasks like gaming and editing photos or videos. The new graphics can render realistic lighting effects called ray tracing that are 2 times better.
In addition to being small and powerful, the Mini is also Apple’s first “carbon neutral” Mac. This means it was designed and manufactured in a way that doesn’t hurt the environment. It still has three USB-C ports on the back plus an HDMI port and Ethernet connection to hook it up to displays, storage devices and the internet.
The standard M4 Mac Mini with 16GB of memory starts at just $599. For the processor-packed M4 Pro model, you’ll pay $1,399. Pre-orders start next week with shipping beginning November 8th. So if you’re looking for an affordable but mighty Mac, the new Mac Mini could be the perfect desktop for you!
