Superpowered “Pro” computers are all well and good, but there’s something to be said for the strong and reliable family desktop PC, which is exactly what Apple is delivering with its latest 24-inch iMac and its cute little Mac Mini.
Since the start of the Apple Silicon era, I think there’s a good argument that the Mac Mini has been the best overall desktop computer on the market. Certainly, it’s the best compact. And in Apple’s line-up, the iMac is right behind it in terms of offering high-end mass market computing at a reasonable price.
The new Mac Mini pairs well with Apple’s displays and accessories, but it also works with anything else.
The new Mini still starts at $1000 and is smaller than ever, weighing around 700 grams and measuring less than 13cm x 13cm and 5cm tall. What I love about the Mini is that it’s small and subtle enough to become invisible on your desk, and you can build your own set-up with as much or as little Apple-branded stuff as you like. There’s HDMI, and Ethernet three Thunderbolt ports on the back for monitors, gear and hubs, a headphone jack and a couple of plain USB-Cs (not Thunderbolt) up front.
It’s quiet and powerful and you practically forget it’s there.
The iMac is obviously a different proposition, being that it’s an all in one with no need to attach anything to it if you prefer (except a power cable). This new version is similar to the last but with a few nice improvements. It starts at $2000 and has more RAM than before (minimum of 16GB versus 8GB), while all the models above that entry-level one have four full Thunderbolt 4 ports (versus two with plain USB-C last year), meaning more options for fast external........