Apple Mac mini Desktop Computer with M4 chip with 10 core CPU and 10 core GPU: Built for Apple Intelligence, 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad

A lot has changed since the Mac mini M1 and to me the M4 is worth the upgrade, they removed firmware passwords and apparently the security is now locked to the iCloud / find my account. Apple intelligence is fun but not perfect but I didn’t get this for AIPros:how silent is it, even running steam games like Neva and using a PlayStation controller via Bluetooth the system stays silent during game play.I love screen share, being able to use my phone that’s got a tiny screen, on to the bigger screen with the Mac mini where I can use the keyboard to type out emails is amazing and flawless. Apps open fast, I was able to install a virtual machine and run windows 11.The Mac version of steam was easy to install and quite a few of my games are available for Mac OS.I am hoping that I can encode and edit videos in 4k but I’ve yet to try this, handbrake should run for encoding.I am using mine with a Logitech keyboard and the keyboard doesn’t really work well as many of the keys are not mapped but that’s not apples fault.More and more games are being added for Mac and it really is a power horse for running games. For the money it’s not cheap but the base model can handle pretty much anything I throw at it. It has many features in iOS that I am used to.I would list cons but I can’t find any. It’s easier to use than windows and I am a long time windows user. I brought the mac as I’m fed up of windows echo system and with intel because of intel ME and the security risks that poses from bad actors. You can run windows and windows app on this mac if you want to there are guides on YouTube and running windows in a virtual environment is more secure anyway and there’s an option to run Linux, I had to pay a tenner for the virtual software from the apple App Store.My windows systems in probably going to sell, there’s no need for it in my opinion anymore, handbrake runs on Mac, makemkv does, steam and you can install other browsers like beave if you want to.The Mac mini M4 doesn’t take up much space and barely makes a whisper if space is tight or you like to travel with your Mac, this is a game changer for real. I had a few things I couldn’t figure out how to use so I spoke to apple support who guided me through the settings in no time.Please be sure to enable the firewall when you set it up, it’s disabled by default apparently.I Debranded my Mac with a decal from Kikis Delivery service (see photo), sadly the Mac mini I brought didn’t have any apple stickers with it but you can’t win them all.

I have always been a lifelong Windows PC user, and always viewed Apple as 'style over substance'. Pretty looking premium lifestyle products which were way more expensive yet less capable than the PC or Android phone equivalent.However, this base model is more capable and powerful than mini PC's at almost twice the price and it is not possible to build a PC at this price anywhere near as capable... Which has completely flipped my opinion of Apple products. It's actually shocking that I am now an iPhone and Mac user. I never saw that coming!I opted for the base spec machine as it does everything I need with ease. Just to compare to your own needs and usage;I'm a semi-professional user and I do not play any games. I use the machine for all the usual web browsing, email and office type apps, I have a couple of media players for playing my own music and 4K movies from HDD, I use Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Illustrator along with a few other random productivity and streaming apps, and I still have approx 165-170GB remaining of the 256GB SSD. I have no clue what I would ever do to fill the HD, as all my files, images etc are stored on external drives.Likewise for 'only' having 16GB of RAM; I had my concerns, but the occasions I feel the machine could be quicker, such as mass-importing hundreds of high-res (45MP) RAW photographs into Lightroom, is so rare it just doesn't even cross my mind to need the upgrade. Obviously if you're a heavy user, processing a lot of images or editing video every day; You'd likely benefit from the M4 Pro and more RAM to keep your workflow seamlessly smooth and snappy, but rest assured the base M4 is very capable and will still get the job done.The same applies to the connectivity speed... The three Thunderbolt 4 ports at the rear are already faster than I could ever 'need', but if you're regularly transferring huge quantities of data and BIG files, and every extra minute affects your workflow... You could benefit from the Pro's Thunderbolt 5 ports. For my usage it is such fine margins that once again I just couldn't gaslight myself into spending more money (which is rare!).Considering even iPhones no longer have them, the 3.5mm headphone jack is very welcome for those with wired headphones. It's just a nice touch and extra versatility even if most won't use it.I won't moan about the price of upgrades as they're irrelevant to me, but the one single negative I can mention even at the brilliant price is the power button... Apple decided to put it underneath at the rear (likely to put all ports and switches on a single small board for space saving and efficiency) so it's a bit of a faff to power it up if you have the box tucked away. I only do it once or twice per day but should you have to pick up your PC to turn it on? I don't think so...Just finally, from a buyer/user perspective, I have never owned a mini PC or even a Mac before but I just couldn't justify not buying the M4 Mini. It's been a seamless transition and the base spec M4 Mini is probably the best value tech product I have ever bought. It's an incredibly capable media workhorse and for a genuinely premium brand product to actually be 'cheap', exceed every preconception and expectation is a feeling I'm not used to and it's sensational. Apple have converted another PC owner... And maybe that's exactly the pricing strategy.I've rambled on for far too long here but I hope my own usage helps you to assess your own needs. The cost of the upgrade from the base-spec M4 to the M4 Pro is approx £700, which is a VERY nice new 32" monitor, or a selection of high-end accessories and hard drives... So if you don't 'need' that power bump, I'd spend the money elsewhere in your setup... Which I did, and haven't regretted it for a second.