Apple’s product lineup makes the Mac Mini the right desktop purchase, especially if you’re tired of Apple laptops
As a longtime Mac user, I used to laugh at the Mac Mini. While most Mac computers are polished and pleasing, die hard fans know there have been some duds, and I always considered the Mac Mini a dud. It’s a G4 Cube without the cubic personality. I’m happy to say that either I changed or the Mac Mini changed, because I just bought one, and it’s exactly the computer I need right now.
I’ve owned every sort of Mac, except for the most expensive Mac Pro desktops. My first Mac was a Macintosh IIsi, running OS 6. After that, I bought a PowerBook laptop and I’ve been a portable Mac fan ever since. I’ve owned PowerBook, iBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro machines. I’ve also owned an iMac, a strawberry model with the CRT display, to date myself.
In other words, I’ve been a long time Mac owner, and I’ve made many Mac buying decisions, both for myself and for friends and family. When the Mac Mini came around, I couldn’t imagine recommending it over an iMac, or even an iBook. The price wasn’t so far off, and you could buy an Apple desktop or laptop computer for less than $1,000 in the US, back when the first Mac Mini launched. The Mac Mini is a mini what, exactly?
What is the Mac Mini, anyway? Is it a headless iMac? A MacBook in a box without a battery? Is it a bigger Apple TV with more components inside? When the iMac was an affordable and even competitive desktop option, the Mac Mini made little sense.
Things have changed, both for me and for the Apple computer lineup. For Apple, the iMac is no longer the family-friendly entry into Apple’s ecosystem. It’s now a fancy, polished machine, with a price tag to match its premium status.
The iMac’s 24-inch screen is small, compared to what you’d get if you bought a Mac Mini and used the remainder for an external display. In fact, at more than 4K resolution, buying an iMac is the same price as buying a Mac Mini and a premium display, like a 24-inch LG Ultrafine monitor.
A brand new MacBook Air is almost the same price as the 24-inch iMac, with the new Apple M2 chip on board. That’s not a bad price for an amazingly slim and portable laptop, but it still leaves Apple without a bargain portable. Nothing under $1,000 in the US, at least.
