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Desktops (Apple) Apple

Apple Shrinks Mac Mini, Adds M4 Power Boost in Major Redesign (apple.com) 104

Posted by msmash from the pushing-the-limits dept.
Apple launched a dramatically smaller Mac Mini desktop computer on Tuesday, powered by its new M4 processor and featuring ray tracing capabilities for the first time. The redesigned Mini measures just 5 inches square, roughly half the size of its predecessor, while delivering up to 1.8 times faster CPU performance compared to the M1 model.

The base version starts at $599, while the more powerful M4 Pro variant begins at $1,399. The M4 Pro model sports 14 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores, with support for up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB storage. It introduces Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, offering data transfer speeds up to 120 Gb/s. Apple has revamped the port configuration, adding front-facing USB-C ports and a headphone jack. The rear features Ethernet, HDMI, and three Thunderbolt ports, though USB-A ports have been eliminated. The new Mini supports up to three 6K displays with the M4 Pro chip.

Apple Shrinks Mac Mini, Adds M4 Power Boost in Major Redesign More | Reply

Apple Shrinks Mac Mini, Adds M4 Power Boost in Major Redesign

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  • smaller? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by drinkypoo ( 153816 )

    People were already putting the last one in the fridge to get full performance because they made it too small to have adequate cooling. Now they've made it smaller, and made the processor more powerful, so you can throttle sooner for more money.

    • The larger version with better cooling is called 'Mac Studio'

    • Re:smaller? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by fred6666 ( 4718031 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2024 @11:56AM (#64903383)

      Instead of making it smaller they should make it easier to repair/upgrade. I understand the RAM is built-in to the CPU, but the SSD could be an NVMe module.

      Also I bet most people would prefer having an USB-A port instead of a fifth USB-C. I've never seen anyone using 5 USB-C ports at the same time.

      • Also I bet most people would prefer having an USB-A port instead of a fifth USB-C. I've never seen anyone using 5 USB-C ports at the same time.

        As much as I was critical of Apple shipping Macbooks with a million dongles, this is the perfect use case for an adapter. There's zero reason to have a USB-A port on a PC that isn't mobile given the backwards compatibility of the ports. Jam an adapter in one of the USB-C ports if you have the need for a USB-A port, there's no reason for your stuff to hold back development.

        And I say this as someone who just plugged the wife's Cricut Air into his PC using an adapter because I couldn't even be ****ed reaching

        • The reason is to avoid having to use dongles and adapters every time you want to connect an USB keyboard or thumb drive.
          There are 4 other USB-C ports. I'm not suggesting to remove them. I'm saying the usefulness of the fifth USB-C port is very low compared to a USB-A port.
          Personally, I'd even prefer 2-3 USB-A ports.

    • The original idea of the Mac Mini was supposed to be a small, inexpensive way for home PC users to dip their toes in the Apple ecosystem since you could technically re-use your existing keyboard, mouse and monitor. I think the bulk of their sales now though are to business customers who are buying it because they have a specific need for a tiny Mac desktop computer. The home desktop market has been on the decline for awhile.

      But to be honest, it's rare to even encounter a Mac in the wild these days outside

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Have you been to a cafe recently? Macs make up at least 50%.

        • Have you been to a cafe recently?

          Uh no. I have broadband internet access at home and wirelessly though my phone. Going somewhere to use the internet seems like something for people who are either homeless or desperately seeking some sort of social interaction with strangers, and I get enough of the latter at DCFC stations while charging my car.

          • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

            by Anonymous Coward

            So it sounds like the reason you haven't seen a Mac in the wild is that you don't go to places where people use computers - what's the point of pointing that out? You don't need to post here.

            • Businesses use computers, and with the notable exception of Tesla, everything I've experienced that's customer-facing is either being done on PCs or iPads these days.

              Actually, based on the number of iPads I've seen, I'd say Apple has successfully cannibalized their own desktop market. iPads are literally everywhere.

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by dfghjk ( 711126 )

                These days? That's always been true. Macs are not business machines and never have been. You're 40 years behind.

                • Every single developer in the last 2 decades has used or wanted a Mac. Linux isnâ(TM)t ready for prime time and Windows only gives partial Unix-like compatibility with things like WSL.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by unrtst ( 777550 )

          Have you been to a cafe recently? Macs make up at least 50%.

          Are you saying that you've actually seen people using Mac's in cafe's? NOTE: I'm not talking about MacBook's. When is the last time you saw a Mac computer? IE: One hooked up to a keyboard and monitor.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by dfghjk ( 711126 )

            Computers are used, not seen. That seems to be your problem, you aren't a computer user. And every MacBook is a Mac with a keyboard and monitor. Perhaps what you need is turn on your brain, if that's possible.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by unrtst ( 777550 )

              What is this ignorant garbage? AI generated insults? Weak sauce.
              I'll count that has one confirmation that people aren't seeing Mac's anywhere, other than MacBooks.

              And every MacBook is a Mac with a keyboard and monitor.

              I don't give a rats ass about your little laptop.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Guspaz ( 556486 )

        These days? Macintosh market share has been on a general upward trajectory for at least the past decade. Primarily in the form of macbooks, but the iMac isn't uncommon either.

        • The article is about a desktop computer, so unless I'm going around looking in peoples' windows to see what kind of computer they've got in their living room (and no, I'm not), the places I'd see them "out in the wild" would be at customer-facing businesses.

          Yes, I've seen people using MacBooks at Starbucks. I've yet to see anyone toting a Mac Mini and the rest of their rig along with them to get a coffee, but the day is still young.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by dfghjk ( 711126 )

            Sounds like a you problem, saying stupid things, making ignorant observations, then blaming others for it. Has nothing to do with the article.

            • Has nothing to do with the article.

              The article is what we're discussing and it's about how Apple released a newer version of one of their desktop computers. It's not a MacBook, home users aren't buying as many desktops these days, and customer-facing businesses clearly aren't using them, so my comment was sincerely asking "who is buying these things?"

              Obviously Apple is selling them or they'd have given the product line the axe, as was the fate of the iPhone mini. I'm inclined to guess they're just getting stuffed into server racks somewher

      • Mac Minis are often used for CI/CD jobs.

        Checking out from version control, compiling, testing and pushing good builds into a staging repository.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by dfghjk ( 711126 )

        What does "in the wild" mean in this context? You mean in use outside an Apple Store? That would be preposterous, of course. Also, Mac laptops are Macs, are you claiming you never see a Mac laptop "in the wild"? Don't be a moron.

        Digital signage is a dumb application for a Mac. You know what a Raspberry Pi is?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Kisai ( 213879 )

        The Mini is basically a headless laptop. It's perfect for people who 'need a mac' but not the overpriced-undercooled macbook's.

        The point of the MacBook Air is that it's quiet and you can use it in a classroom, which is why there are no moving parts. That's fine, but people whine and complain that the cheap model has no fans. That's the point!

        The MacMini has always had a laptop cooling fan, and when it kicks in, it sounds even worse than a laptop, instead of a gentle woosh, it's like a high pitch "aaaaaaaaa"

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by wicka ( 985217 )
      The people who buy this are explicitly buying it because they want a very small Mac. Making it bigger is pointless. Buy a different computer if that's what you want.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by drnb ( 2434720 )

        The people who buy this are explicitly buying it because they want a very small Mac. Making it bigger is pointless.

        Especially given the Mac Studio.

        I'd say people really want an inexpensive Mac not a small one. They are awesome for development purposes.

        In early PowerPC days I had an external SCSI HD I could take home to get some work done on a personal Mac. Now I can just take the mini home and plug it into a keyboard, mouse and display at home.

        Or when doing contract work, I tell the client they are going to need their own Mac for building releases and submitting to Apple. That I'm fine developing own my own sys

      • The people who buy this are explicitly buying it because they want a very small Mac. Making it bigger is pointless.

        The point of my comment is that putting in a more expensive processor which you won't get more real-world performance out of because it's going to throttle sooner is pointless.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by wicka ( 985217 )
          And you're probably wrong on that point anyway. I'll bet you every dollar I have that testing shows it's considerably more powerful than the one before. But this is Slashdot, and lord knows that the world's biggest nerds would rather die than fail to take an opportunity to cry about Apple.

          • I'll bet you every dollar I have that testing shows it's considerably more powerful than the one before.

            Whose testing? Apple's, where they start with a cold machine and run a brief benchmark?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by dfghjk ( 711126 )

        False. Apple makes very few Macs, people buy minis because it's the best option of very few available. Making one bigger used to be the most obvious improvement Apple could offer, yet they did not. Quite to the contrary, the mini's small size offers most users virtually nothing.

    • You are talking absolute rubbish.

    • There has to be a Yo Dawg meme in there somewhereâ¦

  • 16 GB memory (Score:5, Insightful)

    by kamapuaa ( 555446 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2024 @11:53AM (#64903365) Homepage

    I'm glad to see the base model starts at 16GB. I realize memory is faster, architecture is better, blah blah blah, but it's ridiculous that Macbooks start with 8GB RAM in 2024.

    • I'm glad to see the base model starts at 16GB.

      I'm glad to see the base model starts at 16GB.

      With 128 GB storage, for $600.
      An upgrade to 24 GB RAM and 512 GB storage for $1,000 is more realistic.
      32 GB RAM and 512 GB storage for $1,200 if you want to run Windows 11 too.

      • With 128 GB storage, for $600.

        The lack of storage was pretty inexcusable on the laptops, but this is a desktop computer where it's not really a big deal to have an external drive sitting next to it. Course, that's the paradox of the Mac Mini - a tiny ass little desktop with a bunch of cables dangling off the inevitable USB hub.

        If you do need faster storage than the USB ports provide, well, a Mac Mini is probably the wrong tool for the job in other aspects as well.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by drnb ( 2434720 )

          With 128 GB storage, for $600.

          The lack of storage was pretty inexcusable on the laptops, but this is a desktop computer where it's not really a big deal to have an external drive sitting next to it.

          I have an Intel mini with 32GB/256GB. Things were a little tight until I moved my Windows and Linux VMs off to a Samsung T9. There is no real perceptible change in performance. The mini and drive even fit on a laptop cooler.

          • The mainstream appeal of tiny little machines is their tiny little volume.

            If you have to add more boxes then that appeal decreases.

            The casual market is already dominated by iPads.

            So who is a Mini even for? Can there really be enough sales in MacOS software development to justify its existence?

            The iMac makes sense because it's converged, that's a formula that's worked for Macintosh computers since the beginning. The Mini, though? I just don't get that one.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by drnb ( 2434720 )

              The mainstream appeal of tiny little machines is their tiny little volume. If you have to add more boxes then that appeal decreases.

              Then you buy more storage when you order it. I was only short on storage because I bought it used from a friend not Apple. The external storage was also necessary for backups. And like I said both the mini and the external fit on a 14in laptop cooler. I mention the Samsung mostly because it is so fast that there is no performance hit from running my VMs off it.

              The casual market is already dominated by iPads. So who is a Mini even for?

              In expensive Macs where you can recycle old PC keyboard, mice and displays. It is precisely the sort of Mac many in the community had been asking for

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by dfghjk ( 711126 )

          "If you do need faster storage than the USB ports provide, well, a Mac Mini is probably the wrong tool for the job in other aspects as well."

          If you need faster storage than USB ports can provide, you need psychiatric help. Keep in mind is not just USB, it's Thunderbolt 5. Is 10GB/sec just not fast enough?

      • Re:24 or 32 GB RAM 512 GB storage more realistic (Score:5, Informative)

        by jpatters ( 883 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2024 @12:47PM (#64903605)

        Base SSD is 256GB. Prices for additional RAM and SSD capacity are outrageous though.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by drnb ( 2434720 )

          Base SSD is 256GB. Prices for additional RAM and SSD capacity are outrageous though.

          Thanks for catching that.

        • Re:24 or 32 GB RAM 512 GB storage more realistic (Score:5, Interesting)

          by unrtst ( 777550 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2024 @01:43PM (#64903857)

          Base SSD is 256GB. Prices for additional RAM and SSD capacity are outrageous though.

          Absolutely. Going from 16gb ram to 24gb is an additional $200 for that extra 8gb, or $400 more to go up to 32gb.

          The MOST EXPENSIVE 16gb SO-DIMM module I could find on newegg.com is $292 (over $100 less than Apple charges for that much more RAM), and that's WAY overpriced as well. $100 for 16gb is still really high, and is 1/4th what Apple charges.

          Or let's compare Apple's to Apple's:
          1x of the new Mini in the cheapest config: $599, 256gb SSD, 16gb RAM ... upgrade that to double the ram and SSD and leave everything else at base gives us:
          1x of the new Mini with 512gb SSD and 32gb RAM: $1199 ... or just buy two of the base units:
          2x of the new Mini in the cheapest config: $1198

          IE: You can get two of them for the same price as adding 16gb ram and adding 256gb SSD to one of them. That's ridiculous.

          If unified memory and their own SSD cost that much (hint: they don't), then they're giving away the rest of the entire thing every time someone buys the cheapest one.

          • Itâ(TM)s not DDR4 SODIMM, itâ(TM)s closer to GDDR6/7 on your GPU. Same for the SSD, itâ(TM)s in terms of performance closer to a PCIe5 datacenter drive. Based on prices nVIDIA and Kioxia handles for those deltas, the Apple stuff is quite cheap.

            If you wanted a DDR4 comparison, decked out Intel Mac Mini are on eBay.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Tom ( 822 )

          Yes. Having less than 1 TB in a desktop computer these days is kind of ridiculous.

          16 GB RAM is fine for a lot of use-cases. For a starting configuration, I find that adequate. But yes, the upgrade costs by Apple are ridiculous. I'm waiting for iFixIt to make a tear-down and let us know how easy it is to upgrade the machine myself.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by jpatters ( 883 )

            The RAM and SSD are not upgradable, and you cannot decouple the SSD from the device, it is literally chips soldered to the main board. They claim performance benefit of tightly integrating the RAM and the M-series CPU. If the device is being used in any kind of industry with high confidentiality requirements, such as health care, the whole device will need to be verifiably destroyed when it is decommissioned. (This is more due to the SSD than the RAM).

            • If the device is being used in any kind of industry with high confidentiality requirements, such as health care, the whole device will need to be verifiably destroyed when it is decommissioned. (This is more due to the SSD than the RAM).

              That's not strictly true. You could remove the storage chip and destroy that. It's not likely to happen, but it IS completely possible to remove it, destroy it, and replace it. If enough machines need to be processed in this way, it might even be profitable so someone might actually even do it.

    • I liked when I could crack the back open and add ram as required.

      • I liked when I could crack the back open and add ram as required.

        As much as I'd love to ding Apple for that, soldered RAM has been something of an industry trend over the last few years.

  • Now that you can put linux on it (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Budenny ( 888916 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2024 @11:58AM (#64903391)

    Now that you can put Asahi Linux on it, its starting to look like a very attractive package. Price not bad for what it is, too.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Budenny ( 888916 )

      I was wrong, Asahi doesn't run on the M3 or M4 yet. Too bad.

    • Why would that make it more attractive? You can buy tons of mini computers that run a non beta Linux flavor.

      • Well, you don't get to show off an Apple logo on those other mini computers, now do you?

        Always found it hilarious that phone and tablet cases for Apple products always had the carve out for the logo. Like, what's the point of me even having this thing if others can't tell if it's an Apple device? /eyeroll

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Budenny ( 888916 )

        The M3 and M4 processors in such a small, low power consumption package. Haven't tried Asahi yet, don't have a Mac, but on M1 and M2 it seems to be out of beta and usable like any other linux.

        My impression, correct me if I'm wrong, is that the M series processors are way ahead of Intel at this point. But I have no use for MacOS, so Linux on one is the only way to get the advantages of the hardware. When it come out for M3 and M4, which people seem to think will happen pretty soon.

        You have to contend with

    • Like other comments mention, hopefully Asahi will get there in due time. Aside that, you're spot on, technically it looks great. I love the thermal design, compute power in such a small package. Perhaps if my server (htpc/music player, Nas, cloud,...) bites the dust, something like this can take over? I will want a 10gbe rj45 connection, but in time that should be doable...
  • Apple has achieved desktop nirvana. The new mini is quite possibly the perfect desktop computer: it does everything and it's hardly noticeable.
    • I still don't see why I'd buy one over laptop? Why not have the screen and keyboard built-in if you'll want them even once in a while? It would be one thing if we were talking about a $350 mini-pc where every dollar counts but the Mac Mini is not that.
      • This is not meant to be portable. Yeah, this isn't the right thing if you want a full computer system that happens to be portable. For that, you buy these things we call "laptops" or "tablets".

        This thing is designed to camp behind a massive 2- or 3-monitor setup for people who are doing office work but want to deal with a full sized box or need the expansion slots (which are most of us).

    • Apple has achieved desktop nirvana. The new mini is quite possibly the perfect desktop computer: it does everything and it's hardly noticeable.

      So, it got down to about Intel NUC size? :-)

      • Exactly! If only Intel had figured out how to capitalize on that as Apple has on the Mini. Intel can only sell to engineers, it seems. Apple knows consumers.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by drnb ( 2434720 )

          Exactly! If only Intel had figured out how to capitalize on that as Apple has on the Mini. Intel can only sell to engineers, it seems. Apple knows consumers.

          I have confidence in ASUS. I've been happy with their motherboards in BYO systems for decades.

      • Re:Yeah, about Intel NUC size (Score:4, Informative)

        by unrtst ( 777550 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2024 @01:50PM (#64903885)

        Apple has achieved desktop nirvana. The new mini is quite possibly the perfect desktop computer: it does everything and it's hardly noticeable.

        So, it got down to about Intel NUC size? :-)

        Not even! It's larger than either a NUC 13 Pro or a Beelink SER5:
        New Apple Mac Mini: 5"x5"x2" (12.7cm x 12.7cm x 5cm)
        Beelink SER5: 4.44"x4.96"x1.65"
        Intel NUC 13 Pro: 4.5"x4.3"x2"

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by drnb ( 2434720 )

          Apple has achieved desktop nirvana. The new mini is quite possibly the perfect desktop computer: it does everything and it's hardly noticeable.

          So, it got down to about Intel NUC size? :-)

          Not even! It's larger than either a NUC 13 Pro

          Note the word "about". :-)

  • It support Ray Tracing (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Touvan ( 868256 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2024 @12:13PM (#64903451)

    Now we just need Apple to stop being so damn hostile to game devs...

    • Now we just need Apple to stop being so damn hostile to game devs...

      Game developers go where the money is. That's consoles and Steam. It's also not a stretch to say that there's a substantial portion of PC gamers who own GPUs which cost more than the base model of this Mac.

      Some things never change - death, taxes, political arguments during Thanksgiving dinner on election years, and you don't buy a Mac for gaming.

      • Now we just need Apple to stop being so damn hostile to game devs...

        Game developers go where the money is.

        There is money on Mac. Porting From Windows, or better simultaneously developing for Windows and Mac, is a relatively modest incremental cost overall. So the smaller Mac market is not really an issue. Plus there is a benefit to the Windows developers and QA, Mac development will help find difficult bugs on the Windows side. Cross platform development tends to have bugs manifest in different ways, so a difficult to find bug on one can become an easier to find bug on the other. As a matter of fact when first

      • Game developers do chase money, but games also appear on platforms where porting is easy.

        Apple is hostile to competing 3D APIs like Vulkan.

        You can translate to Metal but that introduces delays and incompatibilities.

        If Apple supported Vulkan like everyone else then there would be more games on Mac OS.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Tom ( 822 )

      I am a game dev. On Mac. I don't see any hostility from Apple.

      With the M-chips, gaming performance has become pretty good.

      I see a few problems in the toolchains, but they are disappearing one by one.

  • That's exactly what the new Mac mini is. Mind you, wish they put the power button in a more convenient place and included an RJ-45 2.5 gbps Ethernet port on the back, though, since this type of machine really needs the RJ-45 port for office connections.

  • I think they mean 5x5 inches, not 2.2x2.2

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by RogL ( 608926 )

      "5 inches square" is probably what they meant.
      I've also seen it described as a cube, not unless it's 5x5x5

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