Apple’s new Mac Mini is smaller than its predecessor.
apple
apple A new model of the Mac Mini was unveiled on Tuesday, its first major redesign since 2010, making the desktop computer significantly smaller.
Aside from a redesign that shrinks the casing and cuts the computer’s size in half, the main upgrade for these new computers is that they contain Apple’s latest chip, either the M4 or a more powerful version called the M4 Pro.
The Mac Mini is Apple’s cheapest Mac, starting at $599, not including the display, which is sold separately. When the line first launched in 2008, it was pitched as a computer for people switching from Microsoft Windows who could simply plug their existing keyboards, mice, and monitors into the new silver box .
The Mac Mini isn’t one of Apple’s best-selling computers in terms of sales, but it plays an important role in Apple’s product line, especially for people who develop apps for the iPhone and other Apple platforms. Many iPhone developers like to run a Mac Mini as a personal development server to coordinate uploads and code.
One improvement on the new design is that all ports are USB-C, which is the same as the more modern ports on Apple laptops. There are 3 USB-C ports on the back and 2 on the front, a newly added port that makes it easier to plug in or unplug accessories when the computer is on a desk.
The ports on the back of the 2024 Mac Mini.
apple
Apple said in a press release that the M4 is a significant improvement over the previous version of the M2 chip released in 2022. There was an increase in the previous generation. Apple first launched the M4 in the Apple iPad Pro in May.
Like all new products released this year, Apple is building the new Mac Mini specifically for Apple Intelligence, the company’s artificial intelligence system Published this week. Apple said it will soon integrate ChatGPT into the writing field in applications such as Word, which will allow users to use the system to generate and rewrite text and emails.
However, unlike the iPhone, only phones released in the past two years will support Apple Intelligence, while all Apple computers with M1 chips and newer since 2020 can run the company’s AI.
Apple’s Mac line is still a huge business unit, although it’s not as important to the company as the iPhone. Apple announced second-quarter Mac sales of $7 billion, an increase of about 2% from the same period last year.
Apple’s chief marketer previously said there would be “a week of announcements.” Company announced New iMac computers launched on Mondayso it seems likely there’s more to come. This week’s new Mac is likely to be Apple’s last major hardware release this year.
