I picked up the M1 Mac Mini four years ago. I opted for the base model with 16GB of RAM. At the time, I made a mistake by neglecting to purchase extra storage, which I had to make up for with additional external storage. Still, this Mini performed really nicely and still does. By far the best Mac I have ever purchased. I started to figure out how to upgrade when I first heard reports of a new version of the Mini. S, when the times are perfect, I will be upgrading to an M4 with 512GB of storage and 24GB of RAM; I have a feeling this Mac will keep going for many years to come.
Great. Storage is the thing, isn't it? I know everyone says -- correctly -- that you can get much cheaper external SSDs than Apple sells in internal storage, but I went through such misery with an Intel Mac mini that had just 128GB that I never want to go back.
I'm replacing an M1 Mac mini with 16GB memory/512GB storage with an M4 mini having 24GB memory and 1TB of storage as I found for my usage style that 512 GB needed external storage as well. The beauty of using the Mac mini is when a new one comes out you can keep using the same peripherals. In my case this means an Apple Studio Display, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse converted to wireless charging via an adapter, Insta360 Link 4k webcam and boom-mounted condenser microphone.
The smaller MacBook Air, for writing, I think is just the best. It is thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro, the difference might not seem like much but actually it adds to that feeling of being able to just take it anywhere. You can slip it into a suitably sized shoulder bag so easily. You can sit in different parts of your home and write. If you aren't doing video editing and I suspect most people are not, then check out the MacBook Air.
I bought an M2 Mini Pro last year and couldn’t be happier, but if Santa asked for my wish list of Apple products, it would be: - an M4 Mac Mini Pro with 32 GB memory and 1 terabyte storage - a 11” M4 iPad Pro with cellular - the new Apple pencil I already have two 24” monitors, along with a keyboard and a mouse that will work with the Mini, the iPad and my iPhone by moving a switch on them. I also have a good webcam for videoconferencing and a comfortable desk setup. I would settle for less storage because I have external drives that are fast and it wouldn’t be expensive to add more if I needed to. I’m not even using 1/10 of my current iCloud storage, so there’s that too. When my budget is tight, I’ll opt for more memory than storage. If I need portability, I can use the iPad as a monitor. The new Mini, iPad, mouse and keyboard would fit easily in a small backpack. Always buy the best quality you can afford and future proof your new system with more memory, power and space than you need. You won’t have to upgrade as often and will therefore save money in the end.
I've taken my current M1 Mac mini with me on trips and used an iPad as the screen. It worked fine but the new one being so much smaller is terribly tempting.
Just added an Apple Magic Keyboard (USB-C and no numeric pad) for my new iPad mini and my existing iPad Air 6 (13 inch). This gives me TWO different sized "laptops". Really nice. Only issue with the new keyboard is the size of the [Return] key - it is very small and oddly shaped compared to the older Magic Keyboard I use on my Mac mini. The new Mac mini is AUD1100 approx in Oz and is a great buy.
I used to have to swap between machines where one had a UK keyboard and one had a US one. The time it would take to get used to their different size and shape Return keys, it was frustrating.
Hi William. We've now looked at all the new releases. Great updates and great devices, but none of them are currently tempting me to buy. I'm very happy with my M1 Mac Studio and my M1 MacBook is also perfect for my needs. The next update probably won't be due for a few years. Still, it's fun to follow the news. Greetings from Stuttgart/Germany.
Hello back from Birmingham, England. Why am I so excited that you're in Stuttgart? I just love it. And despite all of the new releases, I still envy you that Mac Studio.
I’ve had several versions of the iMac over years, and we might get the new on with the M4 chip down the road a bit further. Meanwhile, I’ve got my eye on that new MacMini to upgrade my old one. It’s my first mini & I like the idea of just replacing the brain when everything else works fine. Your comment that iMacs aren’t very portable reminded me that the oddest place I ever ran into someone with an iMac out in the world where you’d expect to see a MacBook was several years ago was inside a popular coffee chain during a very hot spell in the Northern half of California’s great Central Valley. This guy had set up his giant iMac 🖥️ on the short side coffee table while sat in a cushy chair piloting his keyboard from his lap. Clearly he wasn’t just taking advantage of free wifi, but free air conditioning, too.
Now you've said this, I remember seeing a video where someone had a travelling case for their 27-inch iMac Pro. I don't remember if they had it made specially. But, wow, it was big.
I believe if your budget allows for one of either storage or memory, get more memory. Especially in the case of the M4 Pro Mac mini, you have three Thunderbolt 5 ports that can be used for superfast external storage. OWC already have a Thunderbolt 5 2TB external SSD available at a priceconsiderably lessr than what Apple charges to go from 1TB of internal storage to 2TB.
I do over-worry about internal storage because I had such a bad experience with a 128GB Intel Mac mini. But where before Apple Silicon I'd have unquestionably agreed about RAM, I'm leaning now to believing Apple's claims about generally needing less than before.
@ When the base model M2 MacBook Air arrived with a single NAND chip as its 256GB storage instead of a pair of 128s, it was found to have slower read/write performance than the M1 version. Tests by several TH-camrs revealed that you gained more performance by spending the extra $200 on 16GB of memory with that 256GB of storage than by spending the $200 on 512GB of storage while retaining the miserly 8GB of memory.
Good overview, thank you. I'm not getting any of these, BUT I did use airplane points to get this which arrives tomorrow on Halloween (iPad mini Wi‑Fi 128GB - Space Gray). I decided free was a good price. Good luck on your launch next week. I'll be seeing you.
I just thought of this after watching a GQ video on Seinfeld’s 10 Essentials: I would be curious to see your take on this and provide your viewers with your essentials you take with you on the go from a writer/content creation/traveler’s point of view. Perhaps you can make another one that’s based in your work space as well when not traveling 🤔
That's a good idea, thank you. I think I've at least touched on some of it before but it was idly crossing my mind that we are approaching the end of the year and some kind of review might be useful, especially as my travelling gear in particular has changed a lot in 2024. Thanks. I'll ponder -- and also watch that GQ video.
I have been thinking about a Mac Mini for a while now to supplement my M2 MacBook Pro - started to do a bit of audio and video editing so potentially makes sense. The educational discount I have may just nudge me too, although not sure the M4 Pro is affordable, so I will probably will go for the M4 with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Or can I make do with my MacBook Pro for a few more years????
You can certainly make do, but it might be making do. If you're able to have both then you will get a lot out of them and doubtlessly they'll both last for years and years. I'll never say anyone should buy something because one can't know anybody else's budget or needs, but if it's an option for you, I do think the new Mac mini is good. Assuming you have a screen, keyboard and mouse.
Have you noticed that the price of the baseline Mac Mini is entirely accounted for by the memory? Three times two hundred (two times 8GB RAM plus 256GB SSD) dollars/pounds totals six hundred! Shows just how much of a gouge Apple memory upgrade prices are! But while you have to take this for the RAM, you do not have to take it on the SSD! The USB-C ports are now so fast you will not notice any difference between internal SSD and an external Thunderbolt drive. A faff on a laptop, but perfectly OK in a desktop machine I would suggest. This strategy not only gives you much lower cost per GB, it also gives you flexibility to expand storage at a later date, to swap storage in and out and between machines and to select your own balance of speed and cost. I think the sweet spot is the baseline M4 Pro Mac Mini with its 24GB/512GB. I will consider bumping the RAM, but the SSD is easily enough for the OS and applications. When I run out of space for my user data, I'll buy an external SSD from a third party.
I once suffered, I don't think that's too strong a word, from having insufficient internal storage. It was a 128GB Mac mini and the problems that caused were far more than I could have imagined. I'd have to delete as much as I could in the morning, yet by afternoon the drive would be so full of temporary files that it would actually slow the Mac down. Seriously. The time from clicking a button to it responding would be minutes. Minutes. Consequently I over-twitch about internal storage and go for as much as I can rather than trying to cart around externals. Although I do also cart around some externals. I should write less, that's the thing.
@@WilliamGallagher I would be mightily impressed if an author produced even a single GB of original text in an entire lifetime of writing! Only videographers reach into the hundreds of GB. One hundred years is only about 2.2 Gigaseconds! Many don't realize that you can edit files directly on external media, there is no need to copy them onto the internal drive. So as long as there is enough room for the OS and applications on the internal drive you should be OK.
Thanks: I wasn't sure it worked -- the opening, not the phone, that phone died years ago -- but I thought of it and couldn't resist. Consequently I now feel much happier about it, thank you.
Would the m4 pro Mac mini last long with 512 gigs of storage if you’re not doing video editing everyday? It’s $1899 where I live. That’s the one I’m looking to get. And just to make sure, if you use two USB adapters in the back, a wire keyboard and mouse will work, right?
Storage is fine you’ll get thunderbolt 5 ports which means external SSDs will be very zippy and macOS now supports installing apps to external drives or so I’ve read so you can get cheaper storage externally. Keyboards and mouse will be fine. For the record on M1 iMac base model I edited 4k videos on the 256gb then moved all the files to external when done.
I’m going to find out, the base m4 pro Mac mini is what I ordered. I think 24gb of unified memory and 512 gigs ssd should be fine. I have an m1 air with 16gb of ram and 1 tb of ssd and I’m not using more than about 300 gb of that storage. I do have an ungodly amount of crap on my nas though lol.
Yes to all of this. I get a bit over-stressed by storage because I had such a very bad experience with an Intel Mac mini that had only 128GB storage. Even using external drives as much as I could, that internal one kept getting so full that the Mac would slow down disastrously. It rather burnt me, so I now go for as much storage as I can possibly manage, and I do recommend doing that, but 512GB is already so much better.
I would have thought the MBA being upgraded to 16GB of ram would have been your sweet spot for this posting??? For running a copy of Scrivener and basis video editing this would be plenty fine. I’m an engineer by trade and at 68 I’m trying to get started writing (seriously, I am, to which my whole family smiles and chuckles). Anyway, I currently use a 16” M1 MBP base model for the large screen and very snappy performance while I have 25-60 browser tabs open… If you’re on a budget or have limited funds, make sure you get 16gb of ram and don’t worry about the storage as a Thunderbolt 4 to M2 SSD will run just about as fast as the internal SSD and you can add it later when you’re able to afford it. I added one with a 1TB capacity for ~$135 (US), all in. A friend just gave me a 2TB SSD so I will be testing that soon, so I’m set for now. When I switch it will probably be the 15” MBAir with 24GB of ram and whatever SSD size I can find. I’ll take my external SSDs with me and migrate to the lighter system with the larger screen because my eyes are still getting older, but not my mind. 😂
Yes. I do recommend the Air but the news of its update didn't come out until after the MacBook Pro launch, which is when this was finished. I think even the older MacBook Air is good, but this is excellent. And I have immense time for engineers, I think they are preposterously underrated. So an engineer becoming a writer? Excellent.
Honestly don't get the upgrade strategy of apple. I was considering an apple laptop, but the option of getting a PC and throwing in an extra 2tb SSD and 16gb of ram was something that apple just couldn't compete with. That said, as a scrivener user the apple platform offers some advantages, some of which really come from the OS not just developer choices. For an existing PC user the Mini looks interesting as a low price entry point. Just for writing. That assumes that 'any' screen, keyboard and mouse will work with it fine. If I needed proprietary add-ons it would be a deal breaker. Really impressed with the speed and quality of apples technological iterating though.
I used to build my own PCs from components, but switched first from a desktop to a laptop, and then from Windows to Apple when I bought a MacBook Pro. It lasted years before I had to upgrade to Apple Silicon. I decided to go back to a desktop because it was a struggle to set my desk up ergonomically and the screen was just too small. My M2 Mini Pro worked with all my old PC peripherals from circa 2008, but I felt that after fifteen years, I deserved new ones. They’re Bluetooth so having the right ports isn’t an issue. My two inexpensive LG monitors connect via HDMI, though I had to buy a cable to connect to the HDMI port on the second monitor from one of the Thunderbolt ports. Anyone shopping for a new one for the Mac should verify compatibility with the Mac and buy the one that meets their needs. It doesn’t have to be one from Apple. I have a couple of external storage drives the size of a credit card that increase storage up to 2 terabytes. You’ll pay less than $100 per terabytes for a quality one by Samsung. For a bit more, you can get enclosures for them for a cleaner look. Memory chips in the future, even those running Windows, will be soldered to the board and therefore not upgradeable. That’s one of the reasons for their better performance. Apple is years ahead in this respect. And because with Parallels 20 I can run the Mac OS, Windows and Linux from the same machine, I see no reason to ever go back to the old ways.
@@polishtheday Thanks for your response to my earlier comment. You've made some great observations. The soldered ram thing is indeed encroaching into the PC space, I haven't seen anything that really justifies it so far - just not seeing the performance uplift, perhaps in time that will occur. I think Apple has absolutely made the right move in making 16gb the entry level spec, that's plenty for basic tasks, and complex tasks, as long as the user doesn't go stupid on the multitasking.
@ After all these years, I still find it harder to multitask on a Mac, even when using windows management tools. Maybe this is a good thing as it keeps my mind on what I’m doing.
@@polishtheday That's interesting. Why is it harder to multitask on a mac? Is it a hardware (cost) limitation, OS, or user interface barrier? I'm not a mac user, but I thought macs should multitask like champions due to their linux roots.
@ I think it’s just me and muscle memory. I used Windows for too long. I was one of the few who used Windows before version 3.0. People laughed when I told them what I was doing. It was what forced me to open that magic box for the very first time to upgrade RAM.
My theory is that 8GB is just enough for macOS, based on my 2018 mini. Just enough but not, you know, “enough”. So I decided that my next Mac would have 16. But then Apple released 16GB Macs and promised us AI. Which means macOS and AI together need 16GB ram. So my next Mac will get 24GB, just to be sure.
That 2018 one will be an Intel Mac mini and I do believe Apple is telling the truth when it says the "Unified Memory" of the Apple Silicon Macs is sufficiently more efficient that you don't need as much. But I have more RAM in my M1 MacBook Pro than I do in my M1 Mac mini and I am feeling that the latter is aging while the former is still ace.
I bought a macbook pro , wish i'd bought an imac or mini , i HATE laptops and am only using it as I'm between moving properties ... lesson learned... wondered why i hadn't bought one ( white ibook G3 ) since 2001 ... now i can remember .... awful keyboard , fragile screen , total rip off price too
It would mean yet more money, of course, but you could plug in a separate keyboard and monitor once you've got to the property you're moving to. Is that possible? Or practical?
@@WilliamGallagher I guess so , I was looking at getting one of those cradle things to hold the laptop and use an external keyboard ... maybe for xmas :)
Apple have suddenly made 16GB of memory the minimum at the same time that Apple Intelligence was made available. You can't tell me it's coincidental, who really knows how much memory Apple Intelligence will need in future years? For this reason the M4 Mac mini I ordered has 24GB of memory instead of 16GB.
Personally am not a e new Mac mini design... stalled but too fat, plugs in the front for connivence now just makes it looks some cheap SSD backup drive... iMac colors makes me feel I need to do pigtails for my friend and play Candyland at age 12 - You can so tell that Jobs and Ives are not part of Apple anymore - sure m4 is great but the computers look like toys - like what doctors office is going to need to choose between a pink and light purple computer at their desk?
I really like the colours. But that's so interesting about the look of the Mac mini: my first thought was the other way around, that it was a miniaturised Mac Studio.
Same. If you use your AI to write a book, I'll use mine to read it for me. But there was some bug in the macOS Sequoia beta that meant I lost Mail summaries in the inbox and I am surprised how much I missed that.
I picked up the M1 Mac Mini four years ago. I opted for the base model with 16GB of RAM. At the time, I made a mistake by neglecting to purchase extra storage, which I had to make up for with additional external storage. Still, this Mini performed really nicely and still does. By far the best Mac I have ever purchased. I started to figure out how to upgrade when I first heard reports of a new version of the Mini. S, when the times are perfect, I will be upgrading to an M4 with 512GB of storage and 24GB of RAM; I have a feeling this Mac will keep going for many years to come.
Great. Storage is the thing, isn't it? I know everyone says -- correctly -- that you can get much cheaper external SSDs than Apple sells in internal storage, but I went through such misery with an Intel Mac mini that had just 128GB that I never want to go back.
I'm replacing an M1 Mac mini with 16GB memory/512GB storage with an M4 mini having 24GB memory and 1TB of storage as I found for my usage style that 512 GB needed external storage as well. The beauty of using the Mac mini is when a new one comes out you can keep using the same peripherals. In my case this means an Apple Studio Display, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse converted to wireless charging via an adapter, Insta360 Link 4k webcam and boom-mounted condenser microphone.
Hey that is whatI just ordered. Good choice! 😊
Excellent
@PLANETWATERMELON it’s what I’m thinking about too.
The smaller MacBook Air, for writing, I think is just the best. It is thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro, the difference might not seem like much but actually it adds to that feeling of being able to just take it anywhere. You can slip it into a suitably sized shoulder bag so easily. You can sit in different parts of your home and write. If you aren't doing video editing and I suspect most people are not, then check out the MacBook Air.
You're right. Opposite me as I type to you now is my wife's MacBook Air and every time she shows me something on it, I am startled at how light it is.
I bought an M2 Mini Pro last year and couldn’t be happier, but if Santa asked for my wish list of Apple products, it would be:
- an M4 Mac Mini Pro with 32 GB memory and 1 terabyte storage
- a 11” M4 iPad Pro with cellular
- the new Apple pencil
I already have two 24” monitors, along with a keyboard and a mouse that will work with the Mini, the iPad and my iPhone by moving a switch on them. I also have a good webcam for videoconferencing and a comfortable desk setup.
I would settle for less storage because I have external drives that are fast and it wouldn’t be expensive to add more if I needed to. I’m not even using 1/10 of my current iCloud storage, so there’s that too. When my budget is tight, I’ll opt for more memory than storage.
If I need portability, I can use the iPad as a monitor. The new Mini, iPad, mouse and keyboard would fit easily in a small backpack.
Always buy the best quality you can afford and future proof your new system with more memory, power and space than you need. You won’t have to upgrade as often and will therefore save money in the end.
I've taken my current M1 Mac mini with me on trips and used an iPad as the screen. It worked fine but the new one being so much smaller is terribly tempting.
Just added an Apple Magic Keyboard (USB-C and no numeric pad) for my new iPad mini and my existing iPad Air 6 (13 inch). This gives me TWO different sized "laptops". Really nice. Only issue with the new keyboard is the size of the [Return] key - it is very small and oddly shaped compared to the older Magic Keyboard I use on my Mac mini.
The new Mac mini is AUD1100 approx in Oz and is a great buy.
I used to have to swap between machines where one had a UK keyboard and one had a US one. The time it would take to get used to their different size and shape Return keys, it was frustrating.
I may replace my M1 pro 14 with an M4 Pro Mac Mini. As it turns out I never leave the house and having the power would be good for video editing.
What videos do you edit? I'm not asking because I know something useful about the Mac mini, I'm just entirely being curious. Not to say nosy.
Hi William. We've now looked at all the new releases. Great updates and great devices, but none of them are currently tempting me to buy. I'm very happy with my M1 Mac Studio and my M1 MacBook is also perfect for my needs. The next update probably won't be due for a few years. Still, it's fun to follow the news. Greetings from Stuttgart/Germany.
You sound like you're grieving 😂
Hello back from Birmingham, England. Why am I so excited that you're in Stuttgart? I just love it. And despite all of the new releases, I still envy you that Mac Studio.
I’ve had several versions of the iMac over years, and we might get the new on with the M4 chip down the road a bit further. Meanwhile, I’ve got my eye on that new MacMini to upgrade my old one. It’s my first mini & I like the idea of just replacing the brain when everything else works fine.
Your comment that iMacs aren’t very portable reminded me that the oddest place I ever ran into someone with an iMac out in the world where you’d expect to see a MacBook was several years ago was inside a popular coffee chain during a very hot spell in the Northern half of California’s great Central Valley. This guy had set up his giant iMac 🖥️ on the short side coffee table while sat in a cushy chair piloting his keyboard from his lap. Clearly he wasn’t just taking advantage of free wifi, but free air conditioning, too.
Now you've said this, I remember seeing a video where someone had a travelling case for their 27-inch iMac Pro. I don't remember if they had it made specially. But, wow, it was big.
I believe if your budget allows for one of either storage or memory, get more memory. Especially in the case of the M4 Pro Mac mini, you have three Thunderbolt 5 ports that can be used for superfast external storage. OWC already have a Thunderbolt 5 2TB external SSD available at a priceconsiderably lessr than what Apple charges to go from 1TB of internal storage to 2TB.
I do over-worry about internal storage because I had such a bad experience with a 128GB Intel Mac mini. But where before Apple Silicon I'd have unquestionably agreed about RAM, I'm leaning now to believing Apple's claims about generally needing less than before.
@ When the base model M2 MacBook Air arrived with a single NAND chip as its 256GB storage instead of a pair of 128s, it was found to have slower read/write performance than the M1 version. Tests by several TH-camrs revealed that you gained more performance by spending the extra $200 on 16GB of memory with that 256GB of storage than by spending the $200 on 512GB of storage while retaining the miserly 8GB of memory.
Good overview, thank you. I'm not getting any of these, BUT I did use airplane points to get this which arrives tomorrow on Halloween (iPad mini Wi‑Fi 128GB - Space Gray). I decided free was a good price. Good luck on your launch next week. I'll be seeing you.
Excellent, I'm so pleased you went for it. And thanks: it feels weird starting up a whole new venture, but I like what I've made so far.
I just thought of this after watching a GQ video on Seinfeld’s 10 Essentials: I would be curious to see your take on this and provide your viewers with your essentials you take with you on the go from a writer/content creation/traveler’s point of view. Perhaps you can make another one that’s based in your work space as well when not traveling 🤔
That's a good idea, thank you. I think I've at least touched on some of it before but it was idly crossing my mind that we are approaching the end of the year and some kind of review might be useful, especially as my travelling gear in particular has changed a lot in 2024. Thanks. I'll ponder -- and also watch that GQ video.
I have been thinking about a Mac Mini for a while now to supplement my M2 MacBook Pro - started to do a bit of audio and video editing so potentially makes sense. The educational discount I have may just nudge me too, although not sure the M4 Pro is affordable, so I will probably will go for the M4 with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Or can I make do with my MacBook Pro for a few more years????
You can certainly make do, but it might be making do. If you're able to have both then you will get a lot out of them and doubtlessly they'll both last for years and years. I'll never say anyone should buy something because one can't know anybody else's budget or needs, but if it's an option for you, I do think the new Mac mini is good. Assuming you have a screen, keyboard and mouse.
Don’t forget: Apple is now also setting the base memory kf the macbook air M3 to 16 GB
Yes. I didn't know that when I made this, that's a huge thing.
Have you noticed that the price of the baseline Mac Mini is entirely accounted for by the memory? Three times two hundred (two times 8GB RAM plus 256GB SSD) dollars/pounds totals six hundred! Shows just how much of a gouge Apple memory upgrade prices are! But while you have to take this for the RAM, you do not have to take it on the SSD! The USB-C ports are now so fast you will not notice any difference between internal SSD and an external Thunderbolt drive. A faff on a laptop, but perfectly OK in a desktop machine I would suggest. This strategy not only gives you much lower cost per GB, it also gives you flexibility to expand storage at a later date, to swap storage in and out and between machines and to select your own balance of speed and cost.
I think the sweet spot is the baseline M4 Pro Mac Mini with its 24GB/512GB. I will consider bumping the RAM, but the SSD is easily enough for the OS and applications. When I run out of space for my user data, I'll buy an external SSD from a third party.
I once suffered, I don't think that's too strong a word, from having insufficient internal storage. It was a 128GB Mac mini and the problems that caused were far more than I could have imagined. I'd have to delete as much as I could in the morning, yet by afternoon the drive would be so full of temporary files that it would actually slow the Mac down. Seriously. The time from clicking a button to it responding would be minutes. Minutes. Consequently I over-twitch about internal storage and go for as much as I can rather than trying to cart around externals. Although I do also cart around some externals. I should write less, that's the thing.
@@WilliamGallagher I would be mightily impressed if an author produced even a single GB of original text in an entire lifetime of writing! Only videographers reach into the hundreds of GB. One hundred years is only about 2.2 Gigaseconds! Many don't realize that you can edit files directly on external media, there is no need to copy them onto the internal drive. So as long as there is enough room for the OS and applications on the internal drive you should be OK.
I love the intro! 🥰 Should switch to an old phone than hang a sock this Christmas 🧐
Thanks: I wasn't sure it worked -- the opening, not the phone, that phone died years ago -- but I thought of it and couldn't resist. Consequently I now feel much happier about it, thank you.
@WilliamGallagher 🤣 i love it! 💯
Would the m4 pro Mac mini last long with 512 gigs of storage if you’re not doing video editing everyday? It’s $1899 where I live. That’s the one I’m looking to get. And just to make sure, if you use two USB adapters in the back, a wire keyboard and mouse will work, right?
Storage is fine you’ll get thunderbolt 5 ports which means external SSDs will be very zippy and macOS now supports installing apps to external drives or so I’ve read so you can get cheaper storage externally. Keyboards and mouse will be fine. For the record on M1 iMac base model I edited 4k videos on the 256gb then moved all the files to external when done.
I’m going to find out, the base m4 pro Mac mini is what I ordered. I think 24gb of unified memory and 512 gigs ssd should be fine. I have an m1 air with 16gb of ram and 1 tb of ssd and I’m not using more than about 300 gb of that storage. I do have an ungodly amount of crap on my nas though lol.
Yes to all of this. I get a bit over-stressed by storage because I had such a very bad experience with an Intel Mac mini that had only 128GB storage. Even using external drives as much as I could, that internal one kept getting so full that the Mac would slow down disastrously. It rather burnt me, so I now go for as much storage as I can possibly manage, and I do recommend doing that, but 512GB is already so much better.
May I ask what videos you edit? Can I see any of them?
@0hN0es203 excellent. Would you let me know how it goes?
I would have thought the MBA being upgraded to 16GB of ram would have been your sweet spot for this posting??? For running a copy of Scrivener and basis video editing this would be plenty fine. I’m an engineer by trade and at 68 I’m trying to get started writing (seriously, I am, to which my whole family smiles and chuckles). Anyway, I currently use a 16” M1 MBP base model for the large screen and very snappy performance while I have 25-60 browser tabs open… If you’re on a budget or have limited funds, make sure you get 16gb of ram and don’t worry about the storage as a Thunderbolt 4 to M2 SSD will run just about as fast as the internal SSD and you can add it later when you’re able to afford it. I added one with a 1TB capacity for ~$135 (US), all in. A friend just gave me a 2TB SSD so I will be testing that soon, so I’m set for now. When I switch it will probably be the 15” MBAir with 24GB of ram and whatever SSD size I can find. I’ll take my external SSDs with me and migrate to the lighter system with the larger screen because my eyes are still getting older, but not my mind. 😂
Yes. I do recommend the Air but the news of its update didn't come out until after the MacBook Pro launch, which is when this was finished. I think even the older MacBook Air is good, but this is excellent. And I have immense time for engineers, I think they are preposterously underrated. So an engineer becoming a writer? Excellent.
Honestly don't get the upgrade strategy of apple. I was considering an apple laptop, but the option of getting a PC and throwing in an extra 2tb SSD and 16gb of ram was something that apple just couldn't compete with. That said, as a scrivener user the apple platform offers some advantages, some of which really come from the OS not just developer choices. For an existing PC user the Mini looks interesting as a low price entry point. Just for writing. That assumes that 'any' screen, keyboard and mouse will work with it fine. If I needed proprietary add-ons it would be a deal breaker. Really impressed with the speed and quality of apples technological iterating though.
I used to build my own PCs from components, but switched first from a desktop to a laptop, and then from Windows to Apple when I bought a MacBook Pro. It lasted years before I had to upgrade to Apple Silicon. I decided to go back to a desktop because it was a struggle to set my desk up ergonomically and the screen was just too small.
My M2 Mini Pro worked with all my old PC peripherals from circa 2008, but I felt that after fifteen years, I deserved new ones. They’re Bluetooth so having the right ports isn’t an issue. My two inexpensive LG monitors connect via HDMI, though I had to buy a cable to connect to the HDMI port on the second monitor from one of the Thunderbolt ports. Anyone shopping for a new one for the Mac should verify compatibility with the Mac and buy the one that meets their needs. It doesn’t have to be one from Apple.
I have a couple of external storage drives the size of a credit card that increase storage up to 2 terabytes. You’ll pay less than $100 per terabytes for a quality one by Samsung. For a bit more, you can get enclosures for them for a cleaner look.
Memory chips in the future, even those running Windows, will be soldered to the board and therefore not upgradeable. That’s one of the reasons for their better performance. Apple is years ahead in this respect.
And because with Parallels 20 I can run the Mac OS, Windows and Linux from the same machine, I see no reason to ever go back to the old ways.
@@polishtheday Thanks for your response to my earlier comment. You've made some great observations.
The soldered ram thing is indeed encroaching into the PC space, I haven't seen anything that really justifies it so far - just not seeing the performance uplift, perhaps in time that will occur.
I think Apple has absolutely made the right move in making 16gb the entry level spec, that's plenty for basic tasks, and complex tasks, as long as the user doesn't go stupid on the multitasking.
@ After all these years, I still find it harder to multitask on a Mac, even when using windows management tools. Maybe this is a good thing as it keeps my mind on what I’m doing.
@@polishtheday That's interesting. Why is it harder to multitask on a mac? Is it a hardware (cost) limitation, OS, or user interface barrier? I'm not a mac user, but I thought macs should multitask like champions due to their linux roots.
@ I think it’s just me and muscle memory. I used Windows for too long. I was one of the few who used Windows before version 3.0. People laughed when I told them what I was doing. It was what forced me to open that magic box for the very first time to upgrade RAM.
I thought it was great that Apple mentioned Scrivener in their AI segment in the MacBookPro video ...
I noticed that too. About time. Good for them.
Oh! I totally missed that. Brilliant.
The new Mac mini is tempting... finally 16GB base Ram.
I had just managed to convince myself to hang on a little longer and you're tempting me again.
@@WilliamGallagher I just gave my wife advance warning that I might order it. She didn't say anything, just rolled her eyes. It's a good sign.
My theory is that 8GB is just enough for macOS, based on my 2018 mini. Just enough but not, you know, “enough”. So I decided that my next Mac would have 16. But then Apple released 16GB Macs and promised us AI. Which means macOS and AI together need 16GB ram. So my next Mac will get 24GB, just to be sure.
That 2018 one will be an Intel Mac mini and I do believe Apple is telling the truth when it says the "Unified Memory" of the Apple Silicon Macs is sufficiently more efficient that you don't need as much. But I have more RAM in my M1 MacBook Pro than I do in my M1 Mac mini and I am feeling that the latter is aging while the former is still ace.
You speak out my inner Voice
Great minds.
I bought a macbook pro , wish i'd bought an imac or mini , i HATE laptops and am only using it as I'm between moving properties ... lesson learned... wondered why i hadn't bought one ( white ibook G3 ) since 2001 ... now i can remember .... awful keyboard , fragile screen , total rip off price too
It would mean yet more money, of course, but you could plug in a separate keyboard and monitor once you've got to the property you're moving to. Is that possible? Or practical?
@@WilliamGallagher I guess so , I was looking at getting one of those cradle things to hold the laptop and use an external keyboard ... maybe for xmas :)
Apple have suddenly made 16GB of memory the minimum at the same time that Apple Intelligence was made available. You can't tell me it's coincidental, who really knows how much memory Apple Intelligence will need in future years? For this reason the M4 Mac mini I ordered has 24GB of memory instead of 16GB.
Now that's a good point: if I do go for a Mac mini I'll now go for extra RAM, thanks.
That’s weird - I just said much the same thing as you did. 24Gb does feel like the new 16 GB.
my dude you are full of it
Finally, someone who agrees with me.
"AIR"
I even recommended the Air in this video.
Personally am not a e new Mac mini design... stalled but too fat, plugs in the front for connivence now just makes it looks some cheap SSD backup drive... iMac colors makes me feel I need to do pigtails for my friend and play Candyland at age 12 - You can so tell that Jobs and Ives are not part of Apple anymore - sure m4 is great but the computers look like toys - like what doctors office is going to need to choose between a pink and light purple computer at their desk?
I really like the colours. But that's so interesting about the look of the Mac mini: my first thought was the other way around, that it was a miniaturised Mac Studio.
Don't go public, when you don't want replies. Greetz from The Netherlands
?
is this for real?
Santa hanging up on me? Yes.
I hate Apple Intelligence for writing. I want to read an actual human being, not an AI
Same. If you use your AI to write a book, I'll use mine to read it for me. But there was some bug in the macOS Sequoia beta that meant I lost Mail summaries in the inbox and I am surprised how much I missed that.
Don't do anything M1 is fine for writing
La la la not listening... don't want to listen... yes, okay, you're right... stop it, stop it...