Apple just unveiled a brand new Mac mini, powered by the next generation M4 and M4 Pro chips. This compact desktop computer makes a compelling choice for a wide range of users, from students to creative professionals. Here’s the rundown on why you might want this little powerhouse on your desk:
Powerful Performance in a Compact Design
The new Mac mini embodies the essence of minimalism. It attributes a remarkably compact design, measuring just 5 by 5 inches – a significant reduction from the previous generation. This incredible feat is achieved through the power efficiency of Apple’s M4 silicon and an innovative thermal architecture.
Despite its mini size, the Mac mini delivers exceptional performance. Apple claims it to be up to 1.8x faster in CPU performance and 2.2x faster in GPU performance compared to the M1 model.
The M4 Pro chip in the Mac mini significantly enhances its performance and capabilities, making it a powerful and versatile machine for professionals and creative individuals.
Key Performance Enhancements:
- CPU Power: The M4 Pro’s 14-core CPU, with its 10 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, delivers lightning-fast single-threaded and multithreaded performance.
- GPU Power: The M4 Pro’s GPU, with up to 20 cores, is nearly twice as powerful as the M4’s GPU. This enables smooth handling of demanding graphics-intensive tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and gaming.
- AI Acceleration: The M4 Pro’s Neural Engine is over 3x faster than the M1’s, enabling rapid AI-based workflows for tasks such as image and video processing, machine learning, and augmented reality.
Efficiency and Connectivity:
- Unified Memory: The M4 Pro supports up to 64GB of unified memory, providing seamless access to large amounts of data and reducing latency.
- High Bandwidth: With 273GB/s of memory bandwidth, the M4 Pro can handle demanding workloads with ease, such as transferring large files and running resource-intensive applications.
- Thunderbolt 5: The M4 Pro supports Thunderbolt 5, delivering up to 120Gb/s data transfer speeds, enabling faster data transfer and connection to high-performance peripherals.
- Hardware-Accelerated Ray Tracing: The M4 Pro brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the Mac mini, enabling more realistic and immersive graphics in games and creative applications.
That means smoother multitasking, faster video editing, rendering and a better overall experience for everyday tasks.
Supercharged Connectivity
The new Mac mini offers a wide range of ports for connecting all your favorite devices. It features both front-facing and back ports for convenience. The front includes two USB-C ports and an audio jack that supports high-quality headphones.
On the back, the M4 version comes with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, while the M4 Pro features the next-gen Thunderbolt 5, offering double the transfer speeds! This means you can connect to high-resolution displays, external storage, and other high-bandwidth devices with ease.
Speaking of speed, the Mac mini can now drive multiple high-resolution displays. With M4, you can connect up to two 6K displays, while the M4 Pro lets you go wild with three 6K displays – that’s a staggering 60 million pixels of screen resolution.
Introducing Apple Intelligence: Your Mac Gets Smarter
Apple Intelligence is a new feature that brings personal intelligence to the Mac. It uses the power of Apple silicon and the Neural Engine to help you work, communicate, and express yourself in brand new ways. Apple Intelligence brings a new level of personal computing to the Mac mini.
Here are some of the features included in Apple Intelligence:
- Writing Tools: Get help with your writing with features like rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text.
- Image Playground: Create fun and original images with this new tool.
- Enhanced Siri: Move seamlessly between spoken and typed requests to get things done faster.
- Genmoji: Design custom emoji in seconds to express yourself in a whole new way.
- ChatGPT: Get ready for a smarter digital experience! In December, ChatGPT is merging with Siri and Writing Tools, streamlining access to advanced language capabilities without switching between apps.
macOS Sequoia
The new Mac mini comes with macOS Sequoia, Apple’s latest operating system, bringing a host of exciting features:
- iPhone Mirroring: Seamlessly extend your iPhone’s screen to your Mac, allowing you to interact with apps, notifications, and more directly on your larger display.
- Safari Enhancements: The world’s fastest browser gets even better with features like Highlights for quick information retrieval, a smarter Reader with a table of contents and summaries, and a new Video Viewer for distraction-free viewing.
- Enhanced Organization: Easily tile windows to your preferred layout, keeping your workspace clutter-free.
- Secure Password Management: The all-new Passwords app provides a convenient way to store and access your passwords, passkeys, and other credentials.
- Immersive Gaming: Experience gaming like never before with personalized Spatial Audio and Game Mode improvements.
- Video Call Backgrounds: Elevate your video calls with beautiful built-in backgrounds, including color gradients, system wallpapers, or your own photos.
Kind to the Planet
The new Mac mini is Apple’s first carbon neutral Mac. They’ve achieved this by using recycled materials throughout the build and by offsetting remaining emissions with carbon credits. Plus, the packaging is now entirely fiber-based, reducing plastic waste.
Pricing and Availability
The new Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro is available to order online today, with availability in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers from November 8.
- Mac mini with M4: Starts at $599 (U.S.) and $499 (U.S.) for education.
- Mac mini with M4 Pro: Starts at $1,399 (U.S.) and $1,299 (U.S.) for education.
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