Apple Mac mini
Apple’s compact PC is cut to the quick
Lightning fast and compact, but you’ll have to stop using Windows
The Mac mini joins the
Macbook Pro (see our review, Issue 596) and the Macbook Air in Apple’s new range of devices that use its powerful new processor, the M1. On the positive side, it’s extremely fast and runs the latest macos software at a blistering rate. On the other hand, it’s less compatible than ever – with even some existing Mac software unable to run on it.
From the outside, the Mac mini looks just like previous minis: a small metal box with an Apple logo and some ports at the back. You don’t get a screen, keyboard or mouse, so you need to factor anything you’re missing into the price. Our review model is the most affordable, with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for £699.
Given its compact size, there’s a fair selection of connections on offer (pictured below). It has two USB-C, two USB 3.0, and one Gigabit Ethernet port, as well as an HDMI socket and 3.5mm headphone jack. As for wireless connectivity there’s 802.11ax (Wi-fi 6) Wi-fi and Bluetooth 5.
One significant difference to previous Mac minis is that there’s no way to upgrade it. It’s possible to remove its lid but the memory and SSD are soldered to the motherboard and can’t be replaced.
As we found when we tested the Macbook Pro, the new M1 chip is lightning fast, and slightly faster here than with the Pro. However, we can’t run our standard benchmark test on the device because, like a lot of software, it hasn’t been rewritten for the M1 processor yet. We ran enough other tests to establish that it’s as fast as a Macbook Pro launched in late 2019 that cost in excess of £3,700. Not bad then for £699.
Indeed, it would be too good to be true if it weren’t for the M1’s drawbacks. The biggest of these is that you’ll have to switch to macos. Previous Macs had Intel processors that could run Windows emulators, so you didn’t have to leave your favourite software behind. The M1 can’t do this, so you have to fully embrace Apple’s OS. While macos may be considered easier to use by Apple veterans, this won’t be the case with anyone who’s only ever used Windows PCS. The differences between the software can be tricky to get to grips with.