Apple's redesigned, much smaller desktop from late 2024, with an M4 chip, 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD as standard, plus two front USB-C ports and a headphone jack. Owners still call it outstanding value and near-silent more than a year on, with the small base storage, pricey upgrades and an underside power button as the lasting gripes.
This entry is written from the 5 sources listed at the bottom of the page. The numbers are our editorial estimates drawn from that material, not measurements, and no statistical sample sits behind them.
On the evidence gathered here, yes. 90% of owners say they would buy it again, and satisfaction is still 8.5 out of 10 two years in. Still powerful enough for most people after a year of use.
Owners remain impressed by how fast, small and quiet it is, and one year-plus reviewer says the power button stopped bothering him once he simply let it sleep. The recurring compromise is the 256GB base storage, which several owners work around with an external SSD rather than Apple's costly upgrades.
Owners end up adding external SSDs or docks for storage. 16GB memory can feel the strain in heavier apps like Lightroom. No built-in Touch ID without buying a Magic Keyboard.
Still powerful enough for most people after a year of use. Sentiment across the ownership period stays close to flat, which is rare: it reads 8.9 out of 10 in the first week and 8.5 two years later.
Worth it for: Mac switchers on a budget; Home office and creative hobbyists; People who already own a monitor and peripherals. Think twice if: Pc gamers; Buyers needing lots of internal storage; Heavy pro video or vm workloads.
Our reading of how sentiment moves across an ownership period, drawn from the sources below. It is an editorial estimate, not tracked longitudinal data.
| At purchase | 8.8 / 10 |
|---|---|
| First week | 8.9 / 10 |
| One month | 8.9 / 10 |
| Six months | 8.8 / 10 |
| One year | 8.7 / 10 |
| Two years or more | 8.5 / 10 |
Owner reviews move this score. The researched figure stays visible next to it, so you can always see what the sources said before anyone voted.
Leave a review on the live pageEvery complaint and every piece of praise above traces back to these. The summaries are ours; nothing is quoted, and no link, quote or username anywhere on this site is invented.
Editor's Choice review confirming the $599 16GB/256GB base model; praises performance, compact design and value, but flags weak gaming, slower front USB-C ports and an awkward power button.
After over a year with the base model, the writer still calls it the best mini PC for most people and has made peace with the power button, but uses an M.2 stand to avoid costly storage upgrades and wants built-in Touch ID.
Owners upgrading from older iMacs are largely satisfied with the base M4 for Lightroom, Logic and Affinity work; RAM headroom is the main debate and many add a 1TB external SSD.
A Windows switcher a few months in finds it small, silent and consistently fast; his only regret is not waiting for a price drop, with limited ports and the power button as minor drawbacks.
Early ownership impressions from an upgrader: much faster and cooler than the 2018 mini with a faster SSD, called excellent value, with the power button placement the only gripe.