There was a time when theMac minifelt like the staring Mac for me . Its compact frame was ideal for keep my desk straight and unlittered , while its M1 chip was miles upright than the sluggish Intel processor in my2015 MacBook Pro . Almost all my work was done from place , so I did n’t mind the want of portability , while my MacBook handled things just fine on the route .

But over time , my 2015 MacBook Pro slowed to a crawl and Ieventually replaced itwith a 14 - in MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip . And that ’s where the problems began ( for the Mac mini , at least ) . Because after a mates age of utilisation , I ’m finding myself get hold of for my MacBook Pro rather than my Mac mini almost every time — and I ’m not sure even the coming Mac mini redesign can change that fact .

In case you missed it , rumors have been swirling that Apple is planning to launch arevamped Mac miniin the next few month . This is n’t just any old tune - up — the Mac miniskirt is expected to come with a newfangled intent that slim down its footprint toabout the size of it of an Apple TV loge , while slightly increase its height in the process . It ’ll be the first major intent change for the Mac miniskirt since 2010 , right around the meter the iPhone 4 initially went on sale .

That has admittedly pique my interest . After all , we ’ve seen various claims over the years that aMac mini redesignwas in the workings , but they ’ve all come to nothing so far . Will this clip be any different ? And if it does actually make out to fruition , will it be enough to convince me to kick upstairs ? Or has the MacBook Pro everlastingly dented my exuberance for Apple ’s low screen background Mac ?

Overcoming the MacBook Pro

Aside from the young innovation , the next Mac mini is expected to get a Saratoga chip upgrade to theApple M4 serial . There are rumored to be two models in the works , one with an M4 cow dung and another stomach the M4 Pro . Other than that , though , there are n’t expected to be too many other change .

While the new chips sound intriguing — specially the M4 Pro , which would avail with the game reviews that are a part of my work — I ’m not sure that they ’re enough to convince me to extract the initiation . And that ’s because even the Modern Mac miniskirt ’s little size still wo n’t help it overcome the MacBook Pro ’s trump card : portability .

Sure , the Mac mini itself is highly portable . It ’s the smallest Mac you could get for your desktop , and I find it ’s easy to slip inside a backpack when I ’m on the go . But using a Mac mini requires more than just the computer itself — you need a power electric cord , a keyboard , a mouse , and a exhibit , too . And lugging around a desktop monitor is not exactly my definition of convenient .

The Mac mini does n’t really have much of an vantage for me at home either , since I can easily connect my MacBook Pro to a admonisher and expend it like a screen background Mac . For me at least , the MacBook Pro has the upper deal .

Should you buy the Mac mini?

That ’s not to say there ’s no reason at all to buy a Mac miniskirt . One of its primary strengths is its price – starting at $ 599 , it ’s the punk Mac by some $ 400 and is a full $ 1,000 less expensive than the most affordable MacBook Pro . That ’s a massive savings and it still nets you an excellent picayune computer .

If Apple can keep the Mary Leontyne Price of the new model low , that alone will be an excellent rationality to buy it . Add in the concentrate footmark , new aspect , and faster french fries and it could be a tempting prospect for a lot of people .

I ’m just not sure I ’m one of those masses anymore . My M1 Mac miniskirt has served me really well over the years , but it just ca n’t match the MacBook Pro ’s combination of tycoon and portability . The new model , as good as it could be , is unlikely to change that for me .