While we did not get an updated Mac Mini this year, the existing M1 desktop remains a good option if you want a compact machine with one of Apple's latest chips. Amazon often discounts the machine, and the 512GB model is down to an all-time low right now. While the list price is $869, an automatically applied $119 coupon will knock the final price down to $750.
Buy Mac Mini M1 (512GB) at Amazon – $750
At this sale price, the Mac Mini M1 is the most affordable way to get a machine with Apples M1 processor (unless you snag one of the latest iPad Pros while they're discounted). Apple's MacBook Air M1 starts at $999 and the new MacBook Pros with the M1 Pro and M1 Max processors are much more expensive than the rest. While we didn't give the Mac Mini M1 the full review treatment, you can expect it to run similarly to the latest MacBook Air, which is to say, speedily and smoothly. It has an eight-core CPU, an eight-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine that handles machine learning tasks. And with the discounted model, you're getting more than the base amount of storage, which should help future-proof the machine for at least a little while.
With all of the updates inside of the desktop, the Mac Mini's exterior looks much the same as previous versions. It's a small, silver box interrupted only by its array of ports, which includes two Thunderbolt ports, two USB-A connectors, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. At this point, there's no telling when Apple will launch a totally redesigned Mac Mini, so this sale is a great option for those who can't wait any longer for a new desktop.
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