Apple Mac Mini M2 / M2 Pro

Indeed, the most practical spec of this Mac mini M2 Pro undercuts the Mac Studio, yet still offers performance in some areas akin to Apple's most fearsome laptops. As ever, restraint on the options list helps temper the credit card pain — I'd say cough up for Apple's memory upgrade since there's no DIY option there, but Thunderbolt 4 external drives should offset the need for bigger internal SSDs — but on a punch-per-dollar basis, there's little here not to like. This may be Apple's smallest Mac, but its appeal is huge.

The M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini are wondrously powerful little computers but they could do with a visual update.

The Mac mini maintains much of the appeal that it previously did, now boosted by the more affordable entry point, so if you're looking for an affordable desktop computer, the M2 Mac mini is perfectly placed to offer that.

Apple might as well have just called this computer the Mac mini Pro – but I can see how that would have been confusing. Now the Mini exists in two forms: A cheap computer for most people, and a secret powerhouse for creators. It’s close to being the ideal small-form factor PC, if only it didn’t cost so much to get more RAM.

If you're wondering whether you should stick with the affordable M2 Mac Mini or splurge on the M2 Pro variant, let me break it down for you. If you intend to use this machine for basic tasks like browsing the web, sending emails, and taking video calls, the M2 is plenty. However, I recommend upgrading to the model with 512 GB of internal storage, as the Mac Mini reportedly features slower SSD speeds on the base model, just like the base M2 MacBook Air.

With a new low price for the base model, and two peppy processor options, Apple's Mac mini offers a huge upgrade in capability while looking the same as ever. (Some good things don't need to change.)

If you’ve been waiting for the in-betweener Mac that’s more capable than the iMac and less exorbitant than the Mac Studio, look no further. The new Mac Mini is still small and not the type of computer that calls attention to itself on your desk, but it’s never been more mighty.

Apple has outdone itself with the Mac mini M2, improving upon its predecessor's already excellent value by chopping $100 off the price and slotting in a speedy M2 chip. The option to upgrade it to an M2 Pro sweetens the deal, turning this pint-sized PC into a decent gaming machine.