I’ve had my M4 Mac mini for two weeks now, and it still seems kind of remarkable that this tiny little box can do so much. My uses for the M4 mini are probably unconventional, but that’s also the beauty of the product: it serves a versatile set of needs, all at a very low price point (now $499). Here are my takeaways after a fortnight of use.
It fits in wherever you want it
As you can see above, my Mac mini currently lives on my nightstand shelf, right next to my M4 iPad Pro. I call it the M4 shelf (no, not really).
The Mac mini is so small, it can truly fit in wherever you need it:
- on a big or tiny desk
- under a desk
- on a TV stand
- in a bookshelf
- or yes, in a nightstand
A nightstand might normally be a pretty inconvenient location for a Mac mini. Partly for the monitor issue, which I’ll address in a moment, but also because of ports.
Fortunately, Apple’s M4 redesign put two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the front of the device. Connecting to those ports is so much easier than it would have been on prior models, providing more flexibility in where you can place your computer. It’s a small touch, but one I’m grateful for.
It can disappear really well
My M4 mini and iPad Pro sitting snugly side by side works especially well because the iPad is actually my primary monitor for the Mac mini.
I’ve never been a fan of being stuck to a desk all day. I much prefer to work from a variety of spots around the house and regularly get outside the home too.
As a result, the iPad Pro with its built-in cellular connection has long been my productivity device of choice. So it only made sense to me that the iPad be my primary Mac monitor.
I have a wired setup for connecting the two devices, and wireless options as well—perfect for the versatility of my working habits.
Because I access my Mac mini through the iPad, the computer pretty much feels like it disappears. It sits on my nightstand, and I can connect to it from wherever I am.
I still camp out in iPadOS most of the time, but when I need to use a Mac, macOS is there waiting for me as just another iPad app.
It’s a full-powered, impressive computer
Despite relegating my Mac mini to a little nightstand shelf, and accessing it through my iPad Pro, I don’t mean in any way to diminish its capabilities.
This Mac is a full-powered beast of a computer. It has:
- the latest M4 chip
- 16GB RAM
- upgraded Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence
- hardware‑accelerated ray tracing for gaming
- plus solid I/O with support for driving three displays
- and of course, all the capabilities of macOS
For a little 5×5 box that can fit anywhere you want it and largely disappear, it’s a remarkable feat of engineering.
Coming next: Mac Virtual Display in visionOS 2.2
All of this only scratches the surface of what the M4 Mac mini can do. But one feature I’m especially excited for is the upgraded Mac Virtual Display support in visionOS 2.2.
Since the M4 Mac mini gets out of the way so easily, it’s kind of the perfect device to pair with a Vision Pro. You can use the two together now, but the improvements coming to Mac Virtual Display in visionOS 2.2 next month will make it even better.
Whether you’re using your Mac via an iPad, a Vision Pro, or even going the traditional route of a desk and monitor, one thing is clear: the M4 Mac mini is a unique computer that fits into Apple’s lineup like no other.
How are you using your Mac mini? Let us know in the comments.
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