The M4 Mac Mini Offers the Best Value I've Seen From an Apple Product, and It's $60 Off
The M4 Mac Mini, Apple's smallest computer, is an easy recommendation for me since it's one of CNET's picks for the best desktop computers of 2025. It's also our go-to for the best cheap desktop alternative to a MacBook or iMac. Even better, it's now selling at Amazon for $60 off, which brings the price down to $539. That's a fantastic deal for work-from-home employees and creatives.
The M4 Mac Mini has been my best tech investment this year
The M4 Mac Mini plus Apple's current crop of USB-C Magic accessories make for a really nice portable computing solution. Add a portable monitor and you're set.
Josh Goldman/CNET
I've been joyfully surprised by the M4 Mac Mini's value proposition and how wonderful it's been for me to work from a desk. As a freelance remote worker, I travel for at least 10 days every month, so I need a portable computer. Based on my lifestyle, I should be recommending the M4 MacBook Air. But it's the remaining 20 days of the month that I need to work harder than usual to put together new pitches, deliver approved stories, sort admin tasks, conduct research and more. All this requires immense organization and productivity, and the M4 Mac Mini has helped make my life easier.
This smallest of Apple's computers doesn't compromise on power. It features a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB solid-state drive for storage. It's very powerful for a $599 machine and a bargain at $500. You likely won't be able to find similar reliability and power on a Windows machine for $500. I've tried and failed. And no, I'm not forgetting that the Mac Mini doesn't come with a display or a mouse and keyboard.
I paired my M4 Mac Mini with a 27-inch LG UltraGear monitor (currently down to $249) and a Logitech mouse and keyboard combo -- all for under $200. The UltraGear's big screen is quite useful for research and multitasking, as well as watching movies.
The M4 Mac Mini can be equally excellent for both home office and content creation needs. As CNET's Goldman wrote in his review, "The Mini can fit in your hand and be everything from an everyday home office computer to a full-on professional content-creation machine -- and an easily portable one at that -- with support for up to three 6K-resolution displays."
My buying recommendation
The M4 Mac Mini was launched in November 2024, and it's now available at a $60 discount, which is not the lowest price we've seen but a decent discount nevertheless. The small Apple computer offers a superb value proposition for remote workers and content creators alike. If you've been on the fence about getting a PC for home, like me, I'd say pick up a M4 Mac Mini and see the difference for yourself.
Want to check out the competition? We've rounded up the best desktop computer deals from the likes of HP, Lenovo, Dell and, naturally, Apple. And if this desktop doesn't suit your taste, you can check out the best laptop deals.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
I'm a digital clutter coach, but my work hit close to home when my dad died. I was glad I'd taken these steps ahead of time.
I'm a digital clutter coach, but my work had never hit close to home until my dad passed away. When he did, I was glad that I'd taken steps ahead of time to be organized. Saving his logins, organizing a Dropbox, and keeping his phone active helped during a tough time. I never imagined that being organized in my digital life would help my family during one of our toughest times. My father had Parkinson's disease for many years. But in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, it got worse, fast. He was suddenly adding extra zeros to checks, looking for the TV remote in the coat closet, and he got lost driving to the grocery store four blocks away. (That was the last time he drove.) My way of coping with his sudden decline was to kick my organizational skills into overdrive. Though I'm a digital clutter coach by profession, it had never hit this close to home. Here's what I did that made an extremely difficult time easier for me and my family. I got a clear picture of his assets and organized his documents digitally I worked with him (as much as he was able) and my mom to gather all of the financial statements, wills, powers of attorney, insurance policies, health directives, medicines, and more. I saved these files in Dropbox so that they could be accessed from anywhere and easily shared with others. (Another great option is Trustworthy, which has certified experts who can help gather all of these documents into one user-friendly hub.) Taking it a step further, I shared those documents pre-emptively with his healthcare providers, banks, insurance companies, and more to ensure I could speak to them on his behalf. I used my phone as a scanner and a fax machine When my dad ultimately passed in November of 2020, we found ourselves signing slews of documents and faxing dozens of death certificates. My phone became a powerful tool that I could use on the go, whether I was at the funeral home, the bank, or my mom's house. I used my phone to scan documents directly into Dropbox, but one of the most surprising and helpful things was using it to fax. I learned quickly that many banks and insurance companies do things "old school." I sent faxes via a phone app called GeniusFax. It was super affordable and saved me the stress of running around town trying to track down a fax machine. (Hello, 1985.) I saved his logins, and I kept his phone active I stored all of my dad's usernames, passwords, and answers to security questions (like, who was your first grade teacher) in 1Password so that I could access accounts on his behalf. I created a tag called "Dad" so that I could easily find all items related to him amid my own passwords. We also somehow had the foresight not to deactivate his phone right away. That was crucial when we needed to receive 2-step verification texts when logging into his accounts. I used facial recognition to gather photos I was tasked with making the video for his memorial service, so I asked family and friends to use the facial recognition feature on their phones and add their favorite photos of Dad to a shared photo album. This made it so easy to create a beautiful tribute video, and to this day, my mom still watches it. I miss my dad's goofy, dry humor, our peaceful canoe rides together, and his gentle spirit every day. But as strange as it sounds, learning how to use this technology made it easier to stay present, process my grief, and honor my dad. It made an incredibly difficult time just a little more bearable. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wall St futures subdued ahead of retail earnings, Fed commentary
(Reuters) -U.S. stock index futures were muted on Tuesday as investors awaited earnings reports from major retailers for insights on the health of the American consumer, and a key Federal Reserve conference scheduled later in the week. Consumer spending accounts for around 70% of the total U.S. economy and traders are keen to know the impact U.S. tariffs have had on corporate forecasts and individual expenditure. Data last week showed the levies had dented consumer confidence in July. Home improvement retailer Home Depot inched up in premarket trading ahead of its quarterly results that could also offer clues on the condition of the housing market. Reports from rival Lowe's as well as big-box retailers Walmart and Target are due later this week. Intel jumped 6.3% after the chipmaker got a $2 billion capital injection from Japan's SoftBank Group. Investors are also waiting for remarks from Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman later in the day. Bowman, who is under consideration for the central bank's top job when Chair Jerome Powell's term ends next year, has voiced support for at least three interest rate cuts this year to support the labor market, in line with U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for lower borrowing costs. Interest rate futures point to a total of two rate cuts this year worth 25 basis points each, with the first expected in September, according to data compiled by LSEG. "It is perfectly possible to make a case for immediate U.S. rate cuts given the economic damage of trade taxes and policy uncertainty," said Paul Donovan, chief economist at UBS Global Wealth Management. At 05:30 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 20 points, or 0.04%, S&P 500 E-minis were down 0.75 points, or 0.01%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were up 4.25 points, or 0.02%. Wall Street's main indexes have recovered since their April lows, when trade uncertainty stuck global markets, and have picked up steam following a better-than-expected earnings season and on the rate-cut expectations. The key event this week is the Fed's annual symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, from Aug. 21-23, where Powell's comments will be scrutinized for any clues on the central bank's outlook on the economy and monetary policy. Offering a spot of relief, ratings agency S&P Global affirmed its 'AA+' credit rating on the U.S., saying the revenue from President Trump's tariffs will offset the fiscal hit from his recent tax-cut and spending bill. On the data front, a report later in the day is expected to show single-family homebuilding in July was lower than the month before, when it dropped to an 11-month low. Palo Alto Networks surged 5.6% after the cybersecurity company forecast fiscal 2026 revenue and profit above estimates, betting on growing demand for its artificial intelligence-powered solutions. Crude prices dropped 1% as traders weighed the possibility that talks between Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. to end the war in Ukraine could lead to the lifting of sanctions on Russian crude, raising supply. Effettua l'accesso per consultare il tuo portafoglio
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US stock futures flat ahead of big box retailer results
U.S. stock futures are flat after a listless start to the week as investors stayed sidelined ahead of quarterly results from big box retailers and a conference of global financial leaders later this week. Discount giants Walmart and Target and home improvement company Lowe's are slated to report around midweek. Home Depot is due before the market opens. These earnings can provide a window into how tariffs are affecting companies and consumer spending. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to give a speech at the end of the week at the annual Jackson Hole Economic Symposium of global central bankers and finance chiefs. Investors will be looking for hints Powell may be done waiting to see tariff effects before cutting rates again. The CME FedWatch tool that shows the likelihood that the Fed will change rates at each policy meeting based on market trading suggests a nearly 84% chance of the Fed easing rates in September. Before Powell's speech, investors will get a glimpse midweek of the dissents at the last Fed meeting. Fed governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman voted against the central bank's decision to keep rates unchanged between 4.25%-4.50% last month. It was the first time since 1993 that two governors dissented. At 6:10 a.m. ET, futures linked to the blue-chip Dow added 0.03%, while broad S&P 500 futures slipped -0.06% and tech-laden Nasdaq futures fell -0.05%. Corporate news Palo Alto Networks topped estimates in the last three months of its fiscal year. Its guidance for the first three months of its fiscal year and for the full year also topped expectations. Founder Nir Zuk also is retiring as chief technology officer. Intel is getting a $2 billion investment from Softbank. The Japanese investment firm is buying around 87 million shares, or roughly 2% of Intel's outstanding shares, at $23 apiece. Tegna is in the middle of a bidding war after Sinclair offered to merge its broadcast TV business in a deal that would value Tegna shares at around $25 to $30 apiece, the Wall Street Journal said, citing sources. Tegna is already in advanced talks to sell itself to Nexstar Media Group. Medora Lee is a money, markets and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday morning. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US stock futures flat ahead of big box retailer results Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
