Apple Mac Mini M1

This miniature desktop might be small, but it's still mighty thanks to the M1 chipset. It's not for everyone, however, especially if you've invested in a lot of apps not yet optimised for M1 support. Otherwise it's a speedy and reliable workhorse that, given its small size, doesn't draw attention to itself and helps you gets stuff done quickly.

Hands on: It will be a while before you see all the speed Apple has promised from programs that run natively on its own silicon, but what we’ve seen so far is a tantalizing glimpse into what might be possible once companies are writing everything for Apple Silicon rather than Intel. That could be well worth waiting for considering how formidable the deceptively small Mac mini already is.

With the M1 chipset, Apple is moving onto a new chapter in its long history of personal computers. This chip redefines the computing paradigm by offering stellar performance in a small, power-efficient package. In the Mac mini, the M1 shines as a stable workhorse that provides a new experience to Mac desktops. In the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the M1 is just as solid while offering substantially better battery life than previous offerings.

Hands on: The Mac mini (M1, 2020) updates Apple's cult Mac with its latest M1 hardware. For many people, this is exciting, as it means the Mac mini no longer feels like it's being neglected by Apple; however, it does come with a few compromises that not everyone will like.