The M2 Pro Mac Mini: The Mac Studio Killer?
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The Mac Mini is a fantastic machine by Apple that I think a lot of people overlook. It’s Apple’s entry-level desktop computer, one of the very few devices that does not have a screen attach to it, but it packs a lot of power for what I believe is a very fair price (for an Apple Product).
Recently, Apple updated the device with their most recent chips, the M2 and the M2 Pro. Now, Apple updated the Mac Mini with M2, not a big surprise. They do something like this every year, and their last version had the M1, so it was something that was expected.
However, seeing a Mac Mini with M2 Pro, that is something quite different for Apple to do. And this does change the game quite a bit.
Earlier in the year, Apple released the Mac Studio, a device with crazy amount of power that was made for serious creative work and demanding tasks. The Mac Studio was fantastic, and even now its hard to find a computer that can come close to its performance.
However, now that the Mac Mini has M2 Pro, you are getting an insane amount of value and capability in a very small machine for fantastic price as well.
The M2 Pro could easily be used for large project, such as video editing, photo editing, animation, even 3D rendering. Personally, I have the MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, and as a Photographer, I have come no where close to pushing the limits of my laptop, so I can’t imagine how fast and smooth the M2 Pro would be.
To add, when you compare the prices of Mac Mini M2 Pro to the Mac Studio, I think that the Mac Mini M2 Pro makes a lot more sense. The Mac Studio with M1 Max starts at $2500, as compared to the Mac Mini M2 Pro which starts at $1700. So for nearly a thousand dollars less, you are still getting incredible power that I believe that most people will not even use, a smaller device that is easier to fit on a desk and it most people set up, and you have money to spare that can be used to spend on a great monitor with possibly still some left over cash.
I’ve always found that the Mac Mini was a device that not a lot of people looked into or cared about, but for anyone who is looking at making a home office, this is the Apple device that they should be looking at. It provides incredible speed and performance, it is small, compact, and provides flexibility with how you organize your space by also allowing you to choose how big or small you want your monitor to be (something that an iMac would not let you do), and will be a device that can handle any task that you can think of. It is hard to find anything wrong with the machine as it provides capability and flexibility, all under a great price.
