Digital Trends reviewer Julian Chokkattu thinks the extra connectivity is a welcome albeit expensive addition. Both models come with 10/100/100Base-T Ethernet, but that can be upgraded to the faster Nbase-T Ethernet for $100.Īlso notable is the number of ports available in the new Mac mini. It comes with the same 8GB of RAM as the low-end model, but doubles the storage capacity of the SSD. Apple has a second preconfigured setup for $1099 that bumps the processor up to a 3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5. Indeed, the Mac mini has a wide range of options over the $800 base model. Along with the built-in components, which bring benchmark performance levels up to somewhere around that of the last (and admittedly also overdue for an overhaul) Mac Pro, the company's also added more user upgradability - never a given for an Apple product. The price jump, naturally, comes with a notable spec increase, one that puts the diminutive desktop in line with a desktop ecosystem that finds Apple catering once again to its core competency of creative pros. With a $300 price bump, the latest version still represents the lowest cost path into the world of desktop Macs, but arguably removes 'entry' from the equation. The $499 price tag on the 2014 model certainly highlighted this fact. The Mini has long been Apple's entry-level desktop. By jacking up the price 60 percent, Apple is moving away from the entry-level macOS machine that was the Mac mini of old as Brian Heater from TechCrunch points out. The price bump seems to be the primary complaint with most reviewers. This one will run you $799, which is $300 more than the previous iteration's base configuration. The base unit is powered by a 3.6GHz Intel Core i3, 8GB of 2666MHz DDR4, and a 128GB SSD. It has been four years since the tiny desktop unit has seen a refresh so it might not be a surprise that there have been significant hardware upgrades.

The entry unit is as powerful as a 2017 iMac but configurable to be just as comfortable 'sitting in stacks within a render farm.' Other than the significant price increase, most reviewers had good things to say about the overdue refresh of Apple's SFF Mac. Bottom line: Reviews for the 2018 Mac mini are in, and they are mostly positive.

2017 mac mini quad core