Mini PCs are all the rage right now and have been for at least two years. The Apple Mac Mini M4 has taken the 'mini' part and truly run with it, for it is a tiny cube of a computer. Don't let that fool you, though, for it's a powerful little box with an M4 chip.

Such is the appeal of the mini PC, Apple has not only popped an M4 chip in (M4 Pro in higher spec models), it has also redesigned the mini, making it smaller and changing up the port array.

Before we get carried away, there is no bundle discount with Apple; it's best to look to channel partners and resellers for discounts. The company is looking at small businesses here, which are more likely to have all the peripherals already.

Apple Mac Mini M4: Design

There is very little to say about the design of the M4 Mac Mini that doesn't leave you feeling like you're describing a kitten or a novelty baby outfit, because it is the cutest little computer we've ever seen. A truly mini machine that fits so snugly in your hands that you endup cradling it. And with that minimalist design that runs through the whole Apple hardware range, it is just a lovely addition to your workspace.

Neatness is its biggest appeal; it's small and takes up next to no desk space, but also doesn't really leave anything out (aside from perhaps a USB-A port). You have five USB-C slots (two front, three rear), an HDMI port, a headphone jack, an ethernet slot, and the power socket. What's more, everything is set in a way to keep things neat – all the ports are lined up so that everything fits in, nothing has reason to be tangled. From the power socket to the USB-C slots, there is ample room, with no overlap. There's only really a strange placement of the power button to complain about, but that isn't strange to people who use Mini PCs for 1U racks.

Apple Mac Mini M4: Specs and performance

Our Mac Mini review unit houses an Apple M4 chip with a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core neural engine. We also have 16GB of unified memory and 256GB of SSD – this is the base model of Mac Mini (£599-$499), and you can go up to 64GB RAM, 8TB SSD, and the M4 Pro chip but you'll be paying out well over a grand (£1,399-$1,299).

In Geekbench 6, the M4 chip shows consistent scoring across the board, with the Mac Mini in the same range as the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air – it's also similar to the M4 Pro chip in the more expensive Mac Mini, though the multi-core score is noticeably higher. For the base M4 model, we noted a single-core score of 3,496 and a multi-core score of 14,505.

The latest version of macOS (Sequoia) is as smooth as ever, even with intensive photo editing or some light gaming – the mini is also quiet, with virtually no sounds of strain, no matter the task.

Perhaps the best part of the M4 chip, however, is the power efficiency. We've already seen this in the MacBook Pro, where there is a clearer benefit with its optimized battery performance. For the Mini, it is less obvious, but it does run cooler (part of the reason it's so small).

Apple Mac Mini M4: Features and peripherals

Apple Intelligence is also present on the Mac Mini. As with the MacBook Pro and Air, it is good, though still in its infancy. It's a similar experience to Microsoft's Copilot, with text generation, image editing, and search optimization. Having Siri answer your questions is helpful, as is the email summarizations.

The new mini only comes with the device itself and the power cord. If you want a keyboard or mouse, or trackpad, you need to purchase those separately. The thinking here is that consumers will likely already have them with older models of Mac Mini, and businesses usually have monitors and so on that are already set up on desks. ITPro, for example, still has the Apple Studio Display, the Magic Mouse, and the keyboard from a previous Mac Mini review.

If, however, you do need to purchase peripherals, a new Magic Keyboard will set you back $99(£99), a Magic Trackpad $129 (£129), and the Magic Mouse is $79 (£79). All of which have slight design changes with universal USB-C slots and cables, rather than the old Lightning cable – which is great. Although the charging port on the mouse is still on the underside of it, which is somewhat odd, it's problematic as you can't use it while it's charging.

Apple Mac Mini M4: Is it worth it?

One other area that Apple has made changes in is its pricing. While on a small drop compared to previous models, the $599 (£599) starting price is extremely competitive – noticeably cheaper than our last reviews from Geekom and Beelink.

The lack of peripherals in the box may be off-putting to some, but from a business standpoint, it isn't much more expensive to add the keyboard and mouse; most other vendors do the same, and office desks are generally already kitted out with monitors.

The M4 chip is super powerful, the user experience is great, and it fits on your desk so well you forget it's there. That's how all technology should be, useful and unobtrusive. We love the Mac Mini; it's tiny, tidy, and terrific.

Apple Mac Mini M4 specifications

Apple has unveiled the new Mac Mini sporting an overhauled and even smaller chassis with souped-up internals, promising the latest version of its compact desktop is “small but fierce”.

The new model features Apple’s much-lauded M4 and M4 Pro chips, which is significant considering the Mac Mini did not get an M3 version, so the performance boost should be dramatic.

Apple said users can expect the new Mac Mini to deliver 1.8x faster CPU performance and 2.2x faster GPU performance over the M1 model.

All versions of the new Mac Mini will now ship with 16GB of RAM, with 8GB now deemed insufficient for modern workloads.

Apple also noted the M4 and M4 Pro chips will support hardware-accelerated ray tracing for the first time, which will be a boon for creatives.

Apart from the silicon, the biggest change is the size of the new Mac Mini, coming in at just five-by-five inches - a footprint that is less than half the size of Apple’s previous design.

Apple said it has implemented a new air flow system and “innovative thermal architecture” in the design to accommodate thermal throttling concerns with the limited space.

Apple’s new Mac Mini goes carbon neutral

The new Mac Mini marks an important milestone for Apple, being the first carbon neutral Mac with an over 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with materials, manufacturing, transportation, and customer use.

The latest Mac Minis will offer a slightly altered port lineup too. The front has a 3.5mm headphone jack and two USB-C inputs, with a gigabit ethernet, HDMI, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports round the back.

Users that spring for the more expensive M4 Pro model, will enjoy higher data transfer speeds with the Thunderbolt ports on the rear upgraded to Thunderbolt 5.

The M4 Mac Mini will start at £599 for 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD and £799 to double the storage capacity to 512GB.

The M4 Pro version, with a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, will start at £1,399 and will come with 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

Apple is capitalizing on the burgeoning mini PC market

It’s been well over a decade since Apple last gave the Mac Mini a design overhaul, and it appears to be doubling down on the ‘mini’ part of its name. The timing of the announcement and the size of the machine could be seen as strategically shrewd by Apple.

The refresh also includes an M4 chip, bringing the Mini in line with both Apple’s MacBooks and iPad ranges. And, also positioning its product near the top of the mini PC market, which is seeing significant growth through gaming, small business adoption, digital signage, and remote work.

The market for mini PCs was valued at $21.1 billion in 2022 and market reports suggest its continued growth could reach $33 billion by 2032.

Windows on Arm was Microsoft’s hope for a post-Intel future, with devices that sip power but offer complete connectivity. With Microsoft’s next Surface event looming, is the platform still relevant today?

Microsoft expected developers to leap at the chance to compile their applications for its platform after the first Windows on Arm machines emerged in 2018. After all, as Apple has since ably demonstrated, there are benefits to moving away from traditional Intel-based architecture. 

We noted improvements in performance and power efficiency on macOS machines running on Apple silicon, while the desktop experience was unchanged. Could the same be true for Windows on Arm?

In short, no. Not with Microsoft’s relative neglect when compared to its x64-based stablemate. The firm has squandered the opportunity to move users on from an Intel-based norm and has dithered in the process.

While, for better or worse, Apple forced developers to migrate to its M-series CPUs, the majority of Windows applications have continued to target Intel and AMD due to simple market forces and the absence of clear guidance from Microsoft.

Microsoft’s Windows on Arm efforts have moved in stops and starts. Its exotic – and expensive – Surface Pro X has been gradually updated over the years, culminating in a rebrand in the form of the SQ3-powered Surface Pro 9 in 2022. Microsoft's partners have also had a go with their takes on the architecture, with varying degrees of limited success. However, an inexpensive option – a real alternative to the x64 platform – for the masses has yet to materialize. 

Then there was the attempt to lure developers with the promise of Project Volterra, unveiled at Build 2022, and finally released as the Windows Dev Kit 2023. Since then, things have gone rather quiet. I have a Windows Dev Kit 2023, as it happens, and the ownership experience hasn’t been a good one.

Everything that’s wrong with Windows on Arm

The Windows Dev Kit 2023 comprises a Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 along with 32GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. On paper, it is an impressive bit of kit. It even bears a distinct resemblance to Apple’s Mac Mini, except at a keener price point and an external power brick.

But, after almost a year of usage, I’m sad to report that if the Windows on Arm dream isn’t dead, then the Windows Dev Kit 2023 doesn’t offer any promising signs of health.

We’ll start with the hardware. On my machine, some things simply don’t work properly. The clock, for example, runs slow and requires synchronization. Getting output from the Mini Display port connector is a little random; I’ve had to sacrifice a USB-C connector in the name of reliability. Sometimes it wakes up, sometimes it doesn’t – and I need to hold down the power button sometimes.

These are all niggles one expects from a first-generation device, and renaming Volterra to the ‘Windows Dev Kit 2023’ implies Microsoft knows it isn’t ready for the market.

One would’ve at least expected some of the issues to have been ironed out in the months since release, though, and yet they persist. Even as Windows itself is updated, the Windows Dev Kit 2023 encapsulates all that’s wrong with the Windows on Arm program.

Then there is the software. It took until November 2022 for Microsoft to release a fully supported version of Visual Studio for Arm64 – a release that came after the Windows Dev Kit 2023 became available.

Even users keen enough to try Windows Insider builds on the device are frequently disappointed when Microsoft opts not to offer a build to Windows Insiders with Arm64 hardware with little or no explanation. Hardly a developer-friendly approach.

The disappointment continues when using the device. It doesn’t offer a snappy experience when compared with the Mac Mini, which has less RAM and storage. While it doesn’t quite feel like wading through treacle, as with previous Windows on Arm devices, it’s certainly sluggish.

To make matters worse, running Windows on Arm in a virtual machine (VM) on Mac – we used Parallels – is a better experience than using Microsoft’s own hardware. All of this leads us to believe that, perhaps like its consumers, Microsoft is losing faith in Windows on Arm. While Microsoft has dithered with the operating system, Intel and AMD’s chips have improved. Battery life is no longer as catastrophic for Intel-based devices compared to Windows on Arm hardware, eroding the advantages of Arm-based chips.

Behind all of this is the specter of Arm in the Data Center, arguably a much better place for it in the Microsoft ecosystem. After all, with more apps delivered via the browser, is there much point in having Windows developers produce native Arm code, if not to run on a server?

Microsoft has a final opportunity in this year’s Surface event to make good on its Windows on Arm promise. Devices need to be inexpensive and reliable, and the company must demonstrate Windows on Arm is a viable option for users rather than adventurous power users. If it doesn’t, one can only conclude the company has little interest in the platform.

Windows on Arm: Unfulfilled potential

Ignoring Windows RT, a short-lived and locked-down version of Windows for Arm chips that turned up in early Surface tablets, Windows on Arm (or Windows on Snapdragon) finally arrived in 2018 in the form of Lenovo’s Yoga C630 WOS.

The device enjoyed superb battery life, 4G connectivity, and the look and feel of a proper Windows device. But it had some issues, and it didn’t take long for customers and reviewers alike to realize. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 processor might have been able to cope with lighter productivity tasks, but users attempting serious work soon found themselves yearning for an Intel or AMD-based alternative. 

The biggest headache was one of emulation. As soon as a user attempted to move outside of the Arm app ecosystem, the experience of Intel emulation (assuming it worked) was more akin to swimming through honey. Sure, it was an improvement on the total absence of x86 support from Windows RT, but users were still presented with an experience some way off that available from similarly priced Intel or AMD-based kit.

Even more astonishingly, large swathes of Microsoft’s own software had not been recompiled to run natively. Its Edge browser required emulation. As did Teams. It would take until 2020 before either emerged in native form.

Microsoft tried again in 2019 with the Surface Pro X – despite lacking important native software – and hoped to bring some of the Surface magic to the beleaguered platform. One intention of the Surface line was to show manufacturers how Microsoft reckoned its software could be packaged. In that regard, it has largely succeeded.

Could the same be applied to the Windows on Arm ecosystem? With the Surface Pro X, Microsoft set out to find out. But while Arm devices were traditionally associated with cheaper hardware, the Surface brand was not. Furthermore, Microsoft decided to ask top dollar for the Surface Pro X, powered by the company’s own take on Qualcomm’s chips in the form of the SQ line. The problem was you could grab a high-end Surface Pro 7 for a similar price, and it was arguably a good deal more useable. 

The platform has continued to languish as the years have rolled by, with Microsoft occasionally tossing it a bone in the form of a native version of Visual Studio, or other productivity apps that really should have been ready at launch. 

It’s difficult to see Microsoft's approach as anything other than neglect; if it doesn’t seem interested in the technology, why should its customers be?

The Mac mini is the third M1-based Apple product we’ve reviewed since the first wave of devices was announced last year, joining the M1 MacBook Air and the M1 MacBook Pro at the vanguard of Apple’s move away from Intel.

It follows a similar template. Aside from the radical architecture revamp, Apple has made few changes to its much-loved compact PC. From the outside, the M1 Mac mini looks exactly the same as the Intel-based model we reviewed over two years ago; it’s inside where all the fireworks are happening.

Apple Mac mini (Apple M1, 2020) review: Design

Just like the Apple Silicon MacBooks, the M1 Mac mini delivers a huge amount of performance per pound. If you need a fast, small PC then it has much in its favour. However, not all software has shifted to the new architecture yet, as we’ll discuss in more detail shortly. Some of your favourite Mac apps might not run perfectly – if at all.

And that extends to older or niche hardware, with Jon Honeyball discovering that his Atto ThunderLink Thunderbolt-to-SAS adapter didn’t work on M1 silicon, and there’s no immediate prospect of a fix appearing.

If you don’t mind being a guinea pig for Apple, however, or if you’ll never venture outside Apple’s own software stack or other native applications, it’s a great choice for a minimalist desktop.

Finished in silver and measuring a mere 197 x 197 x 36mm (WDH), it’s an attractive little thing. There’s a small LED at the front on the right-hand side, the Apple logo is stencilled on the top panel and the power button is at the rear on the right side next to all the various physical connections.

Given the size of the Mac mini, there’s a fair selection here too, with a pair of USB-A 3.1 Gen 2 ports With speeds up to 10Gbits/sec), two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one HDMI 2 video output, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Gigabit Ethernet socket for networking. Wireless connectivity is covered by Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.

You lose two Thunderbolt ports compared to the previous Mac mini (albeit Thunderbolt 3 rather than 4), but the big difference is that there’s no way to upgrade this computer. It’s possible to pop off the lid and get at the machine’s innards by undoing six Torx TR6 security screws, but frankly it’s not worth the effort: the RAM and SSD are soldered to the motherboard and can’t be either replaced or upgraded.

Of course, you can always add fast storage via the Thunderbolt 4 ports. Otherwise, you’ll need to carefully consider how much RAM and storage you specify at the time of purchase, and Apple has followed its usual pattern of charging a hefty fee for each step up.

Apple Mac mini (Apple M1, 2020) review: Software

Not much has changed on the software compatibility front since we reviewed the M1 MacBook Pro two months ago. Almost all of Apple’s business and creative professional applications have been converted to run natively on the M1 chip and you can run some iOS apps as well. This should cover enough bases for most people using the mini as a desktop PC to get by.

The transition to native M1 applications is already underway elsewhere. A quick straw poll of the apps we use on a daily basis sees that Adobe has now released a (feature-restricted) public beta of M1 Photoshop, while Blackmagic Design is offering a beta of its free video editor/colour-grading software, DaVinci Resolve. Google Chrome is also available as a native M1 app, as are the Microsoft Edge and Firefox browsers. The same holds true for Affinity Photo and Adobe Lightroom.

Even if you can’t get hold of a native M1 version of the application you want, you may be able to run it emulated via Apple’s Rosetta 2 runtime. Most of the software we’ve tried to run this way has worked very well and the process is simplicity itself. However, there’s a plentiful list of applications that are either buggy under Rosetta 2 or don’t work at all, so you should check before you commit to the M1 platform.

Fortunately, there are good-quality user-generated lists on the web to help with the checking process and Is Apple Silicon Ready is the best we’ve found.

Apple Mac mini (Apple M1, 2020) review: Specs and performance

Assuming the software you need works, you can expect speedy performance. The M1 Mac mini comes with identical specifications to the M1 MacBook Pro 13in we tested: it has the same actively cooled M1 processor, with an eight-core M1 GPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.

Putting the Mac mini through the same set of emulated tests as the MacBook Pro produced an almost identical result of 127 (versus 125) in our benchmarks. However, in the past two months, native versions of both Handbrake and VLC have appeared, which means our test suite is now two-thirds M1 native – and what a difference it makes, pushing the Mac mini’s score to 223. To put that in perspective, the Intel-based Mac mini we tested – which featured a Core i3-8100B – only scored 129.

With Intel inside, the Mac mini was always far away from high-end Macs. Now it’s within touching distance. For instance, an iMac Pro with a Xeon W-2140B inside scored 283 in our benchmarks, and the MacBook Pro 16in with a Core i9-9980HK managed 249. Bear in mind that the latter costs £3,789, while the iMac 27in will set you back a tidy £2,299. This once again emphasises the power and importance of the M1 processor.

In Geekbench 5, the M1 Mac mini is not only twice as fast as its Intel-based predecessor but faster than the MacBook Pro and iMac: a single-core result of 1,740 is phenomenal, as is a multicore return of 7,694.

All M1 Mac minis include the eight-core GPU (the MacBook Air features a seven-core version), and as we’ve come to expect from previous tests it stormed through the GFXBench Car Chase tests. In the onscreen test, it kept at a solid 60fps and was only held back by the refresh rate of the panel, but in the offscreen 1080p test it stormed to 179fps. That’s 4fps more than the Pro and 21fps more than the Air, but to truly understand the jump in power you should consider that the previous Mac mini averaged 27fps.

In short, you’re getting M1 MacBook Pro performance from the Mac mini for £300 less than a MacBook Air and an astonishing £3,000 less than the MacBook Pro 16in we reviewed in late 2019.

Apple Mac mini (Apple M1, 2020) review: Verdict

Windows PC fans will rightly point out that you probably won’t want to game on an M1 Mac mini, despite its proven talents. And if you can wait for HP to release a Ryzen 4000 version of the EliteDesk 705 then you can expect similar levels of performance at the expense of fan noise (and a rather less elegant design).

But our verdict on the M1 Mac mini is the same as for its stablemates, the M1 MacBook Air and the M1 MacBook Pro. In short, it’s great. If you’re looking for a fast, quiet and unobtrusive PC that will get you through your working day without fuss, this is one of the best-quality options you can buy.

Apple Mac mini (Apple M1, 2020) specifications

Users of Apple’s new Mac mini featuring the Apple-built M1 chip have taken to forums to complain of Bluetooth connectivity issues that left devices virtually unusable.

Users have taken to Reddit to talk about their issues connecting their Mac minis and MacBook Pros to Apple’s wireless keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth. Users have also reported problems connecting Apple AirPods and other third-party Bluetooth hardware.

One user said: “Returned my first M1 Mac mini due to Bluetooth connectivity issues. A replacement unit has the very same issue – across multiple Bluetooth devices and vendors. This is clearly an M1 Mac issue. Let’s hope Apple fixes it asap.”

Users have aired similar grievances on Apple’s forums, saying there “seems to be some Bluetooth wake issue where keyboard presses or mouse clicks do not wake [the] machine”.

“If I press the button once on back, the monitor will wake but the keyboard and trackpad are not recognized unless I do a hard power reset holding back button in until it powers off. When it powers back on, everything works fine,” said user Daving313.

Twitter user Patrick Tomasso posted a YouTube video showing a range of Bluetooth devices struggling to connect to the new Mac mini. Tomasso had already tried using his new Apple computer with a Logitech MX Master 3 and a Magic Mouse 2, and “all of them cut out intermittently” when in use.

In a tweet, he described the issues he had.

"I'm going crazy trying to figure out the Bluetooth issues with this machine. I thought maybe a few of us had an isolated issue but forums/Reddit are popping up now all over," he said.

It’s unknown if the issue is with the new M1 chip or Apple’s latest operating system, macOS Big Sur. It’s also unclear how many units are affected by the issue. Apple hasn’t responded to complaints at the time of writing.

Mac mini connection problems are nothing new, as Intel-based devices from 2018 exhibited similar problems.

The only one workaround to this issue appears to be using a third-party Bluetooth receiver instead of Apple's integrated receiver.

After much rumour and anticipation, Apple has finally launched its own first-party processors, which have debuted in a range of updated macOS devices.

After launching the iPhone 12 last month, the company held another “One More Thing” event to show off the new hardware, which includes updates to the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini, all of which are powered by its all-new M1 chip.

Apple M1 chip

The Apple-built M1 chip is the first-ever personal computer chip built by the company in-house, and the announcement marks the first time since 2006 that new Macs will be powered by anything other than Intel processors.

The M1 is built on Arm architecture, and Apple says it’s the first PC chip built using 5-nanometer process technology. This eight-core chip also packs 16 billion transistors, the most ever in an Apple chip, and enhanced machine learning performance with the Apple Neural Engine.

Within the M1’s eight cores are four high-efficiency cores that save on power while still delivering "industry-leading" performance, and this comes at one-tenth of the power consumption of the current dual-core MacBook Air.

The M1 chip boasts many Apple-claimed records, including being the fastest CPU core in low-power silicon, the world’s fastest CPU per watt and the world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer. Generally, personal computers require three or more chips for the CPU, I/O, security and other functions. The M1 chip can handle all these tasks itself, eliminating the need for three power-draining chips.

All this tech adds up to 3.5 times faster CPU performance, up to six times faster GPU performance, and up to 15 times faster machine learning than other personal computer chips, according to Apple. On top of the superior performance, the M1 chip also supposedly allows the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air to deliver about twice the battery life of previous-generation Macs.

The M1 chip also brings the Apple Neural Engine to the Mac lineup, supposedly accelerating the devices' machine learning (ML) capabilities by up to 15 times. This, Apple says, will enable the Mac lineup to deliver quick video analysis, voice recognition and image processing.

MacBook Air

According to Apple, the MacBook Air is the world’s best-selling 13in laptop, and the new-generation model aims to hold that title with significant improvements.

This starts with the new eight-core M1 chip, which Apple says makes it up to 3.5 times faster than the previous MacBook Air. The eight-core GPU also allegedly enhances its video performance, allowing it to process graphics five times faster for minimal lag. Machine learning should get a big boost with the Air’s M1 chip too, as the company claims it’s nine times faster than the previous MacBook Air. This will speed up a wide range of ML tasks, like facial recognition or object detection.

All told, Apple claims the MacBook Air with the M1 chip is faster than 98% of all PC laptops sold in the past year.

As we mentioned above, Apple says the M1 chip is also far more efficient. With the new chip, the MacBook Air delivers up to 15 hours of wireless internet browsing and 18 hours of video playback on a charge.

The MacBook Air promises plenty of other useful updates, including improved camera image quality with reduced noise, greater dynamic range and improved white balance; a more vibrant and true-to-life Retina display; Wi-Fi 6 connectivity; two Thunderbolt ports with USB 4 support; and a fanless design for minimal noise.

The MacBook Air comes in two base configurations - one with a 256GB SSD and a seven-core GPU, and one with an eight-core GPU and 512GB of storage. Both allocations feature 8GB of RAM as standard, which can be upgraded to a maximum of 16GB.

The 256GB configuration costs just $999 in the US and £999 in the UK. The 512GB hard drive pushes the starting price to $1,249 in the US and £1,249 in the UK. Education customers can get the MacBook Air for $899 in the US, but Apple hasn’t announced its UK educator pricing.

The MacBook Air is available for preorder now, and deliveries will begin November 17.

13in MacBook Pro

The all-new 13in MacBook Pro takes what the MacBook Air offers and kicks it up a notch to meet more specialized demand. Generally, the added functions meet the needs of graphic designers, audio and video editors or students studying in these fields.

The MacBook Pro starts with the same M1 eight-core chip as the MacBook Air which, according to Apple, makes it significantly faster than most other PCs on the market. With this new chip, Apple claims the MacBook Pro’s battery lasts 17 hours when wirelessly browsing the internet or 20 hours when watching videos.

The MacBook Pro also promises 'studio-quality' microphones for clearer audio, and improved image quality for video calls thanks to the M1's image signal processor. Like the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro features two USB 4-enabled Thunderbolt ports and a default RAM allocation of 8GB, which can be boosted to a maximum of 16GB at point of purchase.

The 13in MacBook Pro with a 256GB solid-state hard drive retails for $1,299 in the US and £1,299 in the UK. Bumping to the 512GB hard drive pushed the price to $1,499 in the US and £1,499 in the UK. For educators, the MacBook Pro starts from $1,199 in the US. UK educator prices aren’t available yet.

The MacBook Pro is available for preorder now, and deliveries will begin November 17.

Mac Mini

Folks who want laptop portability with desktop functionality may prefer the Mac Mini, a high-powered small-form-factor desktop.

The Mac Mini’s big update is the new M1 chip, and like the Air and Pro, Apple claims it's three times faster than its predecessor. This small desktop also apparently features six times improved graphics performance and 15 times improved machine learning compared to the previous Mac Mini. All this power comes in a package that’s one-tenth the size of the average desktop tower.

Other upgrades to the new-generation Mac Mini include an advanced thermal design to help it stay cool and quiet, support for dual monitors and Apple Pro Display XDR in full 6K, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.

The Mac Mini with a 256GB solid-state hard drive runs $699 in the US and £699 in the UK. Increasing the storage to 512GB bumps the price to $899 in the US and £899 in the UK. As with the laptops above, RAM starts at 8GB but can be increased to 16GB.

This tiny desktop is available for order now, and deliveries will start November 17.

Like the iMac, the Mac Mini was originally conceived by Steve Jobs as an 'affordable' Mac that would help to boost Mac sales at a time - before the advent of the all-conquering iPhone - when Apple was really on the ropes. Of course, now that it's a trillion-dollar company, Apple doesn't really do 'affordable' any more. But while the iMac has been moved steadily upmarket in recent years, culminating in the workstation-class iMac Pro, it seemed as though the Mac Mini had been left to wither on the vine.

There have been no updates to the Mac Mini since 2014, and with laptops now providing the bulk of Mac and PC sales, it has long been thought that the Mac Mini might simply be allowed to fade away. But, recognizing that not all users need a high-end system such as the iMac, with its expensive Retina Display, Apple has finally given the Mac Mini an overhaul that is clearly aimed at professional and creative users.

Apple Mac Mini (2018) review: Design

The external design of the Mac Mini hasn't changed, with its sleek aluminium casing still standing a mere 1.4in high (36mm) and measuring 7.7in (197mm) on each side. There's still nothing quite like that slim, low-profile design available from any of its Windows rivals, although the Mac Mini has clearly been an influence on small-form-factor systems such as HP's Z2 Mini. It will certainly appeal to image-conscious businesses that want to make a good impression in reception areas, executive desks and meeting rooms.

And while the Mac Mini's dimensions remain the same, this revamp telegraphs its new focus by changing the colour of the unit to the sobre 'space grey' shade that Apple usually reserves for its pro desktop and laptop systems. There have been more significant changes on the inside too, aimed at boosting performance in order to appeal to creative and professional users. Previous models were limited to modest dual-core processors, but the 2018 version of the Mac Mini now boasts both quad-core and hexa-core configurations capable of tackling a variety of professional design applications. The greater power of those processors required a redesign of the Mac Mini's cooling system, and Apple says that the new cooling system doubles the airflow through the unit - yet the top-of-the-range Mac Mini that we review here ran impressively cool and quiet throughout our tests.

And, somewhat surprisingly, Apple even allows user-upgrades for the internal memory, up to a maximum of 64GB. You'll need to be pretty handy with a Torx screwdriver, but it is now possible to remove the base of the unit, along with a few wires and connectors along the way, in order to reach the two SO-DIMM slots. That's a welcome option, given Apple's traditionally expensive memory upgrades, and the fact that many recent Mac models have had their RAM soldered onto the motherboard.

Apple Mac Mini (2018) review: Ports and features

Apple has beefed-up the Mac Mini's connectivity features as well. It now boasts two USB 3.0 ports, as well as four Thunderbolt 3 ports, HDMI 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet (with an option to upgrade to 10Gb Ethernet). It even retains ye olde 3.5mm audio connector for headphones or a set of external speakers.

Apple's build-to-order options only allow for solid-state storage - up to 2TB - but that selection of ports provides plenty of scope for adding more affordable external storage if required. The HDMI port supports a single 4K display, but it's also possible to add one 5K display or two 4K displays via USB-C (sadly, the 'target display' mode that made it possible to connect the Mac Mini to the display of an iMac is no longer available).

The Mac Mini also gains Apple's custom T2 chip, which provides AES-256 encryption for your data, as well as handling additional chores such as HEVC video encoding. The T2 also handles Siri voice commands on other recent Mac models, although that's not an option with the Mac Mini as it doesn't include an internal microphone (or webcam).

Apple Mac Mini (2018) review: Specs and hardware

There are two standard configurations available for the Mac Mini on Apple's web site, starting at 666 exc VAT with a quad-core i3-8100 running at 3.6GHz, along with 8GB DDR4 memory and modest 128GB solid-state drive. Remember, though, that the price of the Mac Mini doesn't include a mouse, keyboard or monitor. That entry-level model should be perfectly adequate for running Microsoft Office and general web browsing, and will probably find its way into quite a few homes and offices.

For more demanding tasks, the second option is a six-core model, based on an i5-8500 running at 3.0GHz, 8GB memory and 256GB SSD, costing 916 exc VAT. However, there's also a third CPU option available as a build-to-order upgrade -- and included in our review unit - that steps up to a six-core i7-8700B running at 3.2GHz (up to 4.6GHz with Turboboost). With 16GB of memory and 256GB storage, this model weighs in at 1,191 exc VAT.

As always, Apple provides a variety of rather expensive memory and storage upgrades, with a top-of-the-range Mac Mini costing 3,141 exc VAT with an i7 processor, 64GB memory and 2TB SSD. That's obviously taking the Mac Mini out of 'affordable' territory, but at least this new design provides some scope for users to choose more affordable memory and storage upgrades for themselves.

However, even with all those upgrade options thrown in, the Mac Mini still relies on Intel's integrated graphics processor - a UHD 630 with 1.5GB video memory for our i7 review unit. There are no build-to-order options for an internal GPU upgrade, and Apple is increasingly promoting third-party external GPU devices - such as the BlackMagic eGPU - as the only real graphics upgrade for many Mac models.

Apple Mac Mini (2018) review: Performance

The six-core processor in our review unit doesn't lack raw horsepower though, achieving a GeekBench score of 6056 for single-core performance and an impressive 27,639 for multi-core performance. That actually nudges slightly ahead of the GeekBench score of the top-of-the-range 15in MacBook Pro with an i9 processor that costs twice as much as the Mac Mini (albeit, of course, with its integrated Retina Display). The solid-state drive is another good performer, gliding along at a smooth 2,720MB/sec and 2,865MB/sec for read and write speeds respectively.

But while the 15in MacBook Pro boasts a discrete Radeon Pro 560X, the Mac Mini's reliance on integrated graphics means that graphics performance is more modest. It achieves a score of 47.8fps in the Cinebench graphics benchmarks, which is barely half the 106fps of the 15in MacBook Pro - although it is still ahead of the 13in version of the MacBook Pro, whose own integrated graphics scores around 40fps.

On the Windows side of the fence, HP offers a similarly priced version of its Z2 Mini with a discrete Nvidia Quadro M620 - although at that price the Z2 Mini does rely on an older quad-core version of the i7 processor, so the Mac Mini can still hold its head up thanks to the sheer strength of its CPU performance.

The performance of the Mac Mini's integrated GPU doesn't tell the whole story either, as Apple claims that the HEVC encoding supported by the T2 chip is a full 30 times faster than the previous generation of Mac Mini. That will certainly appeal to professional video-editors who need a more affordable editing solution than the iMac Pro, which starts at 4,083 exc VAT. Even so, the lack of expansion slots in both the iMac Pro and Mac Mini continues to highlight the clear gap in Apple's professional product range that exists while it attempts to design an entirely new generation of Mac Pro desktops.

Apple Mac Mini (2018) review: Verdict

The entry-level, quad-core version of the Mac Mini might not be the cheapest desktop PC available, but it will certainly appeal to business users who want a compact, space-saving system capable of handling Microsoft Office and other productivity software. But it's the six-core models that take the 2018 edition of the Mac Mini into new territory, providing enough raw horsepower to handle a variety of creative and design software - further boosted by the video-encoding prowess of Apple's T2 chip. The lack of a discrete GPU will deter some users, but if you're looking for a compact computer that can pack a big punch then the new Mac Mini has a lot going for it.

Verdict

Better late than never, this 2018 update breathes new life into the Mac Mini, retooling it as an entry-level workstation for creative and professional users.

CPU: 6-Core Intel Core i7-8700B @ 3.2GHz

GPU: Intel UHD 630 (integrated)

RAM: 16GB

Storage: 256GB SSD

Screen: not included

Dimensions: 36x197x197mm

Weight: 1.3kg

07/12/2015:October and November have come and gone and sadly no new Mac Mini is in the offing as yet. The Apple store is still showing the three different models on offer, ranging the entry-level model with a 1.4GHz processor and 500GB of storage (costing 399) to the 2.8GHz version wit 1TB of storage (799).

We don't expect to see a price cut when the nextMac Mini comes along, but hopefully we'll see better specifications.

10/11/2015:NewerTechhas launched itsHDMI Headless Video Accelerator, that is designed to be plugged into the Mac Mini's HDMI port and make the Mac Mini run smoother when used as a headless unit.

"Mac mini packs phenomenal power into a compact form factor, but when it's operated without a display attached, the GPU isn't activated - meaning it's not pulling its weight. So when you access your mini remotely, the CPU does all the work rendering the user interface. As a result, the interface lags; OS X animation, cursor movement, menu navigation, and typing all suffer, making remote operations a pain," according to the blurb on NewerTech's website.

18/08/2015:Leaked slides from an Intel presentation suggest that Skylake processors could be making their way into future Macs, possibly even the Mac Mini.

According to Apple Insider, the chips could bring performance and power improvements to a range of future Macs. TheSkylake's 14-nanometer architecture could improve CPU performance by 10 to 20 per cent over Broadwell-based systems while at the same time improving battery life by up to 30 per cent.The desktop-level S-Series chips could make it into the iMac or Mac Mini.

15/07/2015: Is the Mac Mini due for a Broadwell upgrade? Now that Apple's flagship MacBooks have received updates to incorporate Intel's latest processors, Mini fans are wondering when their device of choice is going to get a new performance-boosting CPU.

Although it's available in the newest MacBooks, Broadwell still hasn't seen a full-scale general release, which is possibly why the Mac Mini is still without an upgrade, but as the chips get closer to consumer launch, the likelihood of Apple announcing an updated Mac Mini gets greater.

Some have speculated that Apple will, in fact, wait for Intel's Skylake processors - the next generation following Broadwell - but given that these have yet to be seen, Broadwell integration remains the more likely option.

Mac Mini review in review

• One of the best small form factors in terms of general and connectivity performance
• Great price tag for what it does
• A mini makeover rather than a complete overhaul
• Impressive enough to make most users consider an upgrade though IT admins might not be swayed due to lack of user updates, which seems a backward step

Mac Mini review

It's been two years since the Mac mini received an update as Apple has focused on its MacBooks, iPhones, iPads and iMacs. That may sound enticing after such a long wait, but if you're expecting a radical update, you're going to be disappointed.

The external design of the Mac Mini hasn't changed since 2010. The Aluminium chassis remains, but it's as elegant and compact as ever.

The Mini can be placed flat or vertically on a desk. It doesn't take up much space and the 1.2kg weight makes it as portable as an Ultrabook. The power supply is built into the body, so there's no power brick to cause any clutter, and for showrooms and point-of-sale systems it's possible to keep the Mini out of sight with a specialist stand.

Despite the small chassis, the Mac Mini has all the connectivity options you'd find in a full-size desktop system. The back of the unit houses 4 x USB 3 ports, 2 x Thunderbolt 2 ports, and an SDXC card slot. There's Gigabit Ethernet for office networks, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4 for wireless connectivity.

The Mac Mini includes an HDMI interface for connecting to an external monitor which you'll need to supply yourself. Thunderbolt ports can be used to provide video output too, but you'll need to budget 25 each for Apple's DVI or VGA adaptors.

The price of the Mac Mini doesn't include a keyboard or mouse, so you'll need to provide those as well. Apple charges 40 for its wired mice and keyboards and 59 for the wireless versions. However, its keyboard and mice designs have few admirers even among devoted Apple fans, so most business users will probably be happy to look at less expensive alternatives. The same thing applies if you need to use an optical drive with the Mac Mini Apple's DVD SuperDrive costs 65, so you may prefer to buy a less expensive generic drive if it's needed.

Price And Performance

Despite the lack of keyboard, monitor and mouse, the 2014 version of the Mac Mini provides good value when compared to its predecessors. As well as the long overdue update to a Haswell processor, this model also comes with a welcome 100 price cut.

Then again, the lack of monitor could be a dealbreaker for some unless you already have one ready to go.

The entry-level 2014 Mini starts at 399 with a 1.4GHz dual-core Haswell i5 processor, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. It's a modest specification, but it does run OS X Yosemite 10.10 and is adequate for routine web browsing and running Office apps.

We reviewed the mid-range model priced at 569 with a Core i5 running at 2.6GHz, 8GB memory and 1TB hard drive.

This combination produced a respectable overall score of 82 per cent in our benchmark tests - almost identical to the performance of the 2014 MacBook Pro with the same components.

The 2014 model was slower than the 93 point score of 2012 Mini. However, the previous model was a top-of-the-range unit with an i7 processor costing a total of 799. This year's mid-range model, therefore, offers solid performance for 569.

It's also worth noting the 2014 Mac Mini's updated Iris 5100 integrated GPU provides strong graphics performance, scoring 94 per cent in our Photoshop tests. It makes the device a good choice for photo-editing or presentations work for business users who don't want to spend 1000 or more on an iMac.

If money is no barrier, the top-end model is worth a look 799. It provides a speed increase to 2.8GHz, and includes one of Apple's 1TB hybrid Fusion' drives to enhance boot times. This could be worth an investment as OS X is built to take advantage of flash drives. However, this model isn't competitively priced as the 2012 model provided an i7 processor for the same price. Business users will also be disappointed to see that the Server configuration has been discontinued.

Upgrades

Repairing the device isn't as easy as previous models. You can no longer rotate and remove the circular plate on the base. It's fixed in place with T6 Torx Security screws and even if you do gain access, there's a limit to what can be done.

The processor and memory in the Mac Mini 2014 are soldered onto the motherboard, which means configuration at the time of purchase becomes crucial. Teardown site iFixit gave the Mini a reasonable score of 6/10 when it comes to repairability.

It costs 80 to upgrade the entry-level model from 4GB to 8GB. If you want the maximum 16GB you'll need to splash out an extra 160. That's far more expensive than if you were to purchase and install the extra RAM yourself, and the lack of upgradeability remains a weakness across Apple's entire product range.

Overall

The Mac Mini remains one of the best all-round small-form-factor desktops available when it comes to performance and connectivity. The 100 price cut and the inclusion of the Haswell processor mean that the 2014 edition of the Mac Mini represents good value.

You'll still have to budget for a monitor, mouse and keyboard, but if you're looking for a compact system capable of handling a wide range of tasks then the Mac Mini is an excellent choice.

This article was originally published on the 24/11/14 and has been updated multiple times (most recently on 07/12/15)

Verdict

The lack of user-upgrades is a step backwards and may deter IT admins from deploying the Mac Mini.

Operating System: OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Processor: 2.6GHz Intel i5-4278U (3.1GHz with Turboboost)

GPU: Intel Iris 5100

Display: N/A

Memory: 8GB DDR3

Storage: 1TB HDD (5400rpm)

Optical: N/A

Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0

Ports: 1x HDMI, 4 x USB 3.0, 2x Thunderbolt 2.0, SDXC card reader, 1 x headphone, 1x audio line-in

Dimensions: 197x197x36mm

Weight: 1.2kg

The iPad Air 2 made made its grand debut, with Apple confirming the 6.1mm gold tablet's existence at its 16 October launch event.

The tablet will sell for $499 (16GB), $599 (64GB) or $699 (128GB), with an additional $130 for each with cellular included.

Pre-orders begin today, with the devices due to ship by the end of next week.

As rumours suggested, the device has an improved Retina display, Touch ID sensor on the home button, an anti-reflective coating and second generation 64-bit A8X chip.

The iPad Air 2 sports an 8MP iSight camera in addition to a new front-facing FaceTime HD camera.

Popular photo and video editing apps, Pixelmator and Replay, were demonstrated at the event in order to demonstrate the increased capabilities of the new iPad Air 2.

It is the thinnest tablet Apple has ever released: 18 per cent thinner than the iPad Air and around half the size of the original iPad.

It emerged after the conference that the iPad Air 2 will come with a software-based 'soft' sim card, meaning users will be able to sign up to their chosen mobile provider straight from their tablet, eliminating the need for the individual cards provided by respective operators.

At the time of writing, EE were the only provider confirmed for the iPad Air 2's built-in sim card in the UK, with Sprint, T-mobile and AT&T participating in the US.

"The Apple sim gives you the flexibility to choose from a variety of short-term plans from selected carriers in the US and UK right there on your iPad," Apple says of the new technology.

uSwitch telecoms expert Ernest Doku said the new features included on the iPad Air 2 could be enough to convince users to dump their older devices: "According to Apple, making the number one selling tablet better means making it thinner than a pencil, and gold, apparently. Let's hope it doesn't bend.

"The addition of Touch ID, more exciting colourways, an improved camera and a snappier processor all worked for the iPhone 5S, so could be enough to convince iPad owners to turn their current one into a hand-me-down."

Reports on falling tablet sales have surfaced recently, throwing the prospective success of a new iPad into doubt.

"It seems Apple's enthusiasm hasn't been knocked by waning iPad sales over the past six months - or 'speed bump' as Tim Cook puts it." Doku continues.

"One problem Apple faces is that, without a finite network contract to concentrate their minds, tablet owners need more persuading to upgrade than phone users.

"Only giant leaps forward will provide the wow factor needed to drive new sales in an increasingly saturated market."

Ahead of the event, Apple may have prematurely confirmed that the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3 will be unveiled, following the publication of screenshots from an iOS 8 user guide featuring the devices.

Following the event, Apple stock was down 1.3% to $96.26, as the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 failed to reinvigorate interest in the tablet market.

iPad Air 2: The story so far...

The firm sent out invites to the event, which featured the phrase "it's been way too long" as its tagline at the end of September.

This development will hardly come as a surprise to some, given that Apple traditionally showcases the latest additions to its tablet range in October, in order to capitalise on the potential for Christmas holiday sales.

As well as a new iPad, the event is also widely expected to be used by Apple to showcase its new Retina Display iMac, and mark the official release of its OS X Yosemite desktop operating system.

Below is a list of everything we knew about the iPad Air 2 in the run up to the event. Feel free to double-check it against what was actually announced to see how much of the rumour and speculation surrounding the device came true.

Specs

Rumours that a larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro could be released at some point in 2015 have also been circulating for a while (via Techie News), with speculated stats including a A8X chip for enhanced performance and graphics that are in line with what the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus currently offer.

KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a source with plenty of credibility accrued from accurate past predictions and leaks, previously suggested that the iPad Air 2 could be set for a September launch this time around.

According to the source, the iPad Air 2 will have "anti-reflective coating for the cover lens, full lamination for the touch panel, a gold-coloured metal casing, an A8 processor, Touch ID/fingerprint recognition and an 8-megapixel rear camera."

The 9.7-inch tablet is rumoured to be getting a 2GB RAM boost, with the Touch ID home button first featured on the iPhone 5s and split-screen capability. Other reports also have it slimmed down when compared to the previous generation iPad Air.

The current iPad Air ships with only 1GB RAM, which is much lower than that on various Android devices, so the 2GB RAM boost will help Apple to keep up with the mounting competition.

It also makes sense when considering the increased demands on the hardware brought about by different iOS 8 features, such as split-screen functionality.

It has been heavily suggested the new iPad will feature a daylight-friendly, anti-reflective display, making it easier to read from in natural light.

Release date availability

Meanwhile, Ming-Chi Kuo (via Mac Rumours) has also now claimed in a report that supply of the iPad Air 2 is likely to be limited, saying: "Of the new products, we think the market will be more interested in iPad Air 2, as the poor yield rate of anti-reflective coating cover lens has delayed mass production, we estimate 2014 shipments of iPad Air 2 of 7-9mn units, lower than the 12mn units of the then-new iPad Air shipments in 2013.

"We thus expect iPad Air 2 to contribute less to the supply chain than iPad did last year. We also don't expect the event to boost supply chain shares much."

Back in 2013, Business Insider posted alleged images of the new iPad Air, complete with its rumoured metal gold casing.

Apple has unleashed the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and a Retina Display iMac on an unsuspecting public, along with updates about the immediate release of OS X 10 Yosemite and iOS 8.1.

Today's launch event comes hot on the heels of the iPhone and iPhone 6 Plus launches in September, and was live streamed from the Apple events page. If you missed it, it should be available on playback soon.

IT Pro has been bringing readers all the latest news in the run up to tonight's event on the live blog, and you can catch up with exactly what went on by scrolling back through our updates.

We covered a lot, including release date, specs and pricing details for the iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 3 and the Retina Display iMac with 5 K display, as well as details about how Apple's share price typically fares in the wake of its previous iPad launches.

Over the page, we run through all the things we expect to see Apple announce at the event tonight...

OS X Yosemite official release date confirmation

Apple's new operating system was first announced during the company's WWDC presentation in June, and several beta versions have since been released to users.

Continuity between iOS 8 and Yosemite is expected to feature heavily, with features such as the ability to make and take phone calls from a PC and to start writing an email on your phone before finishing it on a Mac ("Hand-Off"), teased at Apple's previous event.

This was done using "proximity awareness" that allows a Mac to tell whether another Apple device is nearby, before asking the user whether they would like to switch from their phone/tablet to their Mac or vice versa.

Despite being announced alongside iOS 8 in the summer and being included in Apple's pledge to provide more integration between its devices, it was subsequently revealed the two operating systems' release dates would be staggered.

This kind of release structure is not unprecedented, after iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks also arrived a month apart from each other in 2013.

However, we're hoping to see an update from Apple about when Mac users will finally get their hands on the finished product.

New thinner, more powerful & secure iPads

Recent leaked images from Vietnamese tech blog, Tinhte.nv (via gmanetwork) reportedly give us an early sneak peek at the iPad Air 2.

The most interesting thing about the images is the thinness of the tablet shown, which Mashable has determined as just 7mm thick.

The original iPad Air is 7.5mm thick. Only the iPhone 6 beats it at 6.9mm.

The iPad Air 2 was previously rumoured to be announced alongside the two new iPhone models last month, but will most likely appear this week instead.

The tablet is rumoured to be 9.7-inches, and looks set to feature a 2GB RAM boost and offer users split-screen capability.

The RAM boost makes sense when taking into account how low Apple devices already are, with 1GB RAM, compared to many competing Android devices, and the increased demand brought on by features such as split-screen functionality.

All the signs also suggest Apple's new iPad models will feature the Touch ID fingerprint scanner first introduced with the iPhone 5s. This would offer greater security, which Apple is understandably keen on right now.

The iPads are also rumoured to be getting a daylight-friendly anti-reflective coating for its cover lens, as well as a laminated touch panel, A8 processor, 8-megapixel camera and a gold-coloured casing.

iPad Mini 3

Japanese blog Mac Otakara also claims that we could see the iPad Mini 3 launched on Thursday, according to "sources that can be trusted", and it is likely to be slimmer and with an A8X processor similar to the rumoured specs for the iPad Air 2.

In October 2012, the first iPad Mini was unveiled alongside the iPad 4 and the same month of 2013 saw the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display announced, so there's a good chance that Apple will continue the pattern in 2014.

Several images allegedly showing the iPad Mini 3 with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor have already been leaked to sites such as NoWhereElse.flr and apple.club.tw.

A Gold, work-friendly iPad Pro

Though rumours of a gold-coloured iPad could relate to the iPad Air 2, one theory that has circulated heavily is that Apple could also be planning to launch a larger, 12.9-in iPad.

This would be dubbed the iPad Pro, it is thought, and would feature an A8X chip for markedly improved graphics and performance.

Though it is still assumed that Apple will use the upcoming event to launch the iPad Pro, news that production of the tablet may have to be delayed due to unprecedented sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus may affect this. This comes after more than 10 million iPhones were sold in just three days.

The bigger iPad model may be geared more towards business users, with improved specs, 128 GB of storage and split-screen functionality on a bigger screen for easier multi-tasking. The 12-inch display is also a similar size to the MacBook Air, making it ideal for work.

There are also rumours that it could come with a Microsoft Surface-esque keyboard cover, adding to this impression.

Higher-resolution iMac

Alongside new iPads, Apple is expected to launch a 5K resolution 27-inch iMac. This would be an upgrade from the current resolution for desktop Macs of the same size, from 2560 x 1440p to 5120 x 2880, it has been reported.

Whether a new MacBook will be unveiled is up for debate, after delays to Intel's production of processors.

Then there's the Mac mini, which was last updated almost two years ago. Mention of Apple's smallest, cheapest desktop offering popped up on Apple's support page recently, sparking rumours that it could be a part of Apple's next batch of announcements.

It's not like Apple to leave one of its machines without any design changes from one year to the next, but that's exactly what's happened with the latest version of the Mac mini.

Although things may appear the same on the outside, things have been beefed up within.

The key upgrades include the debut of the Fusion Drive and introduction of Intel Ivy Bridge processors. These help to ensure this is the best-performing Mac mini ever, but you wouldn't know it at first glance - this year's model looks identical to its predecessor, and its dimensions have remained the same: 197mm wide, and with a height of just 36mm.

It's not ugly or dated: the curved corners, flat top and aluminium construction ensure it's better looking than every small-form-factor business machine. Build quality is beyond reproach too.

Fusion Drive was introduced in the latest iMac, is the Fusion Drive. The concept is similar to Intel's Smart Responsive Technology, but it goes one step further by strapping a 128GB SSD to a 1TB hard disk. That's double the amount of space supported by Intel's system, and it works in a much more advanced way: OS X and key applications are stored on the SSD for increased responsiveness, while rarely-used software is relegated to the hard disk to preserve system performance.

OS X manages interaction between the SSD and hard disk by itself, so there's no way for the user to intervene. Out-of-the-box, the OS and several of Apple's key apps are installed to the SSD, and the system monitors your behaviour over time - if apps aren't used, they're moved to the hard disk. New software is automatically installed to the SSD as long as there's room.

Windows users aren't able to access these benefits, however. Those installing Microsoft's OS via Apple's Boot Camp are only able to partition the hard disk.

The benefits of the Fusion Drive will only become obvious over time, but we're still able to test the raw speed of the SSD thanks to OS X benchmarking tool Xbench. The drive scored 277MB/s and 315MB/s in Xbench's sequential read and write benchmarks - much quicker than even the fastest hard disk, even if it's not able to match the 302MB/s and 364MB/s of the Fusion Drive in the latest iMac.

Specification and performance

Apple's other hardware update also follows in the iMac's footsteps, with Ivy Bridge processors replacing the Sandy Bridge technology employed in older Mac minis. There's no sign of desktop chips here, though - this PC is too small, so Apple has had to turn to Intel's mobile parts.

That's not to say the Core i7-3720QM used in this particular Mac mini is found wanting in the power department. Its base clock of 2.6GHz is reasonable, it's got four physical cores, and its Turbo Boost stats are impressive: all four cores can hit a peak of 3.4GHz, with one core able to go an additional 200MHz faster.

The chip is aided by 4GB of DDR3 RAM and scored 0.93 in our benchmarks. That's barely behind the 0.96 scored by the latest iMac, and it's a much more impressive score than the 0.72 result of the Core i5 chip in 2011's machine.

There's enough application power to handle all but the most demanding of business software, but don't expect the Mac mini to handle graphical tasks just as well. Intel's HD 4000 graphics chip scored a mediocre 57fps in our Low-quality Crysis test, and there's now no option to included a discrete GPU. That's a poorer result than the last Mac mini, which had an AMD Radeon HD 6630M and scored 69fps in our Low-quality benchmark.

It's easy to see why Apple hasn't chosen more powerful parts than the Core i7 included here - when tested in both OS X and Windows, the quad-core chip peaked at around 100C. That's almost at the thermal envelope of this particular part and, while the system never became unstable, it's a cause for concern. Power draw was more impressive, though, with the system idling at just 18W and peaking at 73W.

Familiar surroundings

The ports are still collected on a black panel across the rear of the machine. This year's quartet of USB ports have been upgraded to USB 3, and they're partnered by HDMI and Thunderbolt connections. There are Gigabit Ethernet and FireWire sockets, two 3.5mm audio jacks, and an SD card reader.

Internal access is limited like all Apple products, but the Mac mini is still more accessible than say an iPad or an iPhone. The Mac mini is opened by rotating and removing a black plastic disc from the base, and at first glance only the two memory sockets are accessible. They were both already occupied in our review model, but they're able to accept up to 16GB of DDR3 memory. It doesn't have to be Apple memory, either, which is handy - upgrading from 4GB to 16GB of RAM at the point of sale adds a hefty 240 to the cost.

The hard disk can be accessed, but this is trickier - the fan on top of the processor has to be removed, and this part of the machine is held in place by Torx screws.

Upgrades

The expensive memory upgrade isn't the only choice to be made at the checkout.The basic 499 version includes a Core i5 processor and a 500GB hard disk, and the more expensive 679 machine includes a 2.3GHz Core i7 chip and a 1TB hard disk.

The cheapest model can only be enhanced with the expensive memory upgrade, and the 679 machine is more versatile. Upgrading to the 2.6GHz Core i7 we've tested adds 80 to the price, fitting the 1TB Fusion Drive costs an extra 200, and adding a 256GB SSD and foregoing a hard disk at all will cost an additional 240. None of these upgrades are cheap, and it brings our review sample in at 959 - almost twice the amount we'd expect to pay for plenty of other small-form-factor systems.

The third of this year's Mac mini models is designed for businesses. The server edition includes the 2.3GHz Core i7 processor alongside a pair of 1TB hard disks and a copy of OS X Server, but the price starts at a formidable 849. It's gots its own high-end storage upgrade, too: fitting the machine with a pair of 256GB SSDs adds 480 to the price.

Conclusion

Apple's upgrades don't come cheap - and we're not sure of their worth to most businesses. The Fusion Drive and Core i7 processors are impressive bits of hardware, but they're luxury additions - in every day use, the more modest Mac mini will be ample for almost everyone.

Although our review unit offered up high performance the 799 ex VAT price is not going to attract mass deployment. We'd opt for the 499 version as you're still getting much of what makes the Mac mini great: unmatched build quality, great design and plenty of power.

Verdict

Apple's Mac mini doesn't look any different to last year's version, but this doesn't matter because the design and build quality is outstanding. The Fusion Drive is a luxurious addition and Ivy Bridge upgrades provide plenty of power but these optional upgrades don't come cheap - unless you've got money to burn, the low-end models are more affordable and almost as impressive.

OS: Apple OS X Mountain Lion

PROCESSOR: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-3720QM

RAM: 16GB DDR3

STORAGE: Apple Fusion Drive

CONNECTIVITY: Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0

PORTS: 4 x USB 3, ThunderBolt, FireWire, SD card reader

DIMENSIONS: 197 x 197 x 36mm (WxDxH)

Apple's Mac Mini has always been the entry level option for any business that needs to be able to take advantage of OS X and Apple's beautifully made hardware. The computer's core specification is a major improvement on previous models - we reviewed the high-end 559 ex VAT model which has a 2.5GHz Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5-2520M processor along with 4GB of memory and a dedicated AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics chip. Compared to the modest Intel Core 2 Duo chips of previous models, the processor in particular is a major technological leap.

Its performance is in line with its upgraded processor - an overall score of 63 in our benchmark tests isn't going to break any records, but the dual-core, quad-threaded Core i5 processor is powerful enough to hold its own when it comes to even challenging tasks such as video and audio encoding, particularly in combination with its efficient operating system.

The most glaring hardware omission is the optical drive: there isn't one.

The most glaring hardware omission is the optical drive: there isn't one. This goes hand-in-hand with Apple's introduction of the Mac App Store, but downloading all your software will be a pain for anyone with a slower net connection or limited bandwidth.

This also means there's no restore disk - instead there's an emergency OS partition you can boot into, where you can redownload and reinstall the operating system. Again, not ideal if you're in an area with slow connection speeds. We'd recommend backing up the Mini to an external disk as soon as it's out of the box, especially as boot disks created from Mac App Store copies of Lion won't work with this new Mini.

Although an optical drive has been omitted from the new Mini leaving room for a second disk, Apple only gives you the option of pairing a 256GB SSD with a 750GB hard disk for an extra 600. You can only have two 500GB hard disks if you buy the server version.

The Mac mini has a decent range of ports, assuming you have no interest in eSATA or USB3. The most noteworthy is Thunderbolt, the combined mini-DisplayPort graphics and external PCI Express device connection standard. It is actually of some use for storage now, but only if you have lot of money to burn - the only Thunderbolt external storage peripheral currently available is Promise's Pegasus R6 RAID storage array, which starts at 615 ex VAT for a 4TB model from the online Apple store.

The Mac Mini is aimed at businesses who already have monitors they can use.

Although the Mac Mini is aimed at businesses who already have monitors they can use with the diminutive little Mac, Apple does sell its own 27in Thunderbolt-capable display for 719 ex VAT. A key advantage of this Thunderbolt display is its resolution of 2,560x1,440 pixels, compared to a maximum 1,920x1,080 for a HDMI monitor. However, unless you need this high resolution and want its dual Thunderbolt ports for less fussy cabling, using standard HDMI or DVI displays is both more cost-effective and allows you to use a greater range of monitors. Thunderbolt is backwards compatible with monitors that have mini-DisplayPort, DVI or HDMI ports using adaptors

However, even with its dedicated AMD 6630M graphics chip you'll only be able to connect a maximum of two displays to this Mac Mini - either one to the HDMI port and one to the Thunderbolt port or daisy-chain two Thunderbolt displays. Triple-head displays aren't an option for the Mini, as the HDMI port is disabled when two monitors are connected via Thunderbolt.

The Mini's compact size makes it an ideal candidate for mounting tidily on the back of a display, but Apple hasn't produced a dedicated VESA mount for the computer. Fortunately, a number of third-party options are available, so you'll be able to neatly connect the computer to display with a compatible mounting system. If you want to do this with one of Apple's Thunderbolt displays, however, you'll have to spend an extra 35 on a VESA adaptor kit for the display itself, as well as a mounting bracket for the Mini.

All of the ports, including the SDXC memory card reader, are located on the Mac Mini's rear which may make them inconvenient to reach.

The Mac Mini has four USB2 ports, a FireWire 800 port and a memory card slot capable of handling SDXC cards, which have a theoretical maximum capacity of 2TB, although the largest you'll find on the market right now is 128GB. There's also a Gigabit Ethernet port, as well as dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi. Audio ports include just one 3.5mm headphone output and a similar mic input - audio can also be output along with video via HDMI. There's little room for more on the Mini's compact chassis, but the available ports adequately cover the basics.

When you first boot the Mini, you're guided through its basic configuration, including setting up an internet connection and either creating or signing into an Apple account. A single account can be associated with multiple Macs, so systems can be set up without your users' involvement.

Our full review of the MacOS X Lion is coming soon, but a few of its new features have already become firm favourites. Applications updated for the new operating system can be run in full screen mode which helps when you want to concentrate on a single task. You view all your applications and virtual desktops in miniature form using the new Mission Control interface. There's also a new versioning system, simply called Versions, which lets you browse through previous versions of a document so you don't have to worry if you accidentally delete a crucial part of a key presentation.

We've covered the Mac App Store before which feels like a cross between Ubuntu's package manager and the iTunes store. It's an effective and easy-to-use way to get new software.

The Mac Mini has a lot of potential, and it's almost reasonably priced by Apple standards.

We used it to download Xcode, the OS X development and build environment. In a change from the last version, the Lion edition of Xcode is now free. Unfortunately, it's a 3.17GB download, which is a lot if all you want is a couple of basic compilers. These can be vital if you need to carry out in-house builds of specialist POSIX applications. Despite early teething problems with missing libraries, developers have been quick to produce packages and correct build instructions for Lion, so applications such as ImageMagick and Ruby on Rails are now functional under the new operating system. This fast pace will please both businesses that require the ability to compile software to their own parameters and those who wish to use the Mac as a development platform.

Although it's expensive, the Mac Mini has a lot of potential, and it's almost reasonably priced by Apple standards. Lion is a great operating system, although a certain number of teething problems is inevitable. The system is fast to boot, fast to sleep and consumes remarkably little power. It gets rather hot when running, but is very quiet, making it a great choice for close-packed offices where you'd rather not sacrifice too much space or be disturbed by the turbine-like hum of a cooling system.

So what's our verdict?

Verdict

The lack of an optical drive, very limited upgradeability and the comparatively small base 500GB hard disk won't be ideal for some users. However, these are common traits of Apple's systems; but if your business requires the efficiency of a system where the OS is designed to work with exactly the hardware it runs on, it's easy to make a few compromises. Mac OS X continues to be the default choice for serious design, illustration and layout software largely because of the predictability and stability of both hardware and OS. This latest version of the Mini continues to develop those strengths, with the added benefit of a major performance boost. As ever, you pay a premium for Apple products, but this entry-level option is ideal if you need Mac stability without the painfully high costs associated with iMac models.

Processor: Intel Core i5-2520M, 2.5GHz Memory: 4GB 1,333MHz DDR3 RAM Graphics: 256MB ATI Radeon HD 6630M Hard disk: 500GB hard disk Features: mono speaker Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet Ports: 4 x USB2, 1 x HDMI output, 1 x Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort, 1 x FireWire 800, 1 x SDXC memory card slot Dimensions: 197x197x36mm (WxDxH) Warranty: one year C&R or customer carry-in warranty OS: Mac OS X 10.7 Lion Part code: MC816B/A

It's been more than two decades since Ridley Scott's iconic advert introduced the idea of the Apple Macintosh computer to the world for the first time. Said advert ultimately kicked off a line of branded computers that's still reaping significant business all this time later. And long after the Apple Mac theoretically should have gone the way of machines from the likes of Amstrad, Commodore, Apricot and many more, it's very much live and kicking.

Refresh

Apple has, of course, been savvy about injecting fresh life into its computer business over the years, most notably from the late 90s onwards when the likes of the iMac kick-started a striking range of designs whose influences are still being felt now. That ability to refresh its line has kept the Mac platform going where every other manufacturer has leapt over to the PC or gone out of business altogether. And far beyond being limited just to creative industries, the Mac has spent the last few years enjoying more success than it's used to in consumer circles too.

Apple deserves credit for this. Through the likes of the MacBook, and the shift to Intel processors, as well as the way that the firm has managed to position Mac OS against Microsoft and the Windows operating system, the company has managed to successfully keep its computer line fresh for some time.

And, right now, Mac OS market share is a not-unimpressive 5.16 per cent according to Net Applications. When you consider that the vast majority of those Mac OS installations are on Apple's hardware (the exceptions being some illegal Hackintosh' installations), which itself comes with a premium price, then it goes some way to explaining why the firm is valued in some quarters more than Microsoft.

Questions

However, while Apple was churning over billions of dollars of revenue in these sectors, questions began to be asked regarding its treatment of its computer line, specifically its range of Mac computers and the MacOS operating system. That's not to say that Macs weren't still a significant part of the company's business. In its second quarter results, as reported in April 2010, the firm announced that it had sold 2.94 million Apple Macintosh computers in three months, an increase in sales of 33 per cent over the quarter.

Yet that level of growth has been dwarfed by the 131 per cent rocket in iPhone sales, and it's the app market too that's been drawing many of the firm's resources. Such is the level of the importance of these apps that it was back in 2008 that Mac OS X Leopard was delayed due to resources being deployed elsewhere.

And since then, there have been accusations that the firm has been neglecting its line of Macintosh machines. Granted, there have been some updates here and there, but arguably since the switch to Intel processors, the rate of innovation and interest the firm has shown in its Mac line has slowed. To be fair, there's an argument that there's only so much you can do with a computer specification. But we've seen in recent times the introduction of consumer solid state hard drives, and more recently the unveiling of USB 3.0 technology.

However, could the newly launched refresh of the Mac Mini line be an indication that Apple is going to spend more time at its roots? For after rumours had persisted for some months that stocks of certain Mac products were becoming scarce, leading to the inevitable speculation that new products were on the way, Apple announced at its most recent Worldwide Developers' Conference last month that there was fire to this particular smoke.

As such, it unveiled its latest Mac Mini machine, giving the product the kind of overhaul it hadn't enjoyed for a couple of years (save for some minor specification revisions). Apple introduced new casing, greater power efficiency and more powerful specifications, and it proved the most immediate way to address criticisms that desktop computers were of decreasing interest to the firm.

Granted, the new machine has already come in for criticism for the sheer amount of money that it costs, but there's always been a premium for enjoying Apple's computer products, and always will be. However, that Apple is refocusing on its computer line has generated speculation that it's going a little back to basics, and addressing what remains a very sizeable segment of its business.

The proof of whether that it true or not, of course, will come in the months ahead. There's no new MacOS X version due soon, after Snow Leopard was launched in the middle of last year. Yet rumours persist that we'll be getting new iMacs and Mac Pros shortly. However, while both lines haven't enjoyed a full update in some time, Apple is remaining customarily mum on the topic.

That's not to say that computers don't remain important to Apple: clearly they do. But their vitality to the company has nonetheless diluted somewhat, and given the success that the firm has enjoyed with its refreshes of its desktop and portable computer line over the past decade, there's little need to reinvent the proverbial wheel.

However, with Mac sales increasing, and the desktop Mac machine being one of Apple's more profitable products, it's still surprising that the company is giving across the perception that it's been neglecting its computer line-up somewhat. Perhaps the iMac and Mac Pro overhaul will reverse said perception, and perhaps Apple will reconnect with the roots of its business as a result.

Yet given that its new product lines are proving, almost without exception, extremely popular, there's no guarantee of that at all

Not content with taking on Apple's MacBook Air with the Adamo XPS, Dell has now turned its attention to the Mac mini, with the launch of the Zino HD.

The Zino HD has Mac mini-like dimensions, measuring 7.8in by 7.8in and in an effort to differentiate it from the Apple box is available in almost every colour bar white.

Gigabit Ethernet and Wireless-n are onboard, while round the back you'll find two eSATA ports and one HDMI connection.

The Zino HD is available from Dell now and features Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit supplied as standard, with Professional as an option.

Prices start at 299 including VAT and shipping.