This Mac is the best Apple value out there, and right now it's $99 off

My first Mac desktop was a game-changing purchase in my life — sleek and gleaming, it stood out in a world of clunky PCs, looks-wise and when it came to performance. I relied on it for countless college papers, photo and video edits and even animation projects. It lasted nearly a decade before I had to give it up. But Apple kept me coming back for more — and why not? Macs are the gold standard: slick, lightning-fast and endlessly reliable. No random crashes, endless updates or strange glitches — just a computer that works.

That's why I'm psyched to be able to tell you that, for a limited time, the 2024 Mac mini — that's the one with Apple's powerful M4 chip — can be yours for just $500 at Amazon. That's $99 off the regular price.

Why is this a good deal? 💰

The Mac Mini is a shocking $99 off, making it just a few bucks shy of the lowest price we've ever seen for this 256GB model.

Why do I need this? 🤔

When you buy a laptop, you're paying not only for the computer, but the screen and the fact that they had to design every part to fit inside of a small, thin, lightweight, metal container. Desktops like the iMac are a bit cheaper because there is more room to fit things, but in some instances, you're paying for a 5K screen.

The Mac mini takes that a step further. Most of us have a monitor lying around (I have three, and I'm starting to think I may have a slight hoarding problem), which means all you really need is a computer to plug into it. That's exactly what the Mac mini is: Apple's speedy M4 chip, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of hard drive space, which is easily expandable with an external hard drive. All for $500. No frills, just a powerful silver box with an Apple logo stamped on top.

Did I mention the ports? In addition to a headphone jack (they're not dead yet!) and two USB-C ports on the front, there is a place to plug in an Ethernet cable in the back, as well as three Thunderbolt ports and an HDMI port for your monitor.

What reviewers say 💬

This model's been getting a lot of love from Amazon reviewers, not unexpected for a Mac.

Pros 👍

For most people, this Mac mini has enough computing power to handle day-to-day tasks, from streaming to even editing videos. "Powerful (for what I need), which is watching videos on YouTube at 4K, light editing of videos (Premiere Pro) and audio files (Audacity) for my acting and VO business and shopping," reported a customer. "Yeah, these tasks aren't too CPU intensive, but when running a bunch of tasks/tabs at once, I've never once had a slowdown."

"I've only had it for a short while, but this baby is FAST," said a need-for-speed shopper. "It has a way smaller footprint — almost a quarter of the size of the M1. And it is lightyears faster."

One five-star reviewer was surprised at the size. "I didn't realize how much smaller the new Mac mini was.... [This] base model has enough storage, and you can run multiple applications without any issues."

Cons 👎

"Apple. Are you ok?" questioned a five-star reviewer on one of the Cupertino Company's design choices. "I understand the phrase 'power down', but I think you took it a little too literally by the power button down, under the computer, where you have to physically pick up the computer to press it."

One four-star rater found the number of ports to be lacking, specifically the USB-Cs. "There are just two USB-C [ports] in the front and you will need a USB expansion hub. This Mac Mini is thicker and smaller compared to what I had. But I like the silence it brings to my desk."

Need a bit more storage? The 512GB version is calling your name.

The one thing the Mac mini doesn't have? A monitor. If you've already got one at home you can use that or, check out some of the awesome wide monitors on sale at Amazon, like this 34-inch wide Samsung:

If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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