#I MAC MINI REVIEW PC#

It also expanded our options for additional ports and - just as usefully - gave us a headphone port that we didn't need to reach around the back of a computer to gain access. It's not unusable with this number of ports, of course, but we had to rely on a Thunderbolt 3 desktop dock to get constant access to an SD card and microSD card reader. The same can be said of the MacBook Pro, really. It certainly seems like there's adequate space, though, so we can't fathom why there isn't a card reader on a machine that's otherwise primed and ready for creators.

We'd love to see one or two more Thunderbolt ports and an SD card reader in future models though (as much as the latter is highly unlikely). There's also an opening to allow airflow from the fan. You even get an Ethernet connection point, HDMI 2.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. For starters, you get two USB-A ports, along with the two USB 4 Type-C/Thunderbolt ports. That minimalism also applies to the port selection on the back, but there's still much wider support here than on either of the M1 MacBooks. Despite being a bit old now, there's something quite attractive about a sleek metal box sitting on your desk with no seams, joins or screws visible (well, unless you you turn it upside down or look at it from the back).

#I MAC MINI REVIEW PC#

Still, compare it to a tower PC or any other Mac desktop computer and it takes up a lot less space than most. We'd be surprised if the next-generation model wasn't even smaller for that very reason. That's because the M1 hardware and all that entails fits into a much smaller space than all the previous components. Watch enough teardown videos and you'll see how much space there is inside the new M1-powered Mac mini. Size wise, it's maybe not as 'mini' as it could be though.

I mac mini review