I don't know if there is such a feeling among the friends:
Some electronic products seem to be getting more expensive the more they are sold.
Take the iPhone we are familiar with, this year's 15 Ultra, the price increase is a foregone conclusion.
Looking at the notebook circle next door, the new products in 2023 are also a big rise.
Although, for the machine brother who uses the top MacBook codeword, there is no slightest impact.
But that doesn't seem to be a reason for manufacturers to do whatever they want.
In this environment, products that can adhere to low prices, or even not rise but fall, are rare.
For example, the mysterious guest that Brother Ji wants to introduce today:
It, petite, but powerful, notebook figure, desktop experience;
It, exquisite workmanship, but low price, less than four thousand oceans, feel the craftsmanship of the big factory.
It is the most discussed explosive computer recently——
M2 Mac mini
What do you think, don't really think I'm going to blow the Xiaomi mini console, right?
Of course, it's not that there is anything wrong with Amy.
Mainly the Mac mini lately, it's really overly cheap ...
When Apple plays with value for money
Originally, the starting price of the M2 Mac mini was 800 pieces lower than the previous generation.
Recently, major platforms have worked hard to engage in tens of billions of subsidies, and it is 800 yuan as soon as they are sold.
Even without looking at third parties, Ago himself has almost zero threshold education discounts.
For only 3600 yuan, you can get the new warranty M2 Mac mini.
On the other hand, our dear Ami will sell for 3799 yuan.
Solved the case, in order to make Lei rush high, Cook really fought this time.
Back to the point.
In terms of performance, Mac mini and tens of thousands of MacBooks are really not much different.
At the same time, it also has a sophisticated Mac system, a clean app ecosystem, and powerful device connectivity...
"Young people's first apple" is well deserved.
Oh, the machine brother searched casually, and the video of blowing it on the Internet has been lined up for a long time.
Yes, it is said that it is the best choice for getting started with self-media, cutting 4K videos such as eating and drinking;
Yes, it is said that it is Apple's most cost-effective product, and the possibilities are unlimited with peripherals.
There are even people who say that using it instead of a notebook is stress-free to carry home from work.
It is no wonder that many netizens are completely unsettled.
Some users who had never touched Apple computers began to think about it.
This may be the closest Mac has come to mass users.
Don't talk about you.
The brother who has used the MacBook for many years also began to be curious:
Is the Mac mini, especially the experience of the Qiu version, really so fragrant?
Without doing anything, the machine brother took out the Mac mini purchased for the first time from the almighty drawer on the spot:
And, a set of keyboards and mice for Windows computers:
In order to simulate the most realistic use environment of ordinary people after buying Mac mini.
Let's see, for only 3600 yuan, can you really bring home the Apple experience?
8GB, is it enough?
Simple running score, clipping test, everyone is estimated to see enough.
What Brother Ji wants to talk to you about is its main dissuasion point - memory.
It's not that I said, the Android phone next door is already going to popularize 12GB memory.
It's also a "desktop computer", are you serious about this 8GB starting memory?
Add a little memory and spend enough money to buy a second Mac mini.
Therefore, the first thing to consider when purchasing is "whether to upgrade 16GB".
Well, to this question, the answer of netizens is...
How about you two get into a fight?
At this time, it will be the turn of the machine brother to make a move, first put the conclusion:
According to the eighth law of the machine brother.
For 95.87% of users, 8GB is more than enough.
Users who will struggle with memory are often not real professional bosses, such as editors and designers.
It is an "audiophile" stuck in the middle of mild and professional:
Usually like to surf the Internet, Chrome opens with more than a dozen tabs;
In addition to Office codewords listening to songs, but also play PS, Pr or something;
Hang WeChat QQ around the clock, and the sand sculpture group is passionately matched;
When you are interested, you have to open a simulator and relax with Genshin.
Finally, while the computer is required to complete the above tasks, it is not possible to see that it has a little card.
Although they are not related to the profession, they are not "light users".
In this operating environment, an 8GB M2 Mac mini will occupy about 7GB of memory:
Maybe you'd say, isn't this already going to explode?
But after the actual experience, the smoothness of the system operation can still be described as "silky".
The reason lies in a technology for Linux/Unix systems: swap memory (SWAP).
Translated into human terms, it is to compress the temporarily useless background apps and stuff them into the hard disk.
In the performance monitor that comes with the system, you can see that 8.01GB of "switch" has just been used.
It is actually the same kind of thing as the "extended memory" hyped by mobile phone manufacturers a while ago, and the "virtual memory" on Windows.
Thanks to the powerful performance of the M2, as well as the high-speed SSD, the Mac mini's SWAP is very unfeeling.
Even if there are operations that exceed the 8GB limit, it can be guaranteed to run smoothly and freely.
However, all of the above is based on "temporary use".
After using the software, you still have to honestly turn it off.
It can't really be like the following, when 16GB of RAM Hoho:
Because, the machine brother really turned from under the drawer to an idle 16GB Mac mini.
Same usage, although the memory pressure is to yellow.
But it doesn't use "swap memory" at all.
Why am I emphasizing this?
Because, the life of SSDs has a limit...
The main indicator to measure the life of a hard disk is "data writes".
And long-term, heavy use of swap memory, will be like this old brother, write several terabytes of data every month.
In the long run, the life of the hard disk will be discounted.
Even if it is only planned to be used for two or three years, it is necessary to control the loss of hard disks from the perspective of second-hand retention rate.
To sum up, 8GB of RAM is more than enough for light and moderate use.
Occasionally under pressure, it can still top, not stuck at all.
But if you are like a machine brother, you like to open more web pages to touch fish, and slam P-map clippings.
Even Android emulators, Windows virtual machines and stand-alone games in the background...
Then I still advise you, don't worry about using the 3600 small computer as a 10,000 yuan magic machine.
If your budget is really limited, you can also try to change your habits:
After reading the web page, turn it off honestly; Before playing the game, clean up the background a bit.
Count me begging you for your computer.
The perfect experience? Please top up the money first
With the most critical performance understood, let's talk about the comprehensive experience of Mac mini's daily life.
After all, in addition to being used for work, there are many Mac newcomers, and what they crave is its system.
macOS Ventura
Old rule, first on the conclusion:
If you expect macOS, it's ahead of Windows as iOS is ahead of Android.
And 3600 yuan to buy a Mac mini, you can become an admission ticket to the "Apple-style experience".
Then you may be disappointed.
Of course, macOS is indeed an elegant, sophisticated operating system.
Its sense of design and simplicity is very appreciated by the machine brother.
You see how pleasing this delicate icon, delicate animation, is:
Its control of third-party apps does have a bit of iOS flavor.
Ordinary users can download most of their daily software on the App Store.
Even the two thorny heads of WeChat and QQ obediently adapt to Ago's design language.
Its concept, Brother feels that it is also more suitable for mass users than Windows.
For daily use, there is no need to pay attention to the broken things such as "registry", "DLL missing", and "control panel".
It's as cool to use as a mobile phone, and it's fairly simple and brainless.
But at the end of the day, its experience advantage "ends here".
The main reasons that prevent macOS Tulle Windows are the following.
First of all, its animation and smoothness are not crushing Windows as everyone expects.
Isn't this silky animation very cool?
However, in actual use, you basically can't see / use it.
In most cases, the app will just pop up abruptly and disappear hard again.
Could it be the same as Android, a problem with third-party apps?
Well asked, let's take a look at Apple's own Final Cut Pro:
Still the same virtue, even more blunt.
In addition, in daily use, it is often necessary to endure this "jump and jump" loading animation.
At this time, take a look at the silky animations and various second-to-second experiences of Windows 11 next door...
Unexpectedly, the clown turned out to be myself.
If you talk about the above settings, you will get used to it after a long time.
That "keyboard and mouse support" is really a slot that macOS can't get around.
Remember what Brother said earlier, I used a set of Windows keyboard and mouse plugged into the Mac mini?
This is also the usage scenario mentioned by many bloggers:
"There are already old desktop peripherals at home, and you can buy a Mac mini and plug it in."
Isn't it easy to think that this is a low-cost alternative to MacBooks and iMacs?
If you do, congratulations on getting a "half-crippled" Apple computer.
How difficult is the traditional Windows keyboard and mouse to use on Mac?
Not to mention that it is difficult to move an inch, at least one step at a time.
The keyboard experience is quite reasonable.
Bind "Ctrl" to "Command" and "Alt" to "Option".
Shortcuts like copy, paste, Alt+Tab can be used interchangeably.
The keys of "Fn" and "Globe" can only go with it...
As for the mouse, it was a real disaster.
Can you imagine a computer system that can't use the scroll wheel to control switching and zooming pictures?
macOS did it.
Because it hit the beginning, I don't know what the roller is.
Want to simulate the Windows scroll wheel experience, such as the most basic "smooth scrolling".
You have to turn to the almighty Baidu to search for all kinds of DIY plugins.
Because of these experiences, you already belong to the trackpad on your Mac.
Do you know why Ago wants to make a Magic Mouse that feels so bad?
Because this is the only form that can combine "mouse" + "trackpad".
Or buy a trackpad, right?
Congratulations, you've achieved a peripheral price of ≈1/3 of a host.
Alternatively, you can turn to third-party accessories.
For example, many bloggers recommend the Logitech MX Master mouse.
In order to accommodate Ago's stubborn temper, it specially prepared a second scroll wheel, which is specially used to map the operation of "zooming"...
The price is cheaper than the trackpad, so it sells you a few hundred dollars.
So, in terms of daily and interactive experience, you think you can get an enhanced version of Windows.
It's actually just a castrated version of macOS.
You'll need to add a lot of extra money to catch up with the MacBook's factory experience.
However, after getting a trackpad, the Mac mini experience is an immediate take-off.
You can even experience the long-lost 3D Touch on the trackpad:
As for the "necessary 4K display" that many people on the Internet say, Brother Jie doesn't have much feeling.
On the 1080P display specially found by the machine, macOS font rendering is to "paste" a little.
But compared to Windows, the refinement and glyphs look more comfortable.
In contrast, it's five or five.
macOS vs. Windows font rendering
Finally, let's talk about the feasibility of replacing notebooks with Mac mini.
Very OK from a portability point of view.
In terms of volume and weight, it is close to a thick book.
Combined with thickness and size, it can be a match for MacBook Air.
In terms of scalability, the Mac mini as a desktop is definitely a hanging notebook.
However, as mentioned in the article, the advantage of the MacBook lies in the "complete" Apple computer experience.
These include a screen with precise color correction, great speakers, a perfectly adapted keyboard and trackpad, and more.
If you put together these peripherals for the Mac mini and adjust them one by one, it will not cost less than the MacBook.
What's more, the notebook can also be used anywhere without the power supply.
This is something that desktops cannot envy.
So ask the machine brother, whether the cost performance of the M2 Mac mini is high.
I guess there's really nothing higher on the market.
But if you want to ask me if I should buy it, I advise you to weigh it again.
Or, you just need software on macOS, such as Leonardo da Vinci or Final Cut Pro.
Or, iron heart into the Apple camp, but the current budget is limited, and the future will invest in peripherals.
Otherwise, take a step back and continue to use Windows, or take a MacBook in one step, or a more worry-free choice at the moment.
Image from the web