Specifications for the Mac mini (2021) with Apple silicon M1 processor

Afterhaving updated it in 2020 despite very little new features, Apple has unveiled the latest version of its Mac mini. This time, however, a major component changes the situation: the CPU. Indeed, for the first time and at the same time as a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro, the manufacturer here designed the chip itself. Goodbye Intel, helloM1: here is our opinion on the beast.

The most compact desktop Mac

To begin, let's take a look at the design of the Mac mini M1. Here too, no notable improvement: we keep a recipe that works wonderfully. That is to say a square box with rounded corners, but with a slightly lighter color reminiscent of models released before 2018. To give you an idea, it's a slightly bigger Apple TV. Concretely, this translates into a weight of 1.2 kg and dimensions of 3.6 x 19.7 x 19.7 cm. You can thereforecarry it in your bagif necessary.

What is the new Apple M1 processor worth? Verdict

Now let's get down to business: the case of the processorApple silicon. The first of its kind, it is already praised as particularly energy efficient. It would thus consume three times less than the Mac mini of 2018: seven watts compared to twenty previously, according to John Gruber of the blogDaring Fireball. On the charging side, we also see an improvement since the Mac mini M1 consumes twenty-three watts compared to sixty-eight for the Mac mini 2018.

Let's take another example:Google Chrome. You probably already know that this browser is very demanding, it's no secret. Some even choose to change browsers in order to heat up their computer less. But with the Mac mini 2021, it's different. Indeed, according to this time the mediaArs Technicawho carried out a benchmark to prove it, the Mac mini 2021 obtains a score of 210 points with Speedometer 2.0. That's much more than the 116 points obtained by Chrome with the Mac mini released three years before.

As for Safari, its score under Mac mini is 227. Logical, since Apple took advantage of it foroptimize according to its hardware. This is the main advantage of a computer whose software AND hardware come from the same thinking heads. What about RAM then? Choice of: 8 or 16 GB.

macOS Big Sur: nothing to complain about

The Mac mini M1 is powered by the macOS 11 operating system, officially nicknamed Big Sur. You can download third-party applications through the App Store, but some services are already pre-installed on the computer. Here is a selection, in detail.

Multimedia

For managing files on its Mac mini 2021, Apple has designed two different apps. The first and most used is Finder. Equivalent to Explorer under Windows, this is where you can open, rename and move all yourdocumentsin just a few clicks. Images are also stored there, although a dedicated platform simply called Photos does the job a little better. As for reading, it is done with Photo Booth and QuickTime Player.

The Mac mini M1 also targets the segment ofprofessionals. Certainly it is less powerful thanthe Mac Pro (which is a real monster), but its technical sheet remains honorable. You can edit films without fear of potential slowdowns, with iMovie which is free or Final Cut Pro, which is paid for. Same thing for music producers who are entitled to GarageBand or Logic Pro, the latter still requiring an additional investment of 229.99 euros.

Let's finish this part by talking about entertainment. The Mac mini M1 offers Books for bibliophiles and Podcasts for audio broadcasts, at no cost. On the other hand, the Apple TV application allows access to the service ofstreamingApple TV+ which costs: 4.99 euros per month. There is also Apple Music, this time for 9.99 euros per month.

Communicate with Mac mini (2021)

In the Mac mini 2021, Apple has integrated its own email client, simply titled Mail. This is compatible with most providers, such as Gmail or Outlook. But that's not all, since it is even possible to sendSMSwith the Mac mini M1, which is far from being the case with all computers. Indeed, the Messages app is the same as that found on iPhones and iPads: it is very practical on a daily basis.

It is also possible to make video calls with the Mac mini 2021, thanks toFaceTime. This competitor to Google Meet, however, only works between users of Apple devices, which is a shame.

La suite iWork

The Mac mini M1 comes with three office software packages. The first is Pages. This is aword processingquite effective, which offers the possibility of creating documents on the fly compatible with Word and most market standards. Thanks to its sharing features, it can also be used to collaborate in real time with other users, remotely. Google Docs had better watch out.

To this program is also addedNumbers, this time to create spreadsheets. Hundreds of different formulas are included, in order to make the best calculations for your accounting or simply to plan a budget. Finally, let's talk aboutKeynote. Bearing the same name as the famous Apple conferences, this software is used to create and play slideshows on Mac mini. Which works very quickly thanks to the M1 processor.

Siri on Mac mini

The Mac mini M1 comes with theassistant vocalSiri. This allows you to control the Mac mini orally, and some people can even write faster with it than by typing the keyboard keys by hand. Siri is connected to the Internet and also improves automatically based on requests submitted to it.

Among the information offered by Siri, we can notably cite local news, the weather or the stock market price. Siri is also used to schedule reminders from the Mac mini M1, and can search the internet. We can compare it to Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant, but Cortana on Windows computers will perhaps be more meaningful.

Navigation web

If Siri is not enough, the proprietary Safari browser is much more complete. Direct alternative to Firefox from the Mozilla Foundation, it is therefore particularly fast with the Mac mini M1 because it has been optimized for its processor as we saw above. Safari now even offersextensionsin order to add options that it does not have natively.

Apple's Mac mini M1 is also capable of providing turn-by-turn directions with ApplePlans, a mapping platform. Most of the establishments open to the public can be found there, and you can save your favorite places and then find them on your mobile or tablet under iPadOS. If you already know Mappy or Google Maps, it's pretty much the same, but developed by Apple.

To finish with the web part, let's add that the Mac mini 2021 also includes the applicationBourseand the Apple News+ app. The first is free, while the second offers a paid plan and is unfortunately still not available in France. However, its selection of international magazines is quite eclectic and suitable both for those who live in France and for American Mac mini users.

What tools does the Mac mini M1 offer?

Like any good computer, the Mac mini M1 released in 2021 also integrates several basic tools. Like Notes, so you don't forget anything from your shopping list or movies to see. Voice Memo, also installed as standard on the Mac mini, offers almost the same thing but this time to record voice memos. Apple has also integrated acalendar, synchronized with that of the iPhone, to plan your events and organize your days in a few clicks.

Time Machine, for its part, is a feature thatlike the Intego antivirus that we testedrecordsbackupsof all the content of the Mac mini 2021. Objective: to allow them to be restored in the event of a problem. Water damage or an unexpected shock could seriously damage your Mac mini, and Time Machine can save you immediately. A must-have for businesses and individuals concerned about the security of their data.

To finish with the applications automatically installed on Mac mini M1, let's talk about Home. This is a home automation control panel that connects to all the objects in yoursmarthome, from smart bulbs to smoke detectors, in order to share settings. Practical, especially since the Mac mini M1 is truly the hub of a household. Because you can also easily connect other products from the Californian brand, namely the HomePod mini, the AirPods Pro wireless headphones or the AirPods Max Bluetooth headset.

Connectivity and network

The Mac mini has several ports on the back of its case. First of all, there is obviously the charging socket to plug into the mains. Then the Ethernet port to stay connected. Obviously, a catchHDMI2.0 is also there, because let's remember (in case you hadn't guessed) but the Mac mini M1 is just a simple central unit. Which means it doesn't have a screen like laptops.

However, you can connect many types of panels to a Mac mini 2021, including thanks to the two portsThunderboltor USB-C that it offers. Not far away are also two other USB-A sockets, to plug in peripherals such as mice or keyboards. Finally, a 3.5 mm jack will delight fans of wired headphones who do not want to use the Mac mini's Bluetooth to listen to their favorite music.

Mac mini M1: price and availability

the Mac mini M1 with 8-core CPU and 256 GB storage + 8-core GPU costs799 eurosat Apple, but in the comparison table below you can also find discounts at resellers. 134 euros of VAT are included. When purchasing, you can also select AppleCare+, a type of insurance that protects the machine against accidental damage for two months for a few dozen additional euros on the bill.

The Mac Mini M1 is also available with more disk space,512 GoMore precisely. However, it will cost more, namely 1,099 euros. But it's still less than the Mac mini that was previously marketed, which guarantees a few euros in savings. Still 8 GB of RAM are integrated into the cabin, and this Mac mini is equipped like the other with an M1 processor with 16-core Neural Engine. Let's finish by specifying that the latter uses artificial intelligence.