Everything I love and hate about Apple's newest Mac Mini

mac mini 2018

After four long years of neglect, Apple finally updated its smallest and most affordable Mac desktop in 2018, the Mac Mini.
After spending a few months with my new computer, I have some thoughts about it.
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For over a year, I was waiting to build out the office space in my new apartment because I was waiting — hoping, really — for Apple to release a new Mac Mini.

The Mac Mini had not received a meaningful update in four years. But at Apple's big October event in 2018, it finally happened: The Mac Mini got the love it deserved, with powerful new specs and a beautiful space-gray finish.

I bought the Mac Mini last November, and I've been using it for a handful of months now.

Here's everything I love and hate about the 2018 Mac Mini.

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LOVE: Apple offers plenty of customization for the Mac Mini.

The base Mac Mini comes with a quad-core i3 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of solid-state storage. But if you need more processing power, more memory (RAM), or more storage, Apple has a ton of upgrade options available.

If you max out the new Mac Mini, it will come with a 6-core i7 processor, 64 GB of RAM, and 2 terabytes of solid-state storage.

There are, of course, plenty of options in between. But I appreciate that Apple considered every type of user when creating its customization options.

HATE: The pricing to upgrade the Mac Mini borders on absurd.

The Mac Mini starts at $800, but if you buy every single upgrade option available, it can cost you as much as $4,200.

I bought my Mac Mini with a core i5 processor, 32 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage. Those three upgrades brought the cost of the computer to about $1,900, after taxes and AppleCare+.

I'm hoping the price of this Mac ends up being a good investment. I spent about $2,900 on the new MacBook Pro back in 2013, but that computer still runs like new five years later. Given the cost of the Mac Mini, I'm hoping to get similar mileage.

LOVE: The Mac Mini is downright adorable.

The Mac Mini is a beautiful little computer. It has rounded edges and a matte finish in that deep space gray color. The ports are neatly arranged on the back, while the front face is clean, with the Apple logo on top. It fits almost any aesthetic.

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