Should I buy a Mac Mini (And Leave Windows behind)?
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I’ve always been a Windows guy—scratch that, it’d be fair to say I was a full-on macOS hater. Back in college, I even bought an iMac just so I could run Windows on it.
But here’s the thing: I 💖 Apple hardware. It feels premium, and with Apple Silicon, the performance reviews are raving.
Microsoft did make strides with its Surface line. I’m currently using a Microsoft Surface Book 2 from 2019 (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD). It’s... fine.
However, the new M4 Mac Mini is extremely tempting.
So, this post is basically me convincing myself to buy an M4 Mac (mini?).
Why I want to switch to Mac
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Apple Silicon - The M4 chip is a beast. Honestly, I don’t think I could build or buy a better-performing PC for the same price. Sure, upgrading storage gets pricey, but the value overall? Hard to beat.
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Apple Ecosystem - I’m already in deep: iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods. It’d be great to have everything working seamlessly together.
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Raycast - I’ve seen some super cool, efficient workflows using Raycast on macOS. I think I’d really enjoy using it.
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App Store - Let’s be honest, the Microsoft Store is... underwhelming. macOS has a legitimate app store, which feels like a big upgrade.
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Development - I’m a Laravel developer, and the developer tools for macOS are miles ahead of Windows.
What I used to hate about macOS
Window Management
I hated macOS window management—I’m a big fan of Windows Snap. But I’ve heard there are apps that can replicate it on macOS, like:
And macOS has added native window snapping, so I’ll test it in-store before making the jump.
Finder
Finder annoys me because it doesn’t have a simple grid/table view toggle. I like my files displayed neatly, not wherever they get dropped.
Magic Trackpad / Trackpad
I never really got used to the trackpad on the macOS devices I’ve used. But I've heard once you get used to it, it’s hard to go back to a traditional mouse / trackpad.
Maximized Windows hiding the menu bar
In Windows, when you maximize a window, the menu bar stays visible. On macOS, it disappears, and that used to drive me crazy. I’m not sure if there’s a setting to fix this, but I’ll check.
Microsoft Office
Years ago, the macOS version of Microsoft Office didn’t have feature parity with Windows. That’s a problem since I use Office for work. However, I’ve heard this has improved, so it’s less of a concern now.
Other
Gaming
I’ve recently gotten into gaming through Steam, but unfortunately, most of the games I play aren’t available on macOS. That’s a bummer.
Storage
I’m currently feeling the pain with my 512GB SSD, so I’d want at least 1TB on the Mac Mini. The downside? Apple charges a premium for storage upgrades.
MacBook Pro vs. Mac Mini
I’m also considering a MacBook Pro. The portability is nice, but the Mac Mini seems like a better value for money. I also already have a great monitor, so I wouldn’t need to buy a new one.
Tax Write-off
I would like to start freelancing, and I know there are ways of writing off work related purchases. I’ll need to look into this more. In other words, this is a just a fancy way of saying I’m trying to justify the purchase. Also, I have a hard time justifying buying a new computer when my current one is still working fine - unless I can potentially write it off.
Conclusion
What do you think? Should I make the switch? I’m leaning towards yes, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’ve made the switch, what was your experience like? If you’re a die-hard Windows fan, what keeps you from switching? Let me know on Twitter @wyattcastaned44
Update: January 2024, I decided to buy a Macbook Pro, 1TB, 32GB RAM, M4 Max. I will be purchasing in March 2024. I will update this post with my thoughts after I've had a chance to use it for a while. I'm saving up for it now, so I'm excited to make the switch. I'll keep you posted!