Congratulations to Apple. They finally made the Mac as powerful as the iPad. Apple is now showing off brand new Mac machines with M4 chips. You see, before Apple was only putting the M4 in the iPad Pro, but hey, more is changing in the Mac lineup besides just the processors. We got new colors of iMacs, improved MacBook Pros, and a much more Mini Mac Mini. All of these are being sold now. All devices are landing November 8th, and all of this news hits as we're still getting used to Apple intelligence software updates. So here's one more thing to digest this week aside from the Halloween candy. Let's take a closer look at what is changing in the new Macs. I'm Bridget Carey, and this is one more thing about three more Macs. Apple dropped little nuggets of news throughout the week with three days of hardware announcements in a row, and we just started getting a first look with our

own eyes today at a preview event in Los Angeles. The IMAX have beautiful new colors that are more vibrant than before. I would say that the pink is way more pink, the green is way more green, and the Mac Mini is itty bitty. It's just 5 in x 5 in. It's the first carbon-neutral Mac with new ports on the front now and a power button on the bottom. What? Yep, we're putting buttons on the bottom now. Why not? Because this is the future. But before we get into buttons, let's step back to look at the big picture. Apple is pushing its Apple intelligence software right now, and these computers with M4 are going to be really good for heavy-duty AI work. But any Mac computer with Apple silicon can use Apple intelligence, even something with an older M1 chip. It's just that, of course, M4 is going to be much faster, and these machines also come with more RAM, more memory, which makes it even better to

do demanding tasks so for all these new machines. Apple boosted the starting RAM to 16 gigs. Apple also announced as of today it's going to sell the older MacBook Air with 16 gigs of RAM, and that's for the M2 and the M3 versions. It doesn't have M4 yet. Reports say Apple will eventually put M4 in the whole Mac lineup, but other machines may need to wait until next year for their upgrades. There are three flavors of Apple's M4 processor. There's the base M4, the M4 Pro, and the M4 Max. Now the iMac, it's getting the base M4. The Mac Mini, it has options to upgrade to the M4 Pro. Pro and the MacBook Pro, well, it's getting the option to upgrade to the M4 Pro and the M4 Max. They say what's on the inside matters most, but we covered that already, so let's now judge what's on the outside. When it comes to the iMac, the shades of each color are different from last year, but if

you're looking at these just from the front side. It might be a little hard to tell some of those color differences. The accessories all match, of course, and they all now will charge with a USB-C port. And yes, that means the Magic Mouse still has its charging port on the bottom. Mhm, all that Apple intelligence, and we're still charging it in a less than intelligent way. But you know what? At this point, I just love Apple for keeping it that way because Apple knows that we say things, but they don't care. The camera on the iMac also got a boost. It's a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, which keeps you in the center of the screen. And it also has something called desk view that gives you this top-down view of the desk if you need to present something that you're doing at your table. Let's talk about the ports. The base model has two with USB-C Thunderbolt 4 for

faster data transfers, and you can upgrade that to four ports if you want. And there's another upgrade option: Nano texture glass, which reduces reflections. It costs $200 more, but you might want it if you have a room with a lot of light and glare. The starting price of the iMac remains the same at $12.99. Now let's talk about the mini. It might not be as visually splashy, but it's got some more oomph. Yes, it is smaller than before, but it's also a wee bit taller at 2 inches in height. It's got new ports on the front now. There's two USB-C ports and a headphone jack in front. The back has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and if you upgrade to an M4 Pro chip, well, those become Thunderbolt 5 ports. And it gives you the ability to connect up to three displays. So if you're wondering how much faster is Thunderbolt 5, well, the normal USB-C in the front is going to get you 10 gigs of transfer.

speed, but the back is up to 120 gigs. The starting price stays the same. Baseline model cost $5.99. Now, let's get to the MacBook Pro. Of course, it is the most expensive of the bunch. The 14-in model starts at $1,599. It's the same starting price as before, but now you get some new tricks. The MacBook Pro added another Port. There are now three Thunderbolt 4 ports, but if you upgrade to an M4 Pro or an M4 Max model, well, those turn into Thunderbolt 5. So, in that regard, it's like the Mac Mini. And just like the iMac, it's got a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with Desk View. And if you want, just like the iMac, you can upgrade it to a nano texture option on the display to reduce glare. This laptop also has up to 24 hours of battery life, the longest ever in a Mac, says Apple. And for that, you can thank the M4. It has more power-efficient performance as these products release.

We will be hearing more about how these new chips in the Mac will be better for gaming, as well as AI. I'm looking forward to seeing how folks put it to the test with heavy AI tasks. Let me know what you think. Are you getting one of these new models? Are you waiting for Apple to upgrade another breed of Mac? I know I shouldn't just buy a computer because of color, but that pink is calling me. I'll catch you next week when I'm sure there'll be one more Apple thing to talk about.

Mac Mini is How Small?! Up Close with Apple’s New M4 MacBook Pro, iMac and Mini

CNET is the premier destination for explaining and navigating the changing world around us. Through news, product reviews, price comparisons, and more, we’ll tell you what’s new in the parts of modern life that increasingly matter more — from health, home, and money to tech, culture, and climate — and how to get the most out of them.

Mac Mini is How Small?! Up Close with Apple’s New M4 MacBook Pro, iMac and Mini

Mac Mini is How Small?! Up Close with Apple’s New M4 MacBook Pro, iMac and Mini

Scripts