The Inevitable Upgrade: From M2 to M4 Mac Mini

I've been eyeing the M4 Mac mini for a while now, and I think it's finally time to take the plunge. My M2 Mac mini has served me well since I got it—my first proper Mac, actually—but the magpie brain is doing what it does best: spotting something shiny and new and convincing me I absolutely need it.

The Reasoning (Or My Attempt at Justification)

Let's be honest, the M2 Mac mini isn't exactly struggling. It handles everything I throw at it with the sort of quiet competence that makes you forget it's even there. But here's the thing: the M4 promises better performance, and whilst "better performance" is often marketing speak for "marginally faster at things you don't actually do," the leap from M2 to M4 feels worth it.

There's also the smaller footprint to consider. Yes, the current mini is already tiny, but apparently Apple decided it could be even tinier. It's the sort of engineering flex that appeals to my sensibilities—making something that's already impressively compact even more so. Plus, there's something deeply satisfying about having the latest iteration of a thing, even if the improvements are incremental rather than revolutionary.

And then there's the elephant in the room: it's new and shiny. I'm not above admitting that the magpie part of my brain has latched onto this upgrade path with the sort of determination usually reserved for more important life decisions.

Why Not a MacBook Air?

I know what you're thinking: "Why not just get a MacBook Air? Same M4 chip, portability included." And yes, that's a perfectly reasonable question with a perfectly reasonable answer: I just prefer being at my desk.

I've never been one for working on the sofa or taking my computer to coffee shops. Even when I only had laptops—a Lenovo Ideapad from around 2018 and later my 2021 Dell Inspiron 3501—I used them almost always at my desk anyway. The Lenovo got junked a while back, and the Dell now serves as my Linux playground while the Mac mini handles the serious work. My setup is my sanctuary—my Dell S2721H monitor, my trusty Logitech K380, the works. The idea of hunching over a laptop screen when I have a perfectly good 27-inch display seems almost masochistic. Plus, there's something to be said for the ritual of sitting down at a proper desk to get work done.

(And yes, I'm already eyeing the 4K variant of the Dell monitor to replace my current 1080p model. Apparently the upgrade bug doesn't stop at just the Mac mini. But one expensive purchase at a time, eh?)

There's also the practical consideration that a laptop, by its very nature, is more likely to meet an unfortunate end. Drop a MacBook Air once and you're looking at a potentially expensive repair. The Mac mini, safely tucked away on my desk, faces no such existential threats. It's not going anywhere unless I move house, and even then, it'll be wrapped in enough bubble wrap to survive a small apocalypse.

Oh and, I am not too great at cleaning keyboards. I am jealous of the screen quality though.

Why Not Just Use Windows?

No.

Next question.

The Financial Gymnastics

Here's where it gets interesting. Apple's trade-in programme will give me £150 for my M2 Mac mini, which isn't terrible considering it's not exactly ancient. Combined with the student discount (thank you, education system), that's £250 off the price of the new machine. So I'm looking at £350 out of pocket for what is essentially a lateral move with performance benefits.

I'll be honest: I don't actually understand how trade-ins work. There's probably some catch involving the condition of the machine or specific requirements I haven't thought of. Fortunately, I'm one of those people who actually kept the original packaging (shocking, I know), so at least that box is ticked. But I'm doing it anyway, because sometimes you just have to trust that these things work out.

The Storage Situation

I'm planning to stick with the base model M4 mini and handle storage the same way I do now: externally. My current setup has a 2TB HDD with two APFS volumes—one for general storage and one for Time Machine backups. I'm thinking of adding a 2TB SSD to the mix for general storage, which would let me dedicate the entire HDD exclusively to Time Machine. The SSD would handle everything that needs speed, whilst the HDD could focus purely on backup duties without sharing space.

It's not the most elegant solution—having external drives cluttering up the desk—but it's practical and cost-effective. Besides, the base model keeps the price reasonable, and I'd rather spend money on fast external storage than pay Apple's premium for internal upgrades.

My First Mac Upgrade

This will be my first proper Mac upgrade, which feels like a milestone of sorts. The M2 Mac mini was my entry point into the Apple ecosystem (well, the desktop side of it), and whilst I've done plenty of Time Machine restores on my own system—thanks to various experiments with things like Asahi Linux and the occasional failure that required a rollback—doing a migration to entirely new hardware feels different. There's always that lingering worry that something crucial will get lost in translation, even though Time Machine is supposedly foolproof.

I'm oddly looking forward to the migration process, though. There's something satisfying about watching years of accumulated files and settings transfer to new hardware, like moving house but without the physical exhaustion.

The Birthday Timing

I'm planning to pull the trigger on this upgrade sometime after my birthday, which gives me a bit of breathing room to make sure this isn't just an impulsive decision. Though let's be realistic: I've been thinking about this ever since the M4 Mac mini was released, and I have a tendency to obsess over something until I get it. The reasoning has only gotten stronger with time. Sometimes the brain just decides it wants something, and resistance becomes futile.

The timing also means I can properly enjoy the anticipation. There's something to be said for delayed gratification, even when you're spending money on what is essentially a luxury purchase.

Final Thoughts

Is this upgrade strictly necessary? Absolutely not. Will I enjoy the marginal performance improvements and the satisfaction of having the latest Mac mini? Absolutely yes. Sometimes that's enough justification.

The M2 Mac mini introduced me to macOS and proved that Apple's silicon really is as good as advertised. The M4 version should be more of the same, just refined. And honestly, after years of dealing with various Windows machines and Linux distributions, the reliability and polish of macOS has been refreshing.

Here's to £350 well spent on something I definitely don't need but absolutely want. The magpie brain wins again.