The "true fragrance" alert! Has Apple's conscience awakened? Is the Mac Mini M4 an IQ tax?

Foreword

Hello everyone, I'm Xiyuan~

This year's Mac Mini M4 can be called an "unexpected value-for-money dark horse."

Who would have thought that, with the support of consumer subsidies and promotional offers, you could buy a basically usable Mac computer for just over two thousand yuan? This is with 16G memory, not the kind of 8G electronic junk from before.

I also followed the trend and bought an M4 Mac Mini at the beginning of this year. The experience has been quite good, but I never got around to doing an unboxing post. Today, while organizing my camera album, I found the photos I took back then were still there, so I've adjusted the colors and put this together to share with everyone~

Packaging

You can tell from the background that this was taken before I moved.

Apple's packaging is damn eco-friendly.

As always, it's "minimalist" (极简) — nothing superfluous is included, but the refinement is not lacking.

The packaging design is great; when opened, it unfolds like a blooming flower.

The sense of experience is quite thoughtful. Though the contents are simple, the attention to detail is meticulous.

Outer Packaging Box

Front

The front is a familiar style, minimalist to the point where there isn't even a single unnecessary word.

Box Back

The back features standard specifications and configuration details.

Unboxing

Open the box, and the main unit lies quietly inside—compact and exquisite, a bit tempting at first glance.

Accessories

Apple continues to uphold its ultimate commitment to environmental protection, with accessories including just a power cable, and nothing else.

Although Mac users are typically accustomed to bringing their own peripherals, first-time Apple computer buyers might find it rather underwhelming.

Main Unit Body

Very compact and incredibly refined.

The compactness is genuinely compact — it's only slightly larger than a thick paperback book when held in your hand.

The build quality maintains Apple's signature style, as always: rounded, refined, and free of unnecessary decoration.

Back Panel

Let's take a look at the back interfaces.

It's actually quite comprehensive:

• Power connector
• HDMI
• Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C *3
• Ethernet port

These ports can essentially meet routine desktop needs.

However, this year's model completely eliminated USB-A ports, forcing users to purchase a docking station.

Bottom

Fan air inlet and the widely criticized power button

At this price, Apple users have strong adaptability

Summary

The hype around the M4 Mini has probably subsided, but after using it, I genuinely think:

• Getting a Mac with 16GB of memory for just over two thousand yuan is absolutely worth it in terms of experience.
• Its performance is more than adequate for daily office work, web browsing, document editing, and light photo/video editing or coding.
• It runs silently and has excellent heat control, living up to the strengths of Apple's self-developed chips.

Of course, there are also downsides:

• The number of ports can't compare to a traditional PC tower. Users with many peripherals may need to use a docking station.
• Don't even think about gaming; the Mac remains positioned as a "productivity tool" rather than a gorgeous little trash gaming machine.

At the beginning of the year, all kinds of guides on how to get a Mac Mini at a lower price were flying around.

Apple, always known for "fleecing" customers, unexpectedly gave people the illusion of "finding a bargain."

During that time, video platforms, social media feeds, forums, and even the second-hand market were all filled with Mac Minis. Everyone was showing off what discount they got and which channel offered a better deal.

Some even joked: "Apple is the most conscientious manufacturer under the consumer subsidy program."

But thinking about it calmly, Apple isn't exactly being generous. The base model has 16GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. The 16GB is barely usable, while the 256GB hard drive is laughable. Fortunately, as a desktop, it's typically used in a fixed location, so connecting an external mobile hard drive is not a problem.

Although the base model is cheap, the 16GB of memory is truly insufficient for serious work. Upgrading, however, is extremely expensive—8GB of memory costs 1,500 RMB. That price is akin to gold, and Tim Cook's "eating manners" are truly ugly.

In short, a little over two thousand yuan is essentially an experience card for the Mac system, allowing more users to experience the Apple ecosystem and its OS. But once you're hooked and want to seriously invest in productivity use, Cook will ruthlessly empty your wallet.

As Tim Cook said: only apple can do 😅