Apple currently offers two Macs in this segment: the M2 Mac mini and the M1 MacBook Air.
Both have different form factors yet are portable with strikingly similar performance.
Hence, you’re bound to get baffled about them.
Image Credit:Apple
Hardware and Performance
The entry-level MacBook Air features the firstApple silicon processor, the M1.
On the contrary, you get to see the second-generation M2 chip in the Mac mini.
So, you won’t find much difference in real-world usage.
As a result, you may questionwhether a Mac mini is worth it compared to other Macs.
Design, Size, and Portability
The first point of distinction would be in the design.
Because of its smaller size, the Mac mini is easier to carry than the MacBook Air.
The MacBook Air, however, is portable enough to take with you wherever you go.
As a result, you won’t need any additional dongles or adapters.
And speaking of connectivity, it sports both Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
In terms of connectivity, it supports the older Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 standards.
Price
Ultimately, it all comes down to pricing, which affects your purchase decision.
Although it appears simple, the pricing of these Macs is more complicated than you might think.
The base model of the M1 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costs $999.
On the other hand, the base model M2 Mac mini with the same specifications costs $599.
You get a fully functional laptop when you buy the MacBook Air.
Plus, you might use it without worrying about power outages.
