The new Apple Mac mini M4 has just been launched a few days ago and hasn't yet shipped. Somehow Amazon is selling it with a small symbolic discount with first shipments expected from tomorrow, November 8.

The new Mac mini is…mini. It’s way more mini than the old mini, which wasn’t a very big desktop computer at all. At just 5×5 inches square and 2 inches tall, it’s less than a quarter the volume of the Mac Studio, which is also a small desktop computer, and only 1.33 inches bigger than the Apple TV 4K in length and width and not even an inch taller.

The Mac mini M4 improves upon what was already a great mini PC with excellent performance, extra ports on both the front and back and a much more capable base model. Its smaller size also makes it a more compelling upgrade that takes up less space on your desk.

To be fair, both of those other computers have significantly more memory bandwidth than the Mac mini, and both have better GPU performance. If maxing out as many GPU cores as possible is important to you, you’re probably better off with an M4 Max, which means either a MacBook Pro or waiting for an updated Mac Studio.

When it was introduced during the white plastic heyday of peak iPod-era Apple, the Mac mini was pitched as the cheapest way to buy into the Mac ecosystem. It was $499. And despite some fluctuation (as high as $799 for the entry-level 2018 mini, $599 for this year's refresh), the Mac mini has stayed the cheapest entry-level Mac ever since.

Apple’s M4 Mac mini offers tons of powerful, modern technology at a compelling price point. Here’s why that makes it great for PC switchers.