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A personal computer is a must—have for studying. You can use it to write a term paper, Google an essay, make an amazing presentation, or edit an educational video. These and other tasks are easily covered by Apple stationary PCs, such as Mac mini and iMac. We are analyzing the advantages of both devices and updating iSpace for the new academic year.
Monoblock vs portable platform
When there is no need to take a computer to class, the iMac monoblock will be the ideal working tool for a student. This is a full-fledged desktop computer: the monitor is combined in one case with the system unit, plus a keyboard and mouse/trackpad. To get started, you just need to unpack and connect to the network.
The compact Mac mini is easier to transport from place to place. To work, you need to connect the peripheral, it is not included. In fact, this is a system unit without a monitor, mouse and keyboard — you can choose them according to your taste or use existing ones. This advantage is not for everyone, but if you prefer to build your own computer, the Mac mini is a great option.
Both computers amaze with their speed and performance thanks to the powerful Apple Silicon chip, created on a chip (SoC). The content is loaded instantly due to a high-speed cable connection and Wi-Fi 6E.
iMac is a ready—made solution
A versatile desktop station for any educational tasks. It easily pulls not only basic programs, but also professional applications for video editing and 3D graphics. If you are running many processes at the same time, take a closer look at the iMac 24″ on the M3 chip — the content is displayed perfectly on the large diagonal. At the same time, the device remains ultra—thin – the case thickness does not exceed 11.5 mm. It doesn’t take up much space on the table, and it’s almost invisible from the side.
On the bright and contrasting Retina 4.5K display, any image and text are perfectly readable. The wide color coverage gives a rich palette of shades, the brightness of 500 nits allows you to work in bright light. True Tone adjusts the screen temperature so that the eyes do not strain during long work. With the Magic Keyboard and the Magic Mouse, your hands won’t get tired while typing. By the way, you can choose the Magic Trackpad instead of the mouse for navigation.
For comfortable video calls and online classes, the PC is equipped with a high-quality 1080p FaceTime HD webcam and a sound system with 6 speakers and 3 studio-quality microphones. They block out extraneous sounds — noisy roommates will not interfere with communication and study.
USB ports are definitely useful features — there are two in the basic configuration and four in the extended configuration. You can connect external devices, such as an external CD/DVD drive, when you need to burn your thesis to disk.
Who exactly needs an iMac?
If you need a powerful tool for design, video editing, programming, then buying an iMac on an advanced chip3 will be a good solution. This model is perfect for future designers, IT specialists, marketers, and copywriters.
An ideal choice if your studies or hobbies are related to creating media content or game design. The processor supports decoding of the AV1 codec, as well as ray tracing acceleration — light and shadows in scenes will be perceived realistically.
Portable and economical Mac mini
Modest in appearance, but hardy and fast, the “workhorse” brilliantly copes with everyday and professional tasks. Peripherals can be connected via Bluetooth or USB ports — there are more than enough of them.
The Mac mini M1 and M2 have two Thunderbolt 4 ports (there are four with the M2 Pro chip), two USB-A ports, and an HDMI multimedia interface. You can connect many devices at once — monitors, televisions, video projectors, soundbars, and so on. And if you are creating a large-scale design project or working in a team, connect two external monitors. And even three if you have a model on a Prolific chip.
The single speaker produces clear, loud and pleasant sound over a wide range. When you want to listen to high-quality music, you can always connect high-impedance headphones via the 3.5mm jack.
Who would appreciate such compactness?
If you move around a lot and you have good peripherals, it really makes sense to buy a Mac mini with M2 or M2 Pro chips. It is convenient to work with text files and tables, mount audio and video, view content, and process photos. You can connect a portable device on campus, in a computer lab, or take it to your parents for the summer.
The M2 chipset has enough resources for professional applications. But if you are constantly working in resource-intensive programs for code compilation, video editing, and complex graphics, you should still opt for the Mac Mini on the M2 Pro chip. If your future profession is related to IT, you won’t have to upgrade for several years.
Ecosystem is always a common variable of the iMac and Mac mini
The devices are similar at least in that they are all Apple with its caring ecosystem, user—friendly macOS with a user-friendly interface. The student will find many useful functions and applications for themselves. If you need to insert a beautifully designed diagram into the course, use Grafio 4, and when you need to process a PDF file, the PDFelement application is useful.
Spark Mail will put your email in order, and iStudiez Pro Legendary Planner will help you plan your day efficiently and distribute your workload.
Spark Mail will put your email in order, and iStudiez Pro Legendary Planner will help you plan your day efficiently and distribute your workload.
What should a student choose?
Everyone decides for themselves what is their priority. If it’s compact, flexible, and cost—effective, then the Mac mini will be the choice. If you need a professional tool for complex graphics tasks, definitely the iMac, because it has more options for this. In general, both devices are suitable for “everything”: office software, web surfing, code, design, etc.
It is important to determine how much RAM and storage space you need. If your specialty is related to code, video editing, graphics, take an SSD and RAM with a reserve — a Mac mini M2 Pro with 8 TB storage and 16 or 32 GB RAM. In other cases, you can choose a more modest configuration, for example, a basic iMac M3 with a 256 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM.
A student with his vibrant and active life will benefit from Apple gadgets. With AirPods, you can call your friends and parents even in the noisiest place. The Apple Watch will help you monitor your health, and you can also record lectures on it.
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