Rogue01

Apple already prototyped this back in 2007 with a MacBook Pro and nixed the idea.  Everyone already has a phone with Hotspot so they don't need to waste money on extra hardware and an extra data plan costing more money when the phone can already do it for the price of one data plan.  The cellular radio will also be another 'feature' to drain the MacBook battery and increase the cost of the laptop, for a feature that would rarely be used.  The WiFi iPad outsells the Cellular version by leaps and bounds because it is less expensive and people can use their phone's hotspot or a public WiFi, just like they already do with existing MacBooks.

tht said:

Finally!

This is possibly the last great feature. Ubiquitous Internet access is what really mainstreamed computers. Offer it for the desktops too!

Desktop?  Why?  WiFi and Ethernet at home, way faster than cell service.  

mbenz1962 said:

Rogue01 said:

"By the time you tack on a somewhat comparable monitor, you're higher than the price of the iMac. We say somewhat because it's next to impossible to find a 24-inch 4.5K display."

This doesn't make any sense.  The two port $1,299 iMac should never be recommended or considered.  The $1,499 iMac with four ports and 10/10 core M4 CPU is 16/256.  The Mac mini 10/10 core 16/512 is half the price at $799 with twice the storage, and you get more ports.  The iMac with 512GB storage to match jumps to $1,699.  Most people are not going to shop for a 24" display to match the iMac.  In fact, there are far better and larger 4K displays to match up with the mini and still be less than the price of an iMac.  Even if you bought a new keyboard and mouse, you can do it for less than the price of an equally configured iMac.

I think you may have forgotten the cost of the magic keyboard and magic mouse in your comparison.  Like the author pointed out, those 2 together run another $300.  

$300?  Where are you shopping???  $149 for Apple Keyboard and $79 for Apple Mouse.  Hardly $300.  Most people buying a Mac mini already have a keyboard and mouse, so unless they want to buy new, they don't need it.  Most are upgrading and use their existing keyboard and mouse.  

"By the time you tack on a somewhat comparable monitor, you're higher than the price of the iMac. We say somewhat because it's next to impossible to find a 24-inch 4.5K display."

This doesn't make any sense.  The two port $1,299 iMac should never be recommended or considered.  The $1,499 iMac with four ports and 10/10 core M4 CPU is 16/256.  The Mac mini 10/10 core 16/512 is half the price at $799 with twice the storage, and you get more ports.  The iMac with 512GB storage to match jumps to $1,699.  Most people are not going to shop for a 24" display to match the iMac.  In fact, there are far better and larger 4K displays to match up with the mini and still be less than the price of an iMac.  Even if you bought a new keyboard and mouse, you can do it for less than the price of an equally configured iMac.

Even the iMac with 10/10 M4 with 24/512 is $1,899, compared to the considerably faster M4 Pro Mac mini with 24/512 at $1,399.  Add a 28" 4K display and you are still less than the price of the iMac.  No one will see the difference between 4K and 4.5K, but they will all prefer larger than 24".  The iMac should not even be recommended when the Mac mini offers more for less money.  Apple blew it when they discontinued the iMac 27".  They could have had a killer iMac 27" with M Pro or M Max CPUs.

Since Apple appears to be moving back to socketed storage, likely to reduce their repair costs - since soldered parts means replacing the entire motherboard, they really need to dump that secure enclave encryption of the SSD so consumers can go back to upgrading their own storage, and it would be great if they would do the same with the memory too.  It is highway robbery with their insanely excessive mark ups for memory and SSD.  Sorry, but 256GB and 512GB is useless storage.  The Macs should be 1TB standard and not charge $2400 for 8TB storage when you can get an 8TB NVMe PCIe4 stick for about $650.

Apple threw a fit and refused to replace the swollen battery and top cover in my 2015 MacBook Pro because I installed an OWC 2TB SSD.  I had to reinstall the 1TB Apple SSD for them to do the battery replacement, or they were going to charge me $1200 for the 1TB SSD.  I told them, since when did upgrading storage prevent them from replacing an item that was completely unrelated.  They refused to budge so I reinstalled the 1TB SSD.  Then I reinstalled the 2TB SSD when I got the Mac back.  They never used to be like that with the Power Macs when you can self install 4 hard drives.