The design remains the same, but you get a new processor and a more generous RAM offering without a price increase. Sadly, Apple is still miserly with the iMac's storage.

The results are more impressive if you look at how the M4 does against Intel chips. The M4 iMac is a speedy 53 percent faster than an iMac Pro, and 137 percent faster than an Intel Core i7 iMac. If you’re still using an Intel iMac, you’re wasting time.

The M4 Mac Mini arrived at the same time as the latest version of its operating system, MacOS 15.1 Sequoia, and Apple Intelligence, the company's personal, private AI designed to help you with everyday tasks (and part of the reason all new Macs now have at least 16GB of unified memory).

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 iMac gets a glow-up with new bold colors for its distinctive design, while the M4 processor adds to the appeal with more power and an AI-infused upgrade.

Apple is updating the iMac with an M4 chip. The new iMac, announced this morning, includes an M4 chip with an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. The entry-level model costs $1,299 with two Thunderbolt USB-C 4 ports, while the higher-end models start at $1,499 and have four ports.