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New Year, New Tech: Inside Our Switch to Apple
In the spirit of ‘work smarter, not harder’, our design and pre-press team spent the best part of last year trying to convince us why a switch from trusty old Windows to sophisticated and modern Mac is a no-brainer for the Aura Print design team (Marketing refused to hear any of it!). A compelling argument and an awesome year for our design team eventually won out and here we are, sat in an office with a design team who won’t stop banging on about insane export speeds and shortcuts that ‘just make sense’. Marketing still don’t get it.
OK, I’ll stop being a cantankerous marketer and dive into the nitty-gritty of what makes the Mac Mini M4 Pro so impressive, hitting you with cold hard tech stats, facts, and the all-important opinion of our design team starting, of course, with unboxing.
Small and Mighty: Let’s Unbox
Let’s set the scene. When the teeny tiny M4 Mac Mini boxes landed on the doorstep of our old, characterful mill this Christmas, it was like Santa (disguised as a FedEx delivery driver for anonymity purposes, of course) gifted us a minimalist upgrade to the 22nd century a mere 74 years ahead of time. It was pretty cool, I suppose. As a digital print and design company, we’re suckers for great packaging, and let us tell you, Apple nailed it with Mac Mini M4 unboxing experience.
From the sleek, minimalist box design you come to expect from a forward-thinking tech manufacturer to the smooth way everything slides out without a single awkward tug, the whole thing screams superiority, and it occasionally rubs off on the user! Even the little pull-off protector wrapped around the sides is oddly satisfying to remove. Seriously, watching our pre-press guys unbox the M4 Pro can only be likened to watching Charlie Bucket unwrap the foil from that final bar of Wonka chocolate (the winning bar, not all the ones before where he just ripped them open like a child possessed!).
Nestled inside that elegant white packaging, the Mac Mini M4 Pro sits gleaming like a tiny powerhouse ready to revolutionize our workflow. It’s impressively compact, taking up less desk space than a stack of 5x7 leaflets, and this is a big deal when you’re working in a busy print shop where every inch of desk space is prime real estate!
Now, we’re not saying Apple includes a sprinkling of magic dust in their products, but there’s something about lifting the lid on a brand-new piece of tech that makes you feel like you’ve joined an elite club (particularly with Apple tech, so I’m told). And you can surely trust our design team when they tell us that, after years of grappling with Windows PCs, this felt like switching from a cramped, noisy office to a quiet high-floor corner with a sea view.
Oh, and the power cable? It’s thick, sturdy, and has that ‘Apple white’ finish. Because what good is a flimsy cord when you’re powering up the best Mac computer for graphic design, right?
Of course, the packaging wasn’t the only thing that piqued pre-presses interest – they couldn’t wait to see if this shiny little box could live up to its reputation and handle our pre-press and design tasks. But more on that later.
Overall, our first impressions of the Apple Mac Mini M4 unboxing were, as you’d expect, pretty solid. Its clear Apple put as much thought into the premium packaging experience as they did into the computer itself. And as a family-run business with premium, streamlined pre-press and production at its heart, we can’t help but appreciate that.
So, is the Mac Mini M4 Pro worth the hype? Well, it’s off to a good start. Next up, we’ll give into setting it up and see if it’s really as straightforward as Apple claims.
Setup – Getting Our Macs Ready to Work
Setting up the new Mac Mini M4 Pro was like assembling flatpack furniture – but without the stress-induced swearing. Apple’s reputation for simplicity holds true, and our designers were up and running in no time.
What we needed that, unfortunately, didn’t come in the dinky box:
· A compatible monitor (got ‘em).
· A keyboard and mouse (we opted for off-brand seeing as the M4s ate into the tech budget).
· A HDMI cable to connect the Mac Mini to the monitor (like everyone and their Dad, we have a box full of tangled cables).
First things first, we plugged in the power cable and hooked up the Mac Mini to our existing monitors (yes, we’re going right from the start). Everything fit snug as a bug, and unlike some Windows setups we’ve tackled, there were no awkward port dances trying to figure out which side to plug in. Once everything was connected, we pressed the power button (yes, we went there), and within seconds doth appear that iconic Apple logo.
From there, the M4 Mac Mini guided us through the setup assistant, where we chose our language, region, and Wi-Fi network. Signing in with Apple IDs took a bit of time with password resets and whatnot but, once that was all sorted, our design wizards were good to go.
We can’t stress enough how refreshing it was not having to deal with endless updates right out of the box. Sure, our designers did check for updates (because staying current is key), but the process was smooth and didn’t eat into important design time. After a quick restart, we were ready to roll, starting with a complex custom-printed flyer design.
Tips we Picked Up Along the Way:
· Make sure your monitor input source matches the port you’re using on the Mac Mini. We may have had a moment of mild panic thinking something wasn’t working, only to realise we hadn’t switched the monitor input.
· Keep your keyboard and mouse charged if they’re wireless. Nothing kills the excitement of setting up a new Mac faster than a dead mouse.
Once setup was complete, personalization began. From setting up Hot Corners (because who doesn’t love a quick shortcut to mission control?) to organising Docks to keep the most-used apps within easy reach, it’s really easy to make the Mac your own.
By the end of the day, the entire team was up and running on their new Mac Mini M4 Pros. It was a smooth transition, and even our Windows diehards (your humble author included) had to admit it was easier than expected.
Next, we’ll dive into how these little powerhouses perform under the pressure of day-to-day design and pre-press, from complex die-cut bookmark designs to exporting pages for densely packed custom booklets.
Design Performance – Putting the Mac Mini M4 Pro to the Test
Once our teams Macs were all set up, it was time for the ultimate design performance test: handling the heavy lifting required in our fast-paced digital print and design workshop. But how did the fair?
Design Software
Once we got up and running, firing up Adobe Creative Suite was the only thing to do. Whether we’re talking Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign, everything ran buttery smooth. No lag, no stuttering, just crisp, fast performance that made every task feel effortless. Switching between apps was seamless, and even with multiple large files open at once, the Mac Mini M4 Pro didn’t seem break a sweat.
Compared to our old Intel Core i7-12700 PCs, the difference was night and day in terms of productivity and efficiency. Where we once waited precious minutes for high-resolution images to load or exports to complete, the new Mac Mini powered through in a fraction of the time. When you’re on tight deadlines like our team often is, those saved seconds really start to add up.
Multitasking Like Pros
With their old Windows PCs, our design team claimed that multitasking was sometimes a gamble. Open too many apps, and you’d start noticing the slowdown. Not so much with the M4 Mac Mini. We had emails sending, WeTransfers downloading, files extracting, multiple browsers and design software running simultaneously, and the performance remained rock solid.
The new MacOS also made switching between tasks feel intuitive and fluid. Mission control became a quick best friend for managing multiple desktops, and those Hot Corners set up earlier made bouncing between tasks surprisingly fun.
Pre-Press Workflow
To say our pre-press team was impressed by the speed and efficiency brought to the table by this new mighty Mac would be an understatement. Preparing files for custom-made stickers to print, ensuring accurate color management on premium art prints, and generating large PDF files were all done with ease. The Mac Mini’s performance has helped ensure no hiccups, helping us guarantee that every file is print-ready in record time. Even tasks like soft proofing, which demands high color accuracy and smooth performance, were a breeze!
Cooling and Noise Levels
Despite all this heavy usage, the Mac Mini M4 Pro stayed whisper quiet. Our designers are used to hearing fans whirring away under the strain of managing large files, but these Macs barely made a peep – impressive! Even more impressive, after a good month of use, we’ve yet to notice the fan kick in, proving the capabilities are worth the pennies.
Final Thoughts on Performance
If you’re wondering whether the Mac Mini M4 Pro can handle demanding graphic design and pre-press work, the answer is a resounding yes. It’s clear that Apple built these machines to be more than just sleek, compact toys, but workhorses that help our team put productivity first.
Ready to dive into some of the quirks our team noticed after a few weeks of use? Let’s tuck in.
The Things That Make You Go “Hmm”
No piece of tech is perfect, though I’m told this one is close. While our design crew have nothing but love for the Mac Mini M4 Pro, there are a few quirks that caught them off guard.
Let’s talk about the one thing that’s irked die-hard Apple users and newbies alike: the power button. On the Mac Mini M4 Pro, it’s not on the front or even the top because, well, that would be too obvious. Located on the bottom of the device, users have to lift their Mac just to turn it on or off and while we’re all for a good quirk, it left us questioning the logic that went into this design call. Fear not though, it’s a rarity that our designers need to power off their machines, and at a dinky 0.67kg, it wouldn’t require too many arm-day gym trips for them to lift it up!
Beyond the pesky on/off button, while the Mac Mini M4 Pro does offer a decent range of ports (including USB-C, HDMI, and Ethernet), we found ourselves wishing for just a couple more USB-A ports. As a print and design company we often plug in multiple external drives and devices, and juggling adapters isn’t conducive to a nice, organised workspace but hey, we can’t have it all!
While many diehard Windows users might find the Apple learning curve frustrating, all our designers are tech wizards with plenty of experience using both Windows and MacOS. Hypothetically though, if they didn’t all have Mac’s at home, we don’t expect it would have taken them long to get the hang of this brand-new operating system.
Mac Computer vs Windows: Was the Switch to the Mac Mini M4 Pro Worth It for Aura Print?
In short, absolutely. The switch to the Mac Mini M4 Pro has been a massive productivity boost for Aura Print. The increase in processing speed alone makes this little powerhouse worth the investment. Yes, the Mac Mini 4 price might be steep, but if maximum output is your current struggle, the leap is well worth it.
Our design team, who really drove the decision, vastly prefer MacOS thanks to its speed, stability, and seamless user experience, giving you that all important Mac vs Windows answer (from our point of view!). From faster loading and export speeds to smoother multitasking, everything about the Mac Mini M4 Pro has increased our workflow. The improved performance in Adobe Creative Cloud and pre-press tasks means we can turn around design work quicker than ever, which is crucial as our family business continues to grow!
Sure, there are a few quirks, but nothing that detracts from the overall experience. The bottom line is this: if you’re a creative business weighing up Windows vs Mac and wondering whether to make the switch, we can confidently say that the Mac Mini M4 Po is worth every penny.
Is the M4 Mac Mini the best Mac computer for graphic design? Possibly. Would we invest again? Without hesitation.
Going Forward
Stay tuned for more Aura Print insights, where we continue to explore everything from new production investments to sustainable print solutions and beyond, all in the name of premium print. Whether you’re looking to level up your custom printed business cards, invest in brand-new product hang tags for your tech brand, or create a range of branded playing cards to help subscribers support your Patreon, we’re your one-stop shop and, thanks to the Mac Mini M4 Pro, we’re more productive than ever!
