Apple's 2024 Mac mini stashes the power button underneath, a bold move that executives say aligns with user habits, even if it's left some fans scratching their heads.

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 wants the Mac to become a gaming destination, and it has the perfect machine to take on consoles from Sony and Microsoft in the form of the M4 Mac mini.