Great when it works, but be prepared for months of troubleshooting
I bought my Mac mini M4 in January 2025, and unfortunately it has been one of the most frustrating technology purchases I have made. My 1993 MacBook 100 still works. The machine suffers from an intermittent fault in which it regularly fails to wake from sleep, leaving me with no option but to force a restart. It also unexpectedly restarts on its own from time to time. Because the problem is intermittent, Apple has been unable to reproduce it, despite me providing multiple videos showing exactly what happens. The Mac Mini M4 has been back to the Apple Store in Covent Garden several times. My case has been escalated through AppleCare to Level 2 Support and then to Apple's technical engineering team, yet months later there is still no diagnosis or solution. The latest plan is for Apple to keep the machine in the hope that the fault happens while they have it. I've also experienced issues with setting up and using Touch ID via the power button, which only adds to the overall disappointment. I want to be clear that the Apple Store staff and AppleCare advisors have always been polite, professional, and genuinely tried to help. My frustration is not with the people but with the product and Apple's inability to resolve what appears to be a genuine fault. When the Mac mini works, it is fast, quiet and impressive. Unfortunately, reliability is more important than performance. A computer that cannot be trusted to wake from sleep or remain stable is not fit for purpose, regardless of how powerful it is. My advice is simple: only buy this machine if you have the time, patience, and easy access to an Apple Store, because if you are unlucky enough to receive one with an intermittent fault, you may find yourself spending months troubleshooting instead of enjoying your new computer. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend the Mac mini M4.