From Windows to the M4 Mac mini: a long-time Windows user’s switch to macOS
I’ve spent decades with Windows, tracing back to the era of Windows 95. Windows XP and Windows 7 were my favorites, and upgrading to Windows 10 happened when I bought a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon in 2018. I stuck with Windows 11 on that same machine from 2021, but the experience grew increasingly frustrating: ads in the start menu, constant nudges to use Edge and OneDrive, and AI prompts sneaking into even basic apps like Notepad and File Explorer.
macOS begins to look appealing With RAM shortages and rising component prices, I started to worry about the timing of a switch. Yet, as laptops with fixed components stayed relatively insulated from price spikes, the Apple route began to look more attractive. My first foray into Linux (Ubuntu in the 2010s) was fine, but Windows familiarity kept me anchored there. macOS, on the other hand, started to feel like a user-friendly, viable full-time replacement—especially as Apple’s silicon shifted the price-to-performance balance.
A standout option arrived with the M4 Mac mini. Apple bumped the base RAM on their Macs to 16GB while keeping the price steady, which made the M4 Mac mini particularly compelling at a starting price of $599 / £599 / AU$999. The 16GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration checked off my needs, making the switch feasible.
Setup and onboarding: easy does it macOS makes setup remarkably painless: you sign in with an Apple ID (optional if you don’t have one or don’t want to create a new account). In contrast, a fresh Windows install typically requires a Microsoft account and an internet connection to proceed, and even then you’ll encounter more “locked-down” setup quirks. I had previously removed some Windows bloatware like the Xbox app and Clipchamp, which sometimes required extra steps or third-party tools. A fresh Mac install, by comparison, feels clean and streamlined.
Learning curve and overall impression I’m not entirely new to macOS, but I’m still acclimating—keyboard shortcuts aren’t all memorized yet, and some menus still feel unfamiliar. Despite the adjustments, the experience on macOS is a dramatic upgrade over Windows 11: no ads, no constant upsell prompts, and a more cohesive feel across apps and the OS. However, Windows still holds an edge in clipboard capabilities and snapping windows, and gaming on Windows remains superior in many cases—though gaming on a Mac is steadily improving.
Running Windows games on a Mac isn’t always straightforward If a particular title isn’t natively supported on macOS, there are workarounds. A popular option is Crossover, which lets Windows-only games run on Macs without a full Windows install. Plenty of titles in my Steam library do run natively on macOS, from calmer games like Stardew Valley to visually intensive ones like No Man’s Sky. In practice, I’ve managed to sustain around 40–60 frames per second on a 60Hz monitor, with some resolution tweaks to keep things smooth.
Gaming performance and practical recommendations For those considering the M4 Mac mini with gaming in mind, it’s worth noting that the better-performing configurations can yield noticeably smoother experiences, especially when you’re not chasing maxed-out frame rates. If gaming is a primary factor, you might want to compare titles and expected performance on MacGamingDB or similar benchmarks to see how titles you care about fare on M-series Macs.
The price, stock, and what you get I’m in Australia, where the M4 Mac mini remains in stock at several retailers for the moment, though there are regional cautions about availability. Apple hasn’t raised the price for RAM and storage upgrades yet, which makes the configuration I chose a strong value compared to similar PC builds with equivalent specs. The experience so far has been incredibly positive: snappy responsiveness, a cleaner interface, and seamless integration with my iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple TV, and iPad mini (6th Gen). It’s surprisingly capable for gaming in its own right, and the overall package feels like money well spent.
Final thoughts If you’re weighing a switch from Windows to macOS, the M4 Mac mini offers a compelling balance of performance, price, and ecosystem you won’t find in a typical Windows setup at the same price. The transition is smoother than I expected, the day-to-day experience is notably more polished, and the added benefits of Apple’s devices across the board only enhance the appeal.
If you’d like to see more specifics about performance with particular titles or workflows, I’m happy to share benchmarks and practical tips based on my own use.