Advantages of buying Mac mini directly from Apple

Buying from Apple online you can build your Mini to your specifications, i.e. amount of RAM, size of internal SSD (I personally wouldn't get any Mac with less than 1 TB internal SSD), Gigabyte or 10 G Ethernet and any software that Apple offers (Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro) preinstalled.

I wholeheartedly agree with John Galt about buying from Apple or an Authorized Apple Service Provider.

Yes. I only buy directly from Apple. Should you choose to do otherwise,

• Never buy an Apple product from any vendor other than Apple or an authorized Apple reseller.
• Amazon (among others) is an authorized Apple reseller, but use caution when buying from Amazon because their site also includes non-authorized Apple resellers.
• If you choose to buy an Apple product from Amazon's Apple site (US link here) and you have a problem with it or want to return it, Amazon will refer you directly to Apple. Amazon does not get involved in any way. That essentially obviates any purchase advantage they may have had in the past.
• If you choose not to purchase an Apple product from an authorized Apple reseller, then that Mac is considered used with a warranty start date as of the date it was sold by Apple or the authorized Apple reseller.
• Apple is also the only source for authorized Apple refurbished products. They are not available from any other entity, including authorized Apple resellers.
• Amazon has its own "Refurbished by Amazon" products, not to be confused with those certified refurbished by Apple. Those "Refurbished by Amazon" products are not new. They are used.

Advantages:

• You can custom-order whatever configuration you need. Many retailers just carry stock models.
• You generally get a 14-day period during which you can return the system for any reason.
• If the Apple Store in your country has a Certified Refurbished section, and you are interested in possibly getting a Certified Refurbished Mac, the place you get those is directly from Apple (online).

Typically 3rd party resellers only sell 1 or 2 basic configurations of RAM and SSD sizes. Apple offers more configuration choices. If I couldn’t afford a new Mac I’d consider buying a refurbished model only from Apple. The one downside to buying direct from Apple is the price, you can often find small to hefty discounts elsewhere. Just be sure you are purchasing from an authorized reseller which a good reputation. I’ve purchased direct from Apple, from Amazon, and from authorized department stores and for me the first question is configuration. Sometimes I want more RAM or a larger SSD than I can find from a 3rd party. If I want a stock configuration then I shop on price and always check out Apple’s refurbished shop first.

The only occasion you may want to buy from Apple is if you need a specially configured machine that is not available elsewhere.

These Built-to-order/Configure-to-order options have been a great advantage for me when buying Macs over the years. My personal wishes for configuration are rarely met by the “standard” configurations per model. Even more important now that aftermarket upgrades are difficult to impossible, due to integration and soldering onto the motherboard.

Ian R. Brown wrote:

If you go to the Apple store they will convince you to upgrade the SSD, the RAM and anything else they can think of and your £529 computer will quickly be costing thousands with no real improvement in performance.

Same with mice, keyboards, webcams and monitors . . . . buy Apple and you are talking thousands, buy others (Logitech, Philips etc.) and a couple of hundred quid will cover it.

The representatives at Apple-owned stores are NOT on commission. In addition, Apple uses one big push-back against over-selling, selling you the "wrong" Mac, or an immediate change in available models:

Everything you buy DIRECT from Apple (not from a Reseller of any description) is subject to a full-value return/exchange if you are not satisfied for any reason -- within 14 days from receipt.

Punchline:

if you are confident in what you are buying AND understand the returns policy, buy from whatever Apple Reseller gives you the best TERMS. All others buy direct from Apple for the generous returns/exchange policy.

There are no advantages and several disadvantages buying from Apple.

Apple only gives a one year warranty which you get in the UK wherever you buy and some sellers give 2 year warranties.

As you have noticed the Macs are cheaper elsewhere. In the 25 years I have been using Macs I have never bought from Apple.

The only occasion you may want to buy from Apple is if you need a specially configured machine that is not available elsewhere.

Incidentally don't have apps like Logic pre-installed as this can lead to problems.

John Lewis will sell you the base model (£599) for £530 including a 2 year warranty and as you probably know, JL is a very respected business with branches all over.

The base model will do everything you need.

The only "problem" with the base model is the tiny 256GB SSD but that is no problem as you can buy a 2TB NVMe SSD with a USB-C enclosure for just over £100.

To buy a Mac with a built in 2TB SSD will cost you £800 and if the computer packs in you have lost the drive as well.

Where is your location?

You do not need to get it from Apple to ensure peace of mind!

Just make sure it is an authorised "reseller" as you call it in the USA and there will be no problems whatsoever.

If you did get it from Amazon you can always take it to an Apple Store for warranty work.

I have had very positive experiences buying used and refurbished through MacSales (OWC). You can build your unit through them.

Don't get me wrong . . . if you have millions you need to get rid of by all means get the highest specification Mac Studio that's available but apart from being a bit quicker it won't do anything that the £529 M4 mini can't do.

In a couple of years the Studio will be really outdated and with the money you have saved getting the base mini you could buy another latest model mini and still be quids in.

To buy Logic etc. separately you simply go to the App Store, pay your cash and download it immediately . . . . no special installation procedure like Windows . . . and there is no chance of losing your right to use it.

Apparently when it comes pre-installed you are sent a "key" and people often lose them. Get it from the app store and proof of purchase is there for evermore.

My apologies . . . the base model at JL is £529.

I use the base model M2 (8GB RAM) and the M4 (16GB RAM) for 1080p and 4K video editing in Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve with no problems at all.

In fact I use my M2 most of the time as even with 8GB RAM it flies . . . I only bought the M4 to see what it could do and yes, it's faster but the M2 is more than fast enough.

As mentioned earlier buy Logic separately as you are less likely to suffer problems of ownership. On the FCP forum we frequently see people who have run into trouble with pre-installed apps.

If you go to the Apple store they will convince you to upgrade the SSD, the RAM and anything else they can think of and your £529 computer will quickly be costing thousands with no real improvement in performance.

Same with mice, keyboards, webcams and monitors . . . . buy Apple and you are talking thousands, buy others (Logitech, Philips etc.) and a couple of hundred quid will cover it.

Ride-On-Pony wrote:

Thanks for your advice John. I would 99% go with Apple direct from an Apple store anyway for peace of mind, but did wonder why other sellers can undercut apple.

The short explanation is often expressed in the idiomatic expression "read the fine print."