Yes, you might find some sales that make desktop computers (especially desktops running Windows) that dip a little below that $1,000 mark but if you don’t have a budget of at least $1,000 then I recommend you keep saving until you can get up there. Mac or PC, here in 2019 you shouldn’t really expect to get a computer that can do a good job with Lightroom and Photoshop for less than $1,000.

You really need to be ready to make an investment here. Realistic Expectationsīefore we get into the configuration decisions, I want set some expectations for you as a photographer looking to buy a computer. You can get help with those seven decisions in my Photographer’s MacBook Pro Buying Guide article, though I think the Mac Mini is a better choice as far as value for the money. There is really only one choice to make compared with seven decisions you have with the 2018 MacBook Pro lineup. A photographer almost can’t make a bad choice with the Mac Mini, though the $800 entry level model isn’t really up to the challenge of running Lightroom.Īpple has made the choices for a Mac Mini much easier than their MacBook Pro lineup. With the 2018 refresh of the Mac Mini Apple has a solid lineup of computers that are great for photo editing. The best configuration of a late 2018 Mac Mini for photographers is 3.2GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7, with 16GB of memory, and 512GB of SSD storage at a cost of about $2,100. What is the best configuration of a late 2018 Mac Mini for photographers?

When Apple does refresh the Mac Mini with new hardware options this article will be replaced by a new one and a link will be provided here. This article has been updated based on some of the peripherals that can make the Mac Mini an excellent computer for digital photography, but the hardware of the Mac Mini itself hasn’t really changed since then. All that changed was the amount of storage you get for your money (2x for the same price). Apple just updated the Mac Mini here in March 2020! Nothing too exciting though. NOTE Apple last updated the Mac Mini back in 2018.

What is the mac mini