An Engadget columnist argues that Apple should introduce a stripped-down "Mac Neo" desktop to replace the role once played by the entry-level Mac mini, whose starting price has now risen to $899. The piece contends that soaring demand from AI developers using Apple Silicon's local model-running capabilities has driven up costs and pushed the Mac mini out of reach for casual users, hobbyists and families who previously relied on it as an affordable way into the Mac ecosystem.

The Mac mini launched in 2005 at $499 as a low-cost entry point for switchers and remained under $1,000 for most of its life, serving as a media centre, home server or second machine. The author proposes a cheaper "Mac Neo", modelled on the existing MacBook Neo and using a mobile chip with just 8GB of RAM, potentially priced around $500, arguing it would outperform the $249 Apple TV 4K as an affordable media-centre option and serve as an accessible first step into macOS.