. We’ve tried every one. If you don’t need the portability of a laptop but still want all of macOS’s features, like iMessage and Apple Photos, and great performance with creative tools like Adobe software, a desktop Mac is the best choice. We can sum up our recommendations in this guide in two sentences: If you want a Mac with an excellent built-in screen, get an iMac. Since Apple only makes two models of desktop computers that the majority of people should consider, we can only recommend two of them. If you want a less expensive desktop Mac with more ports and don’t mind buying or reusing a display, get a Mac mini.
We’ll also talk about who might want to consider a Windows PC instead, as well as all the jargon you might encounter when purchasing a Mac and what it means. We’ll also look at the advantages and disadvantages of Apple’s newest desktop Mac, the Mac Studio, which was made for media professionals who edit video, photos, and other graphics-intensive tasks. Due to a sharp increase in the cost of memory and storage (caused by an ongoing component shortage connected to AI datacenter construction), Apple has increased the prices of all of its desktop computers as of June 2026. Our recommendations haven’t changed: Apple’s desktop options are still some of the best and most affordable options, but they’ll cost you more than they did a few months ago.
