best mac buying guide 2018

If you're wondering which Mac to buy, you've come to the right place. Here in our Mac buying guide for 2018, you'll find everything you need to know about Apple's range of Macs, including the MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, iMac Pro and Mac Pro, with expert buying advice to help you choose the Mac that's right for you.

Apple makes seven different types of Mac, and within each of those categories there are sub categories and variations in the specs and features, so things can get pretty complicated. That's where this complete guide comes in, helping you make the right decision. If you're simply looking for a great offer, visit our Mac deals page.

The current Mac range, in brief :

Let's first take you through each Mac that is currently available from Apple, to give you an overview of what's on offer and what you've got to choose from.

Apple makes three types of laptop and four types of desktop Mac.

Mac laptops :

MacBook12in screen
From £1,249/$1,299
Pros: Very light, gorgeous design, Retina display
Cons: Not much power, quite expensive for its tech specs, lone USB-C port may prove tricky with peripherals
Best for: Students (if your budget can stretch), commuters, writers
Last updated: June 2017
When to buy: Now
Where to buy: Apple (UK store or US store), Currys, John Lewis, KRCS
Find out more about the MacBook.

MacBook Air :13in screen
From £949/$999
Pros: Cheapest Apple laptop, light and portable
Cons: Older tech and design, no Retina display
Best for: Students
Last updated: June 2017 but only with a processor bump
When to buy: Now (although it may soon be discontinued completely)
Where to buy: Apple (UK store or US store), Currys, John Lewis, KRCS
Find out more about the MacBook Air.

MacBook Pro :13in or 15in screen
From £1,249/$1,299
Pros: Most powerful Apple laptop, Touch Bar model available (which also includes Touch ID fingerprint sensor), bigger screen option, Retina display
Cons: More expensive than the Air, heaviest MacBook available, USB-C port may prove tricky with peripherals
Best for: Anyone that needs power on the go
Last updated: June 2017
When to buy: Now
Where to buy: Apple (UK store or US store), Currys, John Lewis, KRCS
Find out more about the MacBook Pro.

Mac desktop computers :

Mac miniNo screen
From £479/$499
Pros: Cheapest Mac, small desktop option
Cons: No screen, no keyboard or mouse, hasn't been updated since 2014
Best for: Those who simply need a Mac on a budget
Last updated: October 2014
When to buy: Not right now unless you need the absolute cheapest
Where to buy: Apple (UK store or US store), Currys
Find out more about the Mac mini here.

iMac21.5in or 27in screen
From £1,049/$1,099
Pros: Powerful, big screen, all-in-one
Cons: Not portable, can get very expensive if you choose to upgrade
Best for: Offices, designers, video editors
Last updated: June 2017
When to buy: Now
Where to buy: Apple (UK store or US store), Currys, KRCS
Find out more about the iMac.

iMac ProScreen size: 27in
From £4,899/$4,999
Pros: Stunning Space Grey design, incredible power (the most powerful Mac Apple has ever made), future-proof, 5K display (same as on 27in iMac)
Cons: Very expensive
Best for: Professional designers, video editors and others requiring huge amounts of rendering/processing power from their Mac
Last updated: Unveiled in June 2017, launched on 14 December 2017
When to buy: Now
Where to buy: Apple (UK store or US store)
Find out more about the iMac Pro here.

Mac ProNo screen
From £2,999/$2,999
Pros: Extremely powerful, lots of ports
Cons: No screen, keyboard or mouse; last updated in 2013; very expensive
Best for: Professional designers, video editors and others requiring huge amounts of power from their Mac.
Last updated: 2013, update confirmed for 2018
When to buy: Not now - wait until new model in 2018
Where to buy: Apple (UK store or US store), Currys
Find out more about the Mac Pro here.

MacBook (aka 12in MacBook) :

Available from: Apple (UK store or US store), Currys, John Lewis, KRCS
Last updated: WWDC 2017 in June
Price: From £1,249/$1,299

Apple's MacBook is a stylish and portable machine for those who aren't as concerned about some of the practicalities and power. It has only one port and a basic processor. But it does have a Retina display, and comes in gold, silver, Space Grey and pink, just like your iPhone.

Who is the MacBook best for? :

There are many Mac users for whom the MacBook will not be ideal. This is not a particularly powerful computer and it is no replacement for the MacBook Pro.

If the majority of what you do on your Mac is everyday tasks, such as sending and receiving email, browsing the web, and using office applications, the MacBook should be quite capable of meeting your needs. If you're wanting to edit movies using Final Cut Pro, this Mac won't cut the mustard.

MacBook specs :

There are two standard MacBook models available, both with a 12in screen (measured diagonally). Both are the same size and weight, which means they're both brilliantly slim and light.

The key difference between the two models is the amount of storage available, and the speed of the processor. Find out which is Apple's fastest Mac here.

The entry-level model as the less speedy 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 processor with 256GB of flash storage. The higher-priced MacBook offers a slightly faster 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core m5 processor, and 512GB flash storage. Both models offer 8GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 615.

What does this mean in practical terms? The MacBook is certainly not Apple's fastest Mac, but having flash storage rather than a hard drive does speed things up significantly. In our Geekbench tests, the MacBook was slightly faster than the current MacBook Air.

With a price tag as high as the MacBook's, we'd like to see a bit more speed to set the laptop further apart from its Air sibling, but it's the price you pay for the gorgeous, sleek and stylish design. You can upgrade the processor further at checkout using the build-to-order options, too, but this of course will add to the price.

It's thanks to the less powerful chips that the MacBook is so slim and light. The Core M chip doesn't require fans, and by slimming down the logic board Apple has been able to utilise every last corner for battery.

Even the Retina display on the MacBook is the thinnest screen ever on a Mac. It offers a 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2304 x 1440. It also uses less energy than Retina displays on other Macs so is both crisp and efficient.

The MacBook sports a Force Touch trackpad as well as a new keyboard with a second-generation butterfly mechanism for more natural and comfortable typing.

Apple admits that the MacBook is designed for the wireless world, and it has to be: there is only one port. This USB-C port supports power in and out, so you can charge your MacBook from it, as well as plug in a hard drive or other peripherals. Keep in mind that this means you'll need an adapter for any devices that require the traditional USB-A port.

Provision of just one port is the trade-off required for Apple to create such a thin Mac. The port on the MacBook offers charging and DisplayPort 1.2 connectivity, but you will need an adaptor for the latter. If you want to plug more than one thing in at a time you will need a USB C hub. See: Best USB Type-C accessories for the Retina MacBook.

The MacBook offers 802.11ac Wi-Fi, but like the MacBook Air, the MacBook doesn't feature an Ethernet port, so if you want to plug it into a wired network you will need to purchase an adaptor.

Should you buy a 12in MacBook now or wait?

We'd advise buying a MacBook now, as it's as new as you can get. It won't be updated again for a year at least.

If you're still not sure, check out our comparison review of the MacBook Air and the MacBook, to find out which is the best lightweight laptop.

Mac mini :

Available from: Apple (UK store or US store), Currys
Last updated October 2014
Price: From £479/$499

The Mac mini is Apple's compact desktop computer first introduced in 2005. It's also Apple's cheapest Mac, starting at just £479 or $499. That said, it's the least powerful, too. And it hasn't been updated for years.

Who is the Mac mini best for? :

For anyone who uses their Mac for browsing the web and writing emails, and doing general office work the Mac mini could suffice. It's powerful enough to do a good job with photo and home video editing. If you are looking for a Mac that will just sit on your desk, or in the study, the Mac mini is a cheap option.

The Mac mini is also a popular choice for a living room Mac. A lot of people plug it into their TV screen via an HDMI cable (the Mac mini retains its HDMI port).

When the Mac mini stopped featuring a optical drive back in 2011 there was a bit of an outcry from those who though it was an ideal home entertainment centre, but DVDs are far less popular than they were back then thanks to the rise of streaming services.

The mini has an IR receiver so you can use it with Apple's remote (£19), that way you can controlled it from the sofa. You could also use an Apple Wireless Keyboard or a Magic Trackpad for more control. Alternatively download the Apple Remote app on your iPhone.

Mac mini specifications

There are three Mac minis available. The cheapest Mac mini has a 1.4GHz dual-core processor and Intel HD Graphics 5000.

The other two Mac minis offer Intel dual-core i5 2.6GHz and 2.8GHz processors with Intel Iris Graphics. These might sound like fast processors, in comparison to the processors in Apple's newer MacBook models, but inside these laptop Macs if faster flash storage and newer generation processors, which will give these models a boost.

The Mac mini offers only Intel i5 dual-core processor options as standard, there are i7 processors available at point of sale, but these are still only dual-core.

The Mac mini weighs 1.22kg and the dimensions are 19.7cm by 19.7cm. It's just 3.6cm tall, so it really is mini as the name suggests.

The top of the range Mac mini has various build to order options, topping out at a 2TB Fusion Drive for an extra £90 when you buy the £949 model, you can also add 16GB RAM for an extra £180. Only the top of the range model has this option.

We would recommend the Fusion Drive option as the SSD part of the storage will speed things up considerably, while the extra capacity of the hard drive is likely to come in handy.

All the Mac mini models feature the following ports and standards

• 2 Thunderbolt 2 ports
• 4 USB 3 ports
• HDMI port
• SDXC card slot
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Audio in/out
• IR receiver
• 802.11n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.0

Should you buy a Mac mini now or wait? :

The Mac mini was last updated in October 2014, so there could be a new model soon.

There were fears that Apple would discontinue the Mac mini, but in a recent discussion about the future of the Mac Pro, Apple's Phil Schiller did briefly refer to the Mac mini (in response to a question about it's future) saying that it was still important to Apple.

If Apple is going to update it you can expect to hear around September or October. Read new Mac mini 2018 update rumours.