The $499 M4 Mac mini, 1 Year later shattered expectations

Believe it or not, the M4 Mac mini was released just over a year ago. Apple changed the footprint, design, and form factor to create a compact 5in x 5in x 2in aluminum box with a fan at the bottom. It was a nice upgrade from its predecessor. But, in all honesty, I was not expecting much. I figured it would be a fine computer, especially because Apple debuted it at a $599 price point ($499 now on Amazon). So I thought to myself, there has to be some limitation that everyday users would…