Apple secretly updates M1 Mac mini with 10 Gigabit Ethernet option

To say I like my M1 Mac mini is an understatement. The truth is, the little computer has me absolutely in love with it. If it were both legal and socially acceptable, I might try and marry it. OK, maybe computer matrimony would be a bit much. But look, the Mac mini is powerful, inexpensive, and absolutely silent. I have yet to hear its internal fan spin up. It is wonderful.

When configuring my Mac mini, I went with the base model (8GB/256GB). Why? Well, for one, that was the cheapest. Truth be told, I was curious how well the least expensive Mac would be perform -- especially with just 8GB RAM instead of 16GB. Plus, since Mac mini supports Thunderbolt 3 SSDs, I knew I could always add that type of storage later -- why pay a premium for a non-removable internal SSD?

What did have me bummed out, however, was the lack of multi-Gigabit Ethernet as an option. You see, the previous Intel-based Mac mini offered 10 Gigabit Ethernet as an option, but the M1 model did not. Do I need 10 Gigabit Ethernet? Well, no. I don't need it. And most consumers won't have a need either. However, I probably would have added it for future-proofing purposes -- maybe I will one day upgrade my home network to multi-gig.

Well, wouldn't ya know it, Apple has gone and added 10 Gigabit Ethernet as an option when configuring an M1 Mac mini! Apple added this option secretly for some reason, failing to publicly reveal it yesterday with all of its other product announcements. If you head over to Apple.com, however, the option is there now and it only costs an extra $100. That is a fairly reasonable price.

If you already bought your M1 Mac mini, like I did, all hope is not lost. Since the computer supports Thunderbolt, you can add an external 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter such as this one for $150. Unfortunately, that costs more than Apple's option and you lose one of your two Thunderbolt/USB-C ports.

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