I've mentioned this in multiple articles at this point, but I recently got the chance to use and review my first-ever Mac, that being the M4-based Mac Mini. And, to my surprise, I've loved a ton of things about it, so it's basically become my main desktop computer for the time being.

But I'm a lifelong Windows user, and that's where I feel most at home. So when it comes to all the things the Mac Mini does for me, one of the biggest is how excited it makes me for the future of Windows on Arm. Apple has been leading the charge in terms of Arm-based computing, but with Qualcomm entering the race in a big way, I can't wait to see where things go from here.

4 Windows is still the best OS for me

macOS is great, but it's not home

First off, as amazing as the Mac Mini hardware is, it is still a Mac, and that comes with a lot of downsides for me, the major one being software compatibility. Most of my apps do work on Mac, and I've managed to find alternatives to many things I used on Windows, but realistically, it would be nicer if I didn't have to do that. For example, I've been using MacsyZones as a replacement for FancyZones on Windows, and it works pretty well, but it's not the same. And while there is an option called BentoBox that works just as well, that's a paid app, while on Windows I can FancyZones completely free of charge. Plus, FancyZones is part of the PowerToys suit, and that includes a bunch of other useful tools like PowerToys Run, Image Resizer, and Find My Mouse (it's pretty handy on large screens). But there's a lot more to it than that.

And then, of course, there's gaming. I'm definitely not a big PC gamer at all, but on Windows, the library of games is much larger, and even with the limitations of Arm processors, I'd wager you can still find a lot more compatible games for Windows on Arm PCs than Mac. Not to mention, things are likely only going to get better for Windows on Arm as more developers support the platform, while Apple doesn't seem to be doing a great job of bringing in developers to support macOS and Apple Silicon in particular.

Even aside from that, Windows is just home to me. I've used Windows as long as I can remember using a computer, and I've seen it grow and change as I've grown myself. Doing most things on Windows is second nature, and while I've adjusted fine to macOS, home will always be home.

3 There are no Windows on Arm mini PCs yet

And I can't wait to see them

Of course, the Mac Mini is also especially exciting because it's the form factor I love the most for a computer these days. Mini PCs are a way of life for me ever since I tried my first one last year, and it's all I ever want for my desk setup. But while the Snapdragon X processors have become much more widely available since their debut back in June, they're still only on laptops.

Having this powerful Mac Mini be as efficient and quiet as it is really makes me yearn for Windows PCs to match that level of performance and efficiency in this form factor. It's not something I ever thought about before, but it's become so obvious to me now when a Windows computer is running because the fan is just always going, it's always audible, and if you do anything remotely demanding on it, it just sounds so loud.

I can't wait to see a Windows mini PC that's this quiet yet still delivers great performance. And because I know Windows OEMs are a lot more ambitious, I want to see how small these PCs can get. Imagine the people behind the Khadas Mind an Arm-based PC with that same design philosophy. It would be perfection.

2 Windows on Arm hasn't matured

But it's getting there

Apple started the transition to Arm four years ago, and its adoption of this newer technology was far more aggressive and faster than Microsoft tried to do with Windows on Arm. Despite starting all the way back in 2017, Windows on Arm gained almost no traction for years, whether it was due to subpar optimization of Windows itself or the comparatively weak hardware Qualcomm was churning out for the first handful of years of the platform.

Apple went all out and made the best Mac processor yet right from the get-go with the Apple M1, and it just kept getting better and better every year. Plus, it was a full transition to a new architecture, not just a half-step or an alternative, so developers had to be quick on their feet to keep up and adopt the new platform.

Because of that, the macOS ecosystem now shows us what it's like to be on a desktop operating system that's designed first and foremost for Arm PCs. Almost every app works flawlessly, either running natively on Arm or through the Rosetta 2 translation layer. It's all stable and reliable, which isn't really the case on Windows just yet. When I reviewed my first Windows on Arm laptop with the Vivobook S 15, I experienced some issues with the Vivaldi browser for Arm and DaVinci Resolve (both of which were, admittedly, still in beta). Given enough time and resources, Windows can get to the level of macOS, though, and I'm excited to see it.

1 Apple's hardware is untouched

Qualcomm needs to step it up

Finally, there's the simple fact that Apple remains the king when it comes to making Arm processors for PCs. To be fair, we are on the fourth iteration of the Apple M series, and Apple was already making fully custom processors for the iPhone well before that, so the know-how is on totally different levels. Qualcomm's first fully custom processor design for Windows PCs is a huge leap forward from anything the company did before, but it definitely isn't on par with what Apple is doing.

Apple's single-core CPU performance is completely unmatched by anything in a similar form factor, and on top of that, Apple's integrated GPUs are also completely unrivaled, as I noted in my performance comparison of the Apple M4 against the Snapdragon X Elite and Intel Lunar Lake processors.

When Qualcomm's processors can get to the level of performance Apple is offering on macOS, then it will completely change the game. If I can get the same performance on Windows that I currently get on macOS, I won't have any reason to use a Mac anymore.

Apple shows us Windows on Arm has a promising future

All of this goes to show that Arm-based PCs can be absolutely amazing machines for day-to-day use, and Apple has been showing us how to do it for a few years now. The latest Mac Mini is a prime example of how you can make a terrific PC in a tiny form factor, and I want to see that apply to Windows PCs, too. Hopefully, we'll start seeing some companies pick up the slack and make a Snapdragon-powered mini PC, but more importantly, I want to see what Qualcomm will deliver with future iterations of the Snapdragon X Elite. Until then, I think the Mac Mini may have my heart.