- Apple launches upgraded Mac Mini and Mac Studio targeting AI workloads for corporate clients
- Devices cost up to $20,000 but may reduce recurring cloud computing expenses
- Apple highlights no “cost per token” for AI tasks after hardware purchase
Apple is positioning its latest Mac desktops as an alternative to costly cloud-based AI computing, putting its hardware in direct competition with Microsoft and Nvidia as companies look for cheaper ways to run increasingly demanding AI workloads.
The upgraded Mac Mini and Mac Studio began being shipped on Tuesday, as per a Reuters report. These devices are being pitched to corporate customers for AI-intensive tasks such as software development and complex business workloads.
Some configurations can cost nearly $20,000, but Apple argues that the upfront hardware expense can eliminate the recurring charges associated with running AI workloads through cloud providers.
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Apple Chief Hardware Officer Johny Srouji highlighted the distinction, saying customers do not face a “cost per token” once they own the machine.
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The pitch comes as businesses increasingly assess whether some AI workloads can be handled locally rather than through data centres operated by companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
Apple's advantage comes partly from its unified memory architecture, which combines computing and memory more closely than traditional PC designs.
The company has also added capabilities aimed at demanding AI workloads, including chip-to-chip networking using RDMA over Thunderbolt.
At a recent launch event, Apple demonstrated four Mac Studios running a trillion-parameter AI model to identify and fix a graphics coding problem. Apple says its approach allows businesses to use similar chip principles across Macs, iPhones and iPads.
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Microsoft is pursuing a similar on-device AI strategy, with CEO Satya Nadella describing the concept as “unmetered intelligence.” Meanwhile, Nvidia continues to dominate AI data-centre computing while expanding into PCs.
The challenge for Apple is its relatively small corporate desktop presence. IDC data cited by Reuters shows Apple with 4.6% of the enterprise desktop market, compared with 91.3% for Windows.
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