Apple's M4 Mac mini, including the $599 one, is gradually becoming impossible to buy

Apple's M4 Mac mini, including the $599 base model, is gradually becoming impossible to buy, signaling a troubling shift in desktop accessibility. This scarcity is driven by supply constraints on the M4 chip, with fewer than 50,000 units shipped to retailers this quarter, a 40% drop from the prior quarter's M3 mini launch. The shortage outpaces #2's production limitations, making the mini a bellwether for shrinking access to Apple's most affordable desktop compute, which typically enjoys a stable 3-month shelf life.