Apple’s newest desktop Macs are officially here. Starting today, September 22, the new Mac mini and Mac Studio are available to purchase through Apple’s online store, Apple Store locations, and the Apple Store app.

The new Mac mini arrives with Apple’s M6 and M5 Pro chips, while the Mac Studio gets the more powerful M5 Max and M5 Ultra. Apple announced both machines last month, but today marks the point where customers can actually walk into a store or place an order and get one.

And after looking at the two machines, I have reached an important conclusion.

One has a proper power button.

The other also has a power button, but Apple decided to hide it underneath the computer.

That’s basically the difference I found.

Okay, there’s obviously more going on under the aluminum. The Mac mini is Apple’s compact desktop aimed at everyday users, developers, creators and anyone who wants a small Mac without buying an all-in-one. The new M6 model starts at $899 ($799 for education), while the M5 Pro configuration is aimed at users who need substantially more performance. Apple says the M6 version delivers improvements in CPU performance, graphics, storage and AI performance compared with the previous generation.

The Mac mini keeps its tiny five-by-five-inch footprint, along with ports on both the front and back. Depending on the configuration, buyers get Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5, USB-C, HDMI, Ethernet and a headphone jack. Apple has also upgraded wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Then there’s the Mac Studio.

This is the machine for people who look at a Mac mini and think, “Nice, but I need considerably more horsepower.” The new Mac Studio starts at $2,499 ($2,299 for education), comes with either M5 Max or M5 Ultra and offers up to 512GB of unified memory, along with Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, 10Gb Ethernet, USB-A, HDMI 2.1, an SDXC card slot and support for multiple displays.

It is also considerably larger than the Mac mini, measuring 7.7 inches square and 3.7 inches tall. Apple says the M5 Max version weighs 6 pounds, while the M5 Ultra version weighs 8 pounds.

And yes, the Mac Studio has the power button right where you’d expect it: on the back.

The Mac mini, meanwhile, has its power button underneath the machine. Apple’s own support documentation confirms that you turn it on by pressing the button on the bottom, although the company also notes that reconnecting the Mac mini to power can turn it on.

So, congratulations to the Mac Studio for passing the extremely demanding “I can actually see the power button” test.

Of course, power buttons aren’t exactly the reason anyone is buying either machine. The real story here is Apple’s latest generation of Apple silicon and how much performance the company is cramming into increasingly compact desktop hardware.

The Mac mini is the smaller and more affordable option, while the Mac Studio is designed for professional workloads that can take advantage of significantly more processing power, memory and high-speed connectivity. Apple is also positioning both machines around its latest macOS 27 software and Apple Intelligence features, including the new Siri AI experience.

Still, after all the new chips, AI features, faster storage and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, I’m going to remember one thing:

Mac Studio: power button on the back.

Mac mini: flip the entire computer over like you’re looking for the secret compartment.

Technology has come a long way.