Previous edition: Which Mac to Buy? — Updated November 2025
If you’re buying Macs for your business this year, what specs should you order? What’s the best computer for an office worker, architect, designer or marketer? Hopefully this article will help!
This guide is written for businesses with managed fleets of Macs, not for students or individual home users. We are looking for machines that will remain useful for years, cope with real business workloads and avoid becoming the annoying under-specced computer that gets handed from person to person.
This September update is a big one. Apple has added MacBook Neo, moved MacBook Air and MacBook Pro to the M5 family, introduced the M6 Mac mini, and replaced Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra models. Mac Pro has disappeared from Apple’s current Mac range.
Prices and configurations were checked against Apple Australia on 14 September 2026. Geekbench CPU results are representative Geekbench 6 scores. The AI column uses the Geekbench AI 1.7 Quantized score with Core ML and the Neural Engine. TBA means comparable retail benchmark results are not yet available.
MacBook Pro
14-inch models — M5 introduced October 2025; M5 Pro and M5 Max introduced March 2026
| Price (AUD) | Model | Configuration | Chip | RAM | Storage | CPU cores | GPU cores | Geekbench single | Geekbench multi | AI score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,199 | MacBook Pro 14-inch | M5/16GB/1TB | M5 | 16GB | 1TB | 10 | 10 | ~4,150 | ~17,200 | ~60,200 |
| $3,999 | MacBook Pro 14-inch | M5 Pro/24GB/1TB | M5 Pro | 24GB | 1TB | 15 | 16 | ~4,200 | ~26,400 | ~63,800 |
| $6,399 | MacBook Pro 14-inch | M5 Max/36GB/2TB | M5 Max | 36GB | 2TB | 18 | 32 | ~4,200 | ~30,000 | ~64,200 |
Entry — M5, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD — $3,199
Nice machine. You get the excellent XDR display, more ports, active cooling and a useful 1TB SSD. But the processor is still the standard M5, so this is much closer to a MacBook Air than to an M5 Pro machine.
This is a good fit for a manager, marketer or general business user who wants the better screen and ports. For architecture, sustained Adobe work, video, development or anything that regularly makes the fans work, step up to M5 Pro.
Better — M5 Pro, 15-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD — $3,999
This is the sweet spot for most of our professional users. The extra CPU and GPU performance is useful in Adobe Creative Cloud, CAD and rendering, while 24GB RAM and 1TB storage make it a sensible machine to keep for a long time.
There are faster processor, memory and storage options, but Apple can make the total climb very quickly. Check the upgrades against the price of the next model rather than automatically ticking boxes.
Best — M5 Max, 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD — $6,399
This is for people whose billable work really uses the GPU: serious video, 3D, large architectural projects, scientific work and larger local AI models. The single AI number in our table does not show the whole advantage; M5 Max has much more GPU performance and memory bandwidth than the standard M5.
If your applications are not GPU-heavy, the M5 Pro is much better value. Don’t buy Max because the name sounds exciting—buy it because waiting for renders costs the business money.
16-inch models — new March 2026
| Price (AUD) | Model | Configuration | Chip | RAM | Storage | CPU cores | GPU cores | Geekbench single | Geekbench multi | AI score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $4,799 | MacBook Pro 16-inch | M5 Pro/24GB/1TB | M5 Pro | 24GB | 1TB | 18 | 20 | ~4,200 | ~28,300 | ~63,800 |
| $6,999 | MacBook Pro 16-inch | M5 Max/36GB/2TB | M5 Max | 36GB | 2TB | 18 | 32 | ~4,200 | ~30,000 | ~64,200 |
Entry — M5 Pro, 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD — $4,799
Warning: these machines are pretty chungus—you’ll loathe carrying one around every day. They are brilliant desktop replacements for architects, designers and video users who genuinely benefit from the larger screen.
The base M5 Pro is already beastly. If you need more than 24GB RAM, configure it at purchase because nothing can be upgraded later. For a person mostly working at a desk, also compare this with a Mac Studio and a good display.
Best — M5 Max, 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD — $6,999
This is a portable workstation, using the word “portable” generously. Buy it when a professional user needs serious GPU power away from the office. Otherwise, the M5 Pro saves a lot of money and is still spectacularly fast.
MacBook Air
13-inch models — new March 2026
| Price (AUD) | Model | Configuration | Chip | RAM | Storage | CPU cores | GPU cores | Geekbench single | Geekbench multi | AI score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,099 | MacBook Air 13-inch | M5/16GB/512GB | M5 | 16GB | 512GB | 10 | 8 | ~4,150 | ~17,200 | ~60,200 |
| $2,399 | MacBook Air 13-inch | M5/24GB/512GB | M5 | 24GB | 512GB | 10 | 10 | ~4,150 | ~17,200 | ~60,200 |
| $2,849 | MacBook Air 13-inch | M5/24GB/1TB | M5 | 24GB | 1TB | 10 | 10 | ~4,150 | ~17,200 | ~60,200 |
Entry — M5, 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD — $2,099
This is now our minimum sensible business laptop. It has enough RAM, useful storage, excellent battery life and no fan to fill with dust. It is a strong choice for general office work, account management and users who mostly live in Microsoft 365 and a web browser.
Sixteen gigabytes is the floor, not a luxury upgrade. We would not reduce memory below this for a managed business Mac, even where a lighter specification could technically open the same applications today.
Better — M5, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD — $2,399
Spend the extra $300 for staff who keep machines for a long time, have very busy desktops or use Adobe applications and AI tools. The memory upgrade also brings the 10-core GPU. For many of our marketing and creative-business clients, this is the best-value laptop in Apple’s range.
Best — M5, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD — $2,849
This is the comfortable long-life configuration for users with larger photo libraries, design assets or lots of locally synced files. Once you start adding more RAM or storage, compare the price with the 14-inch MacBook Pro—Apple’s upgrade train has a way of arriving before you notice.
15-inch models — new March 2026
| Price (AUD) | Model | Configuration | Chip | RAM | Storage | CPU cores | GPU cores | Geekbench single | Geekbench multi | AI score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,499 | MacBook Air 15-inch | M5/16GB/512GB | M5 | 16GB | 512GB | 10 | 10 | ~4,150 | ~17,200 | ~60,200 |
| $2,799 | MacBook Air 15-inch | M5/24GB/512GB | M5 | 24GB | 512GB | 10 | 10 | ~4,150 | ~17,200 | ~60,200 |
| $3,249 | MacBook Air 15-inch | M5/24GB/1TB | M5 | 24GB | 1TB | 10 | 10 | ~4,150 | ~17,200 | ~60,200 |
Entry — M5, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD — $2,499
The performance is essentially the same as the 13-inch Air. You are paying for the larger screen, which is often worthwhile for staff working with layouts, spreadsheets and side-by-side documents.
Better — M5, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD — $2,799
This is our pick for a larger everyday business laptop. It has the memory headroom we want without pushing the price too close to a MacBook Pro.
Best — M5, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD — $3,249
Useful for large local files, but at this price look very carefully at the 14-inch MacBook Pro. Choose the Air for its larger screen, silence and lower weight; choose the Pro for display quality, ports and sustained performance.
MacBook Neo
13-inch models — new March 2026
| Price (AUD) | Model | Configuration | Chip | RAM | Storage | CPU cores | GPU cores | Geekbench single | Geekbench multi | AI score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,049 | MacBook Neo 13-inch | A18 Pro/8GB/256GB | A18 Pro | 8GB | 256GB | 6 | 5 | ~3,600 | ~9,100 | ~46,000 |
| $1,199 | MacBook Neo 13-inch | A18 Pro/8GB/512GB | A18 Pro | 8GB | 512GB | 6 | 5 | ~3,600 | ~9,100 | ~46,000 |
MacBook Neo is interesting: it is compact, silent and much cheaper than MacBook Air. It is also limited to 8GB RAM, and that is the end of the conversation for our normal client deployments.
ServiceMax does not recommend MacBook Neo for office fleets.
We support businesses with more than ten Macs, where consistency, useful life and avoiding premature replacement matter more than achieving the lowest purchase price. Eight gigabytes may appear viable for email and a browser today, but it leaves no headroom for a busy Microsoft 365 environment, creative applications, AI tools or the next few years of operating-system updates.
It could make sense for a very narrow kiosk, loan or single-purpose role, but we would want to discuss that use case first. For an employee’s everyday computer, buy a 16GB MacBook Air.
iMac
24-inch models — new November 2024
| Price (AUD) | Model | Configuration | Chip | RAM | Storage | CPU cores | GPU cores | Geekbench single | Geekbench multi | AI score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,399 | iMac 24-inch | M4/16GB/256GB | M4 | 16GB | 256GB | 8 | 8 | ~3,770 | ~13,200 | ~33,800 |
| $2,699 | iMac 24-inch | M4/16GB/256GB | M4 | 16GB | 256GB | 10 | 10 | ~3,770 | ~15,100 | ~33,800 |
| $2,999 | iMac 24-inch | M4/16GB/512GB | M4 | 16GB | 512GB | 10 | 10 | ~3,770 | ~15,100 | ~33,800 |
| $3,299 | iMac 24-inch | M4/24GB/512GB | M4 | 24GB | 512GB | 10 | 10 | ~3,770 | ~15,100 | ~33,800 |
The current iMac is still the M4 model from November 2024. It combines a very good 24-inch 4.5K display, camera, speakers, keyboard and mouse in one tidy package. It suits reception areas, client-facing desks and offices where reducing cable clutter is valuable.
Entry — 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD — $2,399
This machine is hampered by only two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, no Touch ID and no Ethernet. Don’t do it!
Better — 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD — $2,699
This model has four Thunderbolt 4 ports, Ethernet and a keyboard with Touch ID. The problem is the 256GB SSD, which is tight once OneDrive, Adobe caches and business data begin accumulating.
Best — 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD — $2,999
Same useful ports, Ethernet and Touch ID, but with double the storage. This is the minimum iMac configuration we would normally recommend for a client office.
Besterer — 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD — $3,299
This is our preferred long-life iMac. The extra RAM is useful for Adobe applications, large browser workloads and keeping the computer productive for longer.
Nano-texture glass is a configure-to-order option for bright offices. VESA-mount versions must also be ordered that way—you cannot decide to add the mount after purchase.
Keyboards and mice
The USB-C Magic Mouse is the standard iMac inclusion and is perfectly good. The Magic Trackpad is available if somebody genuinely prefers one, but I’m not a massive fan.
Get the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Being able to unlock the Mac and approve prompts with a finger stab is worth having in a business. The numeric-keypad version is even better for finance, data entry and anyone who likes numbers a little too much.
Mac mini
New M6 and M5 Pro models — September 2026
Orders are open now. Deliveries begin 22 September. Apple is no longer selling the outgoing M4 range, so these are the current Mac mini models.
| Price (AUD) | Model | Configuration | Chip | RAM | Storage | CPU cores | GPU cores | Geekbench single | Geekbench multi | AI score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,449 | Mac mini | M6/16GB/256GB | M6 | 16GB | 256GB | 12 | 12 | 4,671 | 21,241 | 80,554 |
| $1,749 | Mac mini | M6/16GB/512GB | M6 | 16GB | 512GB | 12 | 12 | 4,671 | 21,241 | 80,554 |
| $2,049 | Mac mini | M6/24GB/512GB | M6 | 24GB | 512GB | 12 | 12 | 4,671 | 21,241 | 80,554 |
| $2,699 | Mac mini | M5 Pro/24GB/512GB | M5 Pro | 24GB | 512GB | 15 | 16 | ~4,200 | ~26,400 | ~63,800 |
| $2,999 | Mac mini | M5 Pro/24GB/512GB | M5 Pro | 24GB | 512GB | 18 | 20 | ~4,200 | ~28,300 | ~63,800 |
Entry — M6, 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD — $1,449
This is the new entry model, but the 256GB SSD is difficult to recommend for a normal staff computer. It can work well for a tightly controlled role with almost everything in the cloud, but storage pressure becomes support work surprisingly quickly.
Better — M6, 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD — $1,749
Amazing little workhorse with plenty of grunt for office work, marketing production, meeting rooms and specific projects. This is our minimum normal Mac mini configuration.
Betterer — M6, 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD — $2,049
This is the configuration most businesses should consider. The extra memory gives it a longer useful life and more room for Adobe applications, development tools and local AI tasks. It also includes 2.5Gb Ethernet.
Best — M5 Pro, 15-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD — $2,699
Choose M5 Pro for sustained professional work, more CPU/GPU performance, Thunderbolt 5 and higher memory options. The faster 18-core/20-core version is another $300; buy it when the workload can use it, not just because it is there. A 10Gb Ethernet upgrade is $150, which remains an outstanding bargain.
Mac Studio
New M5 Max and M5 Ultra models — September 2026
Orders are open now. Deliveries begin 22 September. Apple is no longer selling the outgoing M4 Max and M3 Ultra range.
| Price (AUD) | Model | Configuration | Chip | RAM | Storage | CPU cores | GPU cores | Geekbench single | Geekbench multi | AI score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $4,299 | Mac Studio | M5 Max/36GB/512GB | M5 Max | 36GB | 512GB | 18 | 32 | ~4,200 | ~30,000 | ~64,200 |
| $9,499 | Mac Studio | M5 Ultra/96GB/1TB | M5 Ultra | 96GB | 1TB | 30 | 64 | ~4,200 | TBA | TBA |
Entry — M5 Max, 18-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36GB RAM, 512GB SSD — $4,299
Very similar in spirit to the high-end MacBook Pro, but designed to sit on a desk and work hard all day. These can be configured until your wallet cries for mercy.
The 512GB SSD feels stingy in a workstation, so consider 1TB if project files will live internally. External high-speed storage is often better value for large design and video libraries, while RAM can never be added later.
Best — M5 Ultra, 30-core CPU, 64-core GPU, 96GB RAM, 1TB SSD — $9,499
This is for very large local AI models, high-end video, 3D, scientific work and other genuinely extreme workflows. It can be configured with up to 512GB unified memory, at which point Apple will require your wallet, your firstborn and possibly a small suburban property.
Most businesses do not need it. The ones that do usually know exactly which application, dataset or render queue is going to pay for it.
Mac Pro — discontinued September 2026
Apple has removed Mac Pro from its shop and comparison range. The 2023 M2 Ultra Mac Pro is therefore treated as discontinued in this edition and will be omitted from the next State of the Mac post.
For most former Mac Pro buyers, Mac Studio is now the obvious Apple silicon workstation. If internal PCIe expansion is essential, give us a call before committing to a replacement workflow.
Summary
- Minimum business laptop: 13-inch MacBook Air M5 with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
- Best general-purpose and marketing laptop: 13-inch MacBook Air M5 with 24GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
- Best larger everyday laptop: 15-inch MacBook Air M5 with 24GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
- Best professional laptop: 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro, 24GB RAM and 1TB SSD.
- Best-value desktop: Mac mini M6 with 24GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
- Best all-in-one: iMac M4 with 24GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
- Best workstation: Mac Studio with M5 Max; choose M5 Ultra only for workloads that can actually use it.
- Not recommended for normal client deployments: MacBook Neo, because its 8GB RAM cannot be upgraded.
Sixteen gigabytes of RAM is our minimum for a business Mac. Get more if the user works in Adobe applications, architecture, large datasets, virtual machines or local AI—or if you simply want to extend the usable life of the computer. Storage can be supplemented externally; unified memory cannot be upgraded after purchase.
Do get advice from ServiceMax if you have any questions!
