Wanted a new "PC" to play with and the cost and availability of new parts drove me to a Mac Mini. It was cheap and new tech to boot. It's a solid performer based on its price.Compared to a mini Shuttle (I built a while back at roughly the same price) it offers equal performance with the biggest difference being the OS. On some things it had better support like auto adding network (Linux) printers with proper drivers. Other areas lacking such as not being able to control the audio volume via a HDMI output. I use a TV as my monitor and the volume can't be adjusted.The Mac Mini (macOS 12.3) and Shuttle (Windows 11) are more similar than different. Unless you have programs that are only supported on one of the platforms take your pick... in most cases your daily experience will be virtually identical.If you want a cheap (with reasonable power) PC or want to give Apple a try the Mac Mini probably won't disappoint.