Maybe a silly question, but is there a reason/advantage to using mac minis over any other kind of small computer/laptop, ie running linux?

My understanding of using a mac mini for ai (ie running a claw bot or whatever) is to have it 'always on' and a better price/performance profile than a cheap vps.

Is there performance (silicon processor?) so unique? As I guess it's not their graphics units. I see tonnes of people using mac minis for AI, to the point it almost became a meme.

Edit: yes I know this article is about local models, my question is a bit more general.