M4 Mac Mini boot time

It's definitely unusual for an M4 Mac Mini to take that long to boot up, especially with the powerful hardware it has. The 15-second time to reach the login screen is actually normal, but that additional 45-50 second delay afterward suggests something is happening during the user environment initialization.

Here are some things to check:

1. Login Items: While you mentioned no login items, double-check by going to System Settings > General > Login Items and look at both "Open at Login" and "Allow in the Background" sections.
2. Migration issues: Data migrations can sometimes bring over configuration issues. Try creating a new test user account (System Settings > Users & Groups > Add Account) and see if it boots faster when logging into that account.
3. Spotlight indexing: Your new Mac might still be indexing files in the background. This should complete eventually, but you can check its status by clicking on the Spotlight icon (magnifying glass) in the menu bar.
4. System diagnostic: Run Apple Diagnostics to check for hardware issues:

• • Shut down your Mac
  • Press the power button and immediately hold Command+D
  • Follow the on-screen instructions

1. SMC Reset: Although M-series Macs don't have a traditional SMC, you can try a similar process:

• • Shut down your Mac
  • Unplug the power for 30 seconds
  • Plug back in and wait 5 seconds before turning on

1. Recovery boot: Boot into Recovery mode (power on while holding the power button) and run First Aid on your startup disk using Disk Utility.
2. Check Activity Monitor: After you log in, open Activity Monitor and check what processes are using significant CPU or disk resources during that delay period.

The dark screen after login suggests the system is loading something substantial. If none of these steps help, a clean installation (rather than migration) might be worth considering, though that would be more time-consuming.