5 Reasons to Get Excited About the New Mac Mini

[asdfjkl;]

So.. make it smaller and lighter and the problem even worse?

lol

I guess we'll see

 

[webkit]

Base RAM increase is the only thing to be excited about IMO

Why is a base RAM increase worth getting excited about when you could already get a Mac mini with 16GB RAM?

 

[DrJR]

At what cost man?! If the base model isn't at least $999 I won't even consider it.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I think the new Mac mini will be about 60% the size of the current mini, mostly because of the need to accommodate an active cooling system for the M4 Pro SoC. And Apple may offer its own accessory device to plug into one of the USB Type C ports to provide a lot more I/O options.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

thats right, not all but do you really think manufacturers will keep other USB ports around if EU is mandating USB-C and a lot of things? No, they will do what is right and that is all products will go for USB-C so you only need one cable for everything.

And yes, remove ports that some need just like remove DVD player even if some need it.

There is a solution (adapters, external drives etc.) for those that need it but thats it. Don't keep legacy crap just because someone might need it. That is a illogical way of thinking as if we all did that there would be no progress.

Things evolve, so should the thinking.

USB-A is dead, get on with it

Where were you ripping into Apple for clinging to Lightning to the very last minute... along with countless others arguing FOR Lightning vs. getting on with the EU mandated USB-C? Where was "Lightning is dead, get on with it." Where was "there are adapters." Etc.

Instead, it was months and months of very passionate arguments that "dead end" (but very lucrative for Apple) Lightning should persist... and how incredibly wrong it was for the EU to "force" USB-C onto iPhone. Now, not really that much time later, "we're" collectively arguing FOR complete USB-C adoption here.

 

[trip1ex]

not buying until there are more usbc ports than gigs of RAM.

 

[j26]

if you use dvds would you still want dvd's in laptops or do you like what Apple did with the laptop line?

Laptops are better without optical drives, for sure.

It’s a rare enough I use the dvd drive, so not a biggie, but more seriously, I have a 4tb hdd that I use as a redundancy backup that I need to use USB A for. Again not a biggie as I can get an adaptor, but the point is USB A is still actively used.
I can understand ditching it for laptops due to space and weight savings, but desktops should really keep at least one USB A port. While it may be becoming legacy, it’s still actively used and still sold - I believe Oneplus still uses them For phones and tablets.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Give this a try:

1. Put one hand on top of your Mini and apply downward pressure.

2. Grasp the USB-C connector shell of the cable with your other hand.

3. Plug the cable into an unoccupied USB-C socket on the computer.

4. Remove your hand that was applying downward pressure on the computer.

The above also works for unplugging a USB-C cable. Both plugging and unplugging a cable should take less than 5 seconds.

Give this a try:

1. Pet comes along and bumps your AppleTV cable
2. Watch AppleTV move or potentially fall
3. Better lock down that AppleTV (and probably this Mac Micro too).

If something like this happens to AppleTV, it falls and is damaged beyond repair, the loss is about $100 to buy a replacement AppleTV (that you will then lock down to prevent another "ooooops" event). If this happens to the new Mac Micro, the pain will be much greater.

Else, better keep that weighted hand on it at all times anything can bump a cable.

 

[brewmonkey]

The new mini is getting real now. I need to know what's the best high DPI monitor (max 27", min 4K) to pair with this that won't break the bank. Any great experience or suggestions for such a monitor?

 

[Remy149]

That's a good point. They say it will be similar in size to the Apple TV. I've heard that the current Apple TV overheats and throttles more easily under load than the previous model due to the fan being removed.

I’ve had every model of Appletv except the original that had a hard drive. I haven’t experienced a single problem with cooling and mine is in the media cabinet behind a glass panel

 

[turbineseaplane]

I’ve had every model of Appletv except the original that had a hard drive. I haven’t experienced a single problem with cooling and mine is in the media cabinet behind a glass panel

How would you know if you'd had a cooling issue?

I'm sure the ATV is capable of throttling itself and would give zero indication to the end user it was doing so

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

In the future I can imagine the next mac mini will be the iphone with the continued miniaturization, lol. Just dock it and switch to desktop mode.

Apple being Apple, that dock will have to have a customized connector and cost as much as a Mini does now to avoid revenue cannibilzation. See iMac 27 becoming ASD by subtracting the Mac guts + keyboard + mouse but keeping the price the same. Modern Apple... richest company in the world. Shareholders rejoice. 💰💰💰

 

[Remy149]

"essentially an iPad Pro in a small box."

That means it’s going to essentially be useless.

There is nothing wrong with the iPad Pro hardware. Only people who complain do so about the software and that’s because they want iPad to become a Mac

 

[anthogag]

A reason to get excited -- how powerful and small can they make it.

 

[LionTeeth]

Do you still use:
floppy disk?
dvd drive?
firewire 800?
Serial Port?
VGA port?
SVGA port?
etc. etc. etc.


Technology moves forward. You can laugh all you want but the companies and products need to start somewhere. USB-C is replacing USB-A whether you like it or not.
Will it take time? Sure it will and some people will moan about it but the change is inevitable.
What EU does makes sense. We don't need zillion cables. We just need one and right now that is USB-C and will be for a long time until another standard comes along that will change that. (or not and all will be wireless).

You can laugh all you want but in the end you will be the one disappointed.

Apple is rumoured to update all their accessories to USB-C too so in few months or so there will be nothing from Apple thats on USB-A.

But sure, 'lol' away

I did embrace the future… in 2016. The MacBook 12 came with a single USB-C port. We still use it today and it’s a terrific little device. We use it for light family computing and what not

The Mac mini is built for a different use. You’re not planning cutesy family vacations on it, you’re doing work. At least I am. And the port array should reflect that.

I keep my 2012 windows pc around because it has a disc drive when I need it. Yes people still use things that aren’t USB-C. My laughing is because your response is so cliche it should have an entry in Wikipedia.

 

[Remy149]

How would you know if you'd had a cooling issue?

I'm sure the ATV is capable of throttling itself and would give zero indication to the end user it was doing so

It’s a media streaming device what exactly would cause it to throttle? Especially considering the low nitrate so menu streaming services use

 

[turbineseaplane]

.

 

[washablemarkers]

Laptops are better without optical drives, for sure.

It’s a rare enough I use the dvd drive, so not a biggie, but more seriously, I have a 4tb hdd that I use as a redundancy backup that I need to use USB A for. Again not a biggie as I can get an adaptor, but the point is USB A is still actively used.
I can understand ditching it for laptops due to space and weight savings, but desktops should really keep at least one USB A port. While it may be becoming legacy, it’s still actively used and still sold - I believe Oneplus still uses them For phones and tablets.

I don't know, I feel like in the past two years or so there's been a real shift to USB-C for most new devices. USB-A is still actively used, but it's almost 30 years old. At a certain point they've got to give it up.
That being said, I'm almost certainly going to get a new Mac Mini and one of the first things that will be plugged into it is a USB-A Apple keyboard I've been using for over a decade.

 

[tothemoonsands]

I’m very keen on benchmarks. Docked M3 Max MBP has been working perfectly but if I could have a dedicated Mac running on my dual ASDs then that would be even better. Been waiting on a new Mac Studio for too long, all I need is the M4 Pro to exceed performance of the M3 Max…

 

[turbineseaplane]

USB-A is still actively used, but it's almost 30 years old. At a certain point they've got to give it up.

The shape of the plug may be that old, but the guts have been getting updated
Why do we have to "give up things that work just fine"?

Seriously -- we have to stop this mentality of forcing change for the sake of it in all cases

It's delightful that something has continued to work for so long!

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

This might be a game changer for me. I've always had a laptop that spends pretty much most of it's life permanently plugged in with an external monitor. I also have an iPad Pro. Whenever I travel I'm always stuck wondering if I should take my iPad or laptop - both is kind of a drag and I invariably end up taking the laptop because there's just way more I can do on that platform.

If the mini ends up being the same size as an AppleTV then I can take that, a BlueTooth keyboard and the iPad Pro and have the best of both worlds. I kind of like that - especially if the iPad can function as an external monitor wirelessly.

EDIT - Thought I'd provide a powerful counterargument to my own post. The above scenario undermines working in macOS without a power cord. Never mind...

Building on this: since its launch there have been dedicated travel bags for Mac Studio (example)... to be used as you are describing. It's like carrying a cube-shaped bowling ball but it exists and works for those who want a mobile Mac Studio.

What you are describing is a real and tangible reason for a micro Mac. However, the existing form packs great for mobile too (one of many examples)... and how nice it would be if they had filled the free space with a couple of slots for m.2. Desktop power on the go with tons of optional internal storage priced at market instead of 3X-5X market.

 

[Siliconguy]

If the new mini slides off the desk every time you try to plug in something then it is not usable.

Double-stick tape?

 

[turbineseaplane]

.

 

[Anglagard]

We don't need small, we need usable.

If the new mini slides off the desk every time you try to plug in something then it is not usable. We need power. If the new mini throttles for every workload because it is so small and has terrible thermal characteristics, then it is not usable. Please Apple give us a real computer, not a redesigned iPad without a screen.

There are lot of assumptions in your post.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I'm interested to get one. What would be a good monitor to pair with it? (other than a Studio Display)

Preferable a monitor I can also use my Windows work laptop with and also do some minor gaming

This crowd will mostly only argue for ASD because that's the consumer one that Apple makes. Once Apple makes something, only theirs is a good one and everything else is junk.

However, with similar needs myself, I chose to put an ASD budget towards a Dell 40" ultra-wide 5K2K when I embraced separates. Coming from long-term, daily use of iMac 27", this screen looks as good but with much more horizontal space. There's no coming back to the near square shapes like ASD or a hypothetical bigger iMac now.

The Dell has a good amount of "the future" and the present ports in a built-in hub too, including multiple inputs so you can connect a Mac, a PC and still have more inputs for something like an AppleTV or a Game Console or a Disc player, etc.

If this one conked today, I replace it with the same immediately... even if I could get an ASD for $1.

And if I purchased this new Mac Micro, I'd probably velcro or otherwise attach it to the back so I wouldn't need to worry about something so little accidentally getting pulled off the desk.