Apple should really update the Mini for Apple Silicon. It was designed for hot Intel desktop chips that required line power and a cooling fan and a CD ROM drive that are now ancient history.
On the other hand, the existing case provides plenty of space for
quiet cooling (big heatsinks, relatively large fans, high surface area), an internal PSU and space for a generous array of ports on the back. No need to make it Apple TV sized just because they
can. What I've always found ridiculous was "mini" systems that bragged about their tiny form factor, and failed to mention the massive power brick that took up desk or floor space & made cable routing a nightmare (yes, Intel NUC
and even the original G4 Mac Mini - I'm looking at you). I regard the internal PSU as one of the killer features or the Mini and Studio.
There is no longer any clock speed boost, so why does it still plug in to the wall?
Because batteries run down and the wall socket doesn't. I'd wager that most people with laptops keep them on mains power when they're "docked" at the desktop. Also, go read your own post where you complain about laptops being "throttled". That's as much about power consumption as about heat (well, they're really the same thing). Even running two displays takes more power. If you want a battery powered Mini, it will have many of the same limitations as laptops.
The thick power cord catches the edge of the desk and makes it risky to turn it to access ports on the back without accidentally pulling the cord out and crashing the computer.
You seem to be the only person for whom that is a significant problem. Maybe get a longer power cord? Now, what
would be nice - and a good use of the large enclosure - would be some front-mounted ports (like the Studio).
It can’t even be moved without powering it off.
If you move it regularly enough for that to be an issue, you need a laptop.
The work-around would be for Apple to provide an easy way to trigger "hibernate to disc/safe sleep" mode.
The M chips and Mac OS have advanced battery management that we pay for, but it goes to waste.
You don't pay for it - if anything you
save money because Apple gets to re-use their laptop chip for the Mini. Making a special version of the M chips without battery management just for the Mini (which sells in far smaller numbers than the laptops) would be hideously expensive.
or just a few minutes of UPS to protect against unplugging and provide for graceful shutdown.
Now, that wouldn't be a
bad idea - all it would need would be enough time to do a "safe sleep". Maybe a big capacitor would be enough. The question is whether it would be worth the extra cost and complexity: if you get enough power cuts/brown outs for it to be a regular problem, you need a proper UPS to keep your displays - and maybe external drives - going as well.
Taking out the internal power supply and fans would also cut down weight and reduce heat and provide space for battery.
AFAIK there's only one fan in the mini, and that's needed to cool the CPU, too. Oh, and batteries give off heat, too (esp. when charging). Anyway
it's a desktop - who cares what it weighs? Even if you want to carry it around, you'll probably have to carry the power brick too, so you won't save any weight.
A MacBook only supports one external monitor. That matters for a recording studio.
The M3 MacBooks can now support two external monitors in "clamshell" mode... and if you're
not in clamshell mode you've got one display built right in.
Running a studio off a laptop makes the session feel amateur
Now, that's just ridiculous.
I would love a battery so I could transport my Mini between work and home without having to power it down.
That's where making the "hibernate to disc/safe sleep" more accessible on desktops would help (I think you can enable it with Terminal commands, but it should just be a tick-box on the shutdown dialogue).
...that said, you're talking about saving about a minute by not having to start up your applications and re-open files and - even on a laptop - if you don't save your files before you sleep your computer, you're holding it wrong. Nothing wrong with transporting a mini between work and home - but it's not really what the Mini is meant for.
Ah another vote for taking batteries out of laptops too. Save money and the environment. Just get extension cord.
Sure - I've had laptops in the past that have spent 99% of their lives plugged into the wall. I also know people who have gone on using their laptops long after the battery wore out and stopped holding a charge, because all they needed was something to shuttle between desks at home and work. I've even had PC "mobile workstations" where, even from new, the battery was about as useful as pedals on a motorbike...
But here's the thing:
laptops are designed for people who need a mobile device. Even "desk commuters" who buy laptops will usually appreciate the option to use them on the train or something. You don't take out the battery because 1% of laptop users don't need it.
desktops are designed for people who
don't need a mobile device - especially with Apple Silicon where there's only a marginal difference in performance between desktop and laptop. You don't
add a battery because 1% of users think they need it - esp. if it means needing a power brick as well.
Put a supercapacitor in that gives the system 1 minute to "safe sleep" when the power fails? Would be nice, if it's feasible - but there's no point going beyond that on a system which depends on an external display.
