Add a battery to Mini

[phrehdd]

Haha... we had a TRS-80 Model II at work - the big all-in-one with an 8" floppy disk! Was actually a pretty impressive machine in its day. For some reason, they thought it was a good idea to put a huge "reset" switch on the front panel right below the power switch - recipe for disaster! I remember my assistant was working on a spreadsheet and a friend stopped by to talk. Trying to be helpful, she said "your screen is really dusty, let me wipe it off" and accidentally hit the reset switch. Of course, he hadn't saved his work for awhile and totally freaked out! 🤣

That computer was a hand-me-down from the business office. They had been using it with an accounting package (called Great Plains, IIRC) but replaced it with the Apple /// which ran the same software but much better, since it had a hard disk.

The days when Radio Shack was a big deal in computing as early on was the Z-80 chip. I recall Great Plains accounting package and later, Mas 90, and DOS days of Peach Tree Accounting. Very different days and not so forgiving when making errors (thus journal entries was the only way to do it). Yeah geeking for a moment, sorry.

 

[Boil]

TRS-80 Model II

The good ol' Trash 80; I used one for high school papers in the, wait for it, early 1980s...

 

[HowardEv]

Ok you win. You have convinced me that the Mac Mini is a desktop computer that sits on a desk, plugs in, and that it should stay that way, using the same aluminum enclosure that server farms need and is fine for everyone.

Everyone says they don’t want a battery in the Mini. A vast majority chose obsolete design with no advantages.

And no one could understood what I was proposing because they took the title too literally. So I give up and accept that the product I want is not a Mac Mini.

It is a … Mac Liberty!

Mac because it would run MacOS, and Liberty because it isn’t tied to a desk or tied to a laptop, it pops in a pocket and goes anywhere. It frees Apple customers from Steve’s jail window product line. Now customers will be able to choose the CPU and how much memory we need, what ports we need. and how big a battery we want.

And then customers would use their Liberty with any screen and keyboard they want, including laptops and iPads and TVs.

We wouldn’t be forever stuck with the screen we chose when we bought it. We could buy the computer first, use it with our old screen, get new screens whenever we want, and keep using those screens when we upgrade to a new M5.

The form factor would be a iPhone Plus size, probably thicker if ordered with all the ports and large battery. It’d weigh about the same as the same spec iPad Pro (.98 Pounds), less because it wouldn’t have iPad screen. Think of it as an iPad Pro without a touch screen, running Mac OS.

It’d be the end of the iMac as well as the Mini (sorry server farm dudes) but they could morph the iMac into a Apple TV, and replace the chin with a hole for the Liberty to pop into to charge and turn it into an iMac.

 

[DaveEcc]

So, the laptop isn't ideal because it might throttle, so instead we're going to pack all the power of an M4 Max (or Ultra... apparently you need a top tier chip, because a laptop won't cut it) into a lightweight phone-ish-sized pocketable device... How do you propose to keep THIS from throttling? What you're asking for violates the known laws of physics.

 

[sublunar]

So, the laptop isn't ideal because it might throttle, so instead we're going to pack all the power of an M4 Max (or Ultra... apparently you need a top tier chip, because a laptop won't cut it) into a lightweight phone-ish-sized pocketable device... How do you propose to keep THIS from throttling? What you're asking for violates the known laws of physics.

Impeccably put, I’m just sad there wasn’t a predicted price of $399 too 😂

To be fair the OP mentions a screen less iPad Pro. Which effectively means M4 I’d guess.

I would say a screen less iPad Air m2 would be a more logical choice.

But we already have a Mac mini with 8/512 to compare with.

 

[HowardEv]

To be fair the OP mentions a screen less iPad Pro. Which effectively means M4 I’d guess.

Thank you for noticing, it would be a screenless iPad Pro M4 Pro, or a screenless and keyboard less MBP M3 Pro. Without a screen the battery would be smaller too, and it’d get even less hot. I don’t think MacOS runs hotter than iOS but maybe it does.

 

[HowardEv]

laptop isn't ideal because it might throttle

In the past that was true but with AS it hasn’t been a problem.
Also laptops are hard to use when they are connected to a dongle with HDMI, hard drives, audio interface and instruments connected to it. It’s very precarious even to turn it slightly, let alone put it on your lap with stuff plugged in.

 

[Night Spring]

When I used to commute between my home and office, I had a MacBook Air that I carried with me, every day, from home to office and back. I had a full-size keyboard, mouse and monitor setup at both home and office, and each day I unhooked my MacBook from my home setup, took it to the office, hooked it up to the office setup, then at the end of the day, I unhooked, went home, hooked up again. Repeat every day. I hardly ever used the Air's keyboard and screen.

So yes, if there had been a small, AppleTV size Mac that I could have carried with me every day, that would have worked for me, like 95% of the time. I wouldn't even need a battery, because there is power at both home and work. But even though I almost never used the Air's keyboard, screen, and battery, the few times I did need to work while on the go, they did come in handy.

So if this modular device that OP is describing existed, I would buy just the basic computer in a case, with no battery, keyboard, or screen, because I'd think I don't need them. Then when a situation came up where I did need them, I'd probably be very upset that I needed to buy all that stuff that I would only use a few times.

So the upshot is, the MacBook Air worked well for me at the time, and I was happy with it. It's fun to imagine a device that can morph into anything you want whenever you need it, but in reality, everything is a trade-off between function, convenience, and cost.

 

[HowardEv]

I’m just sad there wasn’t a predicted price of $399 too

That’s probably about right for the low end chip with 8GB 256G tiny battery bare bones. But the M4 Pro is going to be $1000 probably. (A bit less than the iPad).

 

[HowardEv]

I unhooked my MacBook from my home setup, took it to the office, hooked it up to the office setup, then at the end of the day, I unhooked, went home, hooked up again. Repeat every day. I hardly ever used the Air's keyboard and screen.

You didn’t mention shutting down the Air before unhooking and going home, so you probably used its battery. If you had a Mini, you’d have had to power down and boot up, and you’d need two UPS. So you used the battery all the time, you just rarely used the screen and keyboard.

 

[izzy0242mr]

.

Taking out the internal power supply and fans would also cut down weight and reduce heat and provide space for battery. It would be smaller and cooler and quieter. It would use the same power brick and USB C cable as MacBook.

They should make an Apple TV-sized Mac mini. That'd be cool.

 

[tothemoonsands]

If we get a built-in UPS, then I want a built-in bottle cap opener.

My point is that some additional features are useful for small subsets only. For these, it doesn’t make sense to complicate the build / increase price for EVERYONE. Dedicated UPS (and bottle openers) are always an option for those that want them. And standalone ones are often better anyways. Doubt Apple would be adding a nice Laguiole en Aubrac opener….

 

[phrehdd]

The good ol' Trash 80; I used one for high school papers in the, wait for it, early 1980s...

Did you use "Wordstar" to do your papers? I think that was the "word processor" of that time.

 

[Boil]

Did you use "Wordstar" to do your papers? I think that was the "word processor" of that time.

LOL, that was forty-some years ago, I don't remember what program I used then...!

 

[Night Spring]

You didn’t mention shutting down the Air before unhooking and going home, so you probably used its battery. If you had a Mini, you’d have had to power down and boot up, and you’d need two UPS. So you used the battery all the time, you just rarely used the screen and keyboard.

Oh, yes, I shut down the Air before unhooking and moving. I always power down my computers before moving them, it's so much a part of my routine, I didn't think to mention it. I don't really understand your aversion to shutting down your computer, you mentioned power cables getting unplugged while cleaning your desk, I'd shut down the computer before cleaning my desk. The time I need to shut down then wait for it to boot back up is so minimal compared to the time I spend cleaning my desk, I just think of it as part of what I need to do to clean up, it doesn't bother me at all. Same with when moving between home and office, the time it takes to shut down and boot up is so minimal compared to the time I spend traveling between the two locations, it doesn't really register.

You are right that I did sometimes use the battery on my MacBook Air when I moved from room to room in my home or in the office without shutting down. I had forgotten about that use, so thanks for reminding me of that.

 

[phrehdd]

LOL, that was forty-some years ago, I don't remember what program I used then...!

I was around for a great deal of it and my time started with TRS 80, Earliest days of IBM PC and the rest. It was expensive then and actually (for me) more fun as that whole scene was exploding with new tech, applications and accessories.

 

[kc9hzn]

I was around for a great deal of it and my time started with TRS 80, Earliest days of IBM PC and the rest. It was expensive then and actually (for me) more fun as that whole scene was exploding with new tech, applications and accessories.

Honestly, it probably helps that you were younger, too. I have a certain nostalgia for 90s and 2000s Apple (PPC era and early Intel) for that reason. Maybe I’ll extend it to 2010 so I can include the first iPad (which I preordered as soon as preorders became available). 80s were largely before my time, but I do still have some connection to that era, as well. Makes me wonder how much kids these days will have nostalgia over stuff of this era, so much of what they might have nostalgia for is hyper-ephemeral, stuff like apps, short-lived social media memes, and platforms like TikTok. Just reinforces the feeling I have that there’s a tremendous generational gap between me and people even just 5 years younger than me.

 

[kevcube]

Does a phone have a UPS in it? UPSes provide 120V power to plug desktops into.

Yes, an iPhone has a power supply (the battery) providing more or less uninterruptible voltage to the CPU.

If you want a UPS for a Mac mini, buy a UPS and plug your Mac mini into it.

 

[Boyd01]

The good ol' Trash 80; I used one for high school papers

Sure, but I doubt it was the Model II, which was a completely different beast with built-in monitor, a big 8" floppy disk drive and CP/M compatibility. It was marketed as a "pro" machine for businesses, according to that wikipedia page, it cost over $3000!

 

[TIOATIOA]

My “Mac Mini” is an iPad Pro M4, and the battery life is excellent.

Just give me full access to macOS Apple Silicon apps.

 

[theluggage]

Everyone says they don’t want a battery in the Mini. A vast majority chose obsolete design with no advantages.

Except there are advantages to the "obsolete design" even if you don't run a Mac server farm: plenty of space for ports, plenty of space for near-silent cooling, no need for an external power brick etc. For many people, the Mini and Studio pass the "small enough" test and there are diminishing returns in making it smaller.

And no one could understood what I was proposing because they took the title too literally.

I think everybody understands what you want - essentially, a laptop without a screen or keyboard. They don't want it. The potential market is tiny, a niche within what is already (by Apple's standards) a minority market for desktops - and with the way the electronics industry works on economies of scale, that would mean it would have to be very, very expensive.

It would be more expensive than a comparable Mini, heavier than a comparable Mini (or, if lighter, it would be because you need an external power brick) and in daily use the battery would just sit there degrading and eventually need replacing. You could transport it but you'd either need a desk, display, keyboard and pointing device (and, therefore, probably mains power) at both ends of the journey - or you'd have to carry a portable, battery powered display and keyboard (each needing separate charging) and juggle 3 boxes - pretty much useless if you ever did want to use it on a train, outdoors or suchlike.

You'd have to look at the pros and cons of a "Mac Liberty" vs. just getting (say) a MacBook - and the reality is that a MacBook (esp. with a dock or USB-C display) can do everything a Mini can do - (including, with M3 onward, running two external displays in clamshell mode) plus a bunch of things (like actual mobile use) where being all-in-one makes it a whole lot better than a "Mac Liberty".

This is especially true post-Intel since you're getting effectively the same CPU with only minor performance loss due to thermal throttling. Really, nowadays, the only reason for getting a desktop Mac is if you almost never need to move it.

We wouldn’t be forever stuck with the screen we chose when we bought it. We could buy the computer first, use it with our old screen, get new screens whenever we want, and keep using those screens when we upgrade to a new M5.

Yes, that's certainly a major argument for a Mini/Studio vs. an iMac which is going to sit on a desktop anyway - but for a laptop that you are going to move around regularly, the advantages of having everything all-in-one, running off the same battery outweigh that.

You didn’t mention shutting down the Air before unhooking and going home, so you probably used its battery.

At the very least I'd want to make sure everything was saved, external drives dismounted etc. before unhooking. If you're talking about daily commuting, shutting down and re-starting isn't exactly one of the labours of Hercules. Where 'just shut the lid and it sleeps' is useful is in "true" mobile use where you're doing it repeatedly - flitting between meetings, on the train etc. for which your "Mac Liberty" really isn't suited.

Also laptops are hard to use when they are connected to a dongle with HDMI, hard drives, audio interface and instruments connected to it.

...you do seem to have a peculiar inability to touch your equipment without all of the cables falling out - and your Mac Liberty is only going to solve that for the power cord. If you're shuttling between desks with lots of peripherals then that's what Thunderbolt docks are for, whether its a laptop, "Mac Liberty" or Mini.

My current Studio has about 10 things plugged into it which is partly why I got a Studio, not a MacBook - even if it could run without a power cord it would be totally impractical to move. If I wanted to ferry the Mac around then I'd need to use a TB dock - Mini-with-a-battery wouldn't solve that.

In the past, when I've done the daily commute with a Mac, I've used the tool for the job: a MacBook Pro - mostly on an 'elevator' stand with an external display and keyboard & a Cinema display at work & various third party displays & USB hubs at home. That left the MacBook's display as a second screen - so it didn't go to waste - plus I could use the same machine "on the road" when necessary. I've used desktops when they didn't need to move.

Sorry, but the uses of a battery-powered desktop machine are confined to such a tiny chink of the Venn diagram that it just doesn't make sense.

 

[richard13]

Haha... we had a TRS-80 Model II at work - the big all-in-one with an 8" floppy disk! Was actually a pretty impressive machine in its day. For some reason, they thought it was a good idea to put a huge "reset" switch on the front panel right below the power switch - recipe for disaster! I remember my assistant was working on a spreadsheet and a friend stopped by to talk. Trying to be helpful, she said "your screen is really dusty, let me wipe it off" and accidentally hit the reset switch. Of course, he hadn't saved his work for awhile and totally freaked out! 🤣

That computer was a hand-me-down from the business office. They had been using it with an accounting package (called Great Plains, IIRC) but replaced it with the Apple /// which ran the same software but much better, since it had a hard disk.

This reminds me of when I got my first job as a Computer Operator of an IBM 4331 mainframe. The IPL (initial program load aka reset) button was right there on the console keyboard. Someone taped the top half of a small clear case over it. I asked about this and got the "you don't wanna know" look from the other operator. As I recall, I was honored with pushing that button just once during a controlled maintenance window.

 

[Boil]

Sure, but I doubt it was the Model II, which was a completely different beast with built-in monitor, a big 8" floppy disk drive and CP/M compatibility. It was marketed as a "pro" machine for businesses, according to that wikipedia page, it cost over $3000!

I believe it was a Model 4, it was owned by the father of a classmate; when I got to college I got myself an Amstrad PCW 8512 & tractor-feed dot-matrix printer; I also had a modem & an acoustic coupler, and would haul the whole rig out (along with a steamer trunk "desk" and an upholstered armchair) to the payphone down the hall in the dorms so I could connect to CompuServe...

 

[HowardEv]

and your Mac Liberty is only going to solve that for the power cord

Right, the Liberty would have all those cables plugged in to it, not my laptop. But it’s OK because I wouldn’t need to touch the Liberty at all, it isn’t a screen or keyboard that gets touched and adjusted constantly. So my laptop would have nothing plugged in to it, and could still be a screen and keyboard to the Liberty using AirPlay, and I could also have two displays connected to the Liberty on the desk and Magic Keyboard. Do you see the improvement?

 

[YoitsTmac]

Do you see the improvement?

No.

This is still a solution in need of a problem that serves such an immensely small niche subset of customers, I’m not surprised it hasn’t already been made. Desktops are niche enough as it is.

Just say you want to be able to dock your iPhone on a USB dock that then pairs to a BT keyboard, mouse and then runs macOS.

That’s an idea I regularly think about. We have the power, thermals and storage to make it happen. But then you only sell one product