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One of these little puppies with M4 Pro 14-core and 64GB RAM hooked up to a Studio Display would make for a killer little workstation for design, photography, video and coding etc.

I'm considering my next purchase to be a Mac Studio with M4 Max and ditch the 16" MBP. And then run an M4 Air or 14" M4 Pro as my portable.
Why would that be a more killer setup bs the current M2 Pro mini?
 
Probably, yep. That way, they can play up "there's also the M4 Pro!" today and "And the M4 Max!" tomorrow.

OTOH, they might save "the best" for last in terms of redesign — the Mac mini is the most significant change in that regard.
Yes, I also think they're gonna "up it" each day, while you are right in terms of design. But let's see, maybe they added some gimmick to the new Pro's maybe... I'm sure they want to end with the most premium product to keep that in our head.

Did we hear something about a new Mac Studio? That would downplay a mac mini I think.
 
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I hope it still has an integrated PSU.
I do too. It would be really sad if they use an external power brick and then put the ethernet in that just like on the iMac.

Note, mini PCs from vendors like Beelink have internal 85W PSUs and they are as small as the assumed dimensions on the new Mac mini and they even have more ports. So, if Apple can't do the same with the M4 Mac mini then something is perhaps rotten in Cupertino.

That said, the current M2 Pro Mac mini under its maximum configuration has a CPU power rating of 100W and a 185W power supply. That difference may be from the four Thunderbolt ports that I think can supply up to 15W each (so, 100W + 4 x 15W = 160W). If the M4 Pro has similar requirements then the new, smaller Mac mini would still need a power supply rated at around 185W and that's much more than the above Beelink. So, maybe the power supply will go external (because of Thunderbolt).
 
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Plenty of space. Apple TV has internal PSU and Ethernet port. People are being paranoid about this (which I won’t blame them for, given Apple’s history)

AppleTV doesn't also fit in the rumored 3 more USB-C ports on the back, spaced wide enough so that all 3 can actually be usable.

I'm not arguing for an external power supply- just offering (Apple) logic of why it MIGHT eject it in the name of "thinnest & lightest Mac ever" spin.
 
So...

Front:
x2 Thunderbolt ports / USB Type C ports for base model
x1 3,5mm Audio jack

Back:
Power port
RJ45 Ethernet
HDMI
x2 Thunderbolt ports
 

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I know this has been a talking point, but I never understood why people think it wouldn’t. iMac has a good(ish) reason to use a power brick: To keep the profile slim. Some components in PSU’s like coils are hard to slim down, partially because they need to be oriented in a certain way for EMC reasons, so they end up in a brick. Mac Mini is already a brick, so no issues with component orientation. EDIT: Plus, iMac PSU is much larger because it powers a display.

I would be genuinely shocked if this does not have internal PSU.
I would totally understand leaving the PSU out of that tiny aluminum box to keep thermal throttling at bay.
It's not like the PSU will be any more powerful than a measly 100 Watts.
 
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thank you Apple!

but I expect from you “the impossible”

a modular Mac Pro that takes M4 chips in cards/modules to work in parallel

AI changed priorities, your unified memory along with MLX advancements can dethrone Nvidia monopoly

DO IT! 🚀
 
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Whoever hit that Apple-Shift-3 made my day. It’s hard to get real Apple Scoop these days, but ya got this one.

I knew the pre-renders were too tall. This is a NUC!
 
The fact that the M4 Pro caps at 64GB means that the M4 Max starts at 96GB and possibly caps at 256GB.

From the M1 to the M3 no two chips have ever shared the same RAM. There has never been a M3 Pro with 64GB and a M3 Max with 64GB at the same time.
 
Wow, that Pro model with that RAM option could be a very enticing tiny machine for a few.
 
So...

Front:
x2 Thunderbolt ports / USB Type C ports for base model
x1 3,5mm Audio jack

Back:
Power port
RJ45 Ethernet
HDMI
x2 Thunderbolt ports

I just can't see Apple putting an audio jack of all things on the front on the mini. Why would it be there?
 
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So, assuming everything in the image is proportional, the size will be around 5"x2" (12.6cm x 5.2cm) 👍
 
I do too. It would be really sad if they use an external power brick and then put the ethernet in that just like on the iMac.

Note, mini PCs from vendors like Beelink have internal 85W PSUs and they are as small as the assumed dimensions on the new Mac mini and they even have more ports. So, if Apple can't do the same with the M4 Mac mini then something is definitely rotten in Cupertino.

Many of them PC Minis will also have room for slotted RAM and at least 1- often 2- m.2 slots for competitively-priced storage too. But Apple can't/won't do that. Why? Not because they can't.
 
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I just can't see Apple putting an audio jack of all things on the front on the mini. Why would it be there?

Because people plug & unplug wired headphones frequently and that is convenient to have front access?

I presume you might be thinking only about speakers and- if so- that isn't a great option. However speakers often have a USB connection option too. Connect speakers in the back and headphones/buds in the front.
 
I am stoked for this. I purchased my first Mac Mini several years back and it has been fantastic. I do a good bit of video editing and when I purchased the Mac Mini I was pleasantly surprised. I believe I have the M1 and it still works great. Renders 4k video pretty quickly. I really have no reason yet to upgrade but I was so happy with the product I def will be buying the new model.
 
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