Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

High-End Mac Mini Said to Feature Thinner Design With 'Plexiglass' Top, Magnetic Power Port

dblissmn said:
Not real thrilled about the external power brick, though the M-series power characteristics might mean that taking the brick out also means taking out the cooling fan....then again that would also seem to preclude a dedicated GPU?

No way should the USB-C ports be that close to one another. I hope they actually understand how people tend to use those.
Click to expand...

theluggage said:
Instead of managing a simple cable, you're managing a cable with a massive brick in the middle that either takes up desk space or sits on the floor, getting kicked, trodden on, crushed between the desk and the wall, or worse hanging in midair, putting strain on the captive cable (and Apple have a dismal record on such things breaking and fraying). Instead of a standard figure 8/cloverleaf/kettle connector that can easily be replaced, you get a proprietary connector.


The M1 Air, 13" MBP, and Mini all just took existing products designed for Intel chips and converted them to M1 with the bare minimum of changes. That was (a) relatively quick and cheap and (b) kept the focus on the M1 itself rather than superficial design changes (...and avoided any risk of a new butterfly keyboard/flexgate/etc. spoiling the debut of the M1). Basically: mission accomplished, they've shown what Apple Silicon can do in a familiar product. The next wave is going to involve re-designing products to really take advantage of the M1 in terms of size, low power and cool running - the iMac being the first result.

I don't think any of the first wave of M1 Macs are likely to be around this time next year.


Because they wanted to make the new iMac incredibly thin. There isn't space for a power supply. It's not even deep enough to accommodate the depth of an IEC mains plug or standard ethernet plug.

The magsafe connector on the MacBook Pro was there to break away if someone yanked the cable. The magnetic connector on the iMac is there for the opposite reason - it is too shallow (and the cable too heavy) to be held in by friction, so it uses magnets to stop the connector falling out.
Click to expand...
Cable ties and cable cages does wonders for your desk! Plus external power means less heat for the Mac mini. I’m a fan of this idea!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tagbert
Mousse said:
Thinner?😑😑😑 Boo...hiss... I just lost all interest in the high end Mini.

I want it 3x thicker and incased in clear acrylic. Bring back the Cube. Resistance is futile.
552762_400x400_Contain_Zoom.jpg
Click to expand...
I know you're kidding, but the new Mac Pro is gonna be like that.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: praetorian909
hot-gril said:
Not until USB-C hubs that actually give you more USB-C ports are as common/cheap as with A. Seriously, even when I bought USB-C kb/m, each came with only a USB-A-to-C cable cause they know I'm not going to waste precious C ports on my PC on that (if I even have them).

Until then, USB-C will mainly be the omni docking cable that adapts to other stuff, not the thing you use by itself.
Click to expand...
This sounds eerily similar to the complaints about USB on the iMac in 1998….
 
deevey said:
Two Full power USB-C ports could potentially draw 30W Alone, Thunderbolt up to 100W.

If we assume this is a higher end Mini, the M1X / M2 (whatever) might be rated higher as well.
Click to expand...

citysnaps said:
Also...you might not beware that USB-C is spec'd to deliver between 60 and 100 watts per port, depending on configuration and cable used.
Click to expand...

Ah so, the M1 iMac with the 4 USB-C ports would need at least 260W for the USB-ports alone (100W for the 2 thunderbolt ports, and 30W for each of the two regular USB-C ports), plus something for the computer itself and the screen, it would need at least 300W total then, right?

But it turns out the external power supply puts out only 143W. Maybe those USB/Thunderbolt power requirements aren't so rigid afterall.

citysnaps said:
Imagine the whine-fest if it didn't hit at least 60 watts on each port, and do so when the CPU is under maximum load.

A ton of thought went into the decision to go external with the Mac mini power supply.
Click to expand...

So which is? Is not being able to hit 60 watts on each port a whine-fest, or is it evidence of the ton of thought that went into that decision?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: oneMadRssn
I’m probably ok with an external power brick - I’d assume that they will use the same one as the new iMac and remove the Ethernet port from the back of the Mini.

What I need to upgrade is the ability to drive four 2560x1440 monitors. I don’t care if it’s accomplishable by the system outputs themselves - or if I have the ability to hook up my eGPU to do it.

otherwise I’m hanging on to my 2018 Mac Mini with eGPU.
 
  • Like
Reactions: zapmymac
oneMadRssn said:
Ah so, the M1 iMac with the 4 USB-C ports would need at least 260W for the USB-ports alone (100W for the 2 thunderbolt ports, and 30W for each of the two regular USB-C ports), plus something for the computer itself and the screen, it would need at least 300W total then, right?

But it turns out the external power supply puts out only 143W. Maybe those USB/Thunderbolt power requirements aren't so rigid afterall.
Click to expand...

The M1 iMac is an entry level machine, targeted to casual users whose needs are modest; ie email, Safari, music, etc.

The M1-X Mac mini, is not, and will likely have more ports, and thus will be expected delivering more power, and thus will likely have a larger power brick. People purchasing the Mini are more interested in its ports and ability to deliver power.
 
  • Like
Reactions: George Dawes
Bearxor said:
I’m probably ok with an external power brick - I’d assume that they will use the same one as the new iMac and remove the Ethernet port from the back of the Mini.

What I need to upgrade is the ability to drive four 2560x1440 monitors. I don’t care if it’s accomplishable by the system outputs themselves - or if I have the ability to hook up my eGPU to do it.

otherwise I’m hanging on to my 2018 Mac Mini with eGPU.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised if the Mini power brick (assuming that's the direction Apple goes) delivers more power and is larger than the one that comes with the entry level M1 iMac.
 
  • Like
Reactions: zapmymac
raccoontail said:
Everyone here usually complains that nothing on Apple computers is user-replaceable anymore. Then apple makes the one component that is most likely to fail user-replaceable, and people complain....
Click to expand...
I can't imagine needing to replace a power supply. Of the literally dozens of iMacs and Apple displays I have had, I've never had a power supply go out. i mean, I guess they could take everything out of the iMac display and put it somewhere, idk, maybe a beige box on my desk, and then it would all be user-replaceable. oh, wait...
 
bwillwall said:
I'm failing to understand why anyone would rather have a bigger computer than a white square on the floor. These designs are clearly way better with external power supplies.
Click to expand...
how is a thiner desktop computer display "way better"? do you have so little space that you have to push your iMac up against a wall? do you walk around the back of your desk and get satisfaction from admiring the super thin display? I can't imagine a single use case that makes a desktop iMac display "way better" by being a few mm thinner. OTOH, a big white brick on the floor kinda defeats the purpose of an "all-in-one" computer, since, well, it's not.
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: bwillwall
Can the USB-C still charge your mac? I don't understand the point of adding back features that no longer make sense.
 
Robospungo said:
I don’t see this as an update to the M1 as much as it would be an update to the high-end 2018 Intel model that’s still being sold.
Click to expand...

True. I am happy with my Intel Mini, especially since I paired it with an eGPU for graphics.

Once the system is obsolete, I expect the Apple Silicon will be even further evolved.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Robospungo
Apple_Robert said:
My BT problems were regular with the keyboard and trackpad. A lot of the time the trackpad would freeze and I would have to plug it in for a second or two to get it going again. The keyboard was also bad about dropping out for a second or two, especially when I would be trying to login. It would usually take me 3 - 4 tries to get in. Very frustrating.
Click to expand...
I had the exact same problem with my M1 mini. Exact same, plus wake from sleep peripheral disconnect.

In my 2017 27 inch 5K and my 16 inch MBP I had a bluetooth issue where keyboard letter strikes (BT keyboard on the MBP--the one attached was fine) would severely lag behind the actual touching of the keys. It was unusable unless wired with USB.
 
Scoob Redux said:
how is a thiner desktop computer display "way better"? do you have so little space that you have to push your iMac up against a wall? do you walk around the back of your desk and get satisfaction from admiring the super thin display? I can't imagine a single use case that makes a desktop iMac display "way better" by being a few mm thinner. OTOH, a big white brick on the floor kinda defeats the purpose of an "all-in-one" computer, since, well, it's not.
Click to expand...
I guess one explanation is that a more compact form factor might allow people to use their Macs in places and scenarios which were previously not possible. For example, the new iMac is light enough that it may actually be feasible for people to bring it around from place to place for say, on-site video editing (like how MKBHD famously used to bring his iMac pro around with him in a pelican case when he went traveling).

A slimmer Mac mini might make it easier to stack in a rack formation?

I suppose it may also help cut down to packaging and shipping costs.
 
The point of the external brick seems to be clear after reading some of these comments. The thunderbolt/USB-C ports need to be able to provide lots of power out, so much so that the internal power supply would need to be large and warm.

While the mini itself might make do with 40w, it needs to be able to supply 200w. Which is also why it can’t be powered by USB-C. Which is why the whole idea of being powered by USB-C makes no sense, which is also likely why the new powerbooks will have discrete magsafe rather than usb only charging.
 
  • Like
Reactions: George Dawes
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back