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

seek3r said:
I’d wager $100 that this power cable will not be on new laptops, it’s way too big, and that it probably won’t be on the replacement Mac Pro because it makes no sense there…
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The exact one? No. Same idea and style? Most likely.
 
Orange Bat said:
I love to see Apple putting effort into the Mini as it has become the most intriguing device in Apple’s line-up IMO. One of the reasons I chose the Mini rather than an iMac is that I can upgrade much more often without having to make room for an all-in-one. Also, the older Minis can be repurposed as needed. I hope these things get on a yearly update cycle and truly become a star in Apple’s line-up rather than the afterthought it’s been for a while now.
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Oh yes; same here! I also like the small footprint it leaves on my desk, and I also generally prefer having a "headless" desktop computer rather than an all-in-one. I don't need the high power and expense of a Mac Pro, and the Mac Mini's expandability possibilities (including external) are appealing to me, as I can pick the peripherals to use with it. (I plan to soon get a Dell P2419H 24" display to use with my 2012 quad-core i7 Mac Mini, to replace the older failing Dell monitor I currently use with it.)
 
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femike said:
Actually, with the magnetic power connector, they could put a in a Li battery inside the mini, so it can be portable, and also to safe guard against accidental pulls on the power cord.
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Several video reviews have shown that the new magnetic connector requires a lot of force to pull out - probably more than a standard figure 8/cloverleaf plug - and won't save even a 24" iMac from a dirt nap if you tug on the cable.

It's only there to allow the iMac to be thinner than the depth of a standard connector. If it appears on a future Mini it will be there to allow Apple to save money by sharing parts with the iMac.

You don't want a breakaway power connector on a desktop - the problem they solve is specific to laptops. It's a desktop, not designed to be moved frequently. Just route the cables safely, folks. If having the cable kicked out is a serious problem with your desktop, you're holding it wrong (and creating a trip hazard). Batteries are (a) expensive and (b) perishable - no need to have that in a desktop. If power failures are a problem you need a proper UPS that can also power your key peripherals for long enough to allow a clean shutdown.
 
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Lemon Olive said:
It's not inconsistent. Rather, it is absolutely consistent with the entire Mac product line. The same power cable is likely going to work for all Macs...laptop and desktop.

These power adapters are easy to hide and bury under a desk or on an under-desk shelf. If it makes for a better Mac in the same or smaller footprint by offloading such a piece, that is better.
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You envision Apple laptops being made 4 times thicker to accommodate that giant magnetic plug?
 
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Funny that most folks whine about external power brick... as if it will be a huge inconvenience every time you use that machine. I wouldn't even bother after I set that up on my desk. I prolly hide it and wouldn't even see it. Less heat internally, less noise.
 
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Lemon Olive said:
Obviously you've never tried to plug or unplug the old iMac.
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I have. It is simply not an issue. And from the videos the magnetic connector looks harder to unplug.

Plus, its a standard IEC plug (if you don't mind losing the purely cosmetic 'flush' effect) so its easy to replace or use a longer lead if needed.

Comes out easily enough, doesn't fall out. Look, I'll show you right nozzzzzt!$$A%^........
 
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derduff said:
BUT WHY make it thinner? It doesn't make any sense. No one is carrying it around all the time!
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There’s a ton of wasted space on the current M1 Mini. I personally don’t like these renders, but there’s no reason to keep the Mini as big as it currently is. One of the key selling points of the device is that it’s small and doesn’t take up a lot of space.
 
AppleTO said:
Okay, first of all, why would you put the USB-C ports vertical when the device is horizontal. Looks dumb.

Second, Apple is trying to phase out USB-A. I doubt there would be USB-A. The M1 iMacs don’t even have it.

Third, as others have mentioned, if the power supply is the same as the external iMac power supply, the Ethernet jack will likely be on it, and not on the unit itself.

Fourth, the headphone jack is missing. I can’t imagine they would remove it after putting one on the side of the iMac (which is basically unusable for anything other than headphones).

Did the person who created this put any effort into it?
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Clearly, they should have consulted with you before taking all the time to render this for nothing but criticism...:rolleyes:
 
Chompineer said:
So you'd prefer that if a power component fail, the entire device is bricked/garbage? I'd rather replace a $50 transformer over a $1000 Mac Mini.
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The last internal power supply I had fail was in a TRS-80 Model 4P. Replaced it and continued on.
The internal power supply in a 2012 mini (I haven't taken apart anything else) is completely modular. Looks like the 2020 mini is too. External power supplies suck. :)
 
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makingdots said:
Funny that most folks whine about external power brick... as if it will be a huge inconvenience every time you use that machine. I wouldn't even bother after I set that up on my desk. I prolly hide it and wouldn't even see it. Less heat internally, less noise.
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It creates clutter.
 
zorinlynx said:
Why the crap does the Mac Mini need to change to using an external power brick? One of the nice things about the Mac Mini is its lack of such a brick.

The first iteration of the Mac Mini had one, then moved away from that. It feels like we're sliding backwards?
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The large scale buyers of Mac Mini use them in racks. They aren't going to want to manage power supplies too.

this is a rubbish leak. The ports are all in the wrong places and not spaced correctly.... then again, that's probably why it could be true too.
 
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Stephen.R said:
Honestly one of the first thoughts I had when I saw that plug was - I hope at least the brick is earthed now. It bothers me a lot that the 2018 (and presumably M1?) uses an unearthed connection. Yes Im sure it's double-insulated, but still. It's not like there isn't an earthed equivalent of that port.
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But won't you miss that lovely tingly feeling in your fingers as you stroke the smooth aluminium surface of the Mac?
 
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