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M4 Mac Mini to Become Apple's Smallest Ever Computer With Complete Redesign

Let this connect to USB C port of Ipad Pro and use it as screen with Magic Keyboard and draw power from ipad second port
And Voila - you have two options on Ipad Pro:
1 Run Ipad OS
2 Mac OS
 
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Yonizzle said:
Not reading all 8 pages of the thread, sorry if someone’s already said this:

It’d be neat if they let you power it via USB-C/Thunderbolt, so you could connect it to a dock or monitor and skip the additional outlet. For that matter, they could stick a small battery in there. Even something with just enough capacity to keep the thing running for 30–60 minutes would be an advantage over a UPS for power outages, and it’d be handy if you just want to move it to another room temporarily.
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Came in to say the exact same thing. Surprised Apple didn't do this for the Apple TV too to remove the PSU from the case to reduce the size/heat. I imagine an Apple TV could be powered from one of those tiny 30 W chargers. A Studio Display + Mac Mini would be the ultimate iMac where the compute unit could easily be replaced/updated whilst retaining a single power cable and single screen-Mac cable link carrying power, USB/Thunderbolt and sound.

How much power does a Mac Mini pull at max?
 
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Paul Shields said:
What real advantage is there to it being smaller? You still need monitor, keyboard etc.
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You can do things like "tape it" (one way or another) to the back of a monitor to get it out of the way even more aggressively. Think something the size of say an Apple TV box. Basically home-made iMac, with your choice of monitor.
Someone like me would do the taping with Contact velcro strips, but the usual crowd like Twelve-South will probably create more elegant ways to do it.

An additional way this may play out is that, rather than using the other three sides of the device for extra ports (since the existing back is already completely maxed out with a mini Pro) they may reduce the number of ports and reduce the cost, steering you to a Studio if you want more ports. (Which may not be a terrible outcome. Most people get a cheaper mini or mini Pro, and if you want a high end mini, already today once you get enough stuff packed into a mini Pro, the equivalent Studio is the same price.)
 
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name99 said:
You can do things like "tape it" (one way or another) to the back of a monitor to get it out of the way even more aggressively. Think something the size of say an Apple TV box. Basically home-made iMac, with your choice of monitor.
Someone like me would do the taping with Contact velcro strips, but the usual crowd like Twelve-South will probably create more elegant ways to do it.
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Apple could provide a kit for say, $400, for attaching Mini to the back of a monitor.
 
F27 said:
Honestly I would prefer it to be the size it is now, sometimes people just want something more substantial size wise for their money even if inside not every inch is used. It’s like the AV receiver standard, some of those are half air but it’s been rack sized for decades.

If it’s any smaller it’s going to get knocked over or look like some cheesy ornament imo. Even with the Apple TV I wish it was bigger.
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I'm speechless. Wait, no... I'm not.

So let's bring back the big huge 1950's console TV's that had 12" screens but were the size of a refrigerator on its side to make someone "feel like they are getting more for their money????"

Knocked over? Where are you putting it, next to your mouse???

This would be like buying a car the size of a hummer with less space than a Prius inside. Why would you do that?
 
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fricotin said:
Not good, less aluminium to dissipate heat.
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The current Mac mini with its aluminum case does not use the case to dissipate heat. The heat is all dissipated using an internal heat sink and a fan. If the new Mac mini also includes an internal heat sink and a fan. It really doesn’t matter what the thermal mass of the cases is.
 
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abatabia said:
Please don’t raise the price and this would be a day one purchase.
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My best bet is Apple iPhone-ifying the Mac mini line-up even further by making the gap between the regular and Pro Mac mini increasingly wider:
  • M4 Pro mini will start at a higher price than the M2 Pro mini, but also be a lot more powerful comparison to the regular mini than ever before. M4 Pro mini will also get some great new cooling system, close to what Mac Studio has, just smaller. But upgrades all around.
  • The regular M4 mini will retain the M2 mini price point as it will feature almost no upgrades over its predecessor besides the redesign and M4. If it gets the same number of ports as the M4 Pro mini they'll be slower and transfer less power. A lot more processing power jumping from M2 to M4. But otherwise very limited number of spec upgrades.
Should be a big performance boost regardless of which one you get because of M4. But the M4 Pro mini will be substantially higher value/$ over the M4 mini, more than ever before.

Something also tells me they'll be eliminating USB-A on the minis with this redesign. Not that they have to. But it would help push sales of upcoming 2024-2025 USB-C Magic Mouse and Keyboard, Trackpad, etc.
 
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Paul Shields said:
What real advantage is there to it being smaller? You still need monitor, keyboard etc.
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Agreed that there really is no overt advantage to a small desktop machine, however I am wondering about the possibility to sticking it to the back of my monitor with 3m tape to reduce desktop clutter...
 
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