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

[MayaUser]

Shrinking the current Mac Mini enclosure only saves aluminum

saves everything, aluminium, production, time, ,logistics , money and space for the servers and so on
Why go big when its useless. No need for Mac studio for M4 or M4 Pro
A computer like this , without display keyboard etc can be the size of a fingernail if it can be powerful and run 24h/7

 

[trip1ex]

...when the AppleTV is less than 1/4 the size and has 4gb ram, wifi, bt, hdmi, ethernet, A15 chip, and is $150 with a remote that they also sell separately for $60 then...you knew the Mac Mini was going to shrink sooner or later.

They'll eliminate the USBA ports. Those take up 1/4 of the backplate width. USBC only. Doh!

Could do the external power supply like a laptop and iMac. Get rid of fan. Obvious shrinkage moves.

Could copy iMac and ATV and make ethernet optional for the cheaper sku and put the ethernet port on the power supply ala iMac. Along the same lines, the cheaper sku could feature fewer ports.

An Apple TV doesn't like to sit nice and flat with cables hanging off of it in my experience so I wonder how they would deal with this in a smaller form factor. Maybe they will sell an Apple rock to place on top of it.

I have wondered a few times whether or not they would try to make it vertical as opposed to horizontal ..for no reason other than looks I guess. OK it would take up less desk space too that way. Apple stand sold separately.

 

[rforno]

Maybe they could build it inside a monitor! Imagine that!!!!!

LOL ... but wouldn't that mean they ran out of ideas??

 

[Orange Bat]

I never did buy a Mac mini, though if you've got a bunch of third party gear like monitors and gaming mouses or the like, it probably is a very suitable option.

IMO, the mini is the best Apple computer for most people. You get a solid, modern machine with options on monitors, keyboards, etc. I don’t dislike iMacs but I have a solid 2 monitor set-up that works 2 other computers. It’s pretty great.

 

[goodthymes]

Dongle hell round 2 here we come. Would not be surprised if they drop the ethernet port on the base model.

 

[michelg1970]

Maybe they could build it inside a monitor! Imagine that!!!!!

YEAH! And then call it the iMac! 🤣🤣🤣

 

[beermode]

Why not stick a fan on it and keep the throttling down?

 

[timber]

What real advantage is there to it being smaller? You still need monitor, keyboard etc.

Probably being easier to stick it on the back of your monitor of choice instead of having to buy an iMac.

Well, Apple already stripped the Mac mini of any upgradability. This is one situation size really doesn't matter

 

[ELman]

I’d bet not, definitely not for the M4 Pro

The AppleTV 4K has a fan, if they’re basing it on that it’ll have one too

The latest ATV 4k is fanless.

 

[Alfred.Woodden]

Oh my... Apple is going to "cant innovate my ass" again. Fewer ports, lots of peripherals, higher price.

 

[arkitect]

My guess is that the keyboard will be the Mac mini.

I really, really hope not!
It would be a terribly idea.

Things go wrong with the keyboard (and they do!) I have to throw away the Mac? Madness.

Besides, some of us prefer other keyboards.

 

[ifxf]

I bet the multiple attached drives will be larger. The stiff HDMI cables will prevent the machine from sitting on the desk. Can’t wait to see all the cables that will be around the machine.

 

[The Clark]

I guess smaller is a good thing? But not at the cost of reduced thermal performance.

 

[ifxf]

Some of us use non-Apple displays…

That’s an iMac

 

[MayaUser]

Why not stick a fan on it and keep the throttling down?

it will have a fan...and M4 and M4 pro will not throttling down

 

[ifxf]

My guess is that the keyboard will be the Mac mini.

That is a laptop.

 

[MrRoberto]

The size of the current Mac Mini was killing me, the other day I dislocated a disc just moving it from one side of the monitor to the other. I tell you, it was quite a work-out.

Finally Apple answered the prayers of its fans and cut the Mac mini in size, about time.

 

[BGPL]

You know what would be great? Not having to reach around the back and feel around for an empty port. They did it on the Studio...

 

[257Loner]

There's nothing wrong with a desktop Mac becoming thinner, because they require separate keyboards. But MacBook Pros don't need to become any thinner lest their keyboards go back to butterfly-thinness!

 

[bradman83]

I don't know how I feel about that…
Hopefully it will still run macOS.

The Minis I have used (and still use) have been stellar capable machines.

The M1 and M2 Mac Minis are basically iPad Pros in a box, because devices with M chips share very similar if not identical internal components. That doesn't mean it won't run macOS; a Mac Mini running iPadOS is both not a Mac but doesn't really make sense since iPadOS is designed for touch.

 

[Royksöpp]

What real advantage is there to it being smaller? You still need monitor, keyboard etc.

Less materials. There is a lot of wasted space in the current models. They just squeezed an M1 into the old chassis.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

The stiff HDMI cables will prevent the machine from sitting on the desk. Can’t wait to see all the cables that will be around the machine.

Not if they make it weigh a good bit. Put a chunk of metal in it for a heat sink and call it a day.

 

[jz0309]

I’m sure that was the very top complaint about the Mac mini … its size. ?!?

Honestly couldn’t make it up.

I would have thought more people would care about a) ports & connectivity and b) timely updates to mini line , not stagnation like what seems to keep happening to both iMac and mini line.

But no … it’s to reduce its size.

Agree, while I never had a mini, still need some display port (HDMI I suppose) and several USB ports... seems a redesign for redesign purpose, not for usability … aesthetics…

 

[tipoo]

Let me guess.....fanless.

Be nice if it at least has the tiny quiet fan in the previous Apple TV, so it has more desktop like sustained performance. Apple Silicon doesn't need much, but a little takes it a long way

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I don't know how I feel about that…
Hopefully it will still run macOS.

The Minis I have used (and still use) have been stellar capable machines.

the report means the board inside of the Mac Mini is basically the same as an iPad Pro.
which isn't really news, when their was the COVID shortages it was reported that parts between M1 iPad and M1 Mac Assembly lineswere being freely swapped because everything was literally the same.
it’s not really news now, iPads, MacBooks, and lower end desktops that use Apple’s basic M chips are basically identical other than cooling.
of course a new Mac mini will run macOS, it’s silly to even suggest otherwise.