Unless Apple goes the iMac route and put the [optional] Ethernet port in the power brick.
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M4 Mac Mini to Become Apple's Smallest Ever Computer With Complete Redesign
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But it would encourage people to improve their typing speed. That makes it feature. 🤣
What if you spill your sugary beverage on your keyboard computer?
Something I wish they'd do (though I pretty much know better), along the lines of a small module-type Mini designed to attach to the back of an ASD; expand that vision so you could attach it to an ASD, or into a MacBook case (display, keyboard, internal battery) or mini-tower (with internal SSD bays, oh, pretty please!!!!).
This would let you effectively upgrade the logic board/RAM/included SSD without having to 'throw away' your old monitor, or have to pay the full cost of a new notebook Mac, and you could have a Mac mini-tower with some bays without having to pay the horrendous expense of the MacPro.
It's not the Mac Mini...it's the Mac Omni!
Yeah, I ain't holding my breath, but perhaps the idea could work.
This would let you effectively upgrade the logic board/RAM/included SSD without having to 'throw away' your old monitor, or have to pay the full cost of a new notebook Mac, and you could have a Mac mini-tower with some bays without having to pay the horrendous expense of the MacPro.
It's not the Mac Mini...it's the Mac Omni!
Yeah, I ain't holding my breath, but perhaps the idea could work.
No it isn’t! That’s the worst thing about the Mini. It needs to stay plugged in to the wall with a thick power cord that can be pulled out with a tug and crash the system. If it used the same power brick as a MacBook, it could have a built in UPS battery, and could be powered from the display with one USB cable. No power brick or outlet needed at all.
I kinda like the Hockey Puck design of the ATV 4K - its svelte in its design, appearance and neatness. And We, Cannucks started the Puck, you American's loved it and mastered the Puck - don't judge/blame the puck eh!
Lol, now THAT is wishful thinking and ya know it. But I like how you think.
Now that is more like Apple.
Forget NO! Why are you trying to go back to a Commoder64 / Vic20 ?! Why? Gads no!
See below friend ...
^ Great ideas but knowing Apple that would be just too "PC" like for them (PC = Windows ThinClients by IBM and Dell have done this for years. Beside me right this moment is a Dell ThinClient mounted on a bracket behind the monitor and with DisplayPort, Power, Keyboard and Mouse and Ethernet = it looks UUUUGLLLLIIIIIIE!
Now 4 USB-C4 ports - one could be power from the monitor supporting PD3/4 with 100W or less or a direct USB-C to External Anker 65W Nano wall plug + 3x USB4 (USB-C) ports for external drives, Monitors and an adapter for 10Gb Ethernet would be sweet and a LOT less messy with a simple set of velcro ties strategicaly placed would be VERY clean.
If a MagSafe connector is good for MacBooks, it would be good for Mac Minis as well, to keep devices and monitors from getting pulled to the floor by the cat/dog or human tripping on the power cord.
Only if they put a battery in the Mini, otherwise it’d crash too easily.
They should add the battery, and maybe have a MagSafe for power, but I like getting charged through the video thunderbolt cable from the display. MagSafe for the display would be good.
Internal battery for a mini is a ludicrous concept in my opinion. Extra cost, weight and maintenance issues for a desktop feature that there isn’t a strong use case for in any desktop. If this is something someone wants, just buy a laptop and use it in clamshell mode. Or just buy a UPS, if you have flaky wall power since you probably would want to provide backup for additional components (display, external drives, etc)
I imagine the new design will temporarily bump the price by $100-300. Then it’ll go down a little again after a few years.
(The iMac, for example, has had a rather stable entry price of $1,299 since 1998. Sometimes lower, sometimes higher, eventually coming back to that.)
(The iMac, for example, has had a rather stable entry price of $1,299 since 1998. Sometimes lower, sometimes higher, eventually coming back to that.)
Especially when the whole thrust of the change is to have a smaller design.
Exclusive USB-C charging I can see. MagSafe, nah.
Its a thin figure of eight power cord you know the flat kind, nothing thick about it. The only thick thing is Apple have ruined a thermally efficient small form factor multi IO port PC with a tiny module that I bet runs hotter with a smaller fan and with less IO ports because they wont fit on the back of a Rubik's cube.
Yes I love my SSD crashing, the current device is heavy enough and the cable tight enough with something like the Spigen stand to not do that. Also not mentioned by you but Ethernet ports are not meant to be on power cords, way to much RFI which can cause interference
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Apple have gimped this machine now so if you want a decent small form factor PC so you now need a Studio, the M2 Pro Mac mini was to close to being a powerful small form factor computer at affordable prices for Apples liking I feel so they have turned it into a toy and will charge more because you know they removed all that aluminium and plastic and now its easier to ship more per pallet and costs less weight wise. Bean counters win again. I really am starting to despise this company that I used to once like.
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Canada (the country - not the land mass) didn't even exist when William Shakespeare wrote about Puck! Robin Goodfellow...
It really is a step backwards to put the Mini inside a keyboard when it’s getting small enough to fit in the mouse.
Not everyone likes the same type of keyboard; building a Mini into one is a non-starter. If the thing is small enough in theory someone might make a keyboard you could somehow insert one into, but I doubt it... It's a solution looking for a problem that would add weight to the keyboard.
I agree.
Unless you somehow connect such a keyboard+Mac to a monitor wirelessly, and power it wirelessly, you are reversing the advantages of a wireless keyboard.
I love that I can move my keyboard, sit back in my chair with it on my lap, plonk it on the desk for serious typing, etc. It is light and thin and lasts almost forever between charges. Further, if I wanted a different keyboard - for any reason including accessibility issues - I can choose from a huge range.
What would be kinda cool is if they were to make it a fully self contained keyboard form factor like the pi400.
Then again, the mini is used in all sorts of headless situations, so probably not.
Then again, the mini is used in all sorts of headless situations, so probably not.
Perhaps they could build in a trackpad, as well - and add a battery. Then they could add a display so that it folded up like a book and call it the, hmmm... Foldy Mac... Mac Portable... er... Power-full-Book, wait... I know, MacBook!
When the Mac Mini G4 originally launched, one of the slogans was "BYODKM - Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard and Mouse" and that's still kinda a big part of the point of the Mini - you can use peripherals you already have, buy third-party ones that you prefer (maybe cheaper... maybe an expensive mechanical KB) or still - if you prefer - still have the option of buying Apple's Magic KB and Trackpad/Mouse.
The Pi400 is cute - but seems mainly pitched at the "retro computing" market for people who want to relive the Apple II/Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum/BBC Micro days (...all of which the Pi will happily emulate). The sub-$100 "impulse purchase" price tag also helps!
I'd love a Pi-sized "micro Mac" or a Pi400-like "keyboard Mac" as a bit of fun, if it came with a Pi-sized price tag. Excuse me if I don't hold my breath...
Well well well, an iPad Pro has a battery in it, and charges from USB-C, doesn’t it? Sounds promising!
iPad also has a touchscreen, and runs iOS. The Mac will run MacOS and probably not have a touch screen, but it could have a small iPod-style touchscreen for play and volume and music selection.