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M4 Mac Mini to Become Apple's Smallest Ever Computer With Complete Redesign
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Hope they improve the BT and WiFi reception, this has been an issue with the current Mac mini design.
Pretty obvious the USB-A ports will get deleted. Just based on the trend with new computers in general. It would be real nice if they placed At least one of the USB-C ports on the front.
Interesting that the Ethernet port was not mentioned. Might also go away or perhaps on an external power brick like the current iMac. Physical ethernet ports are also be coming much less popular in general and this would help provide additional differentiation to the Mac studio line. Shame to see the 10GB port go, But that was sort of an odd feature to see on a mini.
Using an external power brick (or even just USB-C for power) is not a terrible idea for a desktop. It reduces heat in the box. And it greatly simplifies failed power supplies. Since I had two iMac that died because of PSU failures, sticking the power supply on a box that is just sitting on the floor that I can just replace is OK
Pretty obvious the USB-A ports will get deleted. Just based on the trend with new computers in general. It would be real nice if they placed At least one of the USB-C ports on the front.
Interesting that the Ethernet port was not mentioned. Might also go away or perhaps on an external power brick like the current iMac. Physical ethernet ports are also be coming much less popular in general and this would help provide additional differentiation to the Mac studio line. Shame to see the 10GB port go, But that was sort of an odd feature to see on a mini.
Using an external power brick (or even just USB-C for power) is not a terrible idea for a desktop. It reduces heat in the box. And it greatly simplifies failed power supplies. Since I had two iMac that died because of PSU failures, sticking the power supply on a box that is just sitting on the floor that I can just replace is OK
Sounds interesting to have a makeover at the time of the earliest M4/M4Pro Mac announcements. Be curious to how it looks for peoples desktop setups, perhaps like a much smaller Studio Mac appearance rather then the reference to the Apple TV form?
You’re right, didnt realize
I’d expect a Mac Mini in that form factor to have one a la the 2nd gen 4k though
Add a display, mouse, keyboard and trackpad and the Mini is almost the cost of MacBook Air.
True, but I was hoping they would use the extra space for an M2 slot which would save a usb port that would otherwise go to the Time Machine drive.
Alas, it appears not.
Please do not drop the Ethernet port....
Nice. Now you definitely won’t be able to keep it still with all the heavy cables pulling it back.
i think is naive to believe they will satisfy us with the same ports or more, they will clearly f*ck us with a ticket to dongle land and "oh you want more IO? buy the studio kind regards"
I don't care for the size, just hope its as quiet as the previous versions have been. I've not heard my M2 Pro since I bought it last year
Hopefully 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD on the entry level model. Anything more is a overkill for most users.
Oh great, now they’re going to destroy the mini and its excellent port selection and cooling system. Figures.
If you make it smaller, you can eliminate the Ethernet port, a USB port, and the audio port, thus forcing anyone who wants a real computer to purchase the massively overpriced Mac Studio. Apple just never stops f***ing up, they can't help it.
A Mac Mini is basically an Apple TV with USB-C ports. It should cost more than a few hundred bucks. Or let us run OS X on the Apple TV.
Current mini is approx 7x7 inches. My Apple TV is approx 4x4 inches. Indeed ⅔ reduction in overall dimensions.
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Really? OK... assume the worst: the sky is falling, the sky is falling.
I guess that's what propelled Apple to being one of the most successful tech companies in the world with a billion active (and repeat) customers.
Half right. That is the case for RAM but storage (SSD) are separate commercial chips.
Apple Silicon Soldered SSD Upgrade Thread
In this thread, we intend to share all relevant details, resources, and processes involved with upgrading soldered storage on Apple Silicon Macs. Notes All M1 systems utilize BGA110 "S5E" NANDs Some M2 systems use BGA110, while some use BGA315 Table of supported NAND configurations SSD...
forums.macrumors.com
Speaking of storage, an NVMe slot on the new mini would be a great addition but it is something I doubt Apple would even consider
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I couldn't disagree more. macOS Sonoma already uses almost 5 GB of memory, so I'd say 16 GB is the minimum for most users. And 256 GB of storage is unrealistic for today's users, who generate tons of data from photos and videos on their iPhones.
SOC isn’t the only thing that impacts the size. This isn’t sounding good from a ports selection standpoint. Probably have half the ports dropped at least.
If you travel it's feasible to tote this to and fro with an external SSD or two. You have a basic hub at each place plus monitor (s) and keyboard. Tote magic mouse around. Bingo.
If this could be powered by USB-C, I can imagine connecting it with just one cable to a Studio Display. Plus the smaller footprint, you have one compelling set up .
Wouldn’t one of the current Mini’s dimensions need to be retained? Minis are popular as servers in rackmount solutions, which have specific space constraints.
Just let an M4 iPhone run Mac OS. BT Mouse and BT Keyboard.