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Mac Mini + Thunderbolt Display: Does Mini Need POwer Cord?

onthecouchagain

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Original poster
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
Something I've always been curious about, and couldn't find the answer to via google or searching the forums...

But when pairing a Mac Mini with thunderbolt capabilities to a Thunderbolt Display, does the Mac Mini need to still plug in its power cord, or does it only need the TB cord, and the TBD will power the mini?
 
onthecouchagain said:
Something I've always been curious about, and couldn't find the answer to via google or searching the forums...

But when pairing a Mac Mini with thunderbolt capabilities to a Thunderbolt Display, does the Mac Mini need to still plug in its power cord, or does it only need the TB cord, and the TBD will power the mini?
Click to expand...
Yes, the mini still needs its power cord plugged in. Thunderbolt will not power a mini.
 
Outrigger said:
Thunderbolt will not power an air/mbp either.
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Right. Excellent point. I forget that it has a dedicated power cord.

Sort of sucks that between a Mac Mini, TBD, and the Apple Extreme, it'll take up three sockets. Can't be helped I suppose.
 
Mag-safe on a future Mac Mini would be nice to use a single cable connection to the wall. Dare to dream! :)
 
jkeekij said:
Mag-safe on a future Mac Mini would be nice to use a single cable connection to the wall. Dare to dream! :)
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Yeah, but not likely to happen as it seems Apple is marketing the TBD for the air/mbp rather than the mini. Plus the mini's power requirement is also very different, but would be nice nonetheless.
 
I'll be glad when they finally perfect delivering cordless power without the need for batteries! I hate wires!
 
onthecouchagain said:
Right. Excellent point. I forget that it has a dedicated power cord.

Sort of sucks that between a Mac Mini, TBD, and the Apple Extreme, it'll take up three sockets. Can't be helped I suppose.
Click to expand...

But you are using a surge protector of some sort right (I assume some sort of power strip)? You aren't plugging those directly into a wall are you?!?!
 
jkeekij said:
Mag-safe on a future Mac Mini would be nice to use a single cable connection to the wall. Dare to dream! :)
Click to expand...

You don't want this seriously, right? I mean, it's soooo easy to unplug, and as a Mini has no battery, you would loose much data and time when something like this happens ...
 
Orange furball said:
Most wall outlets have two plugs each so unless he/she has two outlets right next to each other, they probably do use one
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Ummm the OP's comment was that it has to use 3 outlets then because he can't power his mini off of the Thunderbolt Display. So that implies he only wants to use 2. Thus my comment asking if he is using some kind of Surge Protector which would have more than 2 outlets (i..e the requisite 3), so why is it such a big deal that he has to use 3 outlets instead of 2..... 2 would only be a problem if he was plugging it straight into the wall would it not?!?!
 
Poki said:
You don't want this seriously, right? I mean, it's soooo easy to unplug, and as a Mini has no battery, you would loose much data and time when something like this happens ...
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Really, a mini doesn't have a battery?? :rolleyes:

Yeah because most people move their running mini around all the time and risk pulling their power cord and losing data.
 
jkeekij said:
Really, a mini doesn't have a battery?? :rolleyes:

Yeah because most people move their running mini around all the time and risk pulling their power cord and losing data.
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I have pulled the mag safe off my air when I was cleaning around the laptop, so yeah, it can come off if the mini has one. Has nothing to do with moving minis around.
 
jkeekij said:
Really, a mini doesn't have a battery?? :rolleyes:

Yeah because most people move their running mini around all the time and risk pulling their power cord and losing data.
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I inadvently pull my magsafe power cord on my MBA and MBP all the time. I've done it just plugging in USB devices. In a desktop, I want a hard power connection since there is no battery to keep the computer running for the 10 seconds I might have accidentally knocked the magsafe power adapter off of it. Now add a small battery and then I wouldn't care (although that seems like an added expense I don't really need just for the sake of using a magsafe power adapter...)
 
Outrigger said:
Yeah, but not likely to happen as it seems Apple is marketing the TBD for the air/mbp rather than the mini. Plus the mini's power requirement is also very different, but would be nice nonetheless.
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The Mini uses less power than a Macbook Pro, and having a 12v input that bypassed the internal power supply would be a trivial engineering change. So there's really no reason why not.

Not that I expect it any time soon!

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paulrbeers said:
But you are using a surge protector of some sort right (I assume some sort of power strip)? You aren't plugging those directly into a wall are you?!?!
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I have plugged all my computers into the wall for the past 20 years and never had an issue. Likewise the 100's of people at work who do the same every day with desktops and laptops.

I really don't see what the big deal is to be honest. That said, I did buy a UPS recently, but that was only because the idiot builders around the corner would cut a power cable every few months and I got sick of power cuts interrupting my work. A surge protector really would not help with that.
 
Chippy99 said:
I have plugged all my computers into the wall for the past 20 years and never had an issue. Likewise the 100's of people at work who do the same every day with desktops and laptops.

I really don't see what the big deal is to be honest. That said, I did buy a UPS recently, but that was only because the idiot builders around the corner would cut a power cable every few months and I got sick of power cuts interrupting my work. A surge protector really would not help with that.
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Many large offices, have a built in surge protector at the power feed to the building thus negating the need for surge protectors at each desk (they are rather expensive, but compared to buying a surge protector for each desk/machine in the building they are cheaper). You can actually buy a whole house surge protector for less than $500, but in the case of most houses it is just cheaper to buy surge protectors for the equipment that really needs it (televisions, computers, etc).


Further, I've never needed major surgery, but I still pay a monthly premium for my health insurance..... just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean it doesn't/won't happen. I've had a couple friends/family who have had computers suddenly no longer boot after a lightning storm that were hooked to either cheap power strips or directly plugged into a wall. Coincidence? Maybe, but Lightning strikes that hit power lines can actually travel up to 30 miles, so the lightning strike that can cause the power surge doesn't even have to happen in your town/city....

You can get a decent power strip/surge protector for less than $25 is it really worth it to not use one? Especially since it is a one time purchase....
 
paulrbeers said:
You can get a decent power strip/surge protector for less than $25 is it really worth it to not use one? Especially since it is a one time purchase....
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Yep. I would say it's worth it to not bother. Given I am 51 and not only have I never had a problem, in my 30+ years of using computers, I have never known anyone who has had a problem either. $25 is an excessive amount to cover an event that is not going to happen. And if it does, claim it on your house insurance.
 
Chippy99 said:
Yep. I would say it's worth it to not bother. Given I am 51 and not only have I never had a problem, in my 30+ years of using computers, I have never known anyone who has had a problem either. $25 is an excessive amount to cover an event that is not going to happen. And if it does, claim it on your house insurance.
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Clearly there is no convincing you that you are wrong. That's fine. Last I checked, homeowners policies do not have a 0 deductible (mine is considered low because I pay extra and I still have almost a 1200 deductible), so if you "claim it on your insurance" you are going to pay more than $25 and your premiums will go up by (most likely) more than $25 a year.... Just don't tell people it's "okay" to plug into a wall. You can do what you like but a simple googling of lightning destroys computers will find you hundreds of stories of various businesses and homes that had computer systems destroyed by lightning. It isn't just lightning either. A power surge due to a blown transformer can even cause it (many stories of people who had the pole near their house hit by a car that caused a power surge in their neighborhood).
 
Chippy99 said:
Given I am 51 and not only have I never had a problem, in my 30+ years of using computers, I have never known anyone who has had a problem either.
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All it takes is one time. Ask someone who died from a car accident and didn't bother getting insurance because in their 30+ years, they have never had an accident. Oh wait, you can't, cause they're dead. But if $25 is excessive to you, then its your prerogative. It certainly doesn't hurt me.
 
paulrbeers said:
Clearly there is no convincing you that you are wrong. That's fine.
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Well stop droning on about it then. And I am not "wrong". I have a different opinion to you. When I look "wrong" up in the dictionary, I don't see your name as the reference point.



----------
Outrigger said:
All it takes is one time. Ask someone who died from a car accident and didn't bother getting insurance because in their 30+ years, they have never had an accident. Oh wait, you can't, cause they're dead. But if $25 is excessive to you, then its your prerogative. It certainly doesn't hurt me.
Click to expand...

I don't remember anyone dying from a power surge to their Mac, so I think your analogy only stretches so far.

It comes down to cost, likelihood and consequences. In my view - and it is only a view - the cost to protect properly (cheap and nasty surge protectors probably are not worth having), is not justified based on the very remote likelihood (certainly here in the UK, where the supply is rock solid and we don't get many storms) and the consequences - no-one dies and you should have good backups anyway if your system is trashed.

And BTW it isn't $25. (a) because a decent unit costs more than that, and (b) what about my $5,000 TV that also would need protecting, and my hifi? What about the TV's around the house? Or my $5,000 Clavinova? etc etc. To do this properly is not $25. It would be completely illogical to protect a $1,000 Mac Mini, and leave $20,000 worth of other kit unprotected. To do it properly I would need whole house protection at the distribution board (about which I know nothing) or perhaps 6 units at more like $50 each. So is a $300 investment justified? For me, here in the UK, in my view, no.

I really don't have a problem with anyone who does choose to invest in these devices. It's really up to them. My point is that it's not a no-brainer, and anyone who chooses not to is not automatically an idiot.
 
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GGJstudios said:
I'll be glad when they finally perfect delivering cordless power without the need for batteries! I hate wires!
Click to expand...

The 2050 Mac Mini with Nuclear Power. No electricity or batteries needed!

.....just make sure you cap your fps....really low....:eek:
 
inhalexhale1 said:
The 2050 Mac Mini with Nuclear Power. No electricity or batteries needed!

.....just make sure you cap your fps....really low....:eek:
Click to expand...
You know that wireless power delivery has already been achieved (not nuclear). It's only a matter of time before it's mainstream.
 
GGJstudios said:
You know that wireless power delivery has already been achieved (not nuclear). It's only a matter of time before it's mainstream.
Click to expand...

Lol, yea I've seen the wireless charging pads and all that. They're everywhere. Kinda surprised you assumed that wasn't a joke. Guess I have to work on my punchlines. ;)
 
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