Satechi Previews Mac Mini Hub With SD Card Slot, Three USB-A Ports, and Up to 4TB Storage Slot

[theluggage]

looks like it adds half the size of the computer itself.

Well, that's what you get when you make your desktop computer so small that there's no room for the ports and internal expansion that some people need...

"10 Gbps" so not Thunderbolt - I'll pass.

Well - there's a horses-for-courses issue here: a 10Gbps or even 5Gbps USB 3.1 drive is perfectly good for Time Machine, music/movie/photo libraries etc. that free up space on your internal, super-fast drive - even when it is sharing that bandwidth with USB-A and SD slots etc. You don't even need to pay top dollar for the latest PCIe4x4 super-fast-flash SSD blade to go in it...

But I see key differences. First, it sits atop the Mini, second, there are no front face ports in view, and third, it appears to be an external SSD drive without servicing a hub or dock function.

...whereas, if you need optimum, uninterrupted speed and low latency for video editing etc. badly enough to pay the hefty premium for Thunderbolt (and a premium SSD stick to go with it) you're probably better off giving it a TB port all to itself.

...also, with Thunderbolt 3/4 we've got this weird position where TB3 devices use a TB-to-4xPCIe bridge internally and are better for NVMe drives or PCIe enclosures, while TB4/USB4 (TB4 is USB4 with a bunch of optional features made compulsory) devices tend to use tunnelled USB 3.2 from the host controller but can support 3 downstream TB ports, so they're more suited for hubs containing USB devices. Seems to be down to the Thunderbolt peripheral chips that Intel make - since TB4 doesn't offer faster speeds than TB3 I guess there was no need to replace the TB3-to-PCIe-type chips. Presumably this has all changed with TB5 which actually offers higher speeds than TB3.

I picked up this hub which is virtually the same for 22 bucks. You don't need to pay big bad prices for these types of product.

You'll obviously pay more if you want one designed to stack with the Mac Mini rather than a generic one that sells to the much larger market of Mac laptop and PC users.

 

[klasma]

That is assuming this is a technical limit and not simply the limit of what they are prepared to support at this time.

UASP controllers commonly perform sector size translation internally, so it may well be a limitation of the controller.

 

[theluggage]

If you have mouse from 1995 and you want to plug it to your 2024 computer, then use a $0.99 adapter.

I think most of us have accepted the idea of the USB-C only Mac Mini since it does actually come with more ports in total than the old base model, and adapters aren't the end of the world... but somehow you still need to have a snipe at people who choose to buy an optional hub because they still have a use for USB-A? Seriously?

USB-A is still around because there are still a shedload of perfectly good devices - old and new - that have USB A connections, don't need any more than USB 3 (or often USB 2) bandwidth and, although they can be used with adapters gain absolutely zero advantage from being plugged into USB-C. ...and USB A interfaces are cheaper to implement, and use less I/O resources - than USB-C (let alone Thunderbolt) sockets.

What if you have a mouse from 2024 that comes with a USB-A receiver (https://www.logitech.com/en-gb/products/mice/logi-bolt-usb-receiver.956-000008.html) that fits nicely in a USB-A socket because most of the workings can fit inside the shaft of the USB-A plug? Dedicated dongles are more reliable than bluetooth but the few USB-C ones available stick out further than the USB-A ones because they can't be built into the plug shaft.

 

[drrich2]

Satechi has no shame, they’ll keep USB A alive well into the 2030’s

Nothing to be ashamed of. People buy dongles, hubs and docks to provide ports for added functionality they can use. Lots of people have USB-A peripherals - mouse and keyboard receivers, external HDDs, thumb drives, media cart readers, webcams, etc...

If you have mouse from 1995 and you want to plug it to your 2024 computer, then use a $0.99 adapter. You can buy a bulk of them from amazon for $5. Add them to all your USB-A cables.

That's an alternative, but it's clear from other threads not everyone prefers to put a little USBA-to-C adapter on their cables, as some would rather their computer, hub or dock have a USB-A port.

 

[Macmamamac]

Love the aggressive masculine hardware vibes...

 

[jdclifford]

Where / how is an SSD installed? What's on the backside of the hub? Does it require AC power?

If it’s anything like the one they made for the iMac which I have, the SSD slots inside as though you were replacing a battery inside a remote control. It powers through a USB-C port connection between the 2 units.

 

[leicaman]

Wake me up when somebody makes a thunderbolt version of precisely this. (preferably tb5 but I’ll take tb4)

Exactly. OWC has a hub coming any day now. I'd rather put a dust filter on the bottom, like the Spine one I've had on my M1 Studio Mac (which is at Sell Your Mac as I speak). I've have a 4TB Thunderbolt 5 drive from OWC arriving tomorrow. So whoever comes up with the right device that actually supports the 80 MBps of Thunderbolt 5 will have my money. I just tested my Mini Pro and it's getting way over 6500 MB/s read and 7200 MB/s writes, and anything less than Thunderbolt 5 external drives are going to be too slow for this baby for main storage and where I store my Lightroom Library. (Mass storage is a 10GbE QNap NAS.)

 

[peterharte]

So why does Satechi take till spring to release. Had plenty of time and insight....

 

[9081094]

I like satechi, they always deliver where Apple falls short. Also their build quality and prices are good.

Take notice Apple!

 

[california_kid]

I'm guessing a TB4 or 5 version is not on the roadmap because TB docks run pretty hot compared to USB.

 

[ericinboston]

This.

Got external TB and USB NVMe enclosures I use with the MBP M3 Pro… the TB one smokes the USB enclosure every time.

Wish Caldigit would whack an NVMe socket on their TB hubs!

Can you point me/us to the model of the TV NVMe enclosure and NVMe stick you use?

 

[aid]

why would they cap storage at 4tb? I literally just ordered the WD Black 8TB SSD that's on sale for $599.

Perhaps its not, but they've only tested to 4TB and are just advertising on the safe side?

Apple, long ago, did this with "Max RAM" specifications of 8GB when 16GB turned out to be installable. (2012 Non-Retina MBP.)

 

[ZipZilla]

I'm guessing a TB4 or 5 version is not on the roadmap because TB docks run pretty hot compared to USB.

From what I've read, the licensing costs for Thunderbolt are very high. If you look at the cost of Tb4/5 enclosures and drives.

10gbps USB is an open standard and considered 'good enough' for the target market

 

[fromgophonetoiphone]

Read my lips: NO MORE USB A. Stop going backwards.

 

[ZipZilla]

Read my lips: NO MORE USB A. Stop going backwards.

Millions of cheap mice, cheap keyboards, thumb drives, cell phone charging cables, etc. ensure it will live on far into the future. Even new airplane cabins have both USB-A and C at the seats.

 

[drrich2]

Read my lips: NO MORE USB A. Stop going backwards.

It's not backwards, it's a present in-active-use technology. It also works equally well with USB-C for some things, and USB-A ports can support pretty fast data transmission speeds. No one is forcing you to use it, but many people do and wish to continue to do so without bothering with adapters.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I'm waiting for the Pro version with the solenoid activated, upward firing plunger for turning the computer on without first dismantling everything 👍

Or you can buy this low tech solution 🤓

Top Power Switch Auxiliary Button for Mac mini M4 2024, 3D Printing Push Switch Extender Compatible with (for Mac mini M4) Desktop Computer Easy Power On/Off (Gray)

Suitable for Mac Mini M4 2024 auxiliary top power button 3D printing push switch Function: Easier to power on/off Colors:black, blue, gray (optional) Size:2.7x2.7x5cm Package include: Auxiliary switch*1

www.amazon.com

 

[california_kid]

Read my lips: NO MORE USB A. Stop going backwards.

That's crazy talk. I just LOVE trying to insert a USB A cable upside down.

 

[TV Cameraman]

Exactly. OWC has a hub coming any day now. I'd rather put a dust filter on the bottom, like the Spine one I've had on my M1 Studio Mac (which is at Sell Your Mac as I speak). I've have a 4TB Thunderbolt 5 drive from OWC arriving tomorrow. So whoever comes up with the right device that actually supports the 80 MBps of Thunderbolt 5 will have my money. I just tested my Mini Pro and it's getting way over 6500 MB/s read and 7200 MB/s writes, and anything less than Thunderbolt 5 external drives are going to be too slow for this baby for main storage and where I store my Lightroom Library. (Mass storage is a 10GbE QNap NAS.)

Is there any reason why someone would still prefer an external enclosure over the sealed OWC TB5 drive? What kind of drive is in the OWC?

Here’s a link to the OWC TB5 drive:

OWC Envoy Ultra: The Fastest Thunderbolt 5 Portable SSD

Achieve transfer speeds over 6,000MB/s - 2x faster than Thunderbolt 4 or USB4. The perfect drive for M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro, and M4 Pro Mac mini.

eshop.macsales.com

 

[Rychiar]

Is there any reason why someone would still prefer an external enclosure over the sealed OWC TB5 drive? What kind of drive is in the OWC?

Here’s a link to the OWC TB5 drive:

OWC Envoy Ultra: The Fastest Thunderbolt 5 Portable SSD

Achieve transfer speeds over 6,000MB/s - 2x faster than Thunderbolt 4 or USB4. The perfect drive for M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro, and M4 Pro Mac mini.

eshop.macsales.com

PRICE!. that stupid thing costs the same for 4TB as I just paid for 8TB

 

[Confused-User]

The reason for this is the limited bandwidth. All of the ports and slots and whatnot tb supports get a fixed portion of the overall bandwidth. Tb5 is going to solve most of these limitations by 80-120gbps brute bandwidth force, but prepare yourself to pay a substantial premium for this.

Every single bit of this is nonsense, except possibly the comment on TB5 pricing.

Bandwidth is irrelevant to SSD size - any size SSD can be used with any amount of bandwidth. At some point, large size and low bandwidth is problematic in that you can't get at all of your storage in a reasonable amount of time, but that's not even close to an issue here. Bandwidth matters for certain applications, to be sure, but SSD size is not relevant.

It's also generally false that ports get a fixed portion of the bandwidth of a TB cable. There are certain exceptions, primarily that if you use TB for video, the video stream will generally get a fixed amount of bandwidth.

From what I've read, the licensing costs for Thunderbolt are very high. If you look at the cost of Tb4/5 enclosures and drives.

No. There is no cost for using TB. There was, once, but not for a while now.

That doesn't mean it's as cheap as USB - the chips (and cables) you need to do TB are more expensive. But it's not licensing driving that cost.

 

[GDF]

The point of the new designed Mac Mini is to keep it small. Why would I want an add like this for that? Hmm…

 

[sracer]

Read my lips: NO MORE USB A. Stop going backwards.

 

[kpluck]

Satechi ensures that the hub will not impact airflow or Wi-Fi connectivity.

Air flow wouldn't be my concern, how hot does this thing get with a SSD installed? Does the air get pre-heated before being sucked into the Mini? I am guessing it won't be problem but I would like to see a test with an SSD installed to see how warm the top of the hub gets.

-kp

 

[Confused-User]

Air flow wouldn't be my concern, how hot does this thing get with a SSD installed? Does the air get pre-heated before being sucked into the Mini? I am guessing it won't be problem but I would like to see a test with an SSD installed to see how warm the top of the hub gets.

This is not a crazy idea, but it's very unlikely to be a problem, because the interface limits the performance of the SSD so dramatically that you're unlikely to get serious heat off of it. You could, perhaps, generate a synthetic workload of 4k random writes that might push it hard enough, but it seems highly unlikely to be an issue in the real world. Remember, this dock is connected at 10Gbps, with real-world SSD performance likely somewhat less than that. 8Gbps would be 1GBps, or maybe 15-20% of the performance possible from a typical gen4 SSD... though really it would make more sense to use a gen3, where you'd still be getting maybe 30% of the rated performance, and again not generating much heat.

Of course, who knows what badness may be inside that hub? If they did a really bad job they could be throwing off some heat regardless of the SSD. It's worth keeping in mind, and you might want to check it as soon as you get it, but I doubt it's going to be an issue.