Apple is prepping an all-new Mac mini that will mark the first major design change to the mini since it was revamped under Steve Jobs in 2010.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
Apple Inc. is planning a new version of the Mac mini that will be its smallest desktop computer yet, part of a broader overhaul of the Mac line with AI-focused chips.
The new model — due later this year — will mark the first major design change to the mini since it was revamped under Steve Jobs in 2010, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The device will be far smaller than its predecessor, approaching the size of an Apple TV set-top box, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the work is secret.
Apple has tested models with at least three USB-C ports on the back of the mini, in addition to an area for plugging in the power cable and an HDMI port for connecting the device to TV sets and monitors.
People involved in the development of the new Mac mini say it’s essentially an iPad Pro in a small box — an approach that takes advantage of the lower power requirements of the company’s in-house silicon…
Apple is preparing two versions of the new Mac mini, both of which are codenamed J773. The first will use the base configuration of the M4 chip, similar to the component inside of the iPad Pro. There will also be a higher-end Mac mini that uses a yet-to-be-announced M4 Pro chip…
Apple suppliers are planning to begin shipping units of the standard M4 version this month for release later in the year. Units with the higher-end M4 Pro won’t be ready for consumers until October.
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MacDailyNews Note: The Apple TV 4K is 1.2 inches (31 mm) high, 3.66 inches (93 mm) wide, and 3.66 inches (93 mm) deep. The current Mac mini is 1.41 inches (3.58 cm) high, 7.75 inches (19.70 cm) wide, and 7.75 inches (19.70 cm) deep.
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Apple is ALWAYS planning redesigns of EVERY product they make. Just worn out, lazy out journalist headlines rinsed, repeated and trotted out again. It’s a copy paste exercise that earns the knothead writer his bit of gig pay.
Regardless, an upcoming Mac the size of an Apple TV 4K would be the most compact Mac ever made and is therefore news worth reporting.
Like a Macbook without the monitor or keyboard. No battery, so internal or external power supply. Fan or no Fan? The lack of a fan will constrain performance.
Mini doesn’t really need to be smaller, it’s a desktop computer after all. But as long as they keep the same ports they have on the MBP, it sounds great: 3 USB C, HDMI, SD-card slot, audio jack, plus add an Ethernet port. And DO NOT use an external power supply.
4 USB-C ports should be the absolute minimum. Plug a monitor in to one port now and only two are left (this is a major reason I won’t consider an Air, 2 ports is ridiculous). I use a Satechi USB-C hub to turn one of my three ports on my 14″ MBP into an extra couple (depending on the devices power draw). Apple was too far ahead of the curve releasing USB-C-only MacBook Pros nearly a decade ago, now they’re overcorrecting in the opposite direction. I’d gladly trade my HDMI port for another USB-C, same for the headphone jack.
4-packs in-bound. No folding needed. Dream to follow; 32″ iMac with M4, or M5 dream.
Gonna be a Mini-Studio form factor…
Somehow, I expect Mac mini to NOT change its appearance 😆 I’m sure it can be smaller, but why? It just sits on a desk. There are MANY existing peripherals (since 2010) designed to fit precisely below Mac mini, or mount Mac mini vertically. Making it flatter with same footprint would be cool, but it’s already thin enough. Apple shouldn’t make it so small and light that the power cord can too easily drag the whole Mac mini across desk, like with the tiny Apple TV box.