The designers of Apple’s new, diminutive Mac mini have relocated the power button to the underside of the device. While Apple executives believe this placement aligns with Mac users’ behavior, it has sparked some confusion and debate on X and other social media platforms.
Andrew Orr for AppleInsider:
Apple’s Vice Presidents, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, and John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, explained to IThome. They emphasized that the compact form factor still makes it easy to access the button by tucking a finger underneath to press it.
One of the biggest reasons for the seemingly out-of-the-way placement is how infrequently most users actually use the power button. “Honestly, most people almost never use the power button on a Mac,” one of the executives remarked.
That may sound surprising, but it makes sense in the context of how Macs are typically used. Many Mac owners rarely power off their devices completely, relying instead on sleep mode. As a result, reaching for the power button isn’t a daily or even weekly task for most users.
MacDailyNews Take: As we posted on X on November 3rd, “Those criticizing the Mac mini’s physical power button placement are not Mac users, they are crappy Windows PC sufferers.”
Very rarely. Those criticizing the Mac mini’s physical power button placement are not Mac users, they are crappy Windows PC sufferers.
— MacDailyNews (@MacDailyNews) November 3, 2024
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I’ve got an M4 Mac mini. The problem with sleep mode is that although the Mac draws minimal current, the USB peripherals draw quite a bit. The way I use my Mac is very intermittent, sometimes all day long, other times nothing for a few days. It seems wasteful to leave it all running 24/7.
What I used to do with my old iMac was to have a box where an opto-isolated relay switched a mains relay. The USB fed the opto so that when the computer was powered up, the peripherals powered up and down accordingly. This worked well because the on/off switch as easily accessible and has been used on all my Macs for decades.
The solution I am trying right now is to control the power to the Mac via a Matter smart switch. The Mac is set up to restart when power is restored ( energy preferences ), so switching on is easy.
I’m currently experimenting with the best way to shut it all down automatically from the Mac mini.
The “On” button is where the human literally “handshakes” the tech. The handshake is concealed. It’s curtails the entire start process. Counterintuitive. Imagine a friend trying to use/start the machine. How oblique.
It’s kind of like putting the car’s key-start under the dash…to “save” space, or hide the “ugliness” of the button.
MDN quote = silly. It’s the f’g start button. On what ANY other object has the manufacturer gotten cute with placement of the “on” button? Please name one. AND, if by chance one comes to mind, did it facilitate ANYTHING with function, or look?
My MacMini is often unused for days. The peripherals, printer, backup drive, etc, are powered by a SmartStrip that senses when the MacMini has been turned on or off. Very convenient. If I decide to upgrade the Mini, I’ll need to raise the M4 mini up on a block or something to continue to use this energy efficient setup. Not a big problem.
Always love whiners that look for any excuse to complain.
The power you think you save is next to nothing, about 20 watts for average usage and 5 watts or less when idle, you probably have lights that use more.
And it’s so tough too lift the unit up a 1/2 in to hit the button.. which you don’t need to do if you let it idle.
I do use Mac since middle 90’s, Most people reading this articule probably don’t.
Of course one can get used to the power button being in the worst possible place. It is like that and it cannot be changed, but from there to pretend to normalize to the fact that you have to permanently leave the Mac or other devices on or at standby, it is irresponsible. Especially when Apple proudly shows a 100% carbon-free product.
Just because in the USA there is the culture of energy waste does not mean that it is the right thing, the normal or the standard to follow for the rest of the world.
I set mine up on it’s side… It’s great because it takes up even less space…