Apple stuck the Mac mini power button on the bottom

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware

Don't expect to fit the new M4 Mac mini into too tight a space because you're going to have to tip it to reach underneath every time you need to switch it on.

A silver Mac mini with rear ports: power, Ethernet, HDMI, and USB-C. Circular base with 'Mac mini' text and a power button on the side.
The power button is underneath the new Mac mini -- image credit: Apple



If the position of the charging port on the Magic Mouse isn't the questionable design choice it's been called, the New Mac mini power button might be. As pointedly not shown by Apple in its launch video or new ad -- the Mac mini power button is underneath the device.

As can be seen on the online store's page for the new M4 Mac mini, the button is not on the very base of the model. It is, though, underneath it, raised off the ground only by the cooling vent.

Close-up of a black electronic device with vented design and a power button in the upper right corner on a gray background.
Close up view of the power button -- image credit: Apple



It's positioned toward the left rear of the device, as seen from the front. To turn the Mac mini on, then, or to force a restart if it locks up, users will at least need to reach underneath the device.

Given the clearance between the main part of the Mac mini and the slight lift that the vents give it, it's most likely that users will have to tip or lift the device to reach the button.

Previously, the power button was on the right rear of the device, again when facing the M2 Mac mini from the front. It meant having to reach behind the device, but since that's also where power and other cables connect, pressing it did not require moving the unit.

We await the accessories and docks that will result.



Read on AppleInsider

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 84
    Can't it be powered on from the keyboard?
    mike1ForumPost
  • Reply 2 of 84
    Can't it be powered on from the keyboard?
    Depends.
    Actually, a very inconvenient location for the power button.
    williamlondonentropyszeus423indieshackgrandact73
  • Reply 3 of 84
    Inconvenient from a traditional mindset, but nowadays a power button doesn't get much use.
    williamlondonMacProForumPostPeramanlotonescharlesnIG-apple_viennadewmePenzi
  • Reply 4 of 84
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 8,003member
    One of the things that made Macs great was the power button on the keyboard.

    This positioning is just plain stupid unless there is an alternative way to force restart we're not aware of (that does not require a Vision Pro purchase and some funky gesture!) 

    Perhaps Apple will move into power tools and provide a cut-out saw to put a perfect hole into shelving and desks just so a finger can poke through! 
    Alex1Nindieshackmuthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 5 of 84
    That's a pretty dumb move.   I'm sure someone will have an accessory stand for it.  But still.
    williamlondonentropyszeus423indieshack
  • Reply 6 of 84
    Weird placement. I think there is plenty of space on the back for a button. It won't affect me with my homemade monitor setup, except for the thickness. The there is always removing the power and having it setup to automatically come back up. That said I can't remember when the last time I used the power button. I don't think the rack folks will be happy. 
    edited October 29 williamlondonAlex1N
  • Reply 7 of 84
    jamnapjamnap Posts: 101member
    Just ordered a new mini M4 Pro. Location of power on/off not a big issue for me, although I think it is silly ( I only power down on a Sunday eve, then back on Mon morning to remain on for the entire week).  Also, just FYI, Apple offered me a trade-in price of $480 for my fully spec’d M2 Pro early Jan 2023.  But BBW offered me $1,150.  Always shop around when selling/Trading.
  • Reply 8 of 84
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,965member
    In the video included inline in this article, 

    https://appleinsider.com/articles/24/10/29/apple-brings-the-mac-mini-to-life-in-a-new-short-video

    the user just slips his finger under the Mac mini and turns it on. It happens very quickly, so it's hard to say if he really tilted it up or not (or how many takes they did for that) but I can't get my finger under a Mac Studio. Unless the mini sits quite a bit higher (which I don't think it does) you would need to lift it up a bit to hit the button. On the other hand, as others have mentioned, how often do you use the power button?
    StrangeDaysForumPost
  • Reply 9 of 84
    neilmneilm Posts: 1,000member
    In the video included inline in this article, 

    https://appleinsider.com/articles/24/10/29/apple-brings-the-mac-mini-to-life-in-a-new-short-video

    the user just slips his finger under the Mac mini and turns it on. It happens very quickly, so it's hard to say if he really tilted it up or not (or how many takes they did for that) but I can't get my finger under a Mac Studio. Unless the mini sits quite a bit higher (which I don't think it does) you would need to lift it up a bit to hit the button. On the other hand, as others have mentioned, how often do you use the power button?
    Hard to tell from that video, but at the very least I’d say that sausage fingers need not apply. That location does seem a bit odd, but no big deal either way.
    welshdog
  • Reply 10 of 84
    I can't remember the last time I turned my Mac Studio off, I just let it sleep when not in use. The headphone jack should have been on the back though.
    lotonesmichelb76quakerotis
  • Reply 11 of 84
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,913member
    Seems like not much of an issue. I always wonder on these sorts of things what exactly was their reasoning for the design choice? No explaination is ever offered, but it would be fun to meet a Mini engineer someday and ask them.
  • Reply 12 of 84
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,435member
    It is raised. Might be able to just easily reach under and press it if needed.
    ForumPostAlex_V
  • Reply 13 of 84
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 3,017member
    Asinine. This is absolutely the WORST place you could possibly put the power button on a DESKTOP computer.
    Inconvenient from a traditional mindset, but nowadays a power button doesn't get much use..
    I hit the power button on my Mini EVERY DAMNED MORNING.
    edited October 29 diman80williamlondonzeus423spunkmeyerolsindieshackjdwralphieDibiasegrandact73
  • Reply 14 of 84
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 13,086member
    DAalseth said:
    Asinine. This is absolutely the WORST place you could possibly put the power button on a DESKTOP computer.
    Inconvenient from a traditional mindset, but nowadays a power button doesn't get much use..
    I hit the power button on my Mini EVERY DAMNED MORNING.
    (dear lord why is this forum software STILL BROKEN, wiping out messages with some captcha nonsense?)

    It’s raised so a finger can slip under. 

    But the intended use case is not to power down a Mac every day, you put it to sleep then wake from sleep. Don’t even remember the last time I did otherwise. 
    welshdogFidonet127williamlondonForumPostlotonescharlesnSpitbathbloggerblog
  • Reply 15 of 84
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 3,017member
    DAalseth said:
    Asinine. This is absolutely the WORST place you could possibly put the power button on a DESKTOP computer.
    Inconvenient from a traditional mindset, but nowadays a power button doesn't get much use..
    I hit the power button on my Mini EVERY DAMNED MORNING.
    (dear lord why is this forum software STILL BROKEN, wiping out messages with some captcha nonsense?)

    It’s raised so a finger can slip under. 

    But the intended use case is not to power down a Mac every day, you put it to sleep then wake from sleep. Don’t even remember the last time I did otherwise. 
    Sorry but I’m just going to flat out disagree with you. So you can slip a thin finger I under and feel around for it. (Of course that’s only possible if you have the tiny fingers of a child. For us grownups, we’ll have to lift it up to hit the button). That in and of itself makes this a stupid place for the power button. It should be visible so you aren’t fishing around in the dark. I maintained servers that had their power switch on the front. On a home machine this is inexcusable. You put the power switch on the side where you can see it. Secondly you should be powering down your system when you aren’t using it. Both for security, for the safety of the equipment, don’t know when a line surge will come down, and to save energy. All of our systems go down at night.

    I know I sound angry, and you know what, this pisses me off. Apple is better than this. This is just stupid. 
    edited October 29 avon b7williamlondonzeus423indieshackSpitbathmuthuk_vanalingamMplsPgrandact73
  • Reply 16 of 84
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,131member
    For what it's worth, This is the kind of Mac that I would bolt under a desk so if/when I turn it on, having it on the bottom works for me.  I did that with my other Mac mini.
    welshdogwilliamlondonForumPost
  • Reply 17 of 84
    It's the new "Apple Mouse Unified Design Language" - eventually, all Apple devices will have controls and ports on the bottom.  JK, there was probably some moment when it was coming off pre-production and someone said - that looks great!  Where's the power button?  And they realized they'd completely forgot to make one, because none of the prototypes actually turned on.

    Why a whole stand accessory?  Just a prosthetic button on the front that somehow reaches underneath. :)
    DAalsethwilliamlondonzeus423Hedwareelijahgbala1234
  • Reply 18 of 84
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,576member
    Such a shame they don't just put the power button the front of the Mac Mini. Sometimes Apple really do go for form over function, I'd hoped that they'd righted the ship when they released the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro redesign, I guess idiots are back in charge.
    DAalsethwilliamlondonzeus423ols
  • Reply 19 of 84
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,295member
    It doesn’t matter if people hardly use the power button or not, it is a bad design choice. And that is all it is. 
    Those in the Ive cathedral that didn’t want to see the power button won over those that wanted functionality. End of story. No ifs or buts.
    edited October 29 DAalsethwilliamlondonnubusmuthuk_vanalingambeowulfschmidtDibiase
  • Reply 20 of 84
    jamnap said:
    Just ordered a new mini M4 Pro. Location of power on/off not a big issue for me, although I think it is silly ( I only power down on a Sunday eve, then back on Mon morning to remain on for the entire week).  Also, just FYI, Apple offered me a trade-in price of $480 for my fully spec’d M2 Pro early Jan 2023.  But BBW offered me $1,150.  Always shop around when selling/Trading.

    What's BBW?
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