We periodically had an occasional Dell or HP server that would Not power off when the front panel switch or the network based control was activated. Our Windows server admin would try a remote power down first, then would ask me to go into the server room and press the power button. If that did not work, he'd tell me to go around back and remove BOTH power cords (redundant power supplies).
The only time my home mac is powered down is during a prolonged power outage. My backup UPS has about 2 hours run time for my MacBook Pro, voice over IP telephone, cable modem and router. Otherwise, I just let the machine go to sleep after a set period of inactivity. The machine is restarted and network connection dropped just before each incremental backup.
Perfect example of how design has declined since Steve passed. Something like this would NEVER have been released into production while he was still alive. Just dumb.
Perfect example of how design has declined since Steve passed. Something like this would NEVER have been released into production while he was still alive. Just dumb.
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?
My son says it means “Big Beautiful Woman”, then laughed. I think it might be a porn term…
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.
That could possibly be excusable if Apple produced a first party rackmount for that purpose. But their own website page shows it being used on a desk.
Those of us with accessibility needs require a clear space underneath for chair movement. A rack can be a problem with that.
This joins the Apple Pencil and Magic Mouse charging ports for poor industrial design, running only slightly behind the original iMac mouse.
Inconvenient from a traditional mindset, but nowadays a power button doesn't get much use.
The Power Button is placed away from the Power Cable and requires "lift to use". Double design failure. If there is a need for "emergency reset" then do a small button in the foot under the power cable. Apple had these in the past: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmer%27s_key
Current my M1 mini sit on the laptop tilt stand for easy to access USB and power button. I will put M4 mini on the different type of stand, so it won't suck in the desk dust. So, the power button placement is not an issue. I guess soon lifted stand product sell on Amazon. Anyway, back plate does not have enough space to put power button and even they put power button somewhere back end will cause some fat finger hit that while try to insert USB-C/TB4 cable and ranting about bad design. The bottom placement will avoid accidental press.
I will order either base model or upgrade RAM to 24 or 32GB. I guess I really don't need 32GB RAM. Apple charge 8GB RAM upgrade for $200 is way too much. I guess Apple rather want to sell M4 Pro model. Anyway, I am going to order M4 and trade in M1 Mini. It will cover RAM upgrade and some change left. The SSD size does not concern me either. I used external SSD 1TB seems fast enough for me. I already have TB3 external case with 2TB nVME SSD so it should be fast enough.
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.
And EVERY DAMNED MORNING you're sending an unnecessary power surge through your Mac. This is why the majority of electronics made since 1990 have a "standby" mode. On your Mac it's called "Sleep".
How many years did we spend reaching behind desktop towers and pancake PC’s trying to find the freaking power switch? Hoping not to pull any cables about at the same time?
The corner location, plus. Underneath the “natural shroud” of the base, the jury will be out until enough people have played with it in a store. Rear corner rather than front corner - on balance I think it’s ergonomically better (think about the hand and wrist movement to use this on a front corner), and a reminder that the power button is hardly ever needed. For server farm rack mounts, where the unit is placed on its side, this is probably pretty good.
If I had a Mac mini, it would sitting on the desk (probably behind the monitor, so the button placement is a non-issue for me personally. In some configurations, I can see how that might be an issue.
That said, I almost never turn off my Macs. They sleep, and periodically I'll restart them if something is not behaving. If I were to be away for more than two weeks, then yeah, I'd turn it off.
It’s almost like they don’t want people pushing that button. And don’t want accidental pushes when trying to use the ports. And the machine is tiny and weighs practically nothing, so if you do have to push it tilting it slightly is hardly a problem, if even necessary.
I predict a $20 "stand" for it that will be a spring loaded sandwich base with a little knob protruding to engage to power button. To press the button, you will simply press down on the top of the mac mini case, and release. Voila.
And likely the 3-d printer version already being posted as I type this.
I don’t believe that this was a decision to prioritise form over function. Placing the power button, either on the back, or on the front, would look perfectly fine, in keeping with the Apple minimalist aesthetic. It appears that Apple are deliberately encouraging behavioural change: “Leave it on.” And there may be good technical reasons to leave the machine on rather than turning it on and off every day.
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The only time my home mac is powered down is during a prolonged power outage. My backup UPS has about 2 hours run time for my MacBook Pro, voice over IP telephone, cable modem and router. Otherwise, I just let the machine go to sleep after a set period of inactivity. The machine is restarted and network connection dropped just before each incremental backup.
That could possibly be excusable if Apple produced a first party rackmount for that purpose. But their own website page shows it being used on a desk.
Those of us with accessibility needs require a clear space underneath for chair movement. A rack can be a problem with that.
This joins the Apple Pencil and Magic Mouse charging ports for poor industrial design, running only slightly behind the original iMac mouse.
If there is a need for "emergency reset" then do a small button in the foot under the power cable. Apple had these in the past:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmer%27s_key
I will put M4 mini on the different type of stand, so it won't suck in the desk dust. So, the power button placement is not an issue.
I guess soon lifted stand product sell on Amazon.
Anyway, back plate does not have enough space to put power button and even they put power button somewhere back end will cause some fat finger hit that while try to insert USB-C/TB4 cable and ranting about bad design. The bottom placement will avoid accidental press.
I will order either base model or upgrade RAM to 24 or 32GB. I guess I really don't need 32GB RAM. Apple charge 8GB RAM upgrade for $200 is way too much.
I guess Apple rather want to sell M4 Pro model.
Anyway, I am going to order M4 and trade in M1 Mini. It will cover RAM upgrade and some change left.
The SSD size does not concern me either. I used external SSD 1TB seems fast enough for me.
I already have TB3 external case with 2TB nVME SSD so it should be fast enough.
The corner location, plus. Underneath the “natural shroud” of the base, the jury will be out until enough people have played with it in a store. Rear corner rather than front corner - on balance I think it’s ergonomically better (think about the hand and wrist movement to use this on a front corner), and a reminder that the power button is hardly ever needed. For server farm rack mounts, where the unit is placed on its side, this is probably pretty good.
Seems like making a mountain out of a molehill.
And likely the 3-d printer version already being posted as I type this.