M1X Mac mini will be thinner, use iMac's magnetic power connector says leaker

1235»

Comments

  • Reply 81 of 93
    Yona said:
    From what I surmise, Apple’s product goals are absolute interoperability and modularity. It seems they’re making relatively obvious steps toward a more radically modular computer platform that’s more efficient to manufacture, more user friendly, and more eco friendly.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if the feature is revealed as “just one more thing”
     maybe it will be marketed with the slogan “better together”

    Do you own and love your M1 iMac, but want more compute power and more ports? Buy a Mac mini and connect them. You’ve just doubled the processing bandwidth and storage of your iMac. 

    Or maybe you own and love using your m1 iPad Pro, but want more computational power and ports?  buy a Mac mini and connect.

    I was wondering about that. Especially with the mini likely coming in different colors. It would look pretty incredible to stack different colors of them and daisy chain them using an adapted version of the magnetic power/ethernet cord. However, I'm not tech savvy enough to know if this is doable or if this would really serve a particular need. Although, in addition to increasing radio-transparency, I suppose moving to a partly polycarbonate housing would also allow apple to better incorporate stabilizing magnets. This might also help explain why they went with the external power brick (aside from making a more efficient and svelte device, of course).
    edited May 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 82 of 93
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    <sarcasm> Because a top complaint about the mini is that it is just too darn big!  </sarcasm>

    What will be particularly funny is if they make the cord from the brick just a bit too short, and the brick keeps pulling the mini off the desk, right?

    I guess as long as it retains enough cooling capacity to bring more CPU cores and GPU cores and still be silent, I don't care all that much... besides the above point about it being pulled around the desk because it's too light/small. The external brick sucks, though. I hate those things!!!

    MacPro said:
    The power of the M1X and M2 will be staggering, I can well see the next Mac Pro, using Apple Silicon, being used to prototype Crays.  ;)

    https://wiki.c2.com/?AppleCrayComputer
    Yeah, the big problem is GPU. I hope we hear something at WWDC about the future of eGPUs or much-bigger-than-the-rumors plans for Apple GPUs.

    macxpress said:
    Because they can? What other function will you gain by making it larger? You're not getting more ports. Thats a limitation of the M1, not because its thin. The only real thing you'd gain is the power supply would be inside instead of an external power brick. 
    Well, that internal power supply would be quite welcome. But, you also get more cooling capacity more quietly. I sure hope they didn't trade off any potential CPU/GPU expansion or quietness going for a considerably smaller package. But, if history informs, they very well might have. Sure Apple Silicon runs a lot cooler, but my understanding is that when pushed to the max, the fans do spin up on the M1 mini or MBP.

    Xed said:
    You two really don't understand how a smaller and lighter device is both good for selling products and for the logistical aspects of lowering materials, shipping, and storage costs?
    It looks better for the marketing department, I suppose, as they often hide cords, bricks, etc. But, in reality, packaging the mini and a brick... or having to deal with that as the user, is much less pleasant. Maybe they'll sell the brick separately and tout the reduced packaging?
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 83 of 93
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    macxpress said:
    So you think Apple purposely designed the M1 so that it didn't support multiple ports just so they could make their products thinner? LOL Missing ports...ahhh yes, typical old school thinking. If it doesn't have 20 ports for any possible connection its crap right? You do realize everything today is wireless, wireless keyboard/mouse, wireless printing/scanning, wireless internet, etc. 
    Depend on the use. I have a Keychron K3 which I plug in via USB. I also have a Logitech MX Master which uses the USB-dongle thingy. I have a web-cam. I have a podcast mic. I have a security dongle for my 3D software. I have some speakers which I run via an audio in/out dongle. I have an eGPU.

    The thing is, once you add one of those so-called hubs, suddenly the tiny little thing seems much less elegant. I doubt it will even be all that elegant when the brick pulls it around on the desk because it's too darn small to have enough weight to stay in place.
  • Reply 84 of 93
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,564member
    cgWerks said:
    macxpress said:
    So you think Apple purposely designed the M1 so that it didn't support multiple ports just so they could make their products thinner? LOL Missing ports...ahhh yes, typical old school thinking. If it doesn't have 20 ports for any possible connection its crap right? You do realize everything today is wireless, wireless keyboard/mouse, wireless printing/scanning, wireless internet, etc. 
    1 - I have a Keychron K3 which I plug in via USB.
    2 - I also have a Logitech MX Master which uses the USB-dongle thingy.
    3 - I have a web-cam.
    4 - I have a podcast mic.
    5 - I have a security dongle for my 3D software.
    6 - I have some speakers which I run via an audio in/out dongle.
    7 - I have an eGPU.
    Well, the eGPU claim isn't valid when talking about iMacs (since iMacs don't support eGPUs.) So that reduces your requirement to six ports. Your mouse and keyboard shouldn't count as using ports because they both support Bluetooth and you really only need a USB port to charge them, which is rarely. Your dongle requirement is legit. Your other three devices are legit too, although you could replace them with wireless devices if you wanted to. So I see you needing only four USB-C ports, which one of the new M1 iMacs does have.
    macxpresswatto_cobra
  • Reply 85 of 93
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    cgWerks said:
    macxpress said:
    So you think Apple purposely designed the M1 so that it didn't support multiple ports just so they could make their products thinner? LOL Missing ports...ahhh yes, typical old school thinking. If it doesn't have 20 ports for any possible connection its crap right? You do realize everything today is wireless, wireless keyboard/mouse, wireless printing/scanning, wireless internet, etc. 
    Depend on the use. I have a Keychron K3 which I plug in via USB. I also have a Logitech MX Master which uses the USB-dongle thingy. I have a web-cam. I have a podcast mic. I have a security dongle for my 3D software. I have some speakers which I run via an audio in/out dongle. I have an eGPU.

    The thing is, once you add one of those so-called hubs, suddenly the tiny little thing seems much less elegant. I doubt it will even be all that elegant when the brick pulls it around on the desk because it's too darn small to have enough weight to stay in place.
    Love all of the perceived false assumptions...keep them coming! 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 86 of 93
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    cgWerks said:
    macxpress said:
    So you think Apple purposely designed the M1 so that it didn't support multiple ports just so they could make their products thinner? LOL Missing ports...ahhh yes, typical old school thinking. If it doesn't have 20 ports for any possible connection its crap right? You do realize everything today is wireless, wireless keyboard/mouse, wireless printing/scanning, wireless internet, etc. 
    1 - I have a Keychron K3 which I plug in via USB.
    2 - I also have a Logitech MX Master which uses the USB-dongle thingy.
    3 - I have a web-cam.
    4 - I have a podcast mic.
    5 - I have a security dongle for my 3D software.
    6 - I have some speakers which I run via an audio in/out dongle.
    7 - I have an eGPU.
    Well, the eGPU claim isn't valid when talking about iMacs (since iMacs don't support eGPUs.) So that reduces your requirement to six ports. Your mouse and keyboard shouldn't count as using ports because they both support Bluetooth and you really only need a USB port to charge them, which is rarely. Your dongle requirement is legit. Your other three devices are legit too, although you could replace them with wireless devices if you wanted to. So I see you needing only four USB-C ports, which one of the new M1 iMacs does have.
    Basically...their post is just a bunch of whiny bullshit in the end. It doesn't meet their expectations so its a useless product. The hell with the rest of the market that doesn't give a shit about anything above. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 87 of 93
    ApplePoorApplePoor Posts: 286member
    If the proposed vaporware mini supports at least 64GB of ram and a 2TB SSD, it could replace my aging 2013 six core MacPro which has 128GB of ram and a 2TB SSD,,,, The MacPro has two Apple 27" monitors, Apple DVD player for my older software distributions, USB A extended keyboard with dongle for my vintage Logitech mouse and a raft of whether devices connected to the two monitors and and thunderbolt 5 drive Drobo data drive...
    edited May 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 88 of 93
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    cgWerks said:
    macxpress said:
    So you think Apple purposely designed the M1 so that it didn't support multiple ports just so they could make their products thinner? LOL Missing ports...ahhh yes, typical old school thinking. If it doesn't have 20 ports for any possible connection its crap right? You do realize everything today is wireless, wireless keyboard/mouse, wireless printing/scanning, wireless internet, etc. 
    1 - I have a Keychron K3 which I plug in via USB.
    2 - I also have a Logitech MX Master which uses the USB-dongle thingy.
    3 - I have a web-cam.
    4 - I have a podcast mic.
    5 - I have a security dongle for my 3D software.
    6 - I have some speakers which I run via an audio in/out dongle.
    7 - I have an eGPU.
    Well, the eGPU claim isn't valid when talking about iMacs (since iMacs don't support eGPUs.) 
    We're talking about Mac mini.
  • Reply 89 of 93
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,564member
    crowley said:
    cgWerks said:
    macxpress said:
    So you think Apple purposely designed the M1 so that it didn't support multiple ports just so they could make their products thinner? LOL Missing ports...ahhh yes, typical old school thinking. If it doesn't have 20 ports for any possible connection its crap right? You do realize everything today is wireless, wireless keyboard/mouse, wireless printing/scanning, wireless internet, etc. 
    1 - I have a Keychron K3 which I plug in via USB.
    2 - I also have a Logitech MX Master which uses the USB-dongle thingy.
    3 - I have a web-cam.
    4 - I have a podcast mic.
    5 - I have a security dongle for my 3D software.
    6 - I have some speakers which I run via an audio in/out dongle.
    7 - I have an eGPU.
    Well, the eGPU claim isn't valid when talking about iMacs (since iMacs don't support eGPUs.) 
    We're talking about Mac mini.
    I stand corrected. Thanks for being polite about it. 
  • Reply 90 of 93
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    22july2013 said:
    Well, the eGPU claim isn't valid when talking about iMacs (since iMacs don't support eGPUs.) So that reduces your requirement to six ports. Your mouse and keyboard shouldn't count as using ports because they both support Bluetooth and you really only need a USB port to charge them, which is rarely. Your dongle requirement is legit. Your other three devices are legit too, although you could replace them with wireless devices if you wanted to. So I see you needing only four USB-C ports, which one of the new M1 iMacs does have.
    The Intel iMacs support eGPUs, but I'm not sure if any of the Apple Silicon ones do. While I've used BT for keyboard until I got the Keychron, and my trackpad is wireless, I prefer the wired mouse and keyboard. I *could* run them wireless, agreed.

    (Especially for mouse/trackpad type input devices, sometimes they can get flaky if you're around the wrong kind of signals. Where we previously lived, they would become unusable maybe on average every couple of days for a half-hour or so... just erratic movement. I'm assuming someone was running something creating interference.)

    The audio could go wireless, but I don't think I'd generally do that aside from BT earphones, and it would require some equipment or different speakers/amp.

    My point was that it isn't too hard to have more stuff than the built-in ports can handle, and then the solution becomes less elegant than just having more ports (if, for whatever reason, more ports is considered less elegant in the first place).

    macxpress said:
    Love all of the perceived false assumptions...keep them coming! 
    macxpress said:
    Basically...their post is just a bunch of whiny bullshit in the end. It doesn't meet their expectations so its a useless product. The hell with the rest of the market that doesn't give a shit about anything above. 
    Well, I can't be certain here yet, none of us can (so we're all assuming). But, I've had devices with cords that are too stiff or where the device is so light, it ends up getting pushed around by the cords. I have a 2018 mini, and it's kind of on the edge in that regard. When I plug/unplug, I have to hold it down and remember not to hold it by the corner with the power button. (Why so much plugging/unplugging? Well, I've been trying to get the eGPU working under Windows in Bootcamp... which Apple and Microsoft have currently all messed up.)

    If the cord from the brick isn't long-enough, thin-enough, etc. it is actually quite likely to be able to move the mini around on the desk. As an owner of a mini, I'm quite likely to be a potential owner of one of these in the future (if the higher end iMac doesn't have video-input, which it probably won't).

    And, no-one said anything about useless product. I have concerns that - once again - Apple has put thinness ahead of other potentially more important design criteria.
    edited May 2021
  • Reply 91 of 93
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    spheric said:
    I'm not an electrician, but a magnetic power connector like the one on the new iMac can exist only when the power flowing is DC not 110v AC. I think 110v AC is probably just too dangerous. In theory it might be possible to design an "AC MagSafe" but I doubt anyone wants to deal with the liability especially when it comes to selling it to the unwashed masses. Perhaps in an industrial setting you could get away with it.
    Magnetically attached AC power cords have been used for quite a while on consumer deep fryers. Very clunky, but they exist:


    Wow. That is SO illegal in most places. 

    It's illegal for a consumer deep fryer not to have one in the US, has been for well over a decade now.

    The electrical risk is pretty low, the pins are widely spaced and recessed.  The much greater risk is that someone tripping on or tugging a deep fryer cord might pull it off off a surface and dump very hot oil on themselves or others.
    cgWerks
  • Reply 92 of 93
    I hope they bring back the digital audio out.
Sign In or Register to comment.