Satechi redesigns its hub to fit the new, smaller M4 Mac mini

AppleInsider · November 21, 2024 4:06PM

Satechi has announced its new Mac mini Stand & Hub, a pint-sized hub with a card reader, a NVMe Enclosure -- and which brings back USB-A ports.

Modern desktop setup with a monitor, keyboard, mouse, mini computer, memory cards, and a small potted plant.

Satechi's new Mac mini M4 Stand & Hub

Apple introduced the new M4 Mac mini in October. The diminutive desktop has shrunk even further, now with a five-by-five-inch footprint.

To welcome the new Mac mini to the lineup, Satechi has created a hub that pairs perfectly with it -- the Mac mini M4 Stand & Hub.

Designed to fit neatly underneath the M4 Mac mini, Satechi's new hub doesn't add bulk to your desk. With its aluminum enclosure, the Mac mini M4 Stand & Hub appears to be a natural extension of your Mac.

It features three USB-A ports, allowing you to use your favorite legacy devices, flash drives, or dongles. A built-in SD card reader lets you easily transfer data to and from the Mac mini.

It also supports up to 4TB of extra space, thanks to the NVMe enclosure. Satechi says it supports most SSD sizes, including 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280, and that you'll get 10Gbps transfer speeds.

Currently, there's no word on pricing, though Satechi offers a similar hub for older Mac mini models that costs $100. The Mac mini M4 Stand & Hub is expected to begin shipping in Spring 2025.

Regardless of what it ends up costing, Satechi encourages customers to sign up on the Mac mini M4 Stand & Hub product page to know when it is available for purchase. Customers who enter their email will also receive a 20% discount.

Read on AppleInsider

doodpants · November 21, 2024 4:43PM

Since it sits under the Mac, they should have included a mechanism that can poke up at the power button.

jeffharris · November 21, 2024 5:10PM

Only 10Gbps transfer speed?

That kind of blows, especially since the new mini has Thunderbolt 5 ports.

A couple extra USB-C ports would be nice, too. Aren’t we all trying to get rid of USB-A?

williamlondon · November 21, 2024 6:39PM

Doodpants said:

Since it sits under the Mac, they should have included a mechanism that can poke up at the power button.

Maybe they decided that negative nellies and children weren't their target market.

clarus · November 21, 2024 6:41PM

jeffharris said:

Only 10Gbps transfer speed?
That kind of blows, especially since the new mini has Thunderbolt 5 ports.

If you sit down and think it through, both decisions make complete sense.

10Gbps for the SSD is because the dock is a USB-C hub, and the 10Gbps max data rate of USB 3.2 is what is limiting the speed. So having the slot is like getting a free USB 3.2 SSD enclosure, because that is exactly the max speed of the $30 NVMe SSD enclosures you get through Amazon which I have several of. (10Gbps is fast enough for most uses.) No disappointment there.

Now, you can go and be an armchair quarterback and say “But SSDs can do 6000MB/sec and Thunderbolt 5 would let that happen, therefore this dock is useless.” OK cowboy, again, think this through: To achieve that, the hub would have to be upgraded to support Thunderbolt 5. But the problem is this hub is a replacement for their old Mac mini hub which the article said retails for around $100. And you are not going to find any Thunderbolt 5 peripherals (except a cable) on sale today for anywhere as low as $100.

If you buy a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 SSD enclosure today, the going rate is about $120. That alone is already a higher price than what this dock is supposed to cost. Based on the current prices for Thunderboltl 4/5 hubs, a hub like this supporting Thunderbolt 5 through the SSD slot and multiple ports would probably cost no less than $300. Satechi could probably sell a few of those, but Satechi knows they will sell a lot more $100 USB-C docks.

So I like to think of this dock’s SSD slot as a free $30 10Gbps USB SSD enclosure that saves a port. And that is a nice feature.

jeffharris said:

A couple extra USB-C ports would be nice, too. Aren’t we all trying to get rid of USB-A?

We have not seen a full spec sheet yet, only a pre-announcement. I also hope there are more USB-C ports. But by including USB-A, Satechi has again been smart. If you have actually read comments on the new Mini, one of the biggest complaints is no more USB-A ports. Yes, I am trying to get rid of USB-A myself, and all new accessories I buy are USB-C, but I still have several 10-15 year old USB-A devices that are still doing their job and do not need to be thrown out just because. A lot of people are like that. (Yes, of course we could all go out and buy more USB-A to C adapters, they’re cheap. But sometimes it’s nice to just plug it in.)

By featuring the USB-A ports, Satechi is directly addressing that one concern that people have about wanting at least a few USB-A ports, and that will probably help sell a few docks. Because if I had an M4 Mac mini this hub looks like a nice mix of features, especially if it’s only around $100.

edited November 2024

headfull0wine · November 21, 2024 6:55PM

What I also like about this fitting underneath the Mini is that it lifts the air intake up off the desk a bit. Thus reducing dust intake.

mplsp · November 21, 2024 7:34PM

williamlondon said:

Doodpants said:

Since it sits under the Mac, they should have included a mechanism that can poke up at the power button.

Maybe they decided that negative nellies and children weren't their target market.

You mean people with common sense?

williamlondon · November 21, 2024 8:39PM

MplsP said:

williamlondon said:

Doodpants said:

Since it sits under the Mac, they should have included a mechanism that can poke up at the power button.

Maybe they decided that negative nellies and children weren't their target market.

You mean people with common sense?

Oh ffs, grow up.

danox · November 21, 2024 10:44PM

jeffharris said:

Only 10Gbps transfer speed?
That kind of blows, especially since the new mini has Thunderbolt 5 ports.

A couple extra USB-C ports would be nice, too. Aren’t we all trying to get rid of USB-A?

The people don’t know what they want, which is why you don’t ask them beforehand……. “Steve Jobs” or “Henry Ford”

edited November 2024

9secondkox2 · November 22, 2024 12:32AM

Doodpants said:

Since it sits under the Mac, they should have included a mechanism that can poke up at the power button.

If you don’t have a problem picking up your phone to turn it on, you really don’t have have problem reaching under the tiny Mac mini to turn it on the few times a year that you’ll be doing so.

9secondkox2 · November 22, 2024 12:34AM

That was fast. They’re on the ball.

First heard of satechi in 2016 when I needed an adapter for my MacBook Pro. Took a chance and discovered a great product.

If I have need of a mini, I’ll definitely be getting this to compliment it.

edited November 2024

bobolicious · November 22, 2024 1:45AM

jeffharris said:

Only 10Gbps transfer speed?
That kind of blows, especially since the new mini has Thunderbolt 5 ports.

A couple extra USB-C ports would be nice, too. Aren’t we all trying to get rid of USB-A?

Perhaps they will offer a 'pro' version at a requisite price...?

sflocal · November 22, 2024 2:08AM

Clarus said:

jeffharris said:

Only 10Gbps transfer speed?
That kind of blows, especially since the new mini has Thunderbolt 5 ports.

If you sit down and think it through, both decisions make complete sense.

10Gbps for the SSD is because the dock is a USB-C hub, and the 10Gbps max data rate of USB 3.2 is what is limiting the speed. So having the slot is like getting a free USB 3.2 SSD enclosure, because that is exactly the max speed of the $30 NVMe SSD enclosures you get through Amazon which I have several of. (10Gbps is fast enough for most uses.) No disappointment there.

Now, you can go and be an armchair quarterback and say “But SSDs can do 6000MB/sec and Thunderbolt 5 would let that happen, therefore this dock is useless.” OK cowboy, again, think this through: To achieve that, the hub would have to be upgraded to support Thunderbolt 5. But the problem is this hub is a replacement for their old Mac mini hub which the article said retails for around $100. And you are not going to find any Thunderbolt 5 peripherals (except a cable) on sale today for anywhere as low as $100.

If you buy a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 SSD enclosure today, the going rate is about $120. That alone is already a higher price than what this dock is supposed to cost. Based on the current prices for Thunderboltl 4/5 hubs, a hub like this supporting Thunderbolt 5 through the SSD slot and multiple ports would probably cost no less than $300. Satechi could probably sell a few of those, but Satechi knows they will sell a lot more $100 USB-C docks.

So I like to think of this dock’s SSD slot as a free $30 10Gbps USB SSD enclosure that saves a port. And that is a nice feature.

jeffharris said:

A couple extra USB-C ports would be nice, too. Aren’t we all trying to get rid of USB-A?

We have not seen a full spec sheet yet, only a pre-announcement. I also hope there are more USB-C ports. But by including USB-A, Satechi has again been smart. If you have actually read comments on the new Mini, one of the biggest complaints is no more USB-A ports. Yes, I am trying to get rid of USB-A myself, and all new accessories I buy are USB-C, but I still have several 10-15 year old USB-A devices that are still doing their job and do not need to be thrown out just because. A lot of people are like that. (Yes, of course we could all go out and buy more USB-A to C adapters, they’re cheap. But sometimes it’s nice to just plug it in.)

By featuring the USB-A ports, Satechi is directly addressing that one concern that people have about wanting at least a few USB-A ports, and that will probably help sell a few docks. Because if I had an M4 Mac mini this hub looks like a nice mix of features, especially if it’s only around $100.

sflocal · November 22, 2024 2:09AM

This at the minimum should support Thunderbolt3. It’s junk status in my book. Why cripple a fast NVMe drive at 10gb/s?

alex_v · November 22, 2024 3:39AM

sflocal said:

This at the minimum should support Thunderbolt3. It’s junk status in my book. Why cripple a fast NVMe drive at 10gb/s?

Get the product out the door fast. Be the first to market with a size and finish to match the new Mac. Test the market with standard components. If that succeeds, then you can bring out the delux and super delux versions.

nubus · November 22, 2024 6:04AM

So many options! With the mini M4 internal storage being fast at 256 GB there is no need to first spend $200 with Apple to get a fast internal disk.

For $200-400 we have:
Apple: 1 TB upgrade for $400 - super pretty but very expensive.
Satechi: 1 TB + dock for $200 (but 10 Gb/s) - pretty and with a dock but not blazingly fast.
OWC USB4: 1 TB for for $250 (40 Gb/s) - OK speed and cheaper than Apple but more cluttered.
OWC Thunderbolt 5: 2 TB for for $400 (60 Gb/s) - double the storage of Apple.

Would be interesting to see a zero footprint enclosure with USB4 or TB5. The options for mini M4 are amazing.

danox · November 22, 2024 5:48PM

If you have money to spend on all that stuff (hubs 200-400) on the front end, you might as well just upgrade the Mac Mini right off the bat.

Another thing to consider is how long do you think you’re gonna be keeping the Mac mini? If you’re going to keep it for more than five years
(longevity) you’re probably better off just biting a bullet and upgrading, the resale value of an upgraded Apple computer after three-five years is very good across all product lines in comparison to a PC computer.

edited November 2024

davidinsf · December 1, 2024 9:45PM

Doodpants said:

Since it sits under the Mac, they should have included a mechanism that can poke up at the power button.

Has anyone seen this competitor to Satechi? It looks very interesting, it has a solution for the power button and it can hold up to an 8TB SSD. I’ve just never heard of the company. Anyone have any insight or experience with this company?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP9JM1ZL/?coliid=I3CMXGEKPBTBVM&colid=2ULORJNFR9733&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

edited December 2024

tiredskills · December 2, 2024 10:40PM

danox said:

If you have money to spend on all that stuff (hubs 200-400) on the front end, you might as well just upgrade the Mac Mini right off the bat.

The previous Satechi hub goes for less than $70. A decent 2TB M.2 drive can be had for less than $100. The Apple upgrade to 2TB is $800.

edited December 2024

clarus · January 8, 2025 9:56PM

sflocal said:

This at the minimum should support Thunderbolt3. It’s junk status in my book. Why cripple a fast NVMe drive at 10gb/s?

It would never support Thunderbolt 3 and maintain its price. The price would have to go up a lot.

Also, you always cripple an NVMe drive when it's external.
Current NVMEs can exceed 7000MB/sec. There's no affordable enclosure+protocol that can do that. All externals will limit them.
Thunderbolt 5 only gets to around 6000MB/sec.
Thunderbolt 3&4 only get to 3000MB/sec.

I have personally put a fast NVMe in a 10Gb/sec enclosure and am happy with it. Why? I wanted a tiny drive that was fast enough. You can’t get a SATA SSD that small, so NVMe it was. And the speed? Well, for the use cases I need that tiny NVMe drive for, the transfers will rarely exceed 10Gb/sec so if I paid more for Thunderbolt it would just be money wasted for speed that is never used. Remember...the full transfer rate is only achieved during sequential read or write with large files. The more your use cases involve random read/write of much smaller files, the less the full transfer rate will ever be reached.

What about the future? No problem, I have already moved some NVMes to Thunderbolt enclosures if they would benefit from the speed. In the future, I look forward to migrating my current NVMes to Thunderbolt 5 enclosures as the cost goes down.

edited January 8

macgui · February 17, 2025 9:16AM

Doodpants said:

Since it sits under the Mac, they should have included a mechanism that can poke up at the power button.

There's a cutout in the dock so a finger can easily reach the power button. One less fiddly bit to create.

https://satechi.net/landing/new-stand-and-hub-m4-mac-mini

For anybody in this thread. this is not the dock you're looking for. It's got 3 Type A ports and that should tell you who it's for – people who've got a lot of Type - A bits and don't want to upgrade. So no need for T3. If it was to support T3, it would be double the price. Not that that's a bad thing, but that should and maybe will be a different dock from satechi.

I've got a few Type-A, but new cables have that sorted.

williamlondon said:
Maybe they decided that negative nellies and children weren't their target market.

Oh, FFS, grow up.

Satechi redesigns its hub to fit the new, smaller M4 Mac mini

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