Apple Sheep Defense RANT on M4 Mac Mini

[@sherlan1886]

Can’t please everyone. That’s why designers need to have a certain level of confidence in their decisions.

[@peporgan]

Agreed

[@Timely-ud4rm]

True, can't please everyone!

[@rishinarang9966]

dont put the power button on the bottom and you can please everyone.

[@peterbreis5407]

@@rishinarang9966 And don't put the USB port on the underside of the Magic Mouse, when it is so hard to put it anywhere else.

[@Äpple-pie-5k]

It takes courage to put the power button on the bottom, and they did it.

[@WMCheerman]

anyone else see this as a potential laptop replacement where you could carry it from work to home in your bag? I never used my laptop screen anyway?

[@khoifoto]

That’s exactly what I have in mind. Carry it from work to home and plugin a single USBC to three 4K 144hz screen.

[@VMYeahVN]

Depends on your monitor situation. Lugging a monitor around with it can get annoying. But if you have a monitor both at home and the place you'd take the Mini to (like an office for example) then yeah it makes sense.

[@Warp2090]

I mean small computers have been around from apple and other companies for about a decade now

[@jacksonburger2081]

How do you use your laptop without the laptop screen?? Plus it doesn't have a battery/trackpad/keyboard. Plus less portable in a backpack. Idk, doesn't make sense.

[@bboywolf]

@@jacksonburger2081 use the computer and an external monitor obv

[@TCHGOD]

2:33, minor correction. The Pro Display XDR does NOT have built-in speakers. The Studio Display does though. But still fair point.

[@dylanwhite6539]

I thought so

[@Littlebrownchicken]

I was about to flame you and call you stupid and say that it did, but I did my research and it does not, in fact, have speakers. Apologies.

[@YJCH0I]

You just reminded me that the Pro Display XDR also doesn’t have a built-in camera 😂

[@ParkourBrian]

They spent 90% of the R&D budget on the panel and 10% on the body machining. Stand not included

[@jakreu]

Pro Display XDR has nothing except the display lol.. no spakers, no camera. We really need to see a display upgrade now. Both displays need the ultra wide camera.

[@Group51]

It’s not because of ARM. Macs have used sleep rather than shut down for as long as I’ve used them, and that’s 1995!

[@Adam4]

What do you mean "uses rather than"? Macs can both sleep and be shutdown, so can Windows machines. It's up to the user what they do at the end of their session. Also, Apple Silicon has such improved efficiency over the later Intel models that it does encourage the sleep over shutdown behaviour. The switch to M1 resulted in a 3x reduced power draw at sleep.

[@michalhudek]

@@Adam4 both my intel iMacs uses less that 0.5W while on sleep, its just a waste to do clean boot , if you can sleep and wake in 1 second

[@gwvaio]

⁠@@Adam4you just admitted that Apple encourages sleep over shutdown so why would you comment on the OP’s use of “rather than” when you completely understood it.

[@Adam4]

@@gwvaio Where do they encourage it? Their devices behave the same as Windows. Leave the laptop for an extended period of time or close the lid = sleep. Go into the system menu and choose shutdown = shutdown. This is true for both platforms.

[@demoman1596sh]

@@Adam4You seem to be implying that, because both platforms have the same basic capabilities (i.e., they can both technically sleep or shut down), that they have they same exact behavior. But people generally know from experience that this isn’t the case if they use both Windows and Mac devices regularly.

[@choilive]

If you wanted, you can also use the $9 USB-C to 3.5MM headphone adapter to plug your speakers in the back. Probably the best and least overpriced Apple accessory as well. Also, any pro-ish audio setup would be going through an audio interface anyways. 3.5mm in front is great.

[@TimeLagGaming]

Yeah can’t believe that wasn’t mentioned haha

[@keithframe3489]

My first thought as well.

[@katrinabryce]

Yes, that, and the Samsung equivalent, both produce a perfect analogue signal, so if you just want stereo out, there is no need to spend more than that. The Google equivalent produces an almost-perfect analogue signal and you are unlikely to notice the difference without an oscilloscope. Even for people with Windows computers, I recommend they buy one of those, with a USB A-C adapter if necessary, and if your computer has a mix of USB C and USB A ports, use whichever USB A port is the slowest, because even USB 1 provides enough bandwidth for it to work at maximum quality.

[@onikaze8445]

every crit except the inexcusable 256gb in the base model. 512 would be bad too but not egregious. to get to the adequate 1tb you need to spend an extra $400. so there is that. almost everything else is ok.

[@tradingmyway0024]

That's I completely agree with... 256gb is too meager and to charge 200 bucks for another 256gb is daylight robbery... that's what I whole heartedly criticize...

[@ParkourBrian]

I have never once approached even 128gb of storage utilization on my Mac’s. You’re not redundantly networking your storage and it shows.

[@RichWithTech]

@@ParkourBrian "you're holding it wrong"

[@andyH_England]

It is a desktop, so it is moot as you add external storage as and when you want. MacOS allows you to store and run apps off the external drive as if it were part of the internal drive.

[@axthd]

​@@ParkourBrian I didn't, so everyone else shouldn't 👏👏

[@cystarkman]

this is 100% accurate. - use ur mac mini sideways. obviously. it was already easier sideways since all ports were on the back - you plug ur studio monitors into a headphone jack? right, so not actually a musician Mac Mini M4 Pro is a weapon. Only other Mac worth buying in the last 5yrs is the MacBook Pro M1Pro/Max I just realised, we could use an iPad as the monitor. Imagine that. Going to a client with ur iPad and then be like oh okay, we need to do some serious work, then whipping out mac mini and going full desktop.

[@jayzn1931]

To be fair, Apple is advertising the headphone jack for high impedance speakers. But I wouldn’t complain about it being in the front, idc.

[@karellen00]

My real dac is rather power hungry and doesn't have an auto standby, so I use my speakers trough jack for normal stuff, and from the dac when I listen to music. With the jack on the front I'd have to use a dongle style dac, probably even just the apple type-c one. Not a big deal but it means I'd have to use an usb hub (displayport monitor, dac, mouse and keyboard are already 4 things to plug with only 3 usb)

[@Debrody1]

They need a product red Mac mini. They should also do a product red iMac. I love my new iPod touch. Tacos are good.

[@tinman-uf4to]

Word

[@patricks8086]

And a product red MacBook Air. 😊😊😊

[@sativagirl1885]

colored core pride. 🙂

[@Littlebrownchicken]

@@patricks8086imagine

[@Littlebrownchicken]

Valid.

[@TechNick1]

2:20 "mac mini doesn't have 120Hz" - this is the first base model Mac Mini that can output up to native 4K **at 240Hz** over HDMI, and 4K @ 120Hz for that matter! The M1 and M2 Mac mini capped at 4K60, and you needed to more than double in price for an M2 *Pro* Mac mini to get 4K240Hz via HDMI.

[@tomboss9940]

It has no screen. That's why. He says: "Add a 144Hz display, as I did"

[@zachywacky1]

I could be wrong but I believe it supported high refresh rates through the thunderbolt ports before

[@chennyye28]

About the front audio jack, don’t go HDMI to the audio jack to external monitor’s audio jack round, because not every 3.5mm is equal, apple tend to have a much better DAC, which means better dynamic range and less noise, but you can get a right head 3.5mm cable adapter to hide the cable under Mac mini if you really want, and for professionals, they will plug audio interface to the Mac mini, the good ones will give an amazing audio quality.

[@tendojoe]

And when I plug my speakers into my monitor's headphone jack, I lose volume control on my Mac. Volume control is now buried in a terrible menu system, with physical buttons, on my monitor.

[@chennyye28]

@@tendojoe exactly! I forgot that horrible part.

[@JMNTN]

Criticism towards apple products just proves that people actually expect a level of quality from their products. Any other brands don't get this level of criticism because their products are simply expected to be flawed in a way.

[@evancycles]

Have you tried watching some of the Tech You channels that review laptops other than Macs? They get plenty of criticism.

[@android-user]

Wait what? Are you actually blind? "Any other"???

[@kevinjbonn]

I will bet a kidney you have not consumed any content or engaged in any discussion about an actual product from another tech company in a very long time. If ever. That's the only explanation for this comment. You've never looked at other products so you aren't aware of any critiques or what the quality and features of them actually are. I'll take that bet any day.

[@wasabinator]

No, other brands don't just have a free unpaid defence force at the ready.

[@ElizabethWatson-x1t]

So on the point about audio - while using HDMI might seem like the obvious solution, the problem with this for a lot of people is that once you use HDMI for audio, you're relying on the output device's DAC to convert the signal to an analogue one for transmission over aux. The Mac has long been known to include a fantastic DAC out of the box, but by using HDMI you're relying on the one in a third party display, which often isn't going to be great (they're building a display not a great DAC). So the solution here is either cope and plug into the front, use a USB audio interface, or be happy with whatever DAC the HDMI sink has. Also gotta caveat that I'm no audio expert but this is just my understanding, feel free to correct :)

[@D-One]

I'm not mad at the shutdown button being a bit awkward to access but using "ARM" and *"it's so go you don't need to shut down"* as an excuse is a wild hot take. Been on Mac for nearly 2 decades now, not sure where u get the data that the way you use your mac desktop is the same as the majority.

[@glencurtis2761]

The mini isn’t flush with the surface. I can’t imagine it’s not dead simple to feel for and use the on off button without having to lift it.

[@theshadowman1398]

A desktop with no upgradable storage and RAM. Apple can sod off. And why are you trying to sell this one like it’s the first time 3rd party accessories / displays can be used. That was the case with all Mac minis

[@anetizen6404]

For the power button location situation, I _own_ a MacBook Air yet I will still give my complaint. Not needing to press it cannot justify putting it in a location that's harder to press than the same button on the iMac, or one that's worse than the previous 5 Mac Minis. Just like the power button on my MacBook Air, or the power button on an ARM PC, I don't expect I will press it a lot, but it should be conveniently pressed if I need to.

[@marcokrauss5320]

A while ago I bought three Magic Keyboards, trackpads, Magic Mouses from the Generation where they all used to run with battery’s. They are still working with every Apple computer, looking insanely good because less plastic and more aluminum is used and I only need to change the battery’s once or twice a year. Plus, they were super cheap on eBay.

[@Gabri3lRocha]

🤮

[@flatekvaal]

You can also get an audio-interface that you can plug in the back. Then you can use proper speakers, and headphones in the front....

[@POVwithRC]

I think it defends itself just fine. Also your mic is clipping bro. Doesn't the touch ID sensor boot the machine up anyways? If so, that power button really just exists as a backup.

[@password953]

As someone who has used a few Mac mini’s with the new touchID keyboard, it’s actually a bit annoying to DOUBLE-click the power button every time i want to add a fingerprint. It’s not that often, but it has stumped my sister on her machine, and would overall just be better if the power button was closer to the front. That’s all! I’m gonna get an M4 Mac mini anyways ❤

[@POVwithRC]

​@@password953Yeah can't really let perfect be the enemy of the good. It's a really solid update and I may ditch my m1 pro 14 for one since I never leave the house and a laptop is beyond the scope of my needs

[@Dygear]

Thank you! I thought my headphones were broken! I was wondering why my EMIs were rattling.

[@sly2792004]

Not from power off state

[@mactep1]

yes, but its overpriced as shit, for what is a pretty crappy laptop keyboard otherwise.

[@AEROGELUAP]

Dude, tell me about. This Mac Mini is another dream come true. The first M1 blew my mind when I first read about it. Then I jumped in and bought the M2. 6 months later I’m selling it (especially since it’s as new as when I first bought it) and buying this gorgeous monster asap!! I’m beyond excited bro!! I’m selling my M2 for $475 so this new one will cost me mere penny’s. Btw, fantastic review dude!! Subscribed!

[@techguypaul]

It literally all depends on use case and even the previous design having the button on the back didn't work for rack mounted situations without creative solutions. This will be no different.

[@thelegendaryfk7922]

Apple should be embarrassed that they have a desktop computer in 2024 with base 256 gigs of storage

[@tomboss9940]

why? My m1 macmini in the rack is connected over 10gb with 80TB Synology NAS. 256GB is sufficient.

[@thelegendaryfk7922]

@@tomboss9940 the average consumer is not gonna do that. It's just not enough for average consumers and regular people Just add a bunch of shit to it and then they're confused when they run out of storage. I'm talking from experience because recently I had to help someone who was telling me that they couldn't download an app and when I went through their settings they were out of storage so it's just something that every person who's not tech literate pays attention to

[@eggman0291]

At least they upped to 16GB of RAM in their base models because 8gb these days was the real embarassment...

[@thelegendaryfk7922]

@@eggman0291true and who knows maybe the next update would jump up the base storage to 512

[@mattbosley3531]

As someone who has a Windows computer and an iMac, I don't shut either one of them down. They just sleep. So I hardly ever use the power button on my Windows computer or my iMac. I have to restart both of them occasionally when they update the operating system, but that doesn't require the power button. And no, I don't get any blue screens.

[@sly2792004]

I shut my pc down every day and Mac once a week to refresh swap and data written

[@tim3172]

@@sly2792004 That's silly. I also change the oil in my car after every trip for no reason just to be equally as silly.

[@andyH_England]

@@sly2792004 You can restart from the menu to clear the cache and refresh. Absolutely no need to use the start button.

[@keithframe3489]

As a casual user, I got blue screen one time with Windows 10, and not even once on windows 11. Windows allows users to thinker with software and hardware combination, thus more prone to crashes, Mac restrict most of that, that's why they have less crashes.

[@evancycles]

As a user of both Windows and Mac OS, as well as iOS, iPadOS, etc. I can say that from my experience that it’s been quite a long time time that Windows was crashing more frequently than a Mac, both operating systems are very stable in 2024. It’s just the tired unoriginal rant. I personally enjoy both. I guess if I had to pick one it would be MacOS given I am somewhat deep into the Apple ecosystem far more than Windows. I use Office 365 on both a Mac and Windows. But windows I prefer for gaming (which I don’t do too much), professionally I prefer using a PC., and personally a Mac.

[@RichWithTech]

2:20 I'm just now realising that the studio display doesn't have 3.5mm out and it's kinda wild (yes I know the speakers are quite good already, but they're not audiophile good).

[@rdvgrd6]

Your headphone jack argument falls apart because you can’t control external speakers with your keyboard or in the OS if not connected to the Mac’s jack (except for Apple devices like the Apple displays)

[@toondkn]

Software volume control works with any audio device plugged into a Mac that exposes its hardware volume control over USB. If the audio device cannot be controlled with volume hotkeys on macOS, it does not properly support software control of its amplification circuit. You can use the dirt cheap usb-C to 3.5 jack adapter from Apple to get software controlled audio from the back of the new Mac mini. Or most other decent USB DACs.

[@rdvgrd6]

@ are you seriously recommending on replacing a professional grade internal DAC with a headphone adapter DAC just to get your point across?

[@6581punk]

Professional grade? yeah right.

[@rdvgrd6]

@ 24bit 192khz is considered pro specs, yes

[@toondkn]

@ are you deliberately misrepresenting my point to use as a counterargument? There are high-end DACs with software volume control.

[@timbeaton5045]

All I can say is that my ageing iMac (2014, i7) which still works, but needs replacing, will be retired for a MacMini Pro. Ordered within minutes of the Apple Store refresh. Was worried about the redesign, but l’m on board with it. Small enough that i can move it from my. mains studio set-up to my sitting room where i tend to have musical ideas, and back again for full on recordings. Yes, I know i could do that with a MacBook Pro, but this is just ideal for me.

[@everlasts]

For Windows PC user, they used to forces to restart their PC many times a day, that's why they are so concern how fast and easy for them to press the power button.

[@chadjeffery2672]

The reason I have to shut my Mac Mini off every night is because it's in my room and attached to a Native Instruments Keyboard that has lot of LCD lights on it and a gay LCD mouse that is hard to sleep with. It's just quickest to shut it off. And, having the power button there will make it slightly harder to have a stand-type doc. You shouldn't assume everyone's reason for shutting it off is "bEcAUsE thEy HaD a WinDowS PC" 😆

[@Gabri3lRocha]

This is such an edge case that 99.9% of people won’t experience and something that can be easily overcome with work arounds 😆

[@MaheerKibria]

I’ll wait for the studio refresh. If it ever comes

[@Gogo8mkd]

Not Drew clipping the microphone while defense-ranting for the Mac Mini. ☠

[@BGwControlStop]

Problem with the power button at the bottom is the design of third party docks which sometimes is recessed to integrate to the bottom of the Mac Mini. The new docks will have to be redesigned to facilitate this

[@tdrg_]

Personally, I have no idea why this product needs any defending. It’s a killer product, no questions asked! But can’t please everyone, and that becomes very evident with the stupid complaints people find.

[@tototots2190]

I agree! The Mac mini is the ‘PC’ I would choose as a family computer

[@Warp2090]

That would be a terrible decision. You want a secure computer that is easy to upgrade and is reliable, and will last 5+ years for a family computer.

[@sly2792004]

@@Warp2090Mac’s aren’t secure? They last 5+ years without needing upgraded. Heck my gaming pc is 4 years old now and doesn’t need upgraded

[@tim3172]

@@Warp2090 Apple laptops and desktops have *by far* the greatest longevity of any manufacturer and there is no reason this couldn't function for 5+ years as a family computer. Why do you need to UpGrAdE a product when you're buying one that's serviceable out of the box? This isn't the 90's when upgrades were commonly required for new software. The people who bought the M1 Minis are just barely at the point where Intel/AMD are catching up for their mobile parts. *Delusional*

[@johnwade7430]

Music Producers are quite likely to have an external Audio IO box for recording and stuff so said speakers will be pugged into that anyway. So the front earphone plug can be used if needed.

[@vb7200]

I was gonna bring that up, if you have a decent set of speakers or monitors you wouldn't want to run it through the monitor. If you have actual studio monitors I'm sure you're using an interface of some sort already so no need, but if you just have Hi-Fi speakers you may not. In that case you'd need an external DAC.

[@xalium]

I prefer it in front because the headphone jack supports high impedance headphones. So even without an audio box, it’s pretty appealing

[@Warp2090]

Professional music producers are gonna use Windows, as it has the best support for audio and external devices. Plus, Windows desktops have PCIE cards for audio. The Mac Pro has them but is super overpriced

[@johnwade7430]

@ not everyone uses Windows.

[@vb7200]

​@@Warp2090 strange to hear that because Macs have been the gold standard in music production for a very long time.

[@Berg085]

I expect several products that the new mac mini can sit on top of that will connect to one of the usb-c ports that will add a lot... front usb-a ports, an internal m.2 drive, and maybe even integrate a DAC. and possibly a side-mount hinging lever that will hit the power button for you.

[@helloken]

Sounds like excuses honestly... a good product it is, but flaws are flaws. At least we get 16gb base model now. That is the single biggest upgrade for me across all of the announced macs this week.

[@Timely-ud4rm]

Honestly I don't think it has flaws. I mean everything has flaws but I think none of the "flaws" are huge. power button being on the bottom means shit, also more accessible as before you has to reach to the back? Honestly I pre-orderd it and Im excited!

[@disco.lemonade]

Not flaws at all buddy

[@Timely-ud4rm]

@@disco.lemonade Don't be sassy with me. I know it has flaws im sure we will find them but from a glance I don't see any huge redflags.

[@disco.lemonade]

@@Timely-ud4rm By definition nothing is perfect, so it surely has flaws, but not these

[@andyH_England]

The usual anti-Apple mob has to come to Apple videos and flex to satisfy their lust for iHate. Anyone who uses a Mac, even a laptop, knows you rarely, if ever, turn it off. It was designed to be always on, like the iPad and iPhone. This is not a flaw; it is progress. As for the headphone jack, that is pure nonsense, almost petty illogic.

[@tim3172]

2:57 Light blue 3.5mm jacks are generally used for line *in* to use the speakers in the monitor... not for headphones. Those are typically green.

[@BryceSumner06]

I have a mini desktop with a headphone jack on the front of it. I don't have any problems plugging desktop speakers into it since I use a monitor that lets me plug the speakers straight into it instead of the actual computer.

[@little.prince]

Personally (though I agree with the video) I can’t defend the idea that you wouldn’t have to shut down your computer. We’re having an energy crisis, and it’s only getting worse.

[@MainStreetBusinessStrategies]

I use my power button on my Mac Studio, so infrequently, that I have to look behind it to remember which side it is even on

[@matt_kelly]

Having the power button on the back has it's downsides also. I have a MacStudio sitting on top of an old Mac mini and if the power goes out and I need to use the power button I have to reach across the desk and behind the thing to press the button, which I can't see. It's not the end of the world since that only happens once in a while. I have a button on my StreamDeck which turns off all the lights in the office and logs out of the Mac, then it goes into sleep mode 30 seconds later, no need to turn it all the way off. That being said, I noticed that the damn thing seems to wake up every 20 minutes or so, even if I turn off background activity, so maybe I should be turning it off more often.

[@winstonthompson6210]

Even if you don't want to wait on a software update for it to restart, isn't there a restart button when you click the apple logo in the top left of the screen

[@ericmackrodt9441]

I don't get it, if you have Studio monitors are you not using an audio interface anyway? If you are doing serious sound work, you are not plugging your speakers to the headphone jack.

[@Gabri3lRocha]

This is the drew I missed 😂. We didn’t get apple sheep for Apple intelligence but at least he came out for this. Got a refurbished m1 Mac mini desktop setup a couple months because I was tired of using my little iPhone to do everything especially applying to jobs or doing research on random things. I forgot the last time I ever had to physically turn it off. It just goes to sleep and the fan also never kicks on. Whenever I need to use it I just press and random key and it’s on in half a second. Super efficient.

[@ChrismasterHF]

In my case there's no volume control via Magic Keyboard, when speakers are connected via display over HDMI or DP to USB-C adapter (Mac mini Late 2018). That's a major flaw in my opinion.

[@Jorda5s]

No gonna lie Mac mini was impressive. Especially for only 600 I’m glad I didn’t get the m1 Mac mini. This is the perfect buy for over a iMac any day. Using my iPad as a monitor it’s a great portable option without having a laptop and a iPad.

[@maverick974-c7b]

“Redesign” oh yeah, I love that the most valuable and necessary port is gone now compare to the older design (USB)

[@tim3172]

If only $3.99 adapters and $8 hubs which had USB-A existed... If... only...

[@drmayday0015]

​@@tim3172Needing a dongle to have access to a Type-A port on a *desktop* is pretty stupid

[@godtable]

The one thing I was really disappointed with, was the lack of colors. For some reason, with all the colorful Apple logos and Apple Intelligence all in color, I was thinking of a curved cool looking small colorful thing with a dim warm light logo. Like the MACs somewhat, to make a reference to the old designs. I don't know why, tho. But I guess is more of enterprise product.

[@Exploringthemagic]

There's a setting in Mac OS as soon as it looses power it will auto power back on when it gets power

[@solidsnakeXY810]

Even if your finger isn't big enough to fit under the Mac mini, its small and light enough to get easily picked up and turned on

[@jay_b..]

Can you hook up two 4k Dell monitors lo it? How can we do that?

[@marekdzurak1867]

yes you can ,but if have more cash I would go for M4pro version

[@jay_b..]

@ Thank you. I agree about getting a M4 Pro. I am considering the M4 Pro with 48GB ram as some of that RAM is used for the graphics.

[@sivavarma111]

This is hands down one the best mac apple has put out since its m1 macbooks

[@99999me1]

Power button is there just to distract us from base 256GB SSD

[@Kevin21coo2]

atleast they have 16gb of ram instead of 8gb of ram thats still being used on the recent macbook🤢Just buy a external hard drive which is better because you could not upgrade the ram on a mac mini after purchasing it

[@Winstonbfit]

Just get an external hardrive you can 8tb for 160 dollars if you really need that much storage

[@99999me1]

@@Winstonbfit I want all my storage at full speed. 6GB+/s..... But I will settle for thunderbolt drive 😭

[@kenneth_romero]

@@99999me1you can probably do hardwired into a nas and take advantage of the 10gigabit ethernet. also isn't thunderbolt 5 supposed to be around 120gb/s? i'm sure you'd find a drive that's close to your wanted 6gb/s.

[@andyH_England]

@@99999me1 I do not think that the internal drives reach 6Gb/s. I suspect using a TB5 external drive will be twice the speed of the 256GB, and therefore, it is advantageous to run larger apps off the external drive. Could you keep the internal storage for small apps and OS?

[@IamKenRoss]

Mac mini: Bringing back the old days of Apple where updates were smaller, lighter and cooler

[@jevantebrockman2617]

It would have been nice if they had audio I/O in the front AND back, like any Windows desktop I've ever used (it has been about a decade for me though so not sure if this is still the case). However, one thing you could have mentioned is that Apple sells a very inexpensive USB-C to 3.5mm adapter that can be used to plug speakers in the back.

[@DaveQuiles]

Let’s not forget you can always get a dongle that has a headphone jack on it and you’d also expand your IO. USB-C gives you a lot of options.

[@just_jay7078]

Yes about that power buttoning placement being adjacent to the exhaust side MAY have future issues. Otherwise it is cool.

[@mmaster23]

Using the headphone/stereo jack on your HDMI monitor is not the best solution. The monitor will have a DAC (Digital to Analogue converter) and it's often not a priority for the maker of the monitor. Don't expect great sound to come out of this (again, the Mac throws the sound in its purest digital form at the monitor but it's the monitor often messing it up). Either use it on the front of the Mac or use a USB powered DAC.

[@StudioKReviews]

This little machine changed all my Mac upgrade plan, i was going to get the M4Pro MacBook to replace my M2 touch-bar with the abysmal 8GB of RAM but as i mostly use it at home with my Asus ProArt monitor and i already have a keyboard and mouse i'm going to get the M4Pro Mac Mini and keep the Macbook for those times that i need to go to the outside world, also i wouldn't be putting "all the eggs in one basket" i prefer to have 2 computers in case something fails.

[@kevinokeefe7796]

I would of loved a card reader but I understand they need some differences from the studio. I’m really torn between the mini and the iMac because I don’t have a monitor and accessories to go with the mini so costs will probably be about the same.

[@pfabiszewski]

External DAC is also an option and that would be connected via thunderbolt regardless :)

[@willm5032]

The fact that apple still charge a fortune for non-upgradable or replaceable storage, and you can't boot from external drives is much more irksome than anything else 'wrong' with the new mac mini (which is a delightful little box of joy, always been a fan of the mac mini- I bought an m2 pro one before the m2 studio existed and its a little beast).

[@NickLaslett]

I have been booting my iMac 2014 from an external SSD using thunderbolt2 port for the last 6 years.

[@hdslave]

As a windows bro, I feel personally annihilated by that "pc users have to have clear access to the power button since it freezes all the time" bit

[@daver40]

They really freeze all that often, though. There are other issues with Windows, but that isn’t really one of them anymore.

[@Lachlant1984]

Windows rarely crashes these days, at least, that's been my experience for the past 6 years of use. I know that Apple's recent computers are really designed to be put to sleep rather than being completely powered down, but still having access to the power button is important. I don't entirely see the problem with the power button on the bottom, but I still think it should've been on the front.

[@MySavage321]

My one complaint is it should come with the ability to drive a display at 120 Hz. It has thunderbolt 5 now, so I’m not sure why they omitted this feature. Perhaps they are saving it for the new Mac studio. Other than that, I agree that it’s near perfect.

[@digitalizeddeath]

Once they make an M5 Mac Mini ill buy one. I have a Mac Mini G4. About time they go back to letters and numbers. I love it.

[@webpoet73]

you can also use a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter. If I didn't dock my laptop, I'd be in a total market for this Mac Mini. I sold my M2 mac mini and now just dock my M2 macbook air and it is essentially the same thing....

[@mikeinal5521]

They should have user accessable M2 Slots for NVME storage, in addition to the on board storage, it would add minimal cost and would make the mini the perfect compiter of all time.

[@Warp2090]

They would never. They already soldier their ram and memory

[@tim3172]

@@Warp2090 I'm sorry they... member of a military... their memory?

[@ucruci]

Can’t wait to see 3rd party accessories for this new Mac Mini M4.

[@FloeticEnigma]

Sold my 2020 Intel MacBook Pro and ordered the base model M4 Mac Mini. My laptop stayed at home all of the time and when I used it, I kept it closed and plugged into my 35” curved monitor. This new one is going to be perfect for my setup and didn’t really cost me anything (I cashed in credit card rewards for Apple gift cards and purchased on the education side 😉)

[@antiseth3964]

This is what I’m saying. They fixed every single problem about the Mac Mini that some people have had as well as a major problem everyone had with the entire mac lineup: no more 8GB starting memory. I still think that their starting storage of 256GB is downright stupid. The entire computer market is at _minimum_ 512GB, and most people who care at all about a usable machine *need* the 1TB upgrade. This means the cheapest usable Mac Mini for most people will be either $800 or $1,000, not the $600 base model. That being said, I think this is still hands down the best value for a Mac we’ve gotten in _years,_ and as someone who has almost the entire Apple ecosystem (not counting the Vision Pro) apart from a Mac, this may be where I jump on the wagon.

[@Melchirobin]

They should have silk screened something on the back with a power button arrow showing it is on the bottom.

[@whfowle]

I like the upgrades of the Mac Mini but there is one feature missing that matters to me. It is the SD card reader while the Studio does. My old iMac has this port too. Now I can overcome this by buying an aftermarket block that has this port and even more like readers for CF and XQD and CFExpress. I wonder what it saved Apple to leave this off.

[@anthonylethbridge458]

Great rant. I think that the new mini is fantastic and I have ordered one. Just to note the Pro Display XDR does not have speakers or a web cam, however the studio display does (this is the display that I have).

I also assume that this power button quite easy to reach. I restart my MacBook Pro from 2017 about every months and shut it down when I am away for a while. It will be replace soon with the new Mini M4...

[@karellen00]

The problem is that when you use audio trough HDMI you use whatever crappy DAC your monitor has, generally it's only fine for the integrated speakers. Wasn't everyone using blutooth headphones nowadays, or at least so they said when they dropped the jack on the iphone. But speaker always stayed jack. But I agree that the power button is fine on the bottom, at least on the macbook air you power it on pressing any key (and not just from standby), so probably it will never be used. If only macOS would support multiple streams trough one displayport I would buy one in an heartbeat!

[@robertcook7011]

Are there any supplementary devices/docks coming that will attach to the new Mac Mini to provide additional plugs and extra memory?

[@cjxgraphics]

I seriously never think about my monitor having a headphone jack, but you’re right, it does. And as for the power button, the only time I’ve use it on my M1 Mini is after the power has gone out. It stays on sipping power and functioning as a file server. The M4 looks like a genuinely good device, but I’ll keep my M1 for a while longer. 😊

[@Kevin6t8]

There's a setting to have it restart after a power outage. Go to Settings>Energy>Startup automatically after power failure.

[@virtualdru]

I don't touch the power button too much. Sleep just does it's thing.

[@NickWilkes5166]

I genuinely don't get the power button argument. I can't tell you the last time my Macbook was turned off, except for when it restarts for a software update.

[@citywitt3202]

Drew. I am an Apple user. I am blind, for over fifteen years they made the only computers with free accessibility built in so I’ve owned over 10 macs, 5 iPhones, and multiple iPads. I also run a business. At the end of the day, the office computers get powered down for security. If it’s on over night, FileVault is effectively useless. I run Linux machines which draw less power than this that get the same treatment. I do not run windows. It’s also design which tells users how they should use the product. That’s just not flying with me these days, and it didn’t fly with anyone when Steve said you’re holding it wrong. Sorry but saying just keep it on is just no excuse for lousy design, and criticism of the products is only meant in the spirit that they should be doing better. Turn the internals upside down, put the power button as a touch sensor on top, that’d be cool and still mean it was easy enough to service.

[@LeoLau-ip9bv]

one reason or another they don't

[@jaybee5315]

it's not a lousy design. it's a "not for you" design. And it's ok to have your own opinion.

[@Warp2090]

@@jaybee5315 It is a lousy design lol.

[@GraveUypo]

logic doesn't work on sheeple.

[@matt_kelly]

My MacStudio is at the back of my desk and I have cables all managed so it's a pain for me to reach around my monitor and dock to hit a power button I can't see. Plus I store my trackpad and some sd cards and other clutter on top of the case. I could simply lift the mini and see the power button to hit it if need be, it's not really a big issue.

[@serqetry]

Couldn't agree with you more. Can't wait for mine to ship!!!

[@thenormalone6753]

In my opinion the new Mini is by far the best new Mac they introduced. Pretty much as big as a AppleTV, ports on the front, new interior design to be more powerful and more efficient and the same price

[@ghostraider4312]

I love the Mac Mini. Glad Apple even has such product. The wish though would be nice if they didn't charge a large premium for internal storage.

[@BlackHawkBricks]

As someone who is using an Intel Mac mini, it gets extremely hot, should I keep shutting it down every night?

[@Stop4MotionMakr]

This is the kind of authoritarianism I can get behind 😂

[@emiliomarquez2163]

I have a m1 Mac mini and I really like the new design and new base amount of ram. I just don’t like the power button placement but also dislike the previous one. Hope they also increase the base storage space like they did with the ram.

[@grizzlypaws461]

I ordered the base 16/256 M4 Mac mini 👍. I already have a 1tb external ssd so I’ll save things to that. Excited for Friday!

[@hearingtheuniverse]

Love the updated M4 Mini! I got a refurb M1 Mini with 16GB a few years ago, and it has been flawless. Hoping to ride it out until the M10 releases around 2030 🤞

[@bobmetzger51]

I was disappointed that the headphone jack was on the front. Thanks for reminding me that my monitor has a jack on the back,

[@wilty5]

The main problem I see is the price of the storage $2.5k for 8tb of storage alone + the cost of a specked out mini pro brings the cost to over $4k. Why is 8tb of storage worth over 5x the price?, the answer is Apple greed, gouging, and profit margin overkill. It’s ok to make a profit, that’s part of the reason they’re in business but there is a lot of profit already built into the Mac mini, so 5x the profit on a single component is outrageous.

[@AwesomeSauce81]

What monitor do you use? I'm thinking of a Dell 34" curved for my setup.

[@Kevin6t8]

I ordered the Base M4 Pro Mac Mini with the chip upgrade from 12 to 14 on the CPU cores and 16 to 20 on the GPU cores. For my use case , 24 Gb Ram is more than enough. I have external storage so 512Gb is fine.

[@trarroyo]

I had an Apple II in HS, a Mac Classic in college and a Quadra. Then in the 00’s I had a Intel Macbook Pro in 07, 13, 17, 19, and now an M1 Max 16in and M2 13” Macbook Pro as well as multiple iPads from Gen 1 and up to the 2022 M2 13 iPad. The power button is sucks.

[@Warp2090]

You are really lost arent you. Litterally no one used a mac in the 90's because they were garbage.

[@tim3172]

@@Warp2090 Apple II computers were *insanely* popular and were in huge numbers of school districts, libraries, and businesses. The iMac 1998 and 1999 (laptop) was beyond absurdly popular. You're just fabricating your own reality and "facts" at this point.

[@JessicaFEREM]

I don't know about you but I have to reboot my macbook at least once a week. I also use the power button as a login/logout button to lock my machine quickly. they could've made bread and turned the power button into a touchID one and like put it on the side or something

[@briancollier5145]

First time I have watched one of your videos. This is a great summary of the mac mini, which I am very interested in (replacing my old intel based macbook pro -don't need the mobility any longer). Look forward to future videos!

[@arondyte318]

I’m actually planning to get one of these and put it around the back of my TV (beside my Apple TV 4K), pair with a bluetooth keyboard/trackpad and use my TV as a monitor if needed.

[@ronaldborla4118]

people plug in their speakers on the headphones jack of the actual PC rather than the audio out of the monitor???

[@tendojoe]

And when I plug my speakers into my monitor's headphone jack, I lose volume control on my Mac. Volume control is now buried in a terrible menu system, with physical buttons, on my monitor.

[@aquilesriffo]

5:15 keeping a device turned off when not needed is a waste of money and electricity, even if the machine is energy-efficient

[@shokanzabikhanov5466]

What about pricing? If you want to upgrade from m4 macbook pro 512 to m4pro macbook pro 512, you additionally pay 400 usd, but if you want to upgrade from m4 macmini 512 to m4pro macmini 512, you additionally pay 600 usd?! Why???