I’m not going to lie, the M4 Mac mini is incredibly exciting to me. I’ve been interested in the mini PC hype for a while due to its size and features, and fell in love with the Geekom Megamini G1 as a sophisticated gaming console alternative.
The last bastion is what I use on my desk. I’m currently connecting an M3 Pro MacBook Pro to a Ugreen Revodok Max 213. very It’s cluttered, and if I could get rid of all of this and create a 5 x 5 inch square pack, I’d have the clean setup of my dreams.
But there’s a problem. As we all know, Apple’s design team has been working almost entirely on creating hardware. Mostly…except for putting the ports on the underside of the Magic Mouse. Or rather, why would you leave something so important somewhere where you can’t use it?
And now, in a fleeting shot during Apple’s mini-keynote about the Mac mini, you can see the Cupertino staff at it again, shoving the power button under the corner of this aluminum box. Yes, I know this may sound like nitpicking on another level. This is on the same level as me trying to argue that coupons from my local Walmart that are over 5 years old are still valid.
However, there are some legitimate concerns here that are making me reconsider whether to buy it or choose one of the others. best mini pc You can get caught.
Form over function
Design decisions must achieve both of these equally. In other words, even though it looks nice, it doesn’t exist just for looks. Apple is typically good at balancing this tightrope with clean, functional hardware like the MacBook Pro and Apple Watch Ultra 2. It can be a little wobbly at times (when you look at it, the camera control buttons are randomly placed, making vertical shooting difficult). , the team made it work.
Placing the USB-C port directly in the center of the Magic Mouse’s base is an example of Apple falling off this tightrope. With literally any other wireless mouse, connecting a cable to charge it has no direct impact on its ability to use it. But in terms of keeping things clean, it’s physically impossible to use the Magic Mouse while it’s charging.
As for the Mac Mini, the power button isn’t directly in the center of the bottom, at least (it’s in one of the slightly raised corners), but the machine’s ultra-slim 2-inch height means that to turn it on, You will need to wiggle your thumb underneath and lift the machine slightly.
This may sound like the root of a first-world problem, but think about how mini PCs are integrated into your setup. You’ve seen the magic that my writer Anthony Spadafora does, right?
The main use of the Mini PC is to hide it as effectively as possible for a clean AF setup. This has two implications. One is memorizing the location, and the other is guesswork and pressing the power button. In that use case, putting a switch in such an unstable position makes it next level difficult to feel that switch.
In both situations, form completely takes over function.
What is the fix?
Well, for both Magic Mouse and Mac mini, it’s kind of easy. I know you’ve probably read hundreds of versions of this rant over the past few days, but let’s do something different and entertain Apple’s desire to hide buttons and ports.
For Magic Mouse, Qi wireless charging is right There. There are a lot of new mice that come equipped with this, completely eliminating the need for a visible charging socket. The easiest option would be to make the touch surface of the mouse a little higher and add a USB-C port on the front, but moving to wireless charging would be Apple’s way.
For the Mac mini, on the other hand, the main solution will always be “put the buttons on the front,” but let’s think like Apple and take a quick look at the AirPods 4. The case of these buds completely eliminates the need for physical buttons, replacing them with a touch-sensitive button area. Is it annoying? a bit. But at least it’s in a logical place for your fingers to go when pairing these little brighters.
Placing touch-sensitive buttons on the front, sides, or back of your Mac mini (preferably with raised protrusions around them so you can find them when hidden in your setup) makes it easier to hide the physical switches. Much better than hiding it somewhere.
However, in the meantime, please refrain from placing important interaction elements of your design in meaningless places that are hard to reach.
