Leave it on? Put it to sleep when you're done with it, and wake it up when you need to use it again. It's not a big deal.
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It's official. You have to lift up the mini to turn it on
- Thread starter tomtad
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Me. I switch my Mini on and off via power button. I don't use the computer more than twice a week so I switch it off.
This move from Apple is pretty daft
Indeed. It's kind of amusing that most people assume if you own a computer you must use it every day. In the end, whether one uses the button once an hour, once a day, once a week or once a year, it should be accessible without having to lift the computer off the desk for goodness sake. Especially in a world where stiff and inflexible thunderbolt cables are likely to be precariously hanging out of notoriously fragile, high wear USB-C sockets that have a habit of failing if you so much as look at them funny.
A disaster??
Oh, the internet never ceases to provide hysterical hyperbole and overreaction for the sake of it.
Disaster? Lift something small and light to press an easily feel-able power button. Come on.
This gotta be troll post. No way, still can’t believe it is true. Very sad.
With their “courage”, capacitive tech like new iPhone 16 shutter button, they could have easily built the button into the Apple logo.
With their “courage”, capacitive tech like new iPhone 16 shutter button, they could have easily built the button into the Apple logo.
Still at least it leaves room for 'power bottom' jokes
I recently had to think where power button was located on my m2 mini. Last time I pushed it was when unpacked it. It uses so little power I just leave it is sleep. Does it even need a power button? I have one on order. Doesn’t bother me that it is on bottom. Press it once when I setup and maybe never again!
Do you leave your oven on? Stationary objects have a different standard.
What keyboard?
This is a Mac Mini - bring your own display, keyboard and mouse. Not everybody wants a Tragic Keyboard.
Comments here saying "accidentally turning the device on while moving" is not a likely scenario cause you most likely hold it with one hand from top part of the device like a a mechanical claw. Since power cord and a usb-c will be connected you won't be able to grab that low while holding it. Alignment of the button would be same with outlets so it would most likely out of finger reach while moving the device.
Also a simple 2 sec press requirement to power up the device will be enough secure unwanted start ups, btw who would complain about an unwanted start up rather than lifting the device up every time to power on and which probably will cause device to move to one side a bit, ending up re aligning it on the desk every time you lift it up?
My personal design suggestions (as a designer) would be perhaps giving the device keyboard-magic mouse style power button. it will be easy to turn on and of with a simple push/pull with the tip of the finger nail, yet not prone to pressings.
Also a simple 2 sec press requirement to power up the device will be enough secure unwanted start ups, btw who would complain about an unwanted start up rather than lifting the device up every time to power on and which probably will cause device to move to one side a bit, ending up re aligning it on the desk every time you lift it up?
My personal design suggestions (as a designer) would be perhaps giving the device keyboard-magic mouse style power button. it will be easy to turn on and of with a simple push/pull with the tip of the finger nail, yet not prone to pressings.
It's not a crippling flaw, but still an avoidable one. There is a status LED on the front side. Why not use that as a power button? Just absurd.
However, it undermines my faith in the designers’ judgement - what other stupid decisions have been made under the hood? What equally stupid decisions will turn up in the new Studio?Heh. It's stupid, yes, but not quite a disaster I'd say.
The “I don’t need this feature therefore nobody else needs it” attitude is one thing coming from random pundits here - but it’s sad (but not new) to see Apple designers embracing it.
I’m imagining a ‘Mini-Phil Schiller’ with a tiny squeaky voice saying: ‘Can’t innovate my bottom!’
Oven has different safety parameters but comparison with the tv, A/C or even lights in rooms would be a better example. We don't turn off phones but they need to be turned off from time to time. Also phones are communication devices that does not require us to use them. Someone else can call us and for that matter we leave them on.
Simply defending a bad design choice by saying "nobody does that anymore" is lame, cause if you are a design student who would like to graduate, then you should be solving problems of the current design, improving it without causing new issues or turning something that works into a problem.
Apple always has bad design choices for the sake of look, so this also is basically one of them. Just like iPad Pro pencils. Placement of the pencil and case design that does not secure the pencil while carrying, not to mention the horrible angles of keyboard case that does not help drawing on it at all.
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Apple releases a really fantastic new Mac Mini and for Apple reasons they gotta do the power button at the bottom, that isn't reachable in normal orientation...
If they at least shipped/sold it with an included mount/stand, then I could see it make a bit of sense, so it's out of the way behind a monitor, but so then would be the other ports...
Anyway here's potential idea/solution
If they at least shipped/sold it with an included mount/stand, then I could see it make a bit of sense, so it's out of the way behind a monitor, but so then would be the other ports...
Anyway here's potential idea/solution
I'd be interested in such an add on "New Mac Mini's Top power button", if it was a finished product with a more robust material.
It is kinda silly to have to pick it up to turn it on but Apple is APPLE for a reason and they seem to know what their doing even though some of their choices are head scratchers.
Since the Mini's footprint is so small now, maybe Apple wants to remind you it's still there. That's why they put the button on the bottom. 🤪
Not really. The normal rack mounted ones are either scooped out of their enclosure and the power button wired up separately or there's a lever. It'll just be a different lever.
Therein lies the problem. We came from a time when we do not need to lift it to turn it on. If you can tell me in any way putting the button there is a quality of life upgrade then sure. But as much as you want to defend it, having to do something extra when we didn't have to in the past, this is still a downgrade.
I only have the use of one hand - it’s not going be easy to manipulate that shape to access the bottom even if it is light. Besides, any cables add extra downward pull. I’m sure Apple does their market research well (and then ignores it?) but I and everybody (whose habits) I know turns their home computer off at least overnight. I can find a mitigation of course - perhaps make a small wood or Perspex stand to look nice (like a previous poster I also wondered about turning it on its side but this might impact the temperature distribution?). It’s nice machine, I’m just hoping my current one lasts another 10 years till they renew the design.
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