As I write this, I'm holding an Apple TV 4K in my hand, trying to imagine it in aluminum and as more than just a set-top streaming device. The tactile experiment is prompted by a fresh rumor from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, positing that the next Mac mini will be a design departure, shrinking to nearly the size of the Apple TV in my hand.
There were a lot of leaks in Gurman's posts about the already confirmed upcoming Apple Mac launch, which we expect this week.
The Mac mini rumor stuck out for me because I think it might change how people think about and use this sometimes dismissed or at least uncelebrated Mac. Starting at $499 (education price), the nearly three-pound computer has long been a relatively affordable entry point into the Mac arena. It lacks a keyboard, mouse, and display but also affords the budget-conscious a way to supply your own more affordable alternative accessories.
I've never considered the Mac mini a portable computer. It's a lot to throw in the backpack when you're not even getting a screen or keyboard to support it. This rumored redesign could change that.
The current Apple TV 4K is 3.66 inches x 3.66 inches by 1.2 inches tall and weighs less than half a pound. If the new Mac mini is close to that size, say 4 x 4 inches and 1.5 pounds, that might offer a different calculation when it comes to portability.
My thinking is that professionals and students who want, say, M4 power with them wherever they go – but would rather leave the MacBook behind – could throw this new Mac mini into their backpack (with a power source, I assume). When they arrive at a library, dorm room office, or someone else's home, they can just hook up to any available display, keyboard, and mouse, and get to work. The rumored extra ports on the front for additional accessories you can borrow is just icing on the cake.
I'd probably travel with my mouse of choice if it were me. However, I would assume someone has a decent Bluetooth keyboard I could borrow.
In a school scenario, districts could hand these little boxes to students for them to take home. Not only is the portability a plus but there are no moving or fragile (think a glass-covered display) to damage.
Hold the price line
Naturally, this won't work if Apple raises the price of the new Mac mini, charging a premium for this shrinkdown. The $100 discount for education should be included in the newest model. If not, it'll be a big missed opportunity for Apple.
Beyond education, I think creative professionals will love having their favorite platform in their backpack if they show up at a client who doesn't have a Mac on the premises. The benefit is that they can connect to the largest screen in the office for maximum workspace without lugging around a hefty 16-inch MacBook Pro.
In the home, you can hide multiple Mac minis as you squirrel away the all-black Apple TV 4K boxes underneath your TV. A small computer connected to a TV just waiting to do your Apple Intelligence bidding. It probably wouldn't even look out of place in the kitchen. I would, though, request some more color options on these ultra-tiny Macs.
I get that none of this works if Apple only gives the M4 Mac mini a shave instead of a haircut. A 6-inch Mac Mini would not be the radical redesign I imagined.
You might think I'm focusing on minutiae, touting a potentially minor change, but as I often like to say, it's the little – or mini-er – things that truly count.
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