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Mac mini - page 10

Mac mini rig’s monster monitor pushes standing desk to limit [Setups]

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That 38-inch monitor is almost too much for the standing desk to handle.
That 38-inch monitor is almost too much for the standing desk to handle.
Photo: [email protected]

In a world of ever-increasing monitor sizes (and weights), you need a pretty tough, supportive desk — especially if it’s a motorized one for sitting or standing. Otherwise, the whole thing might wobble all over the place under the combined, imbalanced weight of your fabulous gear.

Today’s featured Mac mini computer setup copes with an electric desk that struggles under the weight of a behemoth of a curved ultra-wide monitor.

Mac mini with Apple M2 processor appears on retailer website

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Apple M1 Mac mini
A Mac mini with a faster M2 chip could be right around the corner.
Photo: Apple

An unannounced Mac mini is now listed on the B&H website, though without full product details. The desktop’s most eye-catching feature is an Apple M2 processor, which also has not yet been announced.

In addition, the retailer lists a “Mac mini Tower” running an M1 Pro. Both products are labeled as “New Item – Coming Soon.”

Would this dual Studio Display rig be your ‘dream setup?’ [Setups]

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This is someone's dream setup. Is it yours?
This is someone's dream setup. Is it yours?
Photo: [email protected]

You look at enough computer setups online and you realize people are never really done with them. There’s always something to add. It could be some gear got held up by shipping delays, or the setup’s owner got a sudden urge to try another type of input device or some other gadget. And people often take ages to tame the cable clutter.

So you rarely see people claiming a setup’s done for good. Or it’s the best it can be. Or it’s the proverbial “dream setup.”

But sometimes they say that. Today’s setup got called a “dream setup” by its proud owner. Would you agree?

This M1 Mac mini deal is too good to miss [It’s back!]

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The Mac mini M1 on the right may not be living up to house audio standards.
Grab the M1 Mac mini at its lowest price ever
Photo: skylar_schutz@Reddit

Looking to get the best possible deal on the M1 Mac mini? Amazon is just brought back its whopping $129 discount on the machine. That means you pay just $569.99 — down from the Mac mini’s retail price of $699.

A coupon, automatically applied at checkout for a limited time, makes this the lowest price for the M1 Mac mini so far.

Traveling musician takes his Mac mini rig on the road [Setups]

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It beats paying for a MacBook Pro. Or does it?
It beats paying for a MacBook Pro. Or does it?
Photo: [email protected]

Apple products are famously not cheap. So much so that some people will go to considerable lengths to avoid shelling out for a new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or iPad with keyboard. Today’s featured computer setup belongs to a traveling musician (famously not rich).

He takes his Mac mini on the road with him. Of course, with a Mac mini, you also need some sort of display and input devices, as in a keyboard and a mouse or trackpad. And you have to find room and set it all up wherever you lay your head.

Is it worth it? For some people, it is. We’ll explain why.

Apple shows off sound artists’ use of Macs for Star Wars Day

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At Skywalker Ranch, Skywalker Sound’s world-class artists create the world’s most recognizable sounds for films like the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.
At Skywalker Ranch, Skywalker Sound’s world-class artists create the world’s most recognizable sounds for films like the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" franchises.
Photo: Apple

Happy Star Wars Day — even if you didn’t know that was a thing. Apple is celebrating the nerdy holiday by showcasing the widespread use of Macs and iOS devices at Skywalker Sound.

Festivities include the release of a “Behind the Mac” YouTube video and feature article about the audio artists at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, along with a special online “Today at Apple” session about creating Star Wars sound effects.

Studio Display setup dresses to the nines in silver and black [Setups]

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The Studio Display now has silver-and-black peripherals and a MacBook Pro rather than a Mac mini.
Silver-and-black peripherals have joined the Studio Display and MacBook Pro in this setup.
Photo: [email protected]

There are two types of people in the world. There’s the person who happily tosses a bunch of mismatched gear on a desk and calls it a setup. Then there’s the person with properly placed objects, minimal-to-no cable clutter and careful color choices — down to the charging-pad-and-braided-cable level.

Today’s featured setup clearly belongs to the second type of person.

Mac mini rig enjoys maximum display space plus The Max Stand [Setups]

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That's a massive amount of screen real estate.
That's a massive amount of screen real estate.
Photo: [email protected]

When a computer setup sports massive curved and stacked displays, it can be easy to miss other details. Today’s featured Mac mini setup features a 32-inch curved monitor sitting on top of a super-ultra-wide screen spanning a jaw-dropping 49 inches.

But a tiny object sitting off to the right in the photograph quietly steals the limelight. Look at what the AirPods Max headphones are sitting on.

Telling a marvelous Mac mini workstation story in pictures [Setups]

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The computer setup was updated this month and it couldn't be much nicer.
The computer setup was updated this month and it couldn't be much nicer.
Photo: [email protected]

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. So today’s M1 Mac mini-driven computer setup, with eight smashing photos, must be roughly equivalent to 8,000 words. But instead of burying you in a horrible cascade of text, we’ll let the pictures tell most of the elegant rig’s story.

The newly updated setup has some exceedingly nice touches. Each of the photos below includes a little commentary.

First Macs with M2 processor might take the stage at WWDC22

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Apple M2 chipset
The M2 processor could be a highlight of WWDC22.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

The wait for a redesigned MacBook Air with an M2 processor will be over soon, if a tipster is correct. The notebook will supposedly be announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June. And a version of the Mac mini with the M2 allegedly will be unveiled at the same time.

If true, these will be the first Macs with the improved replacement for Apple’s M1 processor.

Simple Mac mini workstation packs more than meets the eye [Setups]

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This computer setup simply has more in it than there appears.
This computer setup simply has more in it than there appears.
Photo: [email protected]

At a glance, today’s featured computer setup appears simpler than it really is. It showcases a Mac mini, a pair of mounted monitors and some typical-looking input devices. A row of water bottles stands to the right because the owner, who lives in India, is big on hydration as summer hits the subcontinent.

But there’s more to the setup than meets the eye. And some of it escapes the camera’s lens.

Apple preps 9 Macs with new M2 processor

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M2 MacBook Pro
Is a new M2 chip right around the corner?
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly has half a dozen Macs with the next-generation M2 processor in testing. These are a mix of MacBooks and desktops.

Some supposedly will arrive later in 2022, but Apple won’t release the rest until 2023.

Is it OK to use a Mac mini as a stand for your display? [Setups]

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Is it OK to rest your display on top of your Mac mini?
Is it OK to rest your display on top of your Mac mini?
Photo: [email protected]

We’ve written about storing a Mac mini in an upright rather than a flat position to save space. It’s OK to do if the machine’s intake and exhaust vents are not blocked. But what about using your Mac mini as a stand for a display, as in today’s featured computer setup?

It’s not necessarily quite as cut-and-dried as the upright mini question. Whether it’s totally fine or a little risky depends a little more on the specific Mac mini and the kind of monitor you use.

Apple’s massive Mac mini upgrade may not be ready until 2023

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Apple Mac mini 2018
Mac mini's next refresh is coming, just not in a hurry.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s next major refresh for Mac mini may not come until 2023, according to the latest claims from one analyst, who has proven reliable in the past.

Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities this week revised his predictions for the next-generation compact desktop, which he previously expected to see this year. It could now launch alongside the first Mac Pro with Apple silicon.

Apple’s next Mac mini could be powered by new ‘M2’ and ‘M2 Pro’ chips

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Mac shipments skyrocket as pandemic drags on
The M2 chip will be based on A15 Bionic, sources say.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s next-generation Mac mini will be its first machine to offer new “M2” and “M2 Pro” chips, according to a new report. The new compact desktop, which is said to be codenamed “J473” internally, is expected to launch in 2022.

Sources say Apple originally planned to make Mac mini significantly more powerful by adding its beefy M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets. But those plans were supposedly scrapped in favor of the all-new Mac Studio.

BRB: Apple Store goes down ahead of Peek Performance event

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Apple Store down iPhone 13
New products on the way!
Image: Apple

With just hours to go until Apple kicks off its big Peek Performance event, the Apple Store has predictably closed its virtual doors.

“Be right back” reads the message that greets visitors who attempt to purchase anything through the company’s website this morning. When it returns, we expect a whole bunch of new additions, including an iPhone SE with 5G.

Penny pinchers turn headless MacBooks into hot commodity

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MacBook without screen connected to external monitor
According to Twitter user DuanRui, "More and more people are buying a MacBook Pro without a screen to use as a Mac mini."
Photo: @duanrui1205/Twitter

A MacBook with a broken screen can seem like a nightmare scenario. You’re stuck with a computer you can’t use and a repair bill that can easily exceed $600. But it turns out, for some people, a MacBook without a screen is actually the perfect machine.

How to watch Apple’s big ‘Peek Performance’ event

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Watch Apple's Peek Performance event
Don't miss Apple's newest announcements.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

We’re just a day away from Apple’s big “Peek Performance” event, which is expected to bring upgraded iPhone, iPad and Mac models. Cupertino could also have other sweet surprises up its sleeve — like a new desktop display.

Whatever the case may be, you won’t want to miss it if you’re an Apple fan. And you don’t have to! Here’s how to stream the enter March 8 event live.

This M1 Mac mini is just as speedy as the real thing — but 78% smaller!

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Smaller M1 Mac mini custom build
Looks like an Apple TV, but packs all the power of an M1 Mac mini.
Photo: Quinn Nelson/Snazzy Labs

Apple could make the Mac mini, its smallest desktop, even smaller if it really wanted to. One YouTuber proved that by taking the machine’s internals and packing them into a custom shell that’s 78% more compact than the original.

It’s just as fast as an unadulterated M1 Mac mini, but looks more like an Apple TV (in size, at least) than a powerful desktop. And it has MagSafe charging!

Should every workstation have a 3D printer? [Setups]

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The 3D printer at left helped make other parts of this computer setup.
The 3D printer at left helped make other parts of this computer setup.
Photo: [email protected]

You still rarely see a computer setup with a 3D printer in it. Today’s featured setup is an exception. You can see the printer against the wall on the left in the photo above.

Probably more workstations in the near future will have them. Why? Not only are they becoming more affordable, you can use them to make parts of the setup!

Chrome OS Flex turns 2009 MacBook into a useful computer again

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Chrome OS Flex turns 2009 MacBook into a useful computer again
Transform your old Mac into a Chromebook with Chrome OS Flex
Photo: Google

If you have an elderly Mac that’s not up to the demands of the latest macOS version, you can turn it into a Chromebook. All you need is Chrome OS Flex, an operating system Google created for older Macs and PCs.

The OS is still in beta, and targeted at businesses and schools. Nevertheless, it might become a way to bring some new life to your obsolete Mac.

Apple registers 3 new Mac models ahead of rumored spring event

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M2 MacBook Pro
Is a new M2 chip right around the corner?
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Regulatory filings for three new Mac models have been spotted ahead of Apple’s rumored spring event next month. Recent reports suggest Cupertino could be planning a new MacBook Pro with a next-generation “M2” chipset. Rumors also indicate Apple continues to work on a bigger iMac, a new MacBook Air and a new Mac mini.

The filings come after Apple last month registered a new iPhone and a new iPad — believed to be an upgraded iPhone SE with 5G support and a refreshed iPad Air likely to pack the newest A15 Bionic processor.

Sonnet’s new adapters run two 4K displays from one port on your M1 Mac

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Connect two 4K displays to one port on your Mac with Sonnet's new adapters.
Connect two 4K displays to one port on your Mac with Sonnet's new adapters.
Photo: Sonnet Technologies

If you want to run more than one display with your M1 MacBook Air or M1 MacBook Pro, Sonnet Technologies just made things easier. The company rolled out new dual-display adapters that let you hook up two 4K displays to your laptop using just one of its precious few ports.

Apple readies its ‘widest array’ of new products ever for this fall

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Tim Cook is keeping quiet about Apple TV+ subscriber numbers for now.
Credit cards at the ready!
Photo: Apple

Apple is preparing to launch the “widest array” of new products in its history, according to a new report. This fall is expected to bring new iPhone models, a more affordable MacBook Pro, and big refreshes for iMac and Mac Pro.

That’s in addition to a “revamped” MacBook Air, new AirPods Pro, and lots more. Apple is also said to be preparing an iPhone SE refresh for this spring.