Mac mini - page 5

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: RB2706@Reddit.com

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.

Two secrets of super-clean desktops [Setups]

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Dual, mounted monitors and an M1 hidden Mac mini make for a clean desktop.
Dual, mounted monitors and an M1 hidden Mac mini make for a clean desktop.
Photo: kurtvdpoel@Reddit.com

We keep coming across two great secrets of super-clean desktops when it comes to computer setups. As shown in today’s featured setup, they’re both about creating significant amounts of open desk space in different ways — without losing any access to your gear or forfeiting any computing power.

And we’re not just talking about clearing away basic clutter, or even cable clutter, although that always helps. We’re talking about how you can get some of your main equipment up and off the desk so you have room in front of you. Redditor kurtvdpoel demonstrates the two excellent methods in his post, “Home office with Mac mini Apple M1.”

Dual M1 Mac and PS5 gaming rig boasts blazing-fast displays [Setups]

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Dual M1 Mac and PS5 gaming rig boasts blazing-fast displays [Setups]: When you've got that need for speed ...
When you've got that need for speed ...
Photo: smhppp@reddit.com

If you’re an avid gamer, or maybe just an aspiring one, it pays to know which displays and accessories will best serve your needs. Not just any display, input device and headset will keep up with today’s graphically rich games. The dual M1 Mac and Sony PlayStation 5 computer setup we look at today demonstrates some good choices you might consider.

Redditor smhppp uses an M1 Mac mini for personal uses, an M1 MacBook Air for work and a Sony PS5 for gaming. They showed their setup in a post entitled, “Current setup, spec in comments for those interested.” It’s one of those one-vertical-and-one horizontal-display setups so many people are trying lately.

Ghostly white M1 Mac mini centers a ‘sacrilegious’ sound machine [Setups]

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Everything is white, even the M1 Mac mini. But how did that happen? Apple doesn't make it in white.
Everything is white, even the M1 Mac mini. But how did that happen? Apple doesn't make it in white.
Photo: Clifferent_Enough@Reddit.com

If you look up “11.11” in the Slang Dictionary, it says, “If it’s 11:11, make a wish! Some people believe 11:11 is a magic number or lucky time of day, good for making a wish … or reaching cosmic enlightenment.” Well, if something’s enlightened, or at least en-whitened, it’s today’s Mac mini-based setup.

It’s all there in black and white, really, with “11.11” writ large on the dual displays — probably via the Fliqlo screensaver, though it could be a clock app — and Nintendo gaming consoles aplenty.

Where did you get that wonderful wallpaper? Here are 11 sources. [Setups]

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Fine setup, but where did you get that wallpaper?
Fine setup, but where did you get that wallpaper?
Photo: hugoaperezh@Reddit.com

One of the questions you see most in the comments sections of posts about computer setups on social media is: Where did you get that wallpaper? To many folks, the setup may be fine and dandy, but what they really care about is not so much the fancy hardware, but the imagery on the display that they might easily get for themselves.

Today’s setup is a prime example. It made us look back at 10 great wallpaper sources we’ve come across, below. That’s 11, actually, including today’s subject.

Clean M1 Mac mini station is an audio-visual beast [Setups]

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This clean, M1 Mac mini-based setup packs a lot of audio-visual firepower.
This clean, M1 Mac mini-based setup packs a lot of audio-visual firepower.
Photo: Halzen@Reddit.com

Some computer setups are remarkably cool for their awesome computing power. Others wow you with incredible displays, with several high-def monitors. And still others blow you away with premium sound. Or, in the case of today’s featured setup, premium audio-visual gear many people would be psyched to get their hands on.

Apple has big plans for 2022, including iPad Pro and MacBook Air overhauls

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Apple in 2022
It could be another great year.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly plans ambitious upgrades for a number of its hottest products in 2022, including major revamps for iPad Pro and MacBook Air — as well as an Apple silicon boost for the Mac Pro. Mac mini is also expected to see a refresh.

What’s more, the next-generation Apple Watch will come in a “ruggedized version aimed at extreme sports athletes.”

The best Cyber Monday deals on Apple’s hottest devices

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Apple Cyber Monday deals
Enjoy the discounts before they disappear.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Black Friday is over for another year, but Cyber Monday has just begun, which means there’s still time to enjoy big discounts on Apple devices.

AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad and more are currently available at tasty discounts from third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. And to make shopping a little easier, we rounded up all the best deals on Apple’s hottest gear.

M1 all around: Mac mini and iPad Pro drive developer’s workstation [Setups]

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The M1 Mac mini is paired with a 32-inch Samsung 4K monitor, a Keychron Q1 mechanical keyboard and a Logitech MX Master 3 mouse.
The M1 Mac mini is paired with a 32-inch Samsung 4K monitor, a Keychron Q1 mechanical keyboard and a Logitech MX Master 3 mouse.
Photo: PJ Flordeliz
Sometimes you see a workstation and you can pretty much tell by the gear what its owner does for a living. Today’s featured setup has an M1 Mac mini, a 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro and an Acer laptop, plus a custom mechanical keyboard, a network switch and a huge external hard drive. That led me to guess the person might be a IT staffer or a software developer. And I was right.

Keyboards collide: Apple Magic vs. Logitech MX Keys [Setups]

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People choose sides in a fight between a Magic Keyboard and a Logitech MX Master Keys.
People choose sides in a fight between a Magic Keyboard and a Logitech MX Master Keys.
Photo: iimaaduddin@Reddit.com

In a knock-down, drag-out fight between an Apple Magic Keyboard and one of its most popular alternatives, the Logitech MX Keys wireless keyboard, which would win? Actually, it might be more of a minor dust-up than a brawl. Maybe just a slightly heated discussion among proudly opinionated nerds, even.

Hello, 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook; goodbye, 3 external displays? [Setups]

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Can you have three external monitors with a new M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook?
Can you have three external monitors with a new M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook?
Photo: HerrAusragend@Reddit.com

Let’s say you get one of Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptops — the 14-inch or the 16-inch with either the M1 Pro or the M1 Max chip. Do you still face the external display limitations seen in the M1 MacBooks (just one external monitor), or something similar? This is bound to be a common question leading to folks struggling to figure out what should work using the dreaded “pixel math.”

M1 Mac mini and gaming PC share massive screen real estate [Setups]

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Who says a Mac mini and a gaming PC can't get along just fine?
Who says a Mac mini and a gaming PC can't get along just fine?
Photo: ghostintheshell@Reddit.com

Who says an M1 Mac mini and a revved-up gaming PC can’t get along? Macs aren’t known to excel at gaming, so it’s natural for many folks to keep a Mac alongside a tricked-out gaming rig. These days, it’s easy to switch back and forth, as we’ll see in today computer setup featuring a massive TV screen and a slightly more modest monitor.

Blow your ears clean off with perfectly mounted desktop speakers [Setups]

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Ready, aim, fire! Get the perfect sound with mounted desktop speakers.
Ready, aim, fire! Get the perfect sound with mounted desktop speakers.
Photo: rovervogue@reddit.com

These days, you can find computers and monitors with pretty good speakers. Or you can set up a pair HomePod minis or some other nice little Bluetooth speakers for solid computer setup sound.

But some people aren’t happy unless they have massive audio power on the desktop, complete with perfectly positioned speaker stands for maximum balance and clarity — and all of their speakers’ impressive wattage pointed right at their face.