Apple exec explains why the Mac mini M4’s power button is in such a weird place

There are a lot of incredible things about the Mac mini M4, such as its rock-solid performance and very compact design. The one thing that people haven’t been happy with is the placement of the power button. It’s on the bottom of the computer, and at the back, which makes it pretty inconveniently-located. Now one of Apple’s executives has responded to the controversy.

Speaking to Fast Company, Apple’s Vice President of Hardware Engineering Kate Bergeron discussed various aspects of the Mac mini M4’s design. Including the power button, whose placement is apparently due to Apple wanting to get “as much I/O onto this little product as we could”.

Apparently this “necessitates some choices in other things,” while also noting that the recessed lip on the Mac mini M4 means there’s “pretty good access” to the button. Bergeron also pointed out that most people don’t actually use the power button on Apple Silicon Macs and that “most people just allow the computer to go to sleep when not in use”. So Apple decided that having front-facing USB ports was more important than a more obvious power button.

I guess ease of access all depends on your setup and how you’ve got your Mac mini positioned. So if you need to switch off your machine regularly, you better account for that awkward positioning when you move it into its new home.

Also on the agenda was the subject of the Mac mini M4’s modular storage, which some people had assumed would offer the ability to easily upgrade — only for this not to be the case. In fact, the modular storage was apparently done out of necessity, due to the amount of stuff crammed inside the Mac mini.

The Mac Mini “is packed so tightly that actually, in the larger storage configurations, there’s not enough room on the main logic board to put the storage right onto the board,” according to Bergeron. So modular storage was employed so that Apple was actually able to offer larger storage options that otherwise wouldn’t have fit inside.

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