Apple Explains the Unconventional Positioning of Mac Mini's Power Button Due to Design Constraints
The M4-equipped Mac mini is an outstanding device overall. It's an affordable and potent mini-computer, but despite our affection for it, there's one aspect of the redesign that continues to confound us: Why, oh why is the power button situated on the underside?
Apple executives Greg Jozwiak and John Ternus explained in an interview with a Chinese content creator on Billibilli (discovered and translated by ITHome) that the main reason the power button is positioned on the bottom of the 2024 Mac Mini is due to the device's size. As it was about half the size of the previous generation, the underside became "quite possibly the optimal spot" for a power button. They also mentioned that most users "rarely use the power button" on a Mac, anyway.
Apple isn't entirely wrong here. The Mac mini measures 5 x 5 x 2 inches, compared to 7.75 x 7.75 x 1.4 inches from the last generation; it takes up significantly less space on your desk, which is an advantage. The disadvantage is that you end up losing space for essential features, such as a power button.
The power button is located on the bottom left rear corner of the Mac mini. So if it's on your desk and you need to power it on, you'll need to reach around the back of the unit and slightly lift it. Since the Mac mini weighs roughly 1.5 lbs, this isn't a significant problem for most people—it's more of an annoyance than anything else. The essential features, like the Thunderbolt 5 and HDMI ports, are in their proper places.
Apple informed Gizmodo something similar during a product briefing several weeks ago: Most people put their Mac products into sleep mode when they're not using them. Still, that didn't stop DIYers from coming up with their own imaginative solutions to improve the Mac mini's awkwardly positioned power button before pre-orders went live.
I understand. I like to power off my devices once I'm finished using them, and I'd argue that the most optimal location for a button would be considerably more accessible. But what do I know? Until then, I suppose I'll be joining the multitude of Mac mini users who will simply stick the blasted thing under my desk.
In the future, advancements in tech and technology might lead to more innovative solutions for placing power buttons, making it less prevalent for users to physically interact with them frequently. Despite Apple's assertion that most users seldom use the power button on a Mac, many still find the Mac mini's placement of the power button inconvenient, leading some DIY enthusiasts to develop workarounds before pre-orders began.
