The M4-powered Mac mini is an incredible machine overall. It’s an affordable little powerhouse, but as much as we love it, one thing about the redesign still has us scratching our heads: Why, oh why is the power button located on the underside?
Apple VPs Greg Jozwiak and John Ternus explained in an interview to a Chinese content creator on Billibilli (spotted and machine-translated by ITHome) that the main reason the power button is on the bottom of the 2024 Mac Mini is because of the computer’s size. Since it was nearly half the size of the previous generation, the underside was “kind of the optimal stop” for a power button. They also say most users “never use the power button” on a Mac, anyway.
Apple isn’t 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 much less space on your desk, which is great. The trade-off is that you run out of space for some important things, like a power button.
The power button is located on the bottom rear-left corner of the Mac mini. So if it’s sitting on your desk and you need to power it on, you have to reach around the back of the unit and slightly lift it. Since the Mac mini weighs just around 1.5 lbs, this is not a big deal for most people—it’s more of a pet peeve than anything else. The important things, like the Thunderbolt 5 and HDMI ports, are out where they should be.
Apple told Gizmodo something similar during a product briefing weeks ago: It found that most people put their Mac products to sleep when they’re not using them. Still, that didn’t stop DIYers from finding their own creative solutions to improve the Mac mini’s awkward power button before pre-orders went live.
I get it. I like to power off my devices once I’m done using them, and I’d argue that the most optimal spot for a button would be in a place that’s a lot more accessible. But what do I know? Until then, I guess I’m joining the dozens of Mac mini users who will just velcro the darn thing under my desk.