Apple’s new Mac mini with M4 will hit store shelves on November 8. Even before many people get their hands on it, designers are already trying to fix an alleged flaw in its design. The Mac mini places the power button on the bottom of the device. In response, DIYers have come up with a few novel ways to open it without digging under with their fingers like a blind mouse searching for its burrow.
The previous Mac mini was much taller than the smaller Mac, at 5- by 5-inches, although the new version is about .5 inches taller than before. Apple’s previous small desktop device also stood very flat on the desk, and the company put an “on” button on the back near the power port. The new Mac mini packs three Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 USB-C (with a better port limited to the version with M4 Pro chips), HDMI, and a power port. The power button is instead located at the bottom of the device on a raised shelf above the fan and exhaust.
While that button isn’t hard to press, especially since the device weighs only 1.5 pounds, it’s certainly not the most intuitive design. Apple expects most people to sleep, and they won’t need to use the power button. Besides, a few people on the internet who know that they might want to press a button more often have made their own 3D models of switch buttons.
One of the most notable designs comes from self-described hardware hacker Ivan Kulashov. On his Twitter page, Kulashov unveiled iFixTheButton, a simple 3D-printed single-hinge design that acts as a power switch patch. He said he modeled the iFixTheButton based on Apple’s specified dimensions and then uploaded it to the 3D model, saying, “[I] believe it will work.” You have included links to the files for anyone to download and print.
Although it seems simple and effective, I am more interested in one of Kulashov’s designs. He showed a rendering of a circular pad that the Mac mini might sit on. The idea is that the user can press the Mac mini itself down on the soft pads. When pressed, a raised nub on the side of the pad will hit the power button to turn it on.
Japanese Twitter user @shapoco has created another double-hinged power button presser. It sits on top of the Mac mini, and when you press down on the lever, it should press a button. The creator wrote in his account—as written in a machine translation—that they “just wanted to make it easier to press the power button” and weren’t trying to criticize Apple’s design decisions.
They added, “I already understand Apple’s intention to put the power button on the bottom, but since I ordered a Mac mini for occasional verification, I probably won’t use it often and I may touch its power button more than others.”
There is a lot of 3D printing making the rounds. One is from user danielha2058, who made his print available on MakerWorld. This design includes a pole and a button at the top. When pressed, it rotates the flipper down with enough force to hopefully turn the Mac mini on or off.
The Mac mini isn’t available to consumers yet, so it’s hard to say whether any of these designs will do the job. Still, it’s always good to see independent developers solving problems, even those caused by multi-billion dollar companies.
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