Newsletter Archives

• The problems and joys of assembling a Mac mini

  Posted on February 3, 2025 at 02:43 CST by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  This is not your daddy’s Mac mini. Unlike minis of old, you’ll need some bits and pieces to get it ready to power on.

  Although the original Mac mini was introduced in 2005, it wasn’t until 2006 that Apple replaced the PowerPC G4 CPU with an Intel CPU — at the time a Core Solo and almost immediately upgraded to a Core Duo. The rear port configuration changed, with the large DVI connector replaced by smaller mini-DVI and mini-DisplayPort connections. In 2009, Apple began shipping models that included Mini-DVI-to-DVI and Mini-DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter cables as well as more USB-A ports.

  At that moment, Apple began to actively market the Mac mini as an attractive alternative to Windows PC users because it became port-compatible with peripherals the user already had. This made it possible to buy nothing more than the Mac mini, with no extras required.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.05.0, 2025-02-03).

  Public Defender Apple, Apple M4, Mac mini, Newsletters, Peripherals

• Incase, redux

  Posted on January 3, 2025 at 03:00 CST by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  

  A few weeks ago, I noted that Incase had not seemed to make much progress towards its stated goal of having “Designed by Microsoft” products available in 2024. Beating that goal by mere days, the company added a Designed by Microsoft section to its website listing 17 products, with 11 “coming soon” and the rest available for shipping.

  On Thursday, Incase announced a new addition to the lineup, the Ergonomic Compact Keyboard (left). The keyboard will be displayed at the 2025 Computer Electronics Show in Las Vegas starting next Tuesday. A notable feature is the inclusion of a Copilot key next to the righthand Alt key, replacing the longstanding, righthand Windows key.

  Incase also announced that its products would be available through Amazon and BestBuy.com. Incase already has an Amazon page, but the Designed by Microsoft products are not yet displayed there. Some of them can be found by searching.

  I’m glad to see some of these products on the market again. It remains to be seen whether they match the quality of their Microsoft predecessors.

  Hardware Designed by Microsoft, Incase, Keyboards, Mice, Peripherals