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Make the Mac Mini a Close to-Excellent Desktop Laptop

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Make the Mac Mini a Close to-Excellent Desktop Laptop

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Key Takeaways

  • The Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac Mini/Studio provides important ports and storage choices seamlessly to the gadget, enhancing its capabilities whereas mixing in with the Mac desktops.
  • Though missing Thunderbolt, this accent is powered by the Mac Mini/Studio itself, eliminating the necessity for an exterior energy brick.
  • The Satechi Stand & Hub considerably improves the performance of the Mac Mini/Studio with out requiring any inner part upgrades, making it vital accent.


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The Mac Mini and Mac Studio are nice computer systems however lack satisfactory entrance ports. The Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac Mini / Studio provides a microSD slot, a full-size SD slot, a headphone jack, three USB-A ports, and a USB-C port—all to the entrance of the gadget—and all pulling from a single USB-C port that plugs into the again of the pc. As well as, an NVMe slot (what’s NVMe?) on the underside of the stand can be utilized so as to add further quick storage.

That is Satechi’s second iteration of the Stand and Hub accent, and it’s almost excellent. The one factor missing is a Thunderbolt port and passthrough energy.

satechi stand and hub for mac mini studio thumbnail

Satechi Stand and Hub for Mac Mini / Studio

The Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac Mini / Studio with NVMe SSD Enclosure is an enormous improve for anybody utilizing a Mac Mini or a Mac Studio. This accent provides each ports and a storage possibility, all whereas mixing in seamlessly with the Mac Desktop, trying extra just like the lacking piece slightly than a third-party add-on. Sadly, this add-on lacks Thunderbolt. Nevertheless, the Mac Mini powers it, so it doesn’t want an exterior energy brick. This Stand and Hub from Satechi makes the beloved Mac Mini or Mac Studio an much more spectacular gadget with out upgrading the pc’s inner elements. 

Ports
3x USB-A, 1x USB-C, 1x 3.5m, 1x MicroSD, 1x SD

USB Energy Supply
No

Guarantee
1 Yr

Value
$99

Dimensions
7.8 x 7.8 x 0.9 in (20 x 20 x 2.29cm)—the identical footprint because the Mac Mini and Studio

Supported HDD sizes
NVMe, M.2 SATA

Execs

  • Seven further ports
  • Built-in NVMe / M.2 SATA enclosure
  • Easy setup
Cons

  • No Thunderbolt ports
  • Ports are knowledge solely; no energy supply

Design: An Extension of the Attractive Mac Mini/Studio

Most third-party equipment seem like third-party equipment. This stand from Satechi, with its shade matching and related supplies, appears like an official Apple extension of the Mac Mini / Studio. The perimeters line up completely, and the bottom of the pc nestles into the highest of this stand with lovely precision.

The bottom view of the Satechi hub
Jerome Thomas / MakeUseOf

For Mac Studios, the added ports increase the capabilities much more, granting further SD Card ports and extra legacy USB-A ports for these older model cameras, MIDI controllers, audio interfaces, or no matter else you might be utilizing the Mac Studio’s energy for. These additions make the Mac Studio really feel like a Mac Studio Plus, if we had been to proceed Apple’s considerably ridiculous nomenclature.

Unboxed view of the stand displaying the Satechi logo
Jerome Thomas / MakeUseOf

For the Mac Mini, the Satechi Stand and Hub make the funds pc really feel just like the considerably dearer Mac Studio with out the worth hike. You will get the ports you in any other case wouldn’t have, all whereas preserving the Mac Mini’s minimal and exquisite footprint.

The Lacking Piece of the Mac Mini

The Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac Mini / Studio with NVMe storage fills a significant position within the Mac Mini’s design, elegantly addressing the necessity for added connectivity and user-upgradeable storage. Due to the Mac Mini’s unbelievable worth and energy, an increasing number of persons are utilizing the funds desktop for more and more complicated duties and workflows. Including these ports to the entrance helps preserve litter to a minimal for many who need the ports with out including extra to their workspace.

The bottom view of the Satechi stand and hub
Jerome Thomas / MakeUseOf

I’ve used this stand and hub on my Mac Mini and a Mac Studio, and I can let you know that the $99 accent has added excess of $99 of worth to my machine in each instances. I’ve by no means been eager on twisting the pc round to discover a USB-A port to plug in a dongle, keyboard, USB Drive, or cable to cost my keyboard—and this solves it.

I additionally discovered the MicroSD card and SD card slots useful for transferring footage and knowledge from my digital camera, or to my 3D printer (wish to study extra about 3D Printing?). The USB-C port got here in useful as effectively, once more, so I would not must twist the pc round or really feel for the Thunderbolt port so I might switch knowledge to my moveable SSD.

Close up of the NVME slot with included screwdriver and screw
Jerome Thomas / MakeUseOf

On my Mac Studio setup, the place a few of my staff edit pictures and movies, we discovered the extra SD card slots remarkably useful. Nevertheless, we did observe that the USB-C port was considerably slower than the Thunderbolt ports proper subsequent it (on the entrance of the Mac Studio). I will not complain an excessive amount of, although, as this Satechi Stand and Hub just isn’t externally powered and is, due to this fact, pulling all of its energy by way of a single USB-C/Thunderbolt.

Lastly, as purposes and recordsdata develop, even a few-year-old base mannequin Mac Mini can run out of house rapidly. I normally plug in an SSD, and I’m superb. Nevertheless, with this hub’s addition, I picked up an NVMe drive to strive on this dock. Liberating up one other port and never having a drive sit on my desk, including litter, was an excellent expertise. The NVMe is loopy quick, so quick that we might edit movies off of it on the Mac Studio, or run purposes from it on the Mac Mini.

Satechi has additionally designed the NVMe slot to simply accept M.2 SATA drives, opening up much more prospects in expanded storage. Time Machine (learn how to use Time Machine to again up your Mac) will also be used for fast and painless pc backups with this NVMe/M.2 SATA drive, simply as rapidly as it may be used as a further storage drive.

The bottom view of the Satechi hub
Jerome Thomas / MakeUseOf

An Apparent Selection for the Mac Mini and Studio

Total, the Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac Mini / Studio is a unbelievable accent that, after you have it, you possibly can’t think about not having it. Sadly, it’s lacking a Thunderbolt port, however that is comprehensible, given it isn’t externally powered.

If I might design the right Mac Mini/Studio accent, I’d mix the Satechi Stand & Hub with OWC’s miniStack STX to create one important tremendous accent—with entrance port, rear ports, Thunderbolt port, and extra storage enlargement choices. Till then, I’ll proceed to stack all three of those merchandise to make my very personal Tremendous Mac Mini Extremely Plus Plus.

satechi stand and hub for mac mini studio thumbnail

Satechi Stand and Hub for Mac Mini / Studio

The Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac Mini / Studio with NVMe SSD Enclosure is an enormous improve for anybody utilizing a Mac Mini or a Mac Studio. This accent provides each ports and a storage possibility, all whereas mixing in seamlessly with the Mac Desktop, trying extra just like the lacking piece slightly than a third-party add-on. Sadly, this add-on lacks Thunderbolt. Nevertheless, the Mac Mini powers it, so it doesn’t want an exterior energy brick. This Stand and Hub from Satechi makes the beloved Mac Mini or Mac Studio an much more spectacular gadget with out upgrading the pc’s inner elements. 

Ports
3x USB-A, 1x USB-C, 1x 3.5m, 1x MicroSD, 1x SD

USB Energy Supply
No

Guarantee
1 Yr

Value
$99

Dimensions
7.8 x 7.8 x 0.9 in (20 x 20 x 2.29cm)—the identical footprint because the Mac Mini and Studio

Supported HDD sizes
NVMe, M.2 SATA

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