Cross posting for poll:

I don’t have a big enough following to get the data, but y’all are driving me crazy with this! This is the actual argument you’re having, but everyone wants to be unassailably right about it (me too with this poll 🤪) instead of sensible.

#MacMini #Apple

Is the new Mac mini power button (on the bottom) a good design?

Probably, and I like it.
41%
Probably, and I don’t like it.
2.6%
Probably not, but I like it.
17.9%
Probably not, and I don’t like it.
38.5%
Poll ended at .

@NateBarham This has certainly never been in Apple's design language, but I like buttons and some ports (which the new Mini does have) on the front of the damned device so I can reach over and flip it off & on. That is the most basic interaction, why make that hard‽

"John Hodgman: SIGH. Allow."

@mdhughes 🤷‍♂️ 🙂 Not sure, but I like the look of it. And maybe for non nerds (and some nerds), it encourages letting the Mac sleep rather than shutting down?

That last bit is a musing not an argument.

@NateBarham It is certainly an aesthetic choice, over functional. What if I have a pile of tiny peripherals or an action figure on top of my mini? I have to lift them all up to flip it off/on. Or get the 3D printed flange that reaches under.
@mdhughes I don’t mean to be flippant, but… don’t? I guess? 🤷‍♂️
@NateBarham So, what? When I need to power-cycle after shutdown, which happens every few weeks if I'm using it in dev.

@mdhughes Not sure what “in dev” means here, but yeah. I’d suggest that it’s going to boot on keypress (like the laptops) so no button needed usually.

That said, I see why this is irritating to you. And I’m not arguing that it’s right or wrong. I’m a “probably not good design but I like it (as in, I don’t hate it, not I love it)” so I’m more apt to think they’re probably pushing people away from use cases that frequently require manual power on/off. 🤷‍♂️