Although most of the products I traverse in Mac Gems are software , prospicient - clock time readers know that I ’m also a lover of canny hardware gadgets . For example , last drop I compose about Macessity ’s $ 6 Power Grip Bracket , an cheap accessory that mounts to the bottom or side of a desk or other piece of furniture and let you get your Mac mini ’s power brick and cable up off the base and get up .
But given the Mac miniskirt ’s midget size , would n’t it be capital if you could place the mini itself likewise ? In other words , adhere your Mac miniskirt under , or on the side of , your desk , or under a ledge in your amusement system ? That ’s the finish of Macessity ’s $ 40Hang With Mi ( ) , a metal bracket that attach to your desk or entertainment organization and provides a form - fitting expansion slot in which your Mac miniskirt can roost . Like the Power Grip Bracket , the 6.8- by 6.5- by 3.4 - inch Hang With Mi is made of steel , but since the Hang With Mi is more likely to be seeable , it frisk a nicer aluminum - colouring cultivation that equalise the Mac miniskirt passably intimately . And the Hang With Mi also features a four - port , powered USB 2.0 hub .
You seize the Hang With Mi to your desk or other furniture using four mounting prison guard ( let in ) ; a useful paper template is provided for drilling starter holes , if necessary . You then slew in your miniskirt from the front . ( I found it easier to link the necessary overseas telegram — video , great power , keyboard , etc.—to the Mac mini before inserting it into the Hang With Mi . ) Openings along the bottom of the wall bracket , along with half an column inch or so of blank above the mini , leave public discussion , and the front of the wall bracket remains open to permit you get at the miniskirt ’s optical drive and to keep the Apple Remote sensor unobstructed . ( you may instead attach the Hang With Mi to the side of a desk or entertainment center so that your Mac mini sits vertically or else of horizontally ; two gelatin pads on each midland side of the Hang With Mi protect the Mac mini ’s side from scratch . )
The Hang With Mi ’s four - port hub is a useful gain — and one that help excuse the Hang With Mi ’s proportional price premium over the cheap Power Grip Bracket . When placing the miniskirt in the Hang With Mi , you connect an included ( and very short ) cable from one of your mini ’s USB ports to a USB embrasure on the back of the Hang With Mi ’s hub ; you connect an included AC transcriber to the hub for additional office . Thankfully , this AC adapter is very small ; instead of a bulky “ wall wart ” that blocks adjoining power outlets , it takes up only a exclusive outlet .
In my examination , the Hang With Mi ’s USB hub worked very well . My only real complaint is that all four USB ports are in the front . On the one hand , having extra USB ports on the front makes it easy to connect “ irregular ” devices — digital camera , card readers , etc.—when you need to . On the other handwriting , I found myself wanting to employ some of these additional ports for “ permanent ” devices such as printers , scanners , keyboards , and the similar , and want the cables for these machine to be hidden in the back . And since the Hang With Mi ’s hub rent up one of the mini ’s own USB ports — effectivelyreducingthe turn of larboard in the back — this can be a real issue , especially when used with older Mac minis that have only two USB port to begin with . I would have preferred having the additional port divide — two in the front , two in the back .
Still , although I ’ve covered several other accessories for set up a Mac miniona desk , I appreciated the extra desk space I gained by having the mini hiddenunderit .
