Mac Format - UK (2020-04)

Satechi Type-C Stand

and Hub for Mac mini

Sit your Mac mini on this stylish and useful stand

£74.99 FROM Satechi, satechi.net FEATURES USB-C, 3x USB 3.0, Micro/SD readers, 3.5mm jack port

An elegant dock

that provides handy

connectivity for

your Mac mini.

+++++++

Card readers

Ports on the front

Smart and secure

Only fits the

2018 Mac mini

VERDICT

A smart and

useful addition

to your Mac

mini setup

APRIL 2020 | MACFORMAT | 81

changed with the revamp, the dock only fits

the newer model. Unlike Apple’s laptops, the

Mac mini retains a decent selection of physical

ports, but people are always hungry for more.

Stand and deliver

The stand is solid and well put together. Your

Mac mini sits snug into the circular indent, and

you connect a single USB-C cable at the rear,

which provides power and carries all data from

the hub to the Mac. As well as raising your

mini off the desk, it also has air vents to help

cooling. The dock has six extra ports: a USB-C

data port, three USB 3.0 ports, Micro/SD card

readers, and a 3.5mm headphone socket.

Of these it’s only the card readers that the

mini lacks, but they are a great benefit to

photographers in particular.

Generic USB-C hubs will work with the

Mac mini too, but are much less elegant

solutions. If you own a 2018 Mac mini, this

is a smart and useful addition to your setup.

Photographers especially will welcome the

addition of card slots, and everyone will enjoy

the ports being on the front! HOLLIN JONES

U

ntil 2018, the Mac mini looked

like it might become a casualty

of Apple’s relentless focus on

iOS devices and higher-end Macs. But the

much-loved and relatively affordable desktop

mini was finally brought up to date with the

latest technology. It remains a great option if

you need a compact desktop Mac but also

want to use your own choice of screen,

keyboard and other peripherals.

Now Satechi has created a stand and dock

for the Mac mini – since the computer’s design

Image credit: Satechi

Designed to fit the 2018 Mac mini, your computer sits

firmly into the stand’s specially-sized indentation.

You get a USB-C port,

three USB 3.0 ports,

Micro/SD card readers

and a 3.5mm jack port

• and all at the front!