The MacMini Portable

Some ideas are so brilliantly simple, we're surprised no one has thought of them before. Such is the case with Peter Green's MacMini Portable Project, in which the titular Mr. Green adds an 8-inch folding LCD, Li-on battery, thumboard, and trackpad to a stock Mini for mobile OS X action that costs less than an iBook. Green scored most of the gear on eBay, and ended up spending under $700 for his one-of-a-kind creation, although that figure doesn't factor in the opportunity cost of the many hours spent on this build. It seems like there might be some money to be made from commercializing a kit with these features- any takers?

[Joe @ Feb 9th 2006 12:00PM]

Wow, that's amazing! Now you can take your macintosh *with you* when you go places! Maybe he could add a battery pack, and then you wouldn't need to plug it in?

This is ridiculous. Buy a laptop, stupid.

[LD @ Feb 9th 2006 12:03PM]

Absolutely agree with #1. This is retarded. There is a market for such a thing. It's called a laptop. This isn't the first take on this either. The other was equally as retarded.

"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."

[kurt @ Feb 9th 2006 12:03PM]

Interesting idea. Great proof of concept. Completely useless.

[Johnny @ Feb 9th 2006 12:04PM]

I'm trying not to be snarky because I appreciate the geek value here, but who would buy this? It looks unwieldy and borderline unusable. Even the author seems to admit that it's not intended to be used as a true portable:

"I didn't need a completely fluid response of the controllers or a crystal clear screen as the MMP [MacMini Portable] would only be used in it's portable sense to quickly integrate into someone else's system, the rest of the time it'd have it's own dedicated screen, mouse & full sized keyboard being used in the traditional 'Mini' design."

In that case, how much benefit does this really offer over a standalone Mini that you can disconnect and carry around in a $20 protective sleeve? Throw a FireWire cable and that mini keyboard in your backpack and you can mount the Mini in FireWire target-disk mode on any computer with a FW port.

Again, it's a neat project, and props to Peter Green for pulling it off -- this isn't intended as a flame. But even after reading his "Why the Mac Mini Portable?" page a few times, I don't entirely understand the rationale behind the design. How this could be commercialized is beyond me, but I certainly could be missing something.

[Jaku @ Feb 9th 2006 12:05PM]

? That thing looks retarded. It might cost less than a laptop but its far from being a laptop. Seriously, I wouldn't take that thing even if I was paid.

[diulei @ Feb 9th 2006 12:10PM]

Seriously. I have to agree with all the comments above. Good work, lame concept. Buy a laptop. That's TRUE portability, not semi-portability and still always need a cord.

[Ryan Waddell @ Feb 9th 2006 12:10PM]

Yikes... fun for the "geek cred" value of it... But I notice he makes no mention of the WEIGHT of the thing. It looks heavy as hell.

[lysol @ Feb 9th 2006 12:11PM]

There's no market, this thing is ugly, and that keyboard looks more painful than a laptop keyboard. next

[Daniel @ Feb 9th 2006 12:13PM]

I'd be more embarrased to carry that thing around then the biggest fattest 1998 dell laptop I could find.

[furtim @ Feb 9th 2006 12:15PM]

It's kind of a neat hack, but I can't help but think there was a better option for the keyboard. Maybe one of those foldable ones or something, but I guess that would have upped the price too much.

[Tyler McPheeters @ Feb 9th 2006 12:17PM]

I love #8's comment. "There's no market, this thing is ugly."

IBM said there would never be a market for PC's at home either... You may have just made the statement which will usher in the days of "MacMini Portables" everywhere. :)

[Tom @ Feb 9th 2006 12:31PM]

Surely this is just an amusing joke? I think the other commenters deserve a whoosh!!

[Zack @ Feb 9th 2006 12:53PM]

what a complete and utter waste of time...get a life nerd boy

[Boognish @ Feb 9th 2006 12:54PM]

I agree with the statements above. I took one look at the thing and said what a complete waste of hacktime poo poo Mr. Green

[Mandarin @ Feb 9th 2006 1:04PM]

Maybe MAC users can use it on their Lan Parties....

[Whiplash @ Feb 9th 2006 1:09PM]

Just because you CAN do something.... does not mean you SHOULD.

[Tim Dorr @ Feb 9th 2006 1:11PM]

I'm actually still waiting for someone to mod an iMac into a big Speak'n'Spell :)

[james brown @ Feb 9th 2006 1:14PM]

yeah it's clunky but as a concept it's not bad. persoanlly i have a mini and i think it would be cool to have a home station with full sized screen, but then be able to put into some kind of portable dock with a small built in screen.
anyway if you want as portable mini you just need a small lcd screen. a screen, mini, mouse and full sized keyboard in a bag is portable, although kinda heavy and awkward.

[Chris @ Feb 9th 2006 1:19PM]

Am I the only one that thinks this is cool? Brillian concept, imho. I think if you could mass produce something like this you could have an upgradeable kitchen computer or computer for the kids room. Neat idea, kudos!

[Shawn @ Feb 9th 2006 1:23PM]

Once again, discussion of whether something is attractive or not (see Canon 35D post earlier) totally misses the point. WhoTF cares? Having a full-fledged computer with you is the trick. And this is smaller (albeit thicker) than a notebook. I remember people saying the Treo/RIM thumboard was lame too, yet most who actually USE one fall in love. Lighten up. Some of you probably would have run Jobs and Woz out of the Homebrew club with their cobbled-together Apple I. Or Ed Roberts with his LED-flashing MITS Altair 8800. While not quite on par with those milestones, it's still cool that he built the computer he wanted.

[Tom @ Feb 9th 2006 1:38PM]

I think the poster has to re-read what an "opportunity cost" is, because he's using that term incorrectly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost

The cost he's talking about in the post is simply the cost of labor, which is part of the operating/variable costs of producing a product.

[Shawn @ Feb 9th 2006 1:38PM]

Engadget's been taken over by fashionistas. Where'd all the geeks go? Must be something big over at slashdot.

[Alex @ Feb 9th 2006 1:39PM]

Mac mini + screen.... Oh wait they already did that! iMac!

[BigG @ Feb 9th 2006 2:43PM]

Am I the only one who caught on to the fact that this thing DOES have a battery in it? Several people above mention that it always has to be plugged in. I think this is cool as a full powered system you can take on a plane.

[Hamson @ Feb 9th 2006 2:57PM]

I can't believe how many arrogant jerks have made extremely rude and disrespectful comments in this thread. If you're going to criticize, do it constructively, and in a respectful manner please.

It's a very healthy activity to try and build something, not necessarily because it will be useful, but because it's fun and gives you experience and that feeling that you've actually amounted to something after all your hard work.

[Grout58 @ Feb 9th 2006 3:06PM]

does anyone not relise its just a big bulky "Laptop" with a small screen and uncomfortable keyboard and mouse?

[The Designer @ Feb 9th 2006 3:22PM]

I think you guys seem to be missing the point - this was never about a commercial project - it's simply something that I wanted to do.

And IF Mac made a portable that ran on BATTERIES with a 8" screen this small that you could tuck into a tiny bag, I'd have bought one - but they don't, so I built one!

This was built for my needs, not someone elses.

[Josh Clark @ Feb 9th 2006 4:05PM]

It's basically a modern Apple II. What's wrong with that? I'm not much of a Mac fan, but the Apple is 1337, just for nostalgia, and this is a modern-day Apple II. It's a great idea.

Personally, I would never buy one, but that doesn't mean it's a bad idea.

[creamed cow @ Feb 9th 2006 4:06PM]

Never mind the geeks Peter, that's an awesome project.

[Shawn @ Feb 9th 2006 4:10PM]

Designer,

I'm right there with you. I've actually wanted to build this too, or at least assemble the parts to make a small multi-component system. And to all those fashionistas who think it ain't pretty, I challenge any of them to build anything better without a factory to back them up. As someone who's hacked together a solution or two, I think it looks great! Seriously, for the space it fills, it appears well engineered. Have you published a parts list? Despite all the negative comments from people whom I won't make any negative comments about, I think this thing's totally cool. I wish I had the time and your ingenuity. Though other folks haven't said so, let me be the first to say thanks for letting us know about your cool creation. I want one.

[Tony @ Feb 9th 2006 4:28PM]

I couldn't believe all the initial negative comments to this creative project. What happened to the spirit of DIY? Sure anyone can shell out dough for a new laptop like any bovine consumer, but look at all the experience, knowledge and now fame one can enjoy from creating something. Kudos to Mr. Green.

[Doug @ Feb 9th 2006 4:28PM]

This actually seems just like what ends up in CarPCs all the time. Really all this unit needs is the DC-AC converter switch and it's ready to go. This is more or less what I'd want to build including the super small keyboard for 'only when I need it'. I'd switch out the screen for a touch screen and keep it separate. It's like a removable CarPC...

Thoughts?

[Da King @ Feb 9th 2006 4:28PM]

all you people above me who said that this is stupid, STFU. This is just a project that a guy decided to pull off. He did it. It works. I dont think he was looking to sell this to other people because other people (like the ones above me) are all people who follow trends. If everyone followed the trends, we would still be wearing tights and those old english frills.

I hope this makes it big just to show all you losers above me.

Great Job on this one!!!

[zorg @ Feb 9th 2006 4:30PM]

This is a GREAT project! I can not get a machine that runs Keynote that weighs less than a 12" Powerbook and has a battery, so I can put it to sleep rather than have to boot at the beginning of a presentation. The Mac Mini weighs 2.9 lbs. If you can commercialize a Mac Mini add-on battery pack that either works like this, or works with my Treo and VNC as display, and stays under 4 lbs, you have solved my travel problem. Ignore the Engadget readers who won't buy it.

[Joseph @ Feb 9th 2006 4:53PM]

Peter
Don't worry!
I was the guy who made the Apple Tablet from an old iBook.
I had people emailing me telling me it was a Photoshop job.
You seem to be a creative person so let the critics do there job.
I just put my i-Tablet on ebay because I'm looking to fund a new Mod.
If I might suggest Just keep building it's fun!
Joseph

[arthur barnhouse @ Feb 9th 2006 5:30PM]

Yeah, its just a proof of concept, and not particularly useful, but who gives a damn? Just a few days ago, I saw a post on this very website where a person made a computer in a damn whiskey bottle. what purpose is there in that? None that I've been able to make out. There's nothing wrong if he did something useless, because it's no less useless than building a wooden PC or trying to hack an X-Box to put linux on it.

[Christian @ Feb 9th 2006 6:04PM]

Actually, it makes a little sense. If you don't feel like spending a whole bunch of money on a laptop, just get this. It may not be the most portable, but if you travel or something, this would be much more efficient than packing your desktop in a bag.

[The Designer @ Feb 9th 2006 6:25PM]

Just to confirm the Spec for a few people on my Mac Mini Portable;

My MMP already has a complete battery mains system, and can be used in any way you'd expect to be able to use a conventional laptop;

it's battery opperated by 14.8V 5880 MAh Li-on's.
it already has a DC-DC convertor unit - so ca be powered from batteries, mains, or 12V car system.

future upgrades will include a touch screen doing away with the need for keyboard & mouse altogether.
will make a new case from perspex at some point to make it even lighter.

until you've held the MMP in your hand, you really can't appreciate just how dinky it is and portable it is! Remember it may look chunky, but that's the same volume of a laptopjust displaced in another plane :-)

I know that it's possible to get MUCH smaller and light batteries of a similar capacity, although these can be quite expensive and would therefore defeat my recycling principles for building the MMP.

[Zen @ Feb 9th 2006 6:33PM]

Sometimes it's about the journey not the destination.

[abigsmurf @ Feb 9th 2006 8:42PM]

I'm going to join in with the 'damn that's cool' crowd. When I saw the Mac Mini I thought about the possibility of doing something like this.

I've a few ideas to improve it if you're interested :

Get a silicone keyboard, they're thinner than that thumb pad, variable in size so you could find one that fits and won't damage the screen when it's folded down.

Does the PSU still exist? Surely a regulated DC supply from a battery would eleminate the need for this and you could save power, space and weight putting in a battery for it.

Tried looking at lithium polymer battery solutions? I built a custom battery for my GP2X out of them and it worked out pretty cheap, They're very light and have capatity greater than Li- batteries. They don't explode too.

[Mr. Bill @ Feb 10th 2006 1:03AM]

I've seen this done with several homebuilt PCs now, its especially popular in the mini-itx realm (albeit still rare) the ultimate trick would be to use a VIA nano board, a disassembled mini, or a disassembled AMD $150 pc. (The last one being the only one to justify itself through truely LOW cost, but also probably the trickiest to buy and mod.

[Somebody @ Feb 10th 2006 5:45AM]

Ultimately I think the poster Evan Blass did the creator of this little wonder a GREAT disservice by posting the photo of the system on it's own instead of showing it beside a laptop. With nothing else to compare it to in the shot (and people not bothering to click through to the gallery that's linked) I can see why people would assume it was huge and clunky.
Insulting the creator however is in no way productive or worthwhile. Innovation isn't achieved by sitting around deriding other people's work (particularly before even properly looking at it), it's obtained by going out there and actually doing stuff. All of you people making personal comments and calling him worthless for what he decides to do with his spare time need to find productive hobbies.

[mike @ Feb 10th 2006 10:34AM]

Hi,
In reagrds to the batteries, how long do the batteriues last - can you hook up another set of batteries to increase battery life? Did you need a seperate battery control machanism of some kind... And finally, does OS X recognize your running on battery power and tell you how much time you have left?

Thanks, I think it's a really cool setup - I'd love to see one with PCI card slots, would be great for the roving audio (see protools) geeks out there ;)

[Ben Heckendorn @ Feb 10th 2006 12:25PM]

Well I think it's cool looking. Don't be hard on people - the main challenge with this stuff is MAKING IT WORK. Besides, this thing is probably 1/2 the X Y of a normal laptop size. Considering the price of Macs, this probably IS a deal.

[PKM @ Feb 10th 2006 9:50PM]

Most of the posters 1-16,and the rest pointlessly dissing this project and telling the designer to go buy a laptop:
Looking around my room I can see: my home-made 12" tanto sword. A professional could make a much more finely crafted weapon, that would only cost me a couple of hundred quid. There's the chinese calligraphy on my wall that I did one day for fun- why not just pay a professional artist to do it marginally better than me? Then there's my digital camera which which I take nature photographs- you can buy these as well, can't you? And not to forget the various containers of food ingredients on my shelves despite the existence of half a dozen perfectly good takeaways within five minutes of my house.
Sometimes people make things for the challenge, for the love of creating something, or because they want something specific that might not be sold anywhere.

Seriously, get a life and stop pointlessly criticizing other people's creativity. And to "Joe", who posted "Maybe he could add a battery pack, and then you wouldn't need to plug it in? This is ridiculous. Buy a laptop, stupid."- maybe you could consider actually reading all 111 words in the article summary before blindly dismissing the idea as ridiculous- the thing a) has a battery pack, and b) costs less than a laptop.

Peter: a neat concept and great looking build- good job.

[epaphras @ Feb 17th 2006 8:33PM]

I'm working on adapting Intecs games screens to my mini so as to provide a fold up screen similar to the one for the gamecube

[The Designer @ Feb 22nd 2006 9:25PM]

Performance update;
I've modified the charging circuit, and now get around 3 hours+ of realworld use from my MMP.
Tests I did were to transfer over 1.5 gig of data over the ethernet whilst browsing the internet also with an iChat chat, whilst also having around 6 high bandwidth streaming webcam windows running, with LCD at full brightness.

I think that's a pretty good test of performance!

I have some ideas of to improve the performance of the batteries as well like limiting the power to the TFT backlight etc.

By the way - regarding the size of my MMP, I don't think most people realise that the base [not including the screen] is the SAME height [maybe a little thinner], is only about 2 inches wider, and is actually about 1cm SHORTER than the MacMini's original casing.
It's a lot smaller than you think :-)

[weston @ Apr 3rd 2006 10:10AM]

Rock on, man. Awesome battery life for a system, tiny size (even without laptop to compare, look at the CD slot and thumb drive to compare).
I can't believe so many people didn't realize the diminutive size of your creation.

[The Designer @ Apr 14th 2006 9:07PM]

I've just completed the MkII version of my Mac Mini Portable - haven't made a website for it yet, but there's a video of it here that really illustrates just what I've managed to do.
Also sporting it's new attractive 'Combat Ice-white' design!

http://idisk.mac.com/peter_green/Public/mmp_mk2/MMP_Mk2.mp4

[salsicha @ Apr 15th 2006 5:17PM]

Great idea. One question: how do you attach a battery to a mini (or any desktop for that matter)?