This is the iMac 21.5" (Late 2013), trademarked probably, that we just about grew up with. It had previously pretty much kicked the bucket maybe two or three times, but by now we've correctly diagnosed the only grave issue: the internal HDD is kind of toast. This is no fusion drive, and it runs "slow" - well, slow by macOS' standard. Maybe an older version of the OS would play nicer, but we didn't want to bet - we're kind of sick of installing operating systems just for a fling. This fix had to stick.
It had to USB STICK hahaha get it.
Because we're booting off a USB drive.
Yeah, see, you're clever, you get it.
Thumb drives are sort of an awful idea because they're slow and don't last very long. But this is a neat little Kingston thing we got ages ago and has stayed strong and sturdy through all prior use - mostly bootable operating system installers, of course. Now we're booting again, but for real. Our entire copy of OS X 10.9 Mavericks lives here. And it's only about 16 gigabytes!
(Booting off one USB drive to install to another, both plugged in at once of course, was a pretty wild experience. No fanfare, really, but the internal HDD probably wasn't touched at all, during that process... anyway, all four USB-A ports sure came in handy. Don't knock what worked then - it's still necessary now!)
The rather neat thing about booting off this drive is, we still have the entire internal HDD as, well, media storage. This is actually our single beefiest computer as far as disk space goes, Mac Pro not counting (as of writing it's still not hooked up for easy network access). We don't have a terabyte of media - just a few gigs of ordinary-ass MP3 music we're playing back right now - but it's versatile, and importantly, online.
To combat USB drive decay we've got SuperDuper! set up to daily copy our whole USB stick (smart update) to a same-size partition on the internal HDD, plus Time Machine saving snapshots to another partition, that one more spatious. Of course if our HDD fails then we're somewhat close to screwed. Perhaps that's one more reason to get our Mac Pro running, darn it...
In fact the way this fits together - I hope as I write, anyway - is just the culmination of a lot of bedroom cleanup. We're always trying to downscale and make more room for the things we actually care about (mostly physical goodies, but space in our brain too). This iMac literally is one of those things, so it has a space here, easy. But that space exists because we realized our recent primary printer fits fine inside this dresser, rather than on top. Plus the blanket; when the sun's at the right angle, it makes a nice corner for our cat, if she happens to pass by.
Yes, the Mac Pro is still a fixture like furniture. As we mentioned in our updated device summary, the "dream" is to hook this iMac up as a frontend for the Mac Pro. This is pretty much in reach, if we just coordinate the thing to boot up properly most of the time instead of some of the time; despite our then-qualms, screen sharing IS FINE. Aside from the justifiable computer uses (i.e. it's got like 8-odd TB of space inside it, come on now), as a hunk of aluminum, it looks cool and gives our room much-needed geometry: most of our power cords end up there, and we've shuffled our main backup drive, the one for the MacBook Air, over there too.
In this setup there's one halfway-trouble we willingly suffer at the moment. We've lost track of the old Magic Trackpad Mk.I completely (that one's not trademarked) and so the one we got for our Mac mini is now a single-touch pointing device not so clumsily pacing the iMac. It's too new - gestures don't work. Not even a two-finger right click, nor scrolling for that matter. But turn the sensitivity up and cursor acceleration is still pretty much right, even though the Mac thinks it's a mouse. It doesn't feel off. It just doesn't work the whole way!
So what about our MacBook? At our desk we've always used it clamshell-shut. We don't need two displays, certainly not three, and don't really want them either, since macOS is clumsy as heck figuring out which one's "primary", where new apps should open, the works. (The cmd+tab app switcher, also a better portal than the dock for drop targets, doesn't necessarily show up on the same screen as my mouse pointer. What the hell?) But a shut laptop exposes not its inputs internal, so while our peripherals were meant for the Mac mini, they've turned out just as critical, here.
But it's not too difficult to open the MacBook, now is it...? Now that it's in reach? Plugged into our Thunderbolt dock (just the same as the Mac mini - easy swap), it used to sit on the same dresser the iMac now occupies. That's the reason we couldn't use its own display if we wanted; it was too far. But it's closer now. I lift the lid and - voila, trackpad! Otherwise I'm keyboard-only. It's insufficient for Serious Work, but there's no issue writing or watching YouTube. Please please please forgive me for calling it kind of zen. If you're comfortable with the basics all by keyboard anyway, try putting the mouse away for an hour or a day. You'll surely learn something!
The iMac has its own keyboard. That's non-negotiable, and part of the atmosphere anyway. This way it gets a pointer as well, and a perfectly familiar one at that, even if the gestures don't work. (If we were doing any work on it we'd probably have to stick with acme, lol.) The iMac becomes the all-in-one it's ever meant to be, and it is beautiful.
As far as its place in our home and life go: it's a lava lamp and a cool music player. Oh, and we tried our hand at Folder Actions Setup (so AppleScript too) and set it up to send screenshots over to our next-door MacBook Air automagically - the iMac isn't signed into iCloud, it just copies into an SMB mount. And PowerFox is acceptable for basic internet navigation, even if Firefox sucks and Safari doesn't. We mostly copy stuff from cc101's Downloads folder - way easier, and tighter, that way.
Also following up previous floor plan work, our main dresser still sits pretty much flush against the wall. The Mac mini's been shuttled to a new home (it's our sister's now) but our PS3 sneakily takes the same sort of rule, up against the wall, just on the smaller dresser. It's not really in active use but, um, PlayStation 3. The rest is shuffled around some - mostly M28U isn't centered anymore, which is a better fit for how we sit anyway... and even with the MacBook Air we have much more desk space in all, despite that it's just taken up by Easter bunny chocolate, today.
Mac Mini + Mac Pro + M28U (Iteration C, 2023) (toc)
New peripherals:
OWC TB4 Dock
New cables:
USB-C ⇔ USB-A (for KVM switch)
Free cables:
USB-C ⇔ USB-C (10 Gbit/sec)
Free ports:
Everything on dock
None on Mini
The obvious addition here is OWC's Thunderbolt 4 Dock, which makes swappable peripheral access (including data/charge connections for phones) a lot easier. I considered getting a hub specially shaped for the Mac Mini, but decided on this one for its better performance (they're full-phat Thunderbolt 4 ports!). I'm glad to share it fits the setup well, too: the Mac Mini with its cable hell remain cleanly tucked away, and the dock takes up a thin rectangle of space on the left of my desk, providing easy port access without getting in the way. (Thunderbolt dock roster link forthcoming.)
This is the third major iteration of the Mini/Pro/M28U setup, but the progress shines best in comparison with another in-between step, shortly after acquiring the Thunderbolt 4 dock:
In that in-between setup, a number of connections which really belong to the computer are moved over to the dock. One of these is out of necessity: the dock uses one USB-C Thunderbolt 4 connection to meet its data rates, and the M28U's DisplayPort is connected via the other internal USB-C slot on the Mini. The KVM switch requires an additional connection port (while I believe it's possible to simultaneously transfer video and input data over one USB-C cable, the actual DP cable ending doesn't have provide the appropriate interface for that) — the only remaining USB-C ports are now on the dock, so it goes there.
(The other connections are foolish, i.e. ethernet and audio/aux: these are both just fine to stay on the Mini's built-in slots and were temporarily moved. Ethernet for quicker testing, aux because this dock didn't want to connect to normal wired earbuds!)
The new setup moves the obvious connections back where they belong and tidies the rest with the introduction of a USB-A to USB-C cable. This is a 3.1 Gen 2 wire, 10 Gbit/sec — probably overkill for its use, but matching the rate that came with the M28U, a USB-C/USB-C for KVM connection. In photos, it's the thick, zig-zag braided cable; it's plugged into the spare USB-A port on the Mac Mini. Between all these changes, the only connection between the Thunderbolt dock and the Mini is the host port; all wires attached to the dock are purely for external and swappable connections.
Meanwhile, the wires coming out the M28U stay the same: wired keyboard and optionally wired trackpad (for charging and to hook it up to the KVM switch). But that's it! Everything else is hidden away, virtually flush with the wall. The cable connecting the Mac Mini and the Silicon Power "rugged" HDD is even hidden, underneath the back of the Mac Mini. The only wires occupying 3D space between the Mini and the rest of the desk are explicitly for device connections, and those take as little space as I found possible. It's clear and clean!
The ethernet cable is also new, and connects the Mac Mini to the Mac Pro. The Mac Pro has a wifi card installed, but I think ethernet provides a faster connection. I need to perform benchmarks, but my plan is to disconnect the Mac Pro entirely from wifi and have all devices connect to it through the Mac Mini: either via the Mini's faster wifi, or a fully wired connection using the USB 3.1 Gen 2 (3.2 Gen 2x2) Type C/C cable — freed from KVM switch duties, now at home on dock — via Thunderbolt bridge. But all that remains theoretical, for the moment. (Come on, now, the modern USB naming scheme isn't so bad!)
Thus cable management remains as isolated as it ought to be. What is enclosed in the computer's connective domain is kept as physically flush as possible, and only those wires strictly required for external connections cohabitate in 3D space.
Let's throw a party! 🎊
Mac Mini + Mac Pro + M28U (Iteration B, 2023) (toc)
New devices?
Nope!
Much cleaner?
Better believe it
Functionally, this setup is almost identical to the previous one. The aesthetics are where it's at.
Where's the Mac Mini?
The Mac Mini is now standing up, hidden behind the M28U monitor. That means the only cables exposed on the front of the setup are the ones which directly connect to input peripherals (and phones). Everything else is neatly behind the monitor — and, for the most part, behind the desk itself too!
The Mac Mini is a fairly sturdy aluminum brick, and it's not prone to toppling of its own accord. But accidents happen, so I really wanted to make sure it wasn't going to slip behind the desk and fall. The most obvious fix was moving the desk itself further back, making the gap as thin as possible and making it way less likely for the Mini to slip.
That necessitated carefully lining up the cables so that there aren't any criss-crossing behind the desk — two cables make thicker than one, and we preferably don't want to put any additional pressure on the cables themselves, either. So squishing is off the table!
We also had to tip the whole dresser over and cut/sand a rounded bezel on the corners — the floor has this decorative sticky-outy bit, and the surface of the dresser wouldn't get near as close to the back as it needed to if it had to stop there!
The surge protector / power brick was swapped out for a white one, which matches the overall color palette better, but more importantly has a totally different outlet plug. Not pictured here, but it's practically flat to the wall — necessary to make access the outlet without forcing the dresser out and leaving a large gap.
Before these adjustments there was about 4-5 cm open space behind the shelf. A standing Mac Mini would've been a disaster waiting to happen! With these changes, it's barely 1 cm: less than half a chance the Mini could possibly fit, even flush against the wall.
In the event the dresser gets pulled out and the Mini is left standing because people are catastrophically forgetful (me) — there's a solid chance the wiring would just end up catching the Mini anyway. It's quite packed behind there, so the computer probably wouldn't even make it to the ground, or else would at least have its fall slowed if it were wide enough to pass the cables.
Incidentally, it's reworks like this which make you realize the concessions made on any occasion it would cost more to make technology ambidextrous. My stereo speakers have an aux cable coming out the right-ear speaker; it's abundantly convenient to connect to your desktop — if your desktop is on the right. And why would that be the case? Simple: that's where it's more convenient for right-handed people to have access to front-panel ports.
I am a lefty, so the Mac Pro (with power bar seated atop) tucks itself at dresser starboard, and the Mac Mini is situated such that its ports are accessible at left. But one question looms: which direction doth the Apple logo face?
Now that is ambidextrous design. Think different!
Mac Mini + Mac Pro + M28U (Iteration A, 2022) (toc)
This setup has the connective minimalism I wanted, but the cable management and ergonomics were pretty bad. Sorry the only reference photo I've got is from the rear, right before I reworked it! Here's what's going on:
Mac Pro is plugged into M28U via HDMI and its KVM switch via USB-A/B (two black cables originating lower on the Mac Pro's rear)
Mac Mini is plugged into M28U via TB4/DP1.4 adapter (blueish cable on the Mini) and KVM via USB-C/USB-C cable (white, thick)
Mac Mini is plugged into Silicon Power "rugged" HDD via USB-A (black cable)
Mac Mini is plugged into stereo speakers via built-in aux cable (thin black cable trailing from right-ear speaker)
Apple Keyboard is plugged into M28U KVM via its built-in USB-A cable (not pictured)
Apple Mighty Mouse is plugged into Apple Keyboard via its built-in USB-A cable (not pictured)
Magic Trackpad is wireless-only (for now)
Mac Pro, Mac Mini, and stereo speakers are plugged into surge protector / power brick (black, sitting on the Mac Pro)
M28U is plugged directly into wall outlet for some reason
(Pictured, there's a white USB-A cable plugged into the Mac Mini — I think I had the keyboard temporarily plugged into the Mini while not immediately using KVM switch. Also the loose USB-C end of a white Lightning charging cable, for use when KVM is unplugged. Really feeling that lack of ports on the Mini right about now.)
Aside from somewhat awkward cable organization (the photo is from before detangling them!), the major issue here is how crowded my desk is! Some of that is just because I suck at keeping it clean, but a good part is because... um... the Mac Mini... is only so mini. I'll come back to that in the next iteration.
Port availability is disastrous in this setup because the monitor is hogging both of the Thunderbolt ports on the Mini. One of those is justified (video output on the Mac Mini M1 is HDMI 2.0, so you have to use one of the TB4 ports if you're looking to get the full capabilities from any high-resolution and -refresh-rate display), and the other isn't (you do not need 40 gigabits per second to poll input from a keyboard, a mouse, and maybe a trackpad). I'm pretty sure a simple USB-A to USB-C connector would work just fine to plug the Mini into M28U's KVM, but I didn't have such a cable to try it out at the time.
