The Mac Studio feature keeping me from buying a new M4 Mac Mini this fall

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

It's hard to believe I've had my M1 Max Mac Studio for almost two years. I still think of it as my new machine, because it's the most recent machine I've bought. At the time, it was ideal for my workload.

Also: I bought a Mac Studio: Here are the specs I chose and why

I ordered the M1 Max version instead of the M1 Ultra version, saving me $2,000. Here's what I said back in 2022:

"I did think about buying the M1 Ultra model simply to future-proof the machine for a few more years. But I would have spent so much more that, from a pure cost perspective, it will probably make more sense to upgrade again in a few years and save the $2,000 now."

And yeah, we're now at the "few more years" stage -- and I'm thinking of upgrading.

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The M1 Max Mac Studio has taken everything I've thrown at it. I've done video editing, coding, server support, writing, general business management, and 3D design. For the most part, the M1 Max has been up to the task.

For the most part.

Over the last few months, I've been doing intensive 3D design for a project I'm working on. I've designed more than 40 new parts, some of which are rather complex. It's here that the M1 Max has started to stutter. I can get by for a little longer, but while the 2022 Mac Studio is a solid workhorse, it's beginning to interfere with one aspect of my productivity.

But what about the M4 Mac Mini?

Enter the rumored M4 Mac Mini. According to the rumor mill, there's an M4 Mac Mini coming as soon as this week or next, or in early November. It's supposed to be smaller than the form factor we've used for over a decade, sacrificing old-school USB-A ports for a bunch of USB-C ports.

The Mac Mini has long been my go-to machine. I've probably bought 10 over the years, and we have four currently in active service. When spec'd at the maximum side of the Mini's capabilities, it's proven to be a solid performer at a reasonable price.

Also: New Mac Mini: M4 powered yet small as an Apple TV?

Even the base M4 is considerably faster than my maxed-out M1 Max Mac Studio. An M4 Mac Mini with a good memory footprint is likely to cost just about what my Mac Studio cost, around $2,000.

I want the increased performance the M4 would give, but I'll hold off buying until sometime in 2025 when Apple introduces the next generation of the Mac Studio.

Why?

It's not performance. It's not price. It's not even the wide selection of ports that allow me to connect nine devices to my Mac Studio. Instead, it's a quality-of-life feature that makes the Mac Studio a stand-out device in my day-to-day workflow.

Also: 10 reasons the Apple Vision Pro is secretly brilliant

The reason I'm holding off purchasing is the SD card slot on the front of the machine. Mac Minis, way back in 2012, had an SD card slot on the back. It was inconvenient to get to, and Apple discontinued it. But then, after many years, Apple put an SD card slot on the front of the device of a Mac Studio. All was once again happy in my world.

Seriously, I constantly use SD cards with my Sony Alpha ZV-E10 mirrorless camera. In fact, the shot at the top of this article was taken with that camera, along with the Sony SEL30M35 30mm f/3.5 e-mount macro lens. Once the shot was taken, I pulled the card out of the camera and popped it right into the front of my machine.

Also: The 13 Mac Studio peripherals I can't live without - and why

I also use SD cards with many of my 3D printers, especially when setting up and testing new ones. Some 3D printers have wireless interfaces, but it's still better to load test prints onto an SD card while calibrating the printer.

You can pick up an inexpensive SD card reader that plugs into your machine. That's what I did for years. But the extra cable and dongle add to the clutter on my desktop, and that simple slot right in front is just so convenient.

So that's it. I'm probably not going to buy the new M4 Mac Mini. I'll probably hold off six months or more until the new Mac Studio comes out. And that's because I don't want to give up that front-facing SD card slot.

What about you? Are you thinking of picking up an M4 Mac Mini? Would you hold off a purchase just to get an SD card slot? Do you use SD cards? Let us know in the comments below.

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