It’s hard to find fault with the Mac mini when it comes to the diminutive tower’s I/O options; Apple gave even its lowest-end machine a pretty impressive collection of features, as long as you’re not concerned about CDs and DVDs. But discs remain a legitimate concern for some users, and there are times when people may need more ports to plug things into, as well. That’s why Newer Technology introduced miniStack Max ($TBD) at the 2012 International CES.
Designed to fit the footprint of the current-generation Mac mini, miniStack Max adds plenty of additional ways to connect stuff to the machine. The most obvious are right on the front: an optical drive and an extra SD card reader face forwards for easy access. On the back are ports including USB, eSATA, and FireWire 800. There’s a hidden feature, too: miniStack Max is available with up to a 4TB hard drive built-in, making it easy to supplement the up to 750GB drive the mini ships with. We’re still awaiting pricing for the various versions of miniStack Max, but the design and features are definitely cool.
