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.
