Purchasing a Mac Studio is a minimum commitment of $2,000 on Apple's official page, but that doesn't mean we have to accept the default experience. For designer and YouTuber Scott Yu-Jan, the Mac Studio takes up too much space on his desk, and at the same time, he feels he isn't making the most of his iPad Mini. What's the solution? Macintosh Studio, a custom dock that acts as a "hat" for the Mac Studio and simplifies the use of the iPad Mini as a secondary monitor, all inspired by the original Macintosh…
Many enthusiasts out there don't hesitate to explore extreme configurations to reduce the size of their computers, but sometimes you have to work with what the manufacturer establishes, and that's the case of the Mac Studio. Its exact dimensions are 19.7 x 19.7 x 9.5 centimeters, almost 3.7 liters. Anything below 4 liters would be very attractive for ITX fans, however, Scott Yu-Jan on YouTube believes that his Mac Studio occupies too much dead space that he can't take advantage of. What's his idea? Transforming it into a dock for his iPad Mini, which also stores external hard drives.
Macintosh Studio: Mac Studio + iPad Mini = ?
As its name suggests, the main source of inspiration is the original 1984 Macintosh. After preparing some prototypes during his brainstorming phase, Scott arrived at a design that places the iPad Mini at the front (as if it were the Mac's screen), and used all the space at the back to store SSDs and external hard drives, easily swappable with the move of a single cable. He also added a hook to hang headphones, and an ejection button that simplifies removal of the iPad.
Scott explains that the design can be adapted for use with a Mac Mini, and invites users to explore other filament colors if the "retro beige" is not an option. Considering the time it took him to create this, it's logical that Scott decides to keep his designs tied to a subscription, but the world of 3D printing is flexible, and most likely the Macintosh Studio project will serve as a starting point for other similar models.
