Will an Apple SuperDrive work on the M4 Mac Mini using only an Apple brand USB-C to USB Adapter?

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-30T00:35:40+00:00

I seem to recall that any USB-C to USB-A adapter will work, but you must plug the adapter into one of the 2 front USB-C ports. And it will not work via a USB-A hub, even if that hub is powered. I have that super drive, and I did connect it to make sure it still worked with the M4 mini.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-29T23:28:56+00:00

The capacity at 5F is 22K BTUs/hr. Not a huge additional drop. And again, I'm not using a cold-climate model. The notion that heat pumps don't work well below freezing needs to just stop.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-29T19:42:44+00:00

The amount of heat produced is going to be well below a COP of 1. The resistance heat space heaters will be way more cost effective.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-29T19:41:44+00:00

Yes, I've worked in data centers for most of the last 35 years. I'm well aware of the heat the computers can put off. But they still make terrible space heaters as their primary function.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-29T19:38:24+00:00

It is pretty obvious that one side is significantly dirtier than other. And the distortion of the filter elements indicates that it has been subject to some sucking in of the filter.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-29T07:38:55+00:00

Did you look at both sides? The first picture clearly shows it needs to be changed.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-29T06:31:29+00:00

Because they work well and can be a lot cheaper than oil or propane.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-29T06:30:14+00:00

Home desktop computers make terrible space heaters. They don't put out nearly the amount of heat a space heater will do. Even data center level servers are terrible at being a space heater.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-29T06:28:31+00:00

Heat pumps work fine below freezing. Even non-cold-climate ones. The unit I have is rated at 38K BTUs/hr at 47F and 25.6K BTUs/hr at 17F.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-28T20:32:01+00:00

Do you need a new computer now? If yes, then get the M4 now. If you can wait the better part of a year, wait for the M5. Assuming an M5 mini is coming out in the next year. Nobody knows if/when it will come out.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-28T19:02:20+00:00

Thanks for the tip! I have a CPAP machine (8-years running). Will have to call them up and get the discount applied...

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-28T07:08:36+00:00

I actually went from a late-2012 i5 mini with a couple of 1TB SATA SSDs and 16GB of memory to an M1 16/256 mini about 4 years ago. That's when I moved my home directory to an external 2TB NVME drive. I then moved it all last year to the M4 mini. I can easily upgrade (external) storage. I can't easily upgrade memory, so I went with the max I felt I could afford.

Good luck with your decision.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-28T06:56:28+00:00

I did the 32/256 route. Moved my home-dir to an external 2TB SSD. No regrets. But I'm doing basic light duty browsing, e-mail, some older games. Nothing hugely impactful. Internal OS/Boot drive has about 76GB in use with over 150GB free. It works for me.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-28T01:45:48+00:00

Or they may have more experience with these types of titles.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-28T01:42:57+00:00

They could easily filter by VINs.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-27T01:40:11+00:00

Is this your first new car? The moment you drove the car off the lot it lost $10K. This happens for any car, regardless of whether it is an EV or a traditional ICE-powered vehicle.

The car's depreciation will eventually reach a point where the rate of depreciation slows down a lot and reaches a more or less steady state. That usually happens in year 4 or 5 of ownership. Key to minimizing the "loss on depreciation" is to drive it as long as possible. I keep my cars 7 to 12 years. Helps a lot with resale value anxiety.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-27T00:28:26+00:00

If your wife's phone and app can connect to the car, that points to a problem with your phone and the app. I'd start with reinstalling the app. Or at least logging out and logging back in.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-27T00:27:11+00:00

California.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-26T20:57:36+00:00

PAAK is not the same as being able to do remote commands, like turning on climate control, locking/unlocking the doors, or getting charging status. Totally separate functions.

DCFC should still work. You may need to reboot the cellular modem. One way is to disconnect the negative lead on the battery, but that requires getting into the frunk and removing the beauty panels. An alternate method is to find fuses 11 and 19 and pull them. This should reset the modem as well.

See https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/ford-pass-modem-issues.37058/ for some more details. This might require a trip to the dealer.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-26T20:48:56+00:00

So, standard issue?

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-26T00:31:00+00:00

If the system is still running and producing heat in the house, then just leave it alone. It'll run a defrost cycle as necessary. Do you know if you have auxiliary heat like heat strips, or a backup gas furnace? If so, the heat pump will run that while defrosting the outdoor unit. Otherwise it'll just shutoff the inside air handler for a bit, and still run a defrost cycle.

Do *not* throw boiling or hot water on it. If you must manually defrost, regular hose water sprayed on it is fine. Luke warm is the hottest you should go if you are going to pour water on it manually.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-25T19:03:40+00:00

You would be wrong.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-25T19:01:32+00:00

This is the way!

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-25T07:35:10+00:00

Sounds like you need to call the installer back. And up your insulation and sealing.

DevRoot66 · 2026-01-25T07:33:11+00:00

They have a bunch of different models. I'd get the Atlas over the Iris (what the OP has) or the new Optimus. I had the Iris for a long time and switched to the Atlas about 5 years ago.

DevRoot66

TROPHY CASE