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Mac Mini

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Mac Mini
Apple Mac Mini
DeveloperApple Inc.
TypeDesktop
Release dateJanuary 22, 2005
Introductory priceUS$599 (as of 2009)
CPU1.25 - 1.5 GHz PowerPC G4
1.5 GHz Intel Core Solo or 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo
1.66 - 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo
1.83 - 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Websitewww.apple.com/macmini/

The Mac Mini (officially capitalized Mac mini) is a desktop computer made by Apple Inc. Like earlier Mini-ITX PC designs, it is uncommonly small for a desktop computer: 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) square and 2 inches (5.1 cm) tall. It weighs 2.9 pounds (1.31 kg); its external power supply is roughly one third of the size of the computer itself.

It was introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo in January 2005, and has been updated with newer processors and other expansions several times since. It was announced at the same time as the iPod Shuffle, both scaled-down and less expensive alternatives to the company's main products in those lines. It was described by Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the time as the "most affordable Mac ever".[1]

Overview

As of 2008, the Mac Mini ships with Apple's Mac OS X Leopard operating system installed, and also includes software such as the Safari web browser and the iLife suite of Apple applications to create and manage videos, music, photos and DVDs. Trial versions of iWork and Microsoft Office are also included. Intel-based Mac Minis also come with Front Row, an application which integrates the media management features, and the Apple Remote.

The Mac Mini is the first Macintosh desktop not to include a keyboard or mouse. (The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh also shipped without a mouse, however it included a re-positionable touchpad). In addition there is no included display. The primary intended market for the Mac Mini was for "switchers" who would already own a display, USB keyboard and mouse, and other customers could easily purchase these if needed.[1]

Specifications

Component PowerPC G4 Intel Core Intel Core 2
Model Mac Mini[2] Mac Mini (Late 2005)[3] Mac Mini (Early 2006)[4] Mac Mini (Late 2006)[5] Mac Mini (Mid 2007)[6]
Graphics ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with 32MB of DDR SDRAM ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with 32MB or 64MB of DDR SDRAM Intel GMA 950 graphics processor using 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared by main memory (up to 224MB in Windows through Boot Camp).[7]
Hard drive 40GB or 80GB Ultra ATA/100, 4200-rpm 40GB or 80GB Ultra ATA/100, 5400-rpm 60GB, 80GB
Optional 100GB or 120GB, 5400-rpm. 		60GB, 80GB
Optional 100GB, 120GB or 160GB, 5400-rpm. 		80GB or 120GB
Optional 160GB, 5400-rpm.
Processor 1.25Ghz or 1.42Ghz PowerPC G4 (7447A) 1.33Ghz or 1.5Ghz PowerPC G4 (7447A) 1.5Ghz Intel Core Solo or 1.66Ghz Intel Core Duo (T1200/T2300) 1.66Ghz or 1.83Ghz Intel Core Duo (T2300/T2400) 1.83Ghz or 2.0Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo (T5600/T7200)
Memory 256MB or 512MB PC-2700 DDR SDRAM
Expandable to 1GB 		512MB PC-2700 DDR SDRAM
Expandable to 1GB 		512MB (two 256MB) PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 2GB 		1GB (two 512MB) PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 4GB although not officially confirmed by Apple.[8]
AirPort Extreme Optional or Integrated 802.11b/g Integrated 802.11b/g
Optical drive 8x DVD read, 24x CD-R and 16x CD-RW recording, 8x DVD±R read Combo Drive or 8x DVD±R read, 8x DVD±R writes, 4x DVD±RW writes or 2.4x DVD±R writes, 24x CD read, 24x CD-R, and 16x CD-RW recording SuperDrive 8x DVD read, 24x CD-R and 16x CD-RW recording Combo Drive or 8x DVD±R read, 4x DVD±R writes or 2x DVD±RW writes, 24x CD read, 16x CD-R, and 8x CD-RW recording SuperDrive
Minimum operating system required Mac OS X Panther 10.3.7 Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.2 Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.5 Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.7 Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.10, Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard
Weight 2.9 pounds / 1.32 kg
Dimensions 2 x 6.5 x 6.5 inches / 50.8 x 165.1 x 165.1 mm
  • All changes between models are marked by bold lettering.

Mac Mini G4

January 2005–July 2005

Two models were announced on January 11 2005 at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco:

  • 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, 256 MB RAM, and 40 GB hard drive, for US$499 (EU€489 in the Eurozone, GB£339 in the UK, CA$629) (Model # M9686LL/A)
  • 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, 256 MB RAM, and 80 GB hard drive, for US$599 (EU€589 in the Eurozone, GB£399 in the UK, CA$899) (Model # M9687LL/A)

Each model also included:

Optional built-to-order add-ons included:

July 2005–October 2005

On July 26, 2005, slightly revised models were made available. The biggest change was a doubling of each unit's shipping amount of RAM, from 256 MB PC2700 (or PC3200 supported at PC2700 speeds) Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) in the prior units to 512 MB in the newer models (256 MB having been widely considered insufficient for OS X and its applications).Template:By Apple

  • 1.25 GHz model (M9686LL/B at US$499)
  • 1.42 GHz model (M9687LL/B at US$599)

At this time, the 1.42 GHz model stopped including the internal modem as standard equipment, however it could still be purchased as a build-to-order option.

In addition a high-end model was introduced:

October 2005–February 2006

The Mac Mini was silently upgraded in October 2005 to 64 MB VRAM, and either a 1.33 GHz (up from 1.25 GHz) or 1.5 GHz G4 (up from 1.42 GHz) processor, with 512 MB of PC3200 RAM while underclocking it to PC2700.[citation needed] The 80 GB drive was a Seagate Momentus 5400.2 ST9808211A, which runs at 5400 rpm with a 8 MB cache. The SuperDrive is a MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-845, which supports DVD+R DL burning, and may also have unofficial support for DVD-RAM.[original research?] Also, the internal mezzanine board was upgraded to accommodate the AirPort Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology onto one chip. In previous models, the Mini included an AirPort Extreme card taped to the mezzanine board and a separate Bluetooth module.[9] This new Wi-Fi card also no longer uses an MCX-Female connector for the antenna (as the previous models did) but rather a proprietary Apple one. The serial number and specifications sticker on the underside of the machine itself do not carry the actual specs of the upgrade. For example, on a 1.5 GHz model, 1.42 GHz is listed. The product packaging also did not reflect the upgrade.

Apple did not revise the official specifications on their web site.[citation needed] This may be to avoid issues with discounting or discontinuing of old stock.[original research?]

Mac Mini Core

February 2006–September 2006

Two new Intel-based models were announced on February 28 2006,[10] replacing the older line:

  • 1.5 GHz Intel Core Solo (T1200) processor, 60 GB SATA hard drive, and Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) for US$599 (MA205LL/A).
  • 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo (T2300) processor, 80 GB SATA hard drive, Double-Layer SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW), US$799 (MA206LL/A) - the SuperDrive is a MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-846.

Both models include:

September 2006–August 2007

On September 6 2006, Apple increased the speed of the US$599 model to a Core Duo T2300 1.66 GHz [MA607LL/A], and the US$799 model to a Core Duo (T2400) 1.83 GHz [MA608LL/A]. With this change, all Macs now use multi-core processors.

Mac Mini Core 2

August 2007

On August 7, the Mac Mini was refreshed with new hardware and software features, including:

  • New Intel Core 2 Duo processors, running at 1.83 (T5600) and 2.0 GHz (T7200)
  • 1 GB RAM up to 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) on two SO-DIMMs
  • An 80 GB or 120 GB internal 5400 rpm SATA hard drive, with 160 GB optional
  • iLife '08

November 2007

March 2009

On March 3, the Mac Mini was finally refreshed with new hardware features after 19 months, including:

  • New Intel Core 2 Duo processors, running at 2.0 GHZ as standard, upgradeable to 2.26 GHz.
  • 1 GB RAM on base model, 2 GB 667 MHz DDR3 SDRAM on two SO-DIMMs, upgradeable to 4 GB.
  • An 12 GB or 320 GB internal 5400 rpm SATA hard drive, with 250 GB optional
  • An NVidia GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 128 or 256 MB shared video memory.
  • The Combo Drive was eliminated from the base model and replaced with a dual-layer 8x SuperDrive as standard.
  • The FireWire 400 port was replaced with a FireWire 800 port.
  • A MiniDisplay port was added in adition to the Mini-DVI port.


The 2007 Mini did not offer 802.11n support, but the 2009 revision does. The Mac Mini now has an 1066 MHz front side bus and NVidia 940MM graphics, identical to the NVIDIA 9400M graphics chipset and 1066MHz front side bus found in all of the 'unibody' MacBooks that were introduced in October 2008.

General Intel Mac Mini information

Although it has been removed entirely from the Mini's design, an Apple modem is still available - only now it is external, USB-based, and costs US$49 (UK£35).

While the Industrial design of the Mac Mini is handled entirely by Apple's in-house designers, some of the hardware has been engineered by Sparkfactor Design.[11]

The first generation G4-based Minis were originally to include a built-in iPod dock connector in the white plastic top [12]. The feature was left out, but on the G4 Minis an additional FireWire port can be found unwired on the secondary board hardware attached to the optical drive [13].

Both Core Solo and Core Duo CPUs provide Intel VT (VT-x) even though Intel documentation has suggested VT-x was not to be a feature of the Core Solo.[original research?]

Initially, the Intel-based Mac Minis were shipped with a bug that caused difficulties with VT-x. Apple subsequently released a firmware update that fixes this bug.[14]

Mac Minis integrate 2.5 inch hard disk drives (ATA in the G4 models and SATA in the Intel models), CPUs and other components originally intended for mobile devices such as laptops, compared with regular desktop computers which generally use lower cost, but less compact and more power-demanding components. These mobile components help keep the power consumption down: according to data on the Apple web site, first-generation PowerPC Mac Minis consume 32 to 85 Watts, while later Intel Core machines consume 23 to 110 Watts. By comparison, a contemporary Mac Pro with quad-core 2.66 GHz processors consumes 171 to 250 Watts.[citation needed]

Graphics

The decision to use an 'integrated' graphics chip, the GMA950 GPU, on the Intel-powered Mac Mini is a contentious issue for those wishing to play games, and use other graphically heavy applications. This is further supported by the fact that in Apple's early marketing of the G4-powered Mac Mini, it touted the superiority of the use of a discrete ATI Radeon 9200 32 MB graphics card over the integrated graphics included in many budget PCs:[15]

Lock the Target
Or one 3D game. Go ahead, just try to play Halo on a budget PC. Most say they’re good for 2D games only. That’s because an “integrated Intel graphics” chip steals power from the CPU and siphons off memory from system-level RAM. You’d have to buy an extra card to get the graphics performance of Mac Mini, and some cheaper PCs don’t even have an open slot to let you add one.

— Apple Inc., Mac Mini G4 Graphics

Apple argues that a single-core CPU should be expected to be generally unsuitable for gaming.[citation needed] On a dual-core machine, otherwise lightly loaded, the second core can be used for graphics while the game runs on the first, and can perform as well as a low-end graphics card.[citation needed] Furthermore, the GMA950 supports more memory than the Radeon 9200 it replaced, 64 MB vs. 32, allowing it to drive all but Apple's 30" Cinema Display. It also supports Apple's Core Image technology, although this is due largely to most of this functionality running in software on the CPU.

Following the move to Intel processors Apple’s senior director of desktops, Tom Boger claimed that the company saw increases of between 10 and 40% in framerates of unspecified 3D games compared to the PowerPC models.[citation needed] This claim was disputed by some observers who witnessed no change or even a decrease in framerates when playing Unreal Tournament 2004 on Core Solo models.

Home theater

A Mac Mini as a home theater PC

The Mac Mini is also well suited for home theater applications. The small footprint, CD/DVD player, multi-format video output, digital audio output and remote control make it relatively easy to use the Mac Mini as part of an entertainment system.[16]

It can be classified as a HTPC (Home Theater PC) with some limitations. The Mac Mini does not include a tuner card and cannot be upgraded to integrate one internally, instead, external devices like Elgato's HD HomeRun can encode and manage broadcast television from a cable or satellite receiver.

The video connector is compatible with DVI, HDMI (video only), SVGA, S-Video, composite video and component video with the appropriate adapter. Sound is provided by a combination jack that uses both Mini-RCA (analog) and optical fiber cables (digital).[17]

The Mac Mini competes with the Apple TV: it has both iTunes for media rental, purchase, and management, and a similar front-end interface with Front Row.[17] The Apple TV is limited to video in the mp4 format, whereas Mini users employing the appropriate QuickTime codecs can watch other video formats like Divx, Xvid, and Mkv without resorting to hacks. The faster of Mac Mini models can display video at a maximum resolution of 1080p, compared to the AppleTV's 720p. [16] The Mac Mini can also incorporate third-party front-end applications like XBMC Media Center, Plex, and Boxee. Unlike the Apple TV, the Mac Mini is backward compatible with televisions that have only composite or S-Video inputs.

Opening the case and modifications

Some Mac Mini owners have managed to use a putty knife or a pizza cutter to pry open the computer's case, thereby gaining access to the interior to install cheaper 3rd-party memory upgrades.[18] In fact, the official Apple Service Source manual for Mac Mini describes this procedure in detail, even including an official Apple part number for a "modified putty knife". It's also possible to use wires to pull the white plastic bottom case out of the metal top case.[19] While opening the case does not actually void the Mac Mini warranty, anything broken while the case is open is not covered. Other modifications include overclocking the processor[20] and upgrading the wireless networking to 802.11n.[21]

With the switch to the Intel Core Solo and Duo line, Apple uses a socketed CPU in the Mac Mini which allows the processor to be replaced.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b BBC: Apple unveils low-cost 'Mac mini'
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ [2]
  4. ^ [3]
  5. ^ [4]
  6. ^ [5]
  7. ^ "Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset Family Datasheet". Intel. 12 April 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "RAM Benchmarks for Apple Mac Mini". OtherWorldComputing. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
  9. ^ AppleInsider | Apple readying significant Mac Mini update
  10. ^ "Apple Unveils Mac mini with Intel Core Duo". Apple.com. Retrieved February 28 2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  11. ^ Sparkfactor. Sparkfactor: Computer. Retrieved on 2007-07-16
  12. ^ AppleInsider [6]. Retrieved on 2009-03-02
  13. ^ The Register [7]. Retrieved on 2009-03-02
  14. ^ "Mac OS X: Firmware Updates for Intel-based Macs".
  15. ^ "Mac Mini G4 Graphics". Apple.com. Retrieved March 12 2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  16. ^ a b Saunders, Grover (2007). "Mac Mini: The original Apple TV alternative". ars technica. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
  17. ^ a b Breen, Christopher (2006-05-31). "My multimedia Mac Mini". Macworld. Retrieved 2008-07-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ "The Mac Mini: Inside and Out". MacWorld.com. Retrieved 2006-03-12.
  19. ^ "Mac Hack(001) Opening Mac Mini: Wire Method". Headwedge.com. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
  20. ^ "Overclocking Apple Mac Mini". Leo Bodnar. Retrieved 2006-03-12.
  21. ^ "802.11n wireless upgrade for Mac Mini". Retrieved 2007-08-27.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mac mini.


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