Mac Mini

Mac Mini

2011 Unibody Mac Mini
Manufacturer	Apple Inc.
Release date	July 20, 2011 (current release) January 22, 2005 (original release)
Introductory price	US$599
Media	CD/DVD drive (Pre-July 2011 models)
Operating system	Mac OS X Lion[1] Mac OS X Lion Server[2]
CPU	Intel Core i5[1] & Core i7[2] (current release) PowerPC G4 (original release)
Storage capacity	500 GB[1] 1 TB[2] (server)
Memory	2, 4 or 8  GiB DDR3-1333[1][2]
Display	None included
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, FireWire, USB 2, SDXC, Thunderbolt[1]
Dimensions	Height: 1.4 inches / 3.6 cm Width: 7.7 inches / 19.7 cm Depth: 7.7 inches / 19.7 cm
Weight	2.7 pounds / 1.22 kg[Notes 1]
Related articles	iMac, Mac Pro
Website	Apple – Mac mini Apple – Mac mini Server

The Mac Mini (marketed as Mac mini) is a small form factor desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier mini-ITX PC designs, it is uncommonly small for a desktop computer: 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) square and 1.4 inches (3.6 cm) tall. It weighs 2.7 pounds (1.22 kg). Prior to the mid 2011 revision, all models, except the mid 2010 server model, came with an internal optical disc drive. Models prior to 2010 used an external power supply and were narrower but taller at 2 × 6.5 × 6.5 inches (50.8 × 165.1 × 165.1 mm). The Mac Mini is one of three desktop computers in the current Macintosh lineup, the other two being the iMac and Mac Pro, although it generally uses components usually featured in laptops, hence its small size.

The Mac Mini was the first consumer level Macintosh desktop since Apple's renewed success following the release of the iPod to ship without a keyboard, mouse, or display, with Apple marketing it as BYODKM (Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse) to reinforce this fact. The primary intended market for the Mac Mini was users switching from a traditional Windows PC to a Mac who might already own a compatible display, keyboard and mouse, though these could be easily purchased if needed.^[3] A special Server version of the computer is also intended for use as a server in a small network, and beginning with the mid 2010 revision, all Server models include the Server edition of the OS X operating system.

The updated unibody Mac Mini is notable as Apple's first computer to include an HDMI video port to connect to a television or other display, more readily positioning the unit as a (more expensive) home theater device alternative to the Apple TV.^[4]

Overview

A small form factor computer had been widely speculated and requested long before the release of the Mac Mini. Rumors predicted that the "headless iMac" would be extremely small, include no display, and would be positioned as Apple's entry-level desktop computer.^[5] On January 10, 2005, the Mac Mini was announced alongside the iPod shuffle at the Macworld Conference & Expo and was described by Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the time as the "most affordable Mac ever".^[3]

The Mac Mini is an entry-level computer intended for budget-minded customers. Until the 2011 release, the Mac Mini had much less processing power than the other computers of the Macintosh lineup. Unlike normal desktop computers, which use standard-sized components such as 3.5-inch hard drives, Apple uses lower power laptop components in the Mac Mini to fit all the necessary components into the small case and to prevent overheating, common in such compact spaces.^[6] Because of the choice of components, this machine is somewhat slower and has less storage and memory than a full-sized desktop computer would have.

In general, the Mac Mini has been praised as a relatively affordable computer with a solid range of features. However, the press also agrees that it is relatively high priced for a computer aimed at the lower segment of the market. It is possible to buy small form factor computers at the same price with faster processors, better graphics card, more memory, and/or more storage.^[7] Nevertheless, the small form factor has made the Mac Mini particularly useful as a home theater solution.

On October 22, 2009, Apple introduced a new server version of the Mac Mini along with revisions of the computer. This model lacks an optical drive, but contains a second hard drive in its place. This version is marketed as an affordable server for small businesses and schools.

A new model of the Mini was introduced on June 15, 2010. The new model was thinner, with a unibody aluminum case designed to be easily opened for RAM access, and incorporated upgraded hardware, such as an HDMI port and Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics. An update announced July 20, 2011 dropped the internal CD/DVD optical drive from all versions and introduced a Thunderbolt port, Intel Core i5 processor, and either Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics or AMD Radeon HD 6630M dedicated graphics. The server model was upgraded to a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor.

Design

The original Mac Mini before the 2010 re-design

Inside of an Intel Mac Mini circa 2007

The most notable feature of the Mac Mini is its size. The original design measured only 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) by 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) by 2 inches (5.1 cm). The exterior of the original Mac Mini was made of aluminum capped with polycarbonate plastic on the top and bottom. The original design had no visible screws and was not meant to be upgraded by the user. The back of the machine contains the I/O ports and vents for the cooling system. It had an external power supply.

The Mac Mini, updated on June 15, 2010, was fully redesigned,^[8] being even slimmer than the previous models at just 1.4 inches (3.6 cm) tall, but wider at 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) a side. The weight of the computer increased from 2.9 lbs (1.31 kg) to 3.0 lbs (1.37 kg), but the power supply is now internal as opposed to external. The chassis no longer has the polycarbonate plastic on the top or bottom. The newer model, introduced July 20, 2011 has the same physical dimensions but is slightly lighter, at 2.7 lb (1.22 kg), presumably because it lacks an internal CD/DVD drive.

The current Mac Mini is designed to be opened using a round cover on the bottom of the computer. Previous versions of the Mini were much more difficult to open. Some Mac Mini owners managed to use a putty knife or a pizza cutter to pry open the cases of older Mini models, thereby gaining access to the interior to install cheaper third party memory upgrades.^[9] 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.^[10] While opening the case does not actually void the Mac Mini warranty, anything broken while the case is open is not covered.^[11] Other modifications include hard disk upgrades, overclocking the processor (G4 only),^[12] and upgrading the wireless networking (for older models) to 802.11n.^[13] The 2009 model can have its SuperDrive replaced with a second SATA hard drive.^[14] The removal of the optical drive in the 2011 models leaves internal space for a second internal hard drive or SSD, which can be ordered as a BTO option from Apple.

With the switch to the Intel Core Solo and Duo line, Apple initially used a socketed CPU in the Mac Mini that allowed the processor to be replaced, however they switched to a non-socketed CPU with the 2009 model that did not allow for an easy upgrade. With the June 2010 revision, the case is designed to be readily opened by the user to add RAM.

Home theater

The Mac Mini can be used for home theater applications. The small footprint, multi-format video output, digital audio output, remote control IR receiver and the relatively powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processors made it easy to use the Mac Mini as part of a home entertainment system.^[15]

A 2008 Mac Mini as a home theater PC demonstrating the Front Row application. Current models include an HDMI port for easy connection with modern televisions and home theater receivers.

It can be classified as a HTPC (Home Theater PC) with some limitations. The Mac Mini does not include an integrated TV tuner card and cannot be upgraded to install one internally; accessing TV requires external devices like Elgato's EyeTV USB adapter or SiliconDust's HDHomeRun networked TV tuner which will encode and manage broadcast television from a cable or satellite receiver. The July 2011 model lacks a built in CD/DVD player and OS X Lion no longer supports FrontRow remote control software.

Pre-2009 Mac Mini models had a video connector which was compatible with DVI, HDMI (video only), SVGA, S-Video and composite video with the appropriate adapter. Sound is provided by a combination jack that uses both mini-RCA (analog) and optical fiber cables (digital).^[16] Unlike the Apple TV, the Mac Mini is backward compatible with televisions that have only composite or S-Video inputs. As of the July 2011 revision of the Mac Mini, the computer sports an Intel HD3000 graphics processor with an optional Radeon Graphics processing unit available and Thunderbolt which makes decoding high-resolution video much quicker and efficient. The addition of an HDMI port simplifies connecting the Mini to high-definition televisions and home theater receivers.

Because of the similar small form factor, HDMI port, remote control IR receiver, and media browser interface, some users see the Mac Mini as an Apple TV alternative.^[4] It has both iTunes for media rental, purchase, and management, and a native user interface with Front Row, based on the user interface of the original Apple TV.^[16][17] The Apple TV is limited to video in the MP4 format, whereas Mac Mini users employing the appropriate QuickTime codecs can watch other video formats like Divx, Xvid, and the Mkv container without resorting to hacks. The current Intel models of Mac Mini can display video via the HDMI port at a maximum resolution of 1080p, compared to the Apple TV, which is limited to a maximum resolution of 720p without third-party modifications.^[15]

The Mac Mini can also run third-party front-end media player applications for Mac OS X, such as XBMC, Plex, or Boxee, to be used as a HTPC (Home Theater PC). XBMC supports the older PowerPC-based Mac Mini, while the other applications will only run on the Intel-based Mac Mini with the latest versions of Mac OS X.

Mac Mini G4

The specifications below are from Apple's "tech specs" page,^[1] except where noted.

Processors

The Mac Mini G4 uses single-core 32-bit PowerPC processors that have 512 KiB of on-chip L2 cache. The processor accesses memory through the front side bus, which is clocked at 167 MHz. The chips in these models of Mac Mini run at 1.25, 1.33, 1.42, or 1.5 GHz. The computer supports an ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with 32 MiB of DDR SDRAM standard. The high-end model of the last revision comes with 64 MiB of video memory instead.

Memory

The Mac Mini G4 uses 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, allows a maximum of 1 GiB of memory, and has only one slot for random access memory. This restricts both the maximum amount of available memory, which can greatly reduce performance by forcing the system to run in virtual memory, and, since the system is unable to take advantage of dual channels, maximum bandwidth. This issue was addressed in the Intel models of Mac Mini.

Storage

The Mac Mini G4 uses a single 2.5-inch Ultra ATA/100 hard drive, which offers a maximum transfer rate of 100 MB/s. Because of its sealed enclosure, it is not possible to upgrade the hard drive without opening the enclosure and possibly voiding the warranty of the system^{[citation needed]}. The Mac Mini G4 also contains a second ATA cable that connects to the optical drive. A Combo drive was included as standard, while a SuperDrive capable of writing to DVDs was also an option.

External connectivity

The original Mac Mini includes two USB 2.0 and one FireWire 400 port. Networking is supported with 10/100 Ethernet and V.92 modem ports, while 802.11b/g and Bluetooth were additional build-to-order options. The modem was later omitted from the Mac Mini, but an external modem remained an option. External displays are supported via a DVI port. Adaptors are also available for VGA, S-Video, and composite video. The system contains a built-in speaker and an analog 1/8-inch stereo Mini jack for sound out at the back of the case.

In the last revision of the Mac Mini G4, the internal mezzanine board was upgraded to accommodate the AirPort Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology onto one chip. In previous models, the Mac Mini included an AirPort Extreme card taped to the mezzanine board and a separate Bluetooth module.^[18] This new Wi-Fi card also no longer uses an MMCX-Female connector for the antenna (as the previous models did) but rather a proprietary Apple one.

Specifications

Component	PowerPC G4
Model	Early 2005	Mid 2005[19]	Late 2005[20]
Release date	January 11, 2005	July 26, 2005	September 27, 2005
Model Numbers	M9686*/A M9687*/A	M9686*/B M9687*/B M9971*/B	M9687*/B M9971*/B
Machine Model	PowerMac10,1		PowerMac10,2
Model ID	A1103
Graphics	ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with 32 MiB of DDR SDRAM.		ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor with 32 MiB or 64 MiB of DDR SDRAM.
Hard drive	40 GB or 80 GB Ultra ATA/100 at 4200-rpm		40 GB or 80 GB Ultra ATA/100 at 5400-rpm
Processor	1.25 GHz or 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 (7447A)		1.33 GHz or 1.5 GHz PowerPC G4 (7447A)
Cache	64 KB L1, 512 KB L2 (1:1)
Front Side Bus	167 MHz
Memory one RAM slot	256 MiB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM Expandable to 1 GiB		512 MiB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM Expandable to 1 GiB
AirPort Extreme	Optional or Integrated 802.11b/g
Ethernet	10/100 Base-T
Optical drive	8× DVD read, 24× CD-R and 16× CD-RW recording, 8× DVD±R read Combo drive or 8× DVD±R read, 8× DVD±R writes, 4× DVD±RW writes or 2.4× DVD±R writes, 24× CD read, 24× CD-R, and 16× CD-RW recording SuperDrive	8× DVD read, 24× CD-R and 16× CD-RW recording Combo drive or 8× DVD±R read, 4× DVD±R writes or 2× DVD±RW writes, 24× CD read, 16× CD-R, and 8× CD-RW recording SuperDrive
Minimum operating system required	Mac OS X 10.3.7		Mac OS X 10.4.2
Maximum Operating System	Mac OS X 10.5.8
Weight	2.9 pounds / 1.32 kg
Dimensions	2 × 6.5 × 6.5 inches / 50.8 × 165.1 × 165.1 mm

Notes:
¹ The serial number and specifications sticker on the underside of the latest revision 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.^[21]

Alternative operating systems

The Mac Mini G4 can run different operating systems designed for the PowerPC architecture. For example, a user can easily install the AmigaOS-compatible MorphOS. Debian or Ubuntu Linux can also be installed.^{[22][23][24][25]} Unlike the Intel models of Mac Mini, the G4 versions are still capable of running Classic emulation, thus they are compatible with older Mac OS applications.

Intel-based Mac Mini

The specifications below are from Apple's "tech specs" page,^[1] except where noted.

Processors

The current non-server Mac Mini versions come as standard with a mobile dual-core 64-bit Intel Core i5 processor that runs at 2.3 or 2.5 GHz (with an optional mobile dual core Intel Core i7 2.7 GHz also being available). While the server model has a mobile quad-core 64-bit Intel Core i7 processor, that runs at 2.0 GHz. Each CPU, has on-chip L3 cache which is shared between the cores and GPU (if in use). Previous revisions used a "Penryn" Intel Core 2 Duo processor, "Merom"-based Core 2 Duo and "Yonah"-based Core Duo and Solo chips.

While the Mac Mini G4 contained a separate graphics processor, all revisions of the Intel-based Mac Mini contain integrated GPUs, except in the 2011 version where the 2.5 GHz model contains a separate AMD Radeon GPU. In Apple's early marketing of the Mac Mini G4, it touted the superiority of the use of a discrete ATI Radeon 9200 32 MiB graphics card over the integrated graphics included in many budget PCs.^[26] The Intel GMA that was built into the Mac Mini was criticized for producing stuttering video, despite supporting hardware accelerated H.264 video playback, and disappointing frame rates in graphics-intensive 3D games.^[27]

Memory

Unlike the Mac Mini G4, the Intel-based Mac Mini uses a Dual-channel architecture for memory. The original Intel-based Mac Mini uses 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, while models beginning with the early 2009 revision uses 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM. The current mid 2010 revision supports up to 8 GB of memory. The current model also features a removable bottom panel, so that the memory can be replaced by the user. Since the integrated graphics processor does not have its own dedicated memory, the system shares some of the main system memory with it.

Storage

The Intel-based Mac Mini moves away from the previously used Ultra ATA/100 to the newer Serial ATA interface, which offers a maximum 3 Gbit/s transfer rate, however all models of Intel Mac Mini have been limited to 1.5 Gbit/s even though the SATA standard supports a transfer of 3 Gbit/s. All models continue to use 2.5-inch hard drives as opposed to the 3.5-inch drives used in standard desktops. A server edition of the Mac Mini was introduced in October 2009, which omits the optical drive in favor of a second hard drive for a total of 1 TB of storage. A Combo drive was initially offered as standard, with the SuperDrive being an option, but through the 2010 models, all models that have an optical drive contain the SuperDrive as standard. The 2010 standard version of the Mac (without Server) comes with a 300 GB or on 2.66 GHz 500 GB of storage.

External connectivity

Back panel of a mid 2007 2,1 model Mac Mini. From left to right, first row: power button, 10 ventilation holes, Kensington lock slot, audio in, audio out. Second row: DC in, gigabit Ethernet, Firewire 400, DVI, 4 USB 2.0 ports

Back panel of a late 2009 3,1 model Mac Mini. From left to right, first row: power button, 10 ventilation holes, Kensington lock slot, audio in, audio out. Second row: DC in, gigabit Ethernet, Firewire 800, mini DVI, mini-DisplayPort, 5 USB 2.0 ports

The original Intel-based Mac Mini includes four USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port. Networking is supported with a built-in Gigabit Ethernet port and an integrated 802.11b/g AirPort card. Bluetooth was also made standard. External displays are supported through a DVI port. While the Mac Mini G4 supports only analog audio output, the Intel-based Mac Mini has separate mini-TOSLINK/1/8" (3.5 mm) mini-jacks that support both analog audio input and output as well optical digital S/PDIF input and output.

The I/O ports were changed with the early 2009 revision. A fifth USB 2.0 port was added and the FireWire 400 port was replaced with a FireWire 800 port. The AirPort card was upgraded to 802.11a/b/g/draft-n and later to 802.11a/b/g/n. Bluetooth was also upgraded from 2.0 to 2.1. Instead of a single full-size DVI port, a mini-DVI port was added along with a mini DisplayPort connection, which allows dual display support. Unlike the DVI port, the mini DisplayPort supports external displays with a resolution up to 2560 × 1600, which allows use of the 30-inch Cinema Display with the Mac Mini. As of this revision, the Apple Remote is no longer included with the Mac Mini.

Specifications

Component	Intel Core		Intel Core 2 Duo
Model	Early 2006[28]	Late 2006[29]	Mid 2007[30]	Early 2009[31]	Late 2009[32][33]
Release date	February 28, 2006	September 6, 2006	August 7, 2007	March 3, 2009	October 20, 2009
Model Numbers	MA205*/A MA206*/A	MA607*/A MA608*/A	MB138*/A MB139*/A	MB463*/A MB464*/A	MC238*/A MC239*/A MC408*/A
Machine Model	Macmini1,1		Macmini2,1	Macmini3,1
Model ID	A1176			A1283
Graphics shared with main memory	Intel GMA 950 using 64 MiB of DDR2 SDRAM (up to 224 MiB in Windows through Boot Camp)[34]			Nvidia GeForce 9400M using 128 MiB or 256 MiB of DDR3 SDRAM	Nvidia GeForce 9400M using 256 MiB of DDR3 SDRAM
Hard drive 5400-rpm unless specified	60 GB or 80 GB Serial ATA Optional 100 GB or 120 GB	60 GB or 80 GB Serial ATA Optional 100 GB, 120 GB, 160 GB	80 GB or 120 GB Serial ATA Optional 160 GB	120 GB or 320 GB Serial ATA Optional 250 GB	160 GB or 320 GB Serial ATA 2 × 500 GB on server model Optional 500 GB
Processor	1.5 GHz Intel Core Solo (T1200) or 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo (T2300)	1.66 GHz (T2300) or 1.83 GHz (T2400) Intel Core Duo	1.83 GHz (T5600) or 2.0 GHz (T7200) Intel Core 2 Duo	2.0 GHz (P7350) Intel Core 2 Duo Optional 2.26 GHz (P8400) Intel Core 2 Duo	2.26 GHz (P7550) or 2.53 GHz (P8700) Intel Core 2 Duo Optional 2.66 GHz (P8800) Intel Core 2 Duo
Cache	2 MB on-chip L2 cache		2 MB (1.83 GHz), 4 MB (2.0 GHz) shared	3 MB on-chip L2 cache
Front Side Bus	667 MHz			1067 MHz
Memory two RAM slots	512 MiB (2 × 256 MiB) of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM Expandable to 2 GiB		1 GiB (2 × 512 MiB) of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM Expandable to 4 GiB but about 3 GiB is addressable	1 GiB (1 × 1 GiB) or 2 GiB (2 × 1 GiB) of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM Expandable to 8 GiB (4 GiB supported by Apple)[35][36]	2 GiB (2 × 1 GiB) or 4 GiB (2 × 2 GiB) of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM Expandable to 8 GiB (4 GiB supported by Apple)
AirPort Extreme	Integrated Atheros 802.11b/g (some models may unofficially support 802.11a as well)			Integrated Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/draft-n	Integrated Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n
Ethernet	10/100/1000 Base-T
Optical drive	8× DVD read, 24× CD-R and 16× CD-RW recording Combo drive or 8× DVD±R read, 4× DVD±R writes or 2× DVD±RW writes, 24× CD read, 16× CD-R, and 8× CD-RW recording SuperDrive			8× DVD±R read, 6× DVD±R-DL writes, 8× DVD±R writes or 6× DVD±RW writes, 24× CD read, 24× CD-R and CD-RW recording SuperDrive	8× DVD±R read, 6× DVD±R-DL writes, 8× DVD±R writes, 6× DVD-RW writes, 8× DVD+RW writes, 24× CD read, 24× CD-R and CD-RW recording SuperDrive No optical drive on server model
Minimum operating system required	Mac OS X 10.4.5	Mac OS X 10.4.7	Mac OS X 10.4.10	Mac OS X 10.5.6	Mac OS X 10.6.1 or Mac OS X Server 10.6.1
Maximum Operating System	Mac OS X 10.6.8		Latest release of Mac OS X
Weight	2.9 pounds / 1.32 kg
Dimensions	2 × 6.5 × 6.5 inches / 50.8 × 165.1 × 165.1 mm

Unibody Mac Mini

Back panel of a mid 2010 4,1 model unibody Mac Mini. From left to right, first row: power button, built-in DC power supply plug, Gigabit Ethernet, Firewire 800, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, 4 USB 2.0 ports, SDXC card slot. Second row: ventilation holes, audio in, audio out.

Structure

Starting from the mid-2010 revision, there is a removable panel on the bottom, enabling the user to upgrade the RAM. The new Mac Mini has an all-aluminium enclosure, called unibody. The unibody manufacturing process was originally developed for the MacBook Air^[37] and later also used in the MacBook & MacBook Pro before being introduced into the Mac Mini range.

The built-in power supply negates the need for an external power supply "brick" used on previous models.^[38]

There have been other changes in the 2011 revision. They include the elimination of both the Kensington Security Slot^[39], as well as the optical drive. Whilst the fifth USB 2.0 port was also removed, this has given space for an SD card slot to be included on the back of the machine (this can be difficult to access, being on the rear).

Like the 2009 version, a mini DisplayPort (which allows for a VGA connection, via a non-included cable) is included. An HDMI port, which Apple describes as being HDMI 1.4 compliant, replaces the mini-DVI port on the previous models as one of the main video connection methods. The HDMI port supports up to 1080p on HDMI connections and 8 channel 24-bit audio at 192 kHz, Dolby Surround 5.1 and stereo output. With the included HDMI to DVI adapter, for those currently using a DVI interface, the HDMI port will work with resolutions up to 1920 × 1200 pixels, whilst the mini DisplayPort can concurrently support up to a resolution up to 2560 × 1600 pixels.

Specifications

Component	Intel Core 2 Duo		Intel Core i5 & i7
Model	Mid 2010[40][41]		Mid 2011[42][43]
Release date	June 15, 2010		July 20, 2011
Model Numbers	MC270XX/A	MC438XX/A (server model)	MC815XX/A	MC816XX/A	MC936XX/A (server model)
Machine Model	Macmini4,1		Macmini5,1	Macmini5,2	Macmini5,3
Model ID	A1347
Graphics shared with main memory	Nvidia GeForce 320M using 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM		Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor with 288 MB of DDR3 SDRAM	AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics processor with dedicated 256 MB of GDDR5 memory	Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor with 384 MB of DDR3 SDRAM
Hard drive	320 GB 5400-rpm SATA HDD Optional 500 GB 5400-rpm SATA HDD	2 × 500 GB 7200-rpm SATA HDD	500 GB 5400-rpm SATA HDD Optional 750 GB 7200-rpm SATA HDD	500 GB 5400-rpm SATA HDD Optional 750 GB 7200-rpm SATA HDD, 256 GB SSD, or 1 × 256 GB SSD + 1 × 750 GB 7200-rpm SATA HDD	2 × 500 GB 7200-rpm SATA HDD Optional 2 × 750 GB 7200-rpm SATA HDD, 1 or 2 × 256 GB SSD(s), or 1 × 256 GB SSD + 1 × 750 GB 7200-rpm SATA HDD
Processor	2.4 GHz (P8600) Intel Core 2 Duo Optional 2.66 GHz (P8800) Intel Core 2 Duo	2.66 GHz (P8800) Intel Core 2 Duo	2.3 GHz dual-core (Intel Core i5-2415M)[44]	2.5 GHz dual-core (Intel Core i5-2520M) Optional 2.7 GHz dual-core (Intel Core i7-2620M)	2.0 GHz quad-core (Intel Core i7-2635QM)
Cache	3 MB on-chip L2		3 MB	4 MB	6 MB on-chip shared L3
Front Side Bus	1.07 GHz		DMI
Memory two RAM slots	2 GB (2 × 1 GB) 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM Expandable to 8 GB (2 × 4 GB)	4 GB (2 × 2 GB) 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM Expandable to 8 GB (2 × 4 GB)	2 GB (2 × 1 GB) 1333 MHz DDR3 memory Optional 4 (2 × 2 GB) or 8 GB (2 × 4 GB) 1333 MHz DDR3 memory (Unofficially 16 GB (2 × 8 GB) via non-Apple suppliers, for all models)	4 GB (2 × 2 GB) 1333 MHz DDR3 memory Optional 8 GB (2 × 4 GB) 1333 MHz DDR3 memory (Unofficially 16 GB (2 × 8 GB) via non-Apple suppliers, for all models)
Connectivity	10/100/1000 Base-T Gigabit Ethernet port[45] built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n)[45] Bluetooth 2.1+EDR[45]		10/100/1000 Base-T Gigabit Ethernet port built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive	SuperDrive (Writes: 6× DVD±R-DL, 8× DVD±R, 6× DVD-RW, 8× DVD+RW; Reads: 8× DVD±R, 24× CD, 24× CD-R and CD-RW	(Non-server models; no optical drive on server model)[46]	None included (Optional External Macbook Air Superdrive)
Operating system	Mac OS X v10.6.3 (Snow Leopard)	Mac OS X Server v10.6.3 (Snow Leopard Server) Mac OS X v10.6.4 was released one day after the Mac Mini to resolve graphics and SDXC card issues.[47][48]	Mac OS X Lion		Mac OS X Lion & Mac OS X Lion Server
Peripheral connections	1 × HDMI Port (Includes HDMI to DVI Adapter) 1 × Mini DisplayPort 1 × SDXC card slot 1 × Firewire 800 port 4 × USB 2.0 ports 1× 3.5 mm Line out/Headphone jack 1 × 3.5 mm Line in jack		1 × HDMI Port (Includes HDMI to DVI Adapter) 1 × Thunderbolt Port 1 × SDXC card slot 1 × FireWire 800 port 4 × USB 2.0 ports 1 × 3.5 mm Line out/Headphone jack 1 × 3.5 mm Line in jack
Power	(Non-Server Model)[49] Mode 100 V 115 V 230 V Off 0.23 W 0.24 W 0.26 W Sleep 1.39 W 1.45 W 1.42 W Idle 9.13 W 9.14 W 9.44 W	(Server Model)[50] Mode 100 V 115 V 230 V Off 0.19 W 0.26 W 0.31 W Sleep 1.18 W 1.18 W 1.28 W Idle 9.78 W 9.78 W 9.97 W	(Non-Server Models)[51] Mode 100 V 115 V 230 V Off 0.21 W 0.21 W 0.23 W Sleep 1.16 W 1.14 W 1.16 W Idle 12.97 W 12.97 W 12.85 W		(Server Model)[52] Mode 100 V 115 V 230 V Off 0.20 W 0.21 W 0.25 W Sleep 1.02 W 1.02 W 1.11 W Idle 11.98 W 12.02 W 12.36 W
Weight	3.0 pounds / 1.37 kg	2.8 pounds / 1.29 kg	2.7 pounds / 1.22 kg		3.0 pounds / 1.37 kg
Dimensions	1.4 × 7.7 × 7.7 inches / 36 × 197 × 197 mm
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	270 kg CO2e[53]		280 kg CO2e[54]

Mac Mini Server

Starting with the Mac Mini (Late 2009), Apple offers a configuration of the Mac Mini preloaded with Mac OS X Server. The machine has a second hard drive in place of the optical drive. As of November 5, 2010, along with the Mac Pro Server, the Mac Mini Server, is the replacement for Apple's Xserve line, which was discontinued on January 31, 2011.

See also

• Apple rumor community
• Dell Studio Hybrid
• Dell Inspiron 400 (Zino HD)
• ASUS Eee Box
• Acer Aspire Revo
• MSI Wind PC
• Small form factor, Nettop

Notes

1. ^ Actual weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.

References

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External links

• Official website
• Apple – Mac mini Server