2014 Unibody Mac Mini
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Manufacturer | Apple Inc. |
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Type |
Desktop Server (pre-October 2014 models) |
Release date | October 16, 2014 January 22, 2005 (original release) |
(current release)
Introductory price | US $499 |
Media | CD/DVD drive (pre-July 2011 models) Digital distribution (post-July 2011 models) |
Operating system | macOS |
CPU | Intel Core i5 & Core i7 (current release) PowerPC G4 (original release) |
Memory | 4, 8, 16 GB DDR3 1600 MHz |
Storage | 500 GB or 1 TB SATA HDD 1 TB SSD Fusion Drive, or 256 GB up to 1 TB PCIe SSD |
Display | None included |
Camera | n/a |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, FireWire, USB 3 (current release), HDMI, SDXC, Thunderbolt |
Power | 85 W PSU (7 A@12 V) (6 W at Idle) |
Dimensions | 1.4 inches (36 mm) H 7.7 inches (196 mm) W 7.7 inches (196 mm) D |
Weight | 2.7 pounds (1.2 kg) |
Predecessor | Power Mac G4 Cube |
Related articles | iMac, Mac Pro |
Website | Apple – Mac Mini |
The Mac Mini (marketed and branded with lowercase 'mini' as Mac mini) is a small desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier mini-ITX PC designs, it is 7.7 inches (200 mm) square and 1.4 inches (36 mm) tall. It weighs 2.7 pounds (1.2 kg). Before the mid-2011 revision, all models, except the Late 2009 and Mid 2010 server models, came with an internal optical disc drive. Models pre-2010 used an external power supply and were narrower but taller at 2.0 × 6.5 × 6.5 inches (51 × 165 × 165 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 to ship without a display, keyboard, or mouse since Apple's success following the release of the iMac, with Apple marketing it as BYODKM (Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse). 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, although these could be easily purchased if needed. A special Server version of the computer was introduced in October 2009 that included the Server edition of the OS X operating system. The Server model was discontinued as of the late 2014 Mac Mini revision.
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 home theater device alternative to the Apple TV.
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. 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 cheapest, most affordable Mac ever".