Mac mini

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Mac mini

Apple Mac mini
Type: Desktop
Developer: Apple Inc.
Released: January 22, 2005
Processor(s): 1.25 - 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
Base Price: US$599 (as of 2008)
GBP£399
Website: www.apple.com/macmini/

The Mac mini is the smallest desktop computer made by Apple Inc. Two models were released in the U.S. on January 22, 2005 (January 29 worldwide); updated versions were released on July 26, 2005. Models with Intel Core processors were released on February 28, 2006,[1] with slightly revised models introduced on September 6, 2006. On August 7, 2007, new models were released with Intel Core 2 processors with 1.83 or 2.0 GHz speeds.

The mini, which resembles earlier Mini-ITX PC designs, is quite small for a desktop computer: 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) wide, 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) long, and 2 inches (5.1 cm) tall. It weighs 2.9 pounds (1.31 kg); an external power supply is roughly half the size of the computer.

Contents

[edit] Introduction

The original Mac mini was announced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 11, 2005, at the same time as the iPod shuffle. Both are scaled-down products which have been introduced at lower price points. They can be seen as a conscious effort on the part of Apple management to target a wider and lower-end market.

[edit] Overview

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 since the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh not to include a mouse, and the first not to include a keyboard. Both are purchased separately if the user does not already have them.

With iLife and the optional SuperDrive, the Mac mini makes a compact media editor/player.

[edit] Mac mini G4

[edit] 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:

[edit] 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).

  • 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:

  • The 1.42 GHz model could be purchased with a slot-loading CD-RW/DVD±RW SuperDrive for US$699 (M9971LL/B).

[edit] 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. 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.[2] 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. This may be to avoid issues with discounting or discontinuing of old stock.

[edit] Mac mini Core

A view inside a Mac mini with an Intel CPU
A view inside a Mac mini with an Intel CPU

[edit] February 2006–September 2006

Two new Intel-based models were announced on February 28, 2006, 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, and Double-Layer SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) for US$799 (MA206LL/A). The SuperDrive is a MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-846.

Both models include:

[edit] 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.

[edit] Mac mini Core 2

[edit] 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

[edit] November 2007

Of note, the revised mini does not offer 802.11n support. It is now the only current Apple computer that does not offer the newer proposed Wi-Fi standard. Note also that the Mac mini uses the older 667 MHz front side bus and 945GM chipset, rather than the 800 MHz bus and X3100 chipset used in the updated MacBook and MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo models.

[edit] 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.[3]

Both Core Solo and Core Duo CPUs provide Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x or Vanderpool) even though Intel documentation has suggested VT-x was not to be a feature of the Core Solo.

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.[4]

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, contrary to regular desktop computers which use lower cost, but less compact and power-saving components. These mobile components help lower power consumption: 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.

[edit] Graphics

The decision to use an 'integrated' graphics chip, the GMA950 GPU, on the Intel-powered Mac mini is a contentious issue for a few. 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:[5]

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. 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. Additionally, the GMA950 graphics chip is a relatively advanced model optimized for video playback - exactly what Apple is emphasizing in its marketing and branding of the Mac mini. Furthermore, the GMA950 supports more memory than the Radeon 9200 it replaced, 64 MB vs. 32, allowing it to drive all but the largest of Apple's monitors, the 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. Also it supports DirectX 9, while the Radeon 9200 supports only DirectX 8. Specifications mean little when it comes to integrated graphics, however. Real-world performance of even the most low-end dedicated graphics is better than modern integrated chipsets.

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. This claim was disputed by some observers who, when playing Unreal Tournament 2004 (UT2K4), witnessed no change or even a decrease in framerates when using Core Solo models. However, it is important to remember that UT2K4 is a heavily processor-bound game and a fast GPU is less important to functionality - a modern processor such as the Core Solo or Core Duo used in the Mac mini may well help. Performance in mainstream 3D games that extensively utilize a computer's graphics processor has not yet been extensively tested.

Aside from that, a discrete graphics card has additional hardware, namely vertex and pixel shaders, that an integrated Intel graphics chip not only lacks but is also too complex to be replicated on the CPU. The Intel GMA is thus not capable of running games that strictly require such hardware, such as Doom 3. On the other hand, the potency of the Radeon 9200 in the G4 mini was cut because it had only 32 MB VRAM, more akin to a notebook configuration, while all desktop cards had at least 64 and commonly 128 MB.

[edit] 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.[6] 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.[7] 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[8] and upgrading the wireless networking to 802.11n.[9]

With the switch to the Intel Core Solo and Duo line, Apple has begun to use a socketed CPU in their desktop computers which allows for the processor to be replaced.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Apple Unveils Mac mini with Intel Core Duo. Apple.com. Retrieved on February 28, 2006.
  2. ^ AppleInsider | Apple readying significant Mac mini update
  3. ^ Sparkfactor. Sparkfactor: Computer. Retrieved on 2007-07-16
  4. ^ Mac OS X: Firmware Updates for Intel-based Macs.
  5. ^ Mac Mini G4 Graphics. Apple.com. Retrieved on March 12, 2006.
  6. ^ The Mac mini: Inside and Out. MacWorld.com. Retrieved on 2006-03-12.
  7. ^ Mac Hack(001) Opening Mac Mini: Wire Method. Headwedge.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
  8. ^ Overclocking Apple Mac mini. Leo Bodnar. Retrieved on 2006-03-12.
  9. ^ 802.11n wireless upgrade for Mac mini. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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