

Until the 2011 release, the Mac Mini had much less processing power than the other computers of the Macintosh lineup. The Mac Mini is an entry-level computer intended for budget-minded customers. 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". Rumors predicted that the "headless iMac" would be extremely small, include no display, and would be positioned as Apple's entry-level desktop computer. OverviewĪ small form factor computer had been widely speculated and requested long before the release of the Mac Mini. 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.


The Server model was discontinued as of the late 2014 Mac Mini revision. A special Server version of the computer was introduced in October 2009 that included the Server edition of the OS X operating system. 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. 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 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. 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). Before the mid-2011 revision, all models, except the Late 2009 and Mid 2010 server models, came with an internal optical disc drive. Like earlier Mini-ITX PC designs, it is 7.7 inches (200 mm) square and 1.4 inches (36 mm) tall. with lowercase 'mini' as Mac mini) is a small desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. The Mac Mini (marketed and branded by Apple inc. Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, FireWire, USB 3 (current release), HDMI, SDXC, Thunderbolt Intel Core i5 & Core i7 (current release)ġ TB SSD Fusion drive, or 256 GB up to 1TB PCIe SSD Digital distribution (post-July 2011 models)
