Apple Mac Mini Overview
The Mac mini was announced by the apple in 2005 with the intention of changing the mindset of users from the traditional windows pc to a more advanced device, and also an alternative to the all in one iMac. But the apple mac mini is no-where close to beat the performance shown by iMac pro and Mac pro.
The apple mac mini comes in a small box-like shape without any mouse, keyboard, screen, or any other accessories, it also uses most of the components of the laptop to get in its compatible and small size.
1st generation of the apple mac mini
The 1st generation apple mac mini was designed to facilitate apple users on a budget. It was made up of aluminum and plastic, with an opening for ports and vent for cooling at the back; with an 85w power supply.
The Mac mini G4 has a single core 32bit processor with the chips ran at 1.5hz at maximum. The standard mac mini used 32MB of ram which later on upgraded to 64MB in the late iMac mini.
The Mac mini also included the USb2.0 ports and one firewire port. Adaptors for the functionality of VGA and composite video
2nd generation of the apple mac mini
The 2nd generation of apple mac mini was presented in 2006 which was intel based and gave the option of a solo or duo processor to its customers. And after 3 years of time span, another model was introduced in 2009 by the apple featuring hard drive instead of an optical drive.
The 2006 mac mini and 2007 mac mini both used solo processors working on 32 bits, but the late-model apple mac mini had the option to upgrade till 64 bit and duo core processor
The intel-based mac mini also included 4 USB ports and one firewire 400 port, which was later changed to the firewire 800 port. The mini supported DVI display and later changed to mini DVI which allowed to use of a 30-inch display with the 2009 apple mac mini.
3rd generation of the apple mac mini
The 3rd gen of apple mac mini was introduced on 10 June 2010 featuring multiple changes in the design of the Mac mini as well as in the hardware. The 2010 mac mini included an HDMI port, an internal power supply, and a card slot for the extra space. Then the later update made apple mac mini a lot more powerful by including a core I5 and a core i7 processor; making it a beast of a device to use.
The updated mac mini also supported 16 GB of memory, provided a great boost in the performance of the Mac mini, and gave certain options for the upgrade in the apple mac mini.
4th generation of the apple mac mini
The 4th generation mac mini is the latest producing model of the apple mac mini which was announced on 30 October 2018. The 2018 apple mac mini was the first one of its kind to use the coffee lake processors.
The T2 chip used in the late 2018 iMac mini helps in securing the data of the users in the best possible way. The apple mac mini also included Bluetooth version5.0, USB ports which supported version 3.1, 128GB to a maximum of 1TB storage, HDMI port, and the ram of 8GB; with the option to upgrade it to 64GB.
The option to replace the memory of the mac mini was also included in the 2018 model, unlike its predecessor 2014 apple mac mini which had no option of doing so.
Features
Won`t cost a dime
The apple mac mini was introduced with the intention of keeping this device for its customers who are on a budget and cannot afford to buy an apple mac pro. Keeping that in mind the apple mac mini is the least expensive model in the manufacturing of its other Macintosh models.
A small but beast of a device
The portability of the apple mac mini has always been highlighted by the developers of how portable it is. But the small size of the Mac mini doesn`t affect the reputation and working of the Mac mini in any possible way. A powerful processor, integrated graphics, combined with a huge hard drive and plenty of ram makes it a beast of a product.
A stunning design with multiple options
The apple mac mini comes in a classic aluminum body with an apple logo on the top. Besides the mac mini gives it users a lot of 3rd party options to choose its accessories from like keyboard and mouse.
A solid contender for the price
The apple mac mini is in no way falls back from its contender, especially after the option for the upgrade in the latest 2018 apple mac mini model. With the option to have 64 GB of Memory combined with the i7 processor, it becomes a really good device for the day to day use. Even though it cannot compete with the high-end PC with much more to offer, yet in this price, it is a really good option
Pros
- Attractive model
- Upgradable Ram options
- Amazingly fast with the i7 processors
- The latest models support up to 3 displays
- Least expensive in the apple models
Cons
- Impossible to change storage drives in current models
- The processor cannot be upgraded
- Also, the video processor is soldered in place
Conclusion
The apple mac mini has its pros and cons and depends upon the user`s need for what it wants from a pc. Apple mini works really good in day to day work and won`t hesitate to show its capability, but things like gaming where graphics, a solid memory, and upgrade plays a vital role, the apple mac mini seriously lack behind. And even if considered the least expensive apple pc device it still costs a dime, and a customized PC can easily beat the Apple mac mini.