Apple's Mac Mini Turns 20 Today
Apple launched the original Mac mini 20 years ago today, kickstarting a trend of small but powerful computers.
The Mac mini was originally designed as a gateway for users to enter the Apple ecosystem without the expense associated with the company's higher-end offerings of the time, such as the Power Mac G5 and iMac G5, and costly peripherals. Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs described the Mac mini as "the most affordable Mac ever" during its unveiling at Macworld Expo 2005, noting that its $499 starting price was intended to appeal to PC users looking to switch to the Mac platform. Today's base model Mac mini with the M4 chip costs just $599.
The original Mac mini featured a PowerPC G4 processor available in 1.25 GHz and 1.42 GHz configurations, an ATI Radeon 9200 GPU, 256MB of DDR SDRAM (expandable to 1GB), and 40GB or 80GB of HDD storage. Connectivity included two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 400 port, and DVI output. It shipped with Mac OS X Panther and iLife '05. The Mac mini's aluminum and polycarbonate casing measured just 6.5 x 6.5 x 2 inches—far smaller than the bulky tower PCs and even many contemporary Macs of the time.
Today's Mac mini has evolved considerably from the model introduced in 2005, featuring an even smaller casing, recycled aluminum, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and Apple's custom silicon for a massive leap in performance and efficiency. While the first-generation Mac mini was powered by the PowerPC architecture, Apple transitioned to Intel processors in 2006 and its own custom silicon in 2020. Today's high-end version can be equipped with the M4 Pro chip and up to 64GB of memory, offering a super-compact workstation that rivals even the Mac Studio.
Popular Stories
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products.
Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released.
iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way.
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027.
Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia.
Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production.
Apple supplier Foxconn has...
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season.
Note: MacRumors is...
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition.
The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
