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.

Mac mini 20 Years Feature
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.

Related Roundup: Mac mini
Buyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Mac mini

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Top Rated Comments

F23 Avatar
10 weeks ago
the best value Mac of all time
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zmmyt Avatar
10 weeks ago
I remember setting my granny up with a Mini after I had left the country to live abroad. May she rest in peace.


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Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maruyama Avatar
10 weeks ago
Tangentially... Can I just take a moment to say MR's art department is on fire lately. The Garamond throwback combined with the nostalgic OS X scene is perfect.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Icelus Avatar
10 weeks ago
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
10 weeks ago
I've gathered the wife and kids so we can celebrate as a family.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechElliott Avatar
10 weeks ago
Happy Birthday to the littlest, and most overlooked Mac!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)