Mac mini (Core Duo)

A Limited Mac

• Mac mini List is for those using G4 or Intel Mac minis.
• Tiger List is for those using Mac OS X 10.4.
• Leopard List is for those using Mac OS X 10.5.

Overview

Details

• introduced 2006.09.06 at US$599 (1.66 GHz Combo) and US$799 (1.83 GHz SuperDrive); replaced by a faster model 2007.08.07.
• requires Mac OS X 10.4.4 or later
• CPU: 1.66/1.83 GHz Core Duo (Yonah), Socket 479 makes upgrades possible
• bus: 667 MHz
• performance:
• Geekbench 2 (Leopard): 2070 (1.66 GHz), 2260 (1.83 GHz)
• Geekbench 2 (Tiger): 2157 (1.66 GHz), 2334 (1.83 GHz)
• RAM: 512 MB, expandable to 2 GB using two PC2-5300 DDR SDRAM. Best performance with matched memory modules. 64 MB of RAM set aside as video memory. Will not support 3 GB of RAM even with a Core2 upgrade.
• Graphics: Intel GMA950 with resolution to 1920 x 1080 (VGA) and 1920 x 1200 (DVI).
• VRAM: 64 MB DDR2 SDRAM (shared with main memory, and according to Apple actually uses 80 MB of system RAM)
• video out: DVI, VGA with included adapter, S-video with optional adapter
• L2 cache: 2 MB on CPU
• hard drive: 2.5" 60/80 GB 5400 rpm Serial ATA standard; 120, 160 GB available as build-to-order options
• Combo Drive: reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x, writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x, reads CDs at up to 24x
• SuperDrive DL: writes DVD±R discs at up to 8x speed, DL at 2.4x; DVD±RW at 4x; reads DVDs at up to 8x; writes CD-R discs at up to 24x, writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x, reads CDs at up to 24x
• USB 2.0: 4 ports
• FireWire 400: 1 port
• no internal modem; external USB modem available
• ethernet: 10/100/gigabit
• AirPort Extreme: standard
• Bluetooth 2.0: standard
• microphone: none
• power: 85W external power supply
• PRAM battery: 3V CR2032 lithium
• H x W x D: 2.0 x 6.5 x 6.5 in/5.1 x 16.5 x 16.5 cm
• weight: 2.9 lb./1.3 kg
• upgrade path: none
• Part no.: MA607 (1.66 GHz), MA608 (1.83 GHz)

Upgrades

• CPU can be replaced with a faster "Socket M"/"Socket 479" Core Duo or Core2 Duo.

Online Resources

• Best online Mac mini deals, updated biweekly.
• Best Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.4.
• Best Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' deals. Best online prices for Mac OS X 10.5.
• What's the best version of OS X for my Mac?, Ian R Campbell, The Sensible Mac, 2008.02.28. Which version of Mac OS X is best for your hardware depends on several factors.
• Does running OS X system maintenance routines really do any good?, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.08.26. Mac OS X is designed to run certain maintenance routines daily, weekly, and monthly - but can't if your Mac is off or asleep.
• Setting up a Mac-centric home theater, Charles Webb, The Webb Chronicles, 2008.08.05. "...turning your Mac mini into a home theater PC is really as simple as plugging it into your HDTV and turning it on."
• Free VirtualBox for Mac now a virtual contender, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.07.21. A year ago, the Mac version of VirtualBox lacked some essential features. Over the past year, it's grown into a very useful tool.
• Mac Pro overclocking, Windependence with Darwine, Blu-ray for Macs, and more, Mac News Review, 2008.07.04. Also more on running Leopard on non-Apple hardware, Ubuntu on a Mac mini, the first autofocus webcam with Zeiss optics for Macs, and more.
• 1 display with 2 Macs, flash memory for file transfer, Quicksilver or TigerLaunch?, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.05.21. Also running a PowerBook 1400 from Compact Flash, format=flowed for email, and OS 9 nice for browsing without Flash.
• Virtual PC works with Leopard, Intel vs. PowerPC performance, beyond the Mac mini, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.05.20. Also upgrading Intel iMacs, Compact Flash in a PowerBook 2400, and thoughts on low-end Macs.
• SheepShaver brings Classic Mac OS to Intel Macs and Leopard, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.05.20. Mac OS X 10.5 doesn't support Classic Mode. Neither does Leopard. But SheepShaver lets you emulate a PowerPC Mac and run the Classic Mac OS.
• Windows on Macs: Three paths for integration, Jason Packer, Macs in the Enterprise, 2008.05.14. Mac users have three routes for running Windows apps: Run Windows using Boot Camp or virtualization, or use a compatibility layer such as WINE.
• Prosumer Mac suggestions, bring back the 12" 'Book, Pismo displays, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.05.06. Readers offer more thoughts on a midrange Mac, the need for a new 12" 'Book, using F-keys as F-keys in OS X, and lid closed video mode for Pismo.
• Apple #4 US PC vendor, IT and Macs in business, NetWare for Leopard, and more, Mac News Review, 2008.04.25. Also still using old Macs, 200 Mbps powerline networking for Macs, Macintel firmware restoration, hot swap SATA drives, and more.
• OS X for PCs, Mac mini with HDTV, 802.11n options, upgrading from Mac OS 9, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.22. Also reviving a dead PowerBook 5300, Lucida Grande, external FireWire SuperDrive advice, OS X and the DeskWriter, and royalties.
• Mac mini with HDTV, Lucida Grande on Low End Mac, the Open Computer, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.17. Also using a computer display with HDTV and cleaning your keyboard in the dishwasher.
• Intel mini vs. Power Mac, best keyboard ever, uses for old Macs, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.04.10. Also using Classic with Intel Macs, problems with Classic Mode, and collective nouns.
• Used Intel Mac mini vs. 867 MHz Power Mac G4 dual, Mark Garbowski, My Turn, 2008.04.07. Can a dual processor Power Mac hold its own against a Core Duo Mac mini?
• Apple's growing market share, iMac color lawsuit, updated Mac Bible software, and more, Mac News Review, 2008.04.04. Also the rate of Leopard adoption, Adobe launches free Photoshop Express, Mac mini media center, and more.
• Intel Mac mini value, best YouTube browser in Tiger, additional Pismo resolutions, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.03.19. Also more in iSub incompatibility with Leopard, PC Card compatibility with PowerBooks, and Leopard on 3 more unsupported Power Macs.
• Power Mac G5 vs. Intel Mac mini, video thumbnails lost in migration, OCR software, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.03.17. Also HARMONi compatibility with Mac OS X 10.4, a dual processor G4 auction, Internet access by digital phone, and more.
• Restore stability to a troubled Mac with a clean system install, Keith Winston, Linux to Mac, 2008.01.15. If your Mac is misbehaving, the best fix just might be a fresh reinstallation of Mac OS X - don't forget to backup first.
• Pros and cons of vampire video, another way to install Leopard, looking for EasyShare, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.29. More details on integrated graphics, going G4 on the cheap, more unsupported Leopard reports, the death of DropStuff, and more.
• Merely adequate: Why you want to avoid integrated graphics, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.11.10. A couple years ago, Apple laughingly pointed at Windows PCs with 'integrated Intel graphics' as substandard. Today low-end Macs all suffer from those barely adequate graphics processors.
• Problem with Leopard on a MDD, the Road Apple label, bubble ads, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.20. Problems getting a Mirror Drive Door G4 to boot Leopard, Mac mini and the Road Apple label, problems with SCSI and Compact Flash, and more thoughts on contextual ads.
• Mac mini value, reuse the best recycling, and more unsupported Leopard reports, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.19. More protest of the Road Apple label for the Mac mini, the best form of recycling is reuse, and Mac OS X 10.5 on additional unsupported hardware.
• Overheating Mac minis, 'Road Apple' label reconsidered, eMac repair extension, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.11.16. Also why the Mac mini is a wonderful computer, more Leopard on unsupported Macs, and contextual ads on Low End Mac.
• Core Duo Mac mini, a Limited Mac, Dan Knight, 2007.11.15. The smallest, cheapest Mac went dual-core, increased in price, and used memory sucking Intel GMA 950 graphics.
• Road Apple nominations, OS X 10.5 on MDD Power Macs, UMPCs and Apple, and a broken power button, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.12. Whether some additional Macs merit the 'Road Apple' label, Leopard on Mirror Drive Door Power Macs, the usefulness of ultrasmall computers, and dealing with an iMac with a broken power button.
• External $100 Sony DVD burner likes Macs, Brian Gray, Fruitful Editing, 2007.10.10. The box and manual say nothing about Mac compatibility, but this 18x USB 2.0 DVD burner is plug-and-play (at least with Tiger).
• FastMac 8x SuperDrive and BurnAgain DVD: Fast and easy multisession disc burning, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2007.10.08. FastMac's 8x SuperDrive upgrade is remarkably fast compared with older PowerBook burners, and BurnAgain DVD makes it easy to append files to a previously burned CD or DVD.
• Replacing Home Page, Compact Flash in Lombard, Leopard hardware requirements, mini upgrades, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.04. Also the problems with using old computers in school, rebate problems, free imposition software, and a dead LC 520.
• Mac mini overpriced, iMac outpaces PCs, switching to Mac a waste of time, and more, Mac News Review, 2007.09.07. Also adding an eSATA drive to a Mac mini, cost of replacing an iMac's glass face, drives with 1 GB cache coming, reviews, and right-click software for 1-button mice.
• The Mac mini isn't dead, Macs for the workplace, a taller Mac mini, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.07.31. Readers weigh in on the pros and cons of the Mac mini - and whether Apple should replace it with a more expandable Mac.
• I love the Mac mini, no iPhone in court, no region-free DVDs on MacBooks, and more, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 2007.07.31. Also 15 years of ThinkPads, reliability and all-in-one devices, and thoughts on upgrading operating systems.
• The Mac mini is dead: Why it missed the target, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.07.26. The Mac mini is compact, elegant, and affordable (for a Mac). What the market wanted was expandable and affordable compared with a Windows PC.
• Levelling Up a Mac mini, Chris Adamson, MacDevCenter, O'Reilly Network, 07.24. "I spent a few hours this weekend upgrading a Core Solo Mac Mini to a Core 2 Duo. Here are a few thoughts on the experiences and lessons learned."
• Does a college freshman need to run Windows on a MacBook?, Al Poulin, My Turn, 2007.07.24. While you can run Windows on today's Intel-based Macs, is there any reason most college students would want to or need to?
• The gaping hole in Apple's desktop line, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 2007.07.13. $599 for a Mac mini with very limited expadability, $999 for an iMac with limited expadability, or $2,200 for a the very expandable Mac Pro.
• If the Mac mini is dead, what will replace it?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.05.29. Was Apple discovered that selling a low-end computer for $599 doesn't work when the market has a $299 mindset? If so, how can they reach the low-end market?
• Can you put 3 GB in a Mac mini?, where are the Mirror Drive Door CPU upgrades?, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.05.21. Also a challenge to 'Mac-ify' the Interweb, more on CRT voltage dangers, and fixing Low End Mac's navigation bar in Firefox for Linux.
• VMware Fusion beta 3 adds new features, takes a giant step toward release, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2007.04.11. Looking for a virtualization solution for your Intel Mac? The latest beta of VMWare Fusion makes several improvements and includes some unique features.
• 1 core, 2 cores, 4 cores, 8: How much difference does it make?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2007.04.10. Geekbench scores make it possible to compare the newest 3 GHz 8-core Mac Pro with the 1.5 GHz Core Solo Mac mini - and all the models in between.
• 11 ways to optimize your Mac's performance, Ed Eubanks Jr, The Efficient Mac User, 2007.03.12. If your Mac is getting sluggish, here are 11 tips that can help restore its original performance.
• CrossOver: Run Windows apps on Intel Macs without Windows, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2007.02.28. If you need to run Windows apps on your Intel Mac once in a while, CrossOver may be the least expensive way to do so since it eliminates the need to buy a copy of Windows.
• Vista Home runs on Macs, Apple legacy manuals, upgrading a Mac mini or Mac Pro CPU, and more, Mac News Review, 2007.02.16. Also installing OS X on non-Apple hardware legal for developers, integrated graphics remains Mac mini's Achilles' heel, $20 slim keyboard, ATI's forthcoming R600 graphics processor, and more.
• Adding an Intel Mac mini can be cheaper than upgrading a Power Mac G4!, Dan Knight, Mac Daniel, 2007.02.14. Looking at the cost of upgrading memory, adding a fast hard drive, and a GHz-plus CPU upgrade, buying a new Core Duo Mac mini makes a lot of sense.
• Which Intel Macs take CPU upgrades?, $2 802.11n enabler, USB drive adapter, and more, Mac News Review, 2007.02.02. Also a DST fix for Panther, Logos coming to Macs, Intel's chip breakthrough, iConnect iPod integration for GM vehicles, a waterproof iPod, and more.
• Why Mac vs. PC price comparisons are never fair, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 2007.01.09. It realy is an apples-to-oranges comparison to pit a Mac against a Windows PC based on specifications, software bundles, and ports.
• Upgrade the Power Mac or buy a Mac mini?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.11.30. With 1.8 GHz dual G4 upgrades selling for US$600, it might make more sense to add a Core Duo Mac mini than upgrade the processor.
• Parallels revisited: Release version far more polished than beta, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2006.11.21. Parallels lets you run Windows or Linux without rebooting your Intel-based Mac, and it's made great strides since the beta came out earlier this year.
• To AppleCare or not to AppleCare?, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.11.20. Consumer Reports, which generally recommends against extended warranties, says AppleCare makes sense. But does it?
• Mac Pro blows away competition, extended warranties crummy deals, firmware updates for Intel mini and iMac, more, Mac News Review, 2006.11.17. Also 7 free Mac maintenance utilities, dual LCD monitors, a vacuum tube amp for the iPod, and more.
• Intel inside Macs paves the way for affordable CPU upgrades, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2006.11.10. By adopting industry standards, Apple has made it much easier for Mac owners to add memory, expansion cards, and faster CPUs to their computers.
• How soon will the Mac mini go Core2?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.11.09. The Mac mini is the last Mac not using a Core2 CPU. It's just a matter of time. And how about a Mac midi?
• Pre-2006 software: The big reason you shouldn't buy an Intel Mac today, Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.11.09. If you work with software that predates the Intel transition, you may be better off sticking with PowerPC Macs. And if you use classic apps, you definitely want to avoid Intel.
• New iMacs have 802.11n, Apple may go AMD, Japan's PM uses a Mac, a germ free mouse, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.09.29. Also Intel offers a million dollars for a Mac mini killer, 24" iMac 'a great system', a new ergonomic keyboard, and Windows-to-Mac migration software from Laplink.
• Apple II greatest PC ever, Core2 in a Mac mini, iMac Core2 Duo 'ultimate Mac value', and more, Mac News Review, 2006.09.22. Also firmware restoration for Intel Macs, Mac Pro firmware updates, iron on iPod nano cases, Boot Camp beta 1.1.1, and more.
• Region free DVD viewing options for Intel and PowerPC Macs, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.09.12. Several hardware and software options that will let your view 'wrong region' DVDs on your PowerPC or Intel Mac.
• The new Mac mini value equation: Core Duo entry level changes everything, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.09.07. For the first round, the top-end Intel Mac mini offered far more power for your dollar, but that's not the case with the newly introduced models.
• Is 512 MB enough?, Macs gain share in business, wireless Mighty Mouse, Toast adds Blu-ray support, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.07.28. Also OWC's FireWire 400 & 800/USB 2.0/eSATA drives, miniXpress 160 GB drive, Jeep flash drives, SteerMouse supports up to 8 buttons plus vertical and horizontal scrolling, and miniStat2 system monitor.
• Drive matters, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.06.14. There's more to picking the right hard drive than size, spindle speed, buffer size, and price. But how can a 5400 rpm drive ever outperform a 7200 rpm drive?
• Apple joins 'Win on Mac' army with Boot Camp, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2006.04.07. The hackers did it first, but Apple's Boot Camp is a much more elegant solution to putting Windows XP on Macintel hardware.
• Mac mini fails Final Cut Studio, Mac News Review, 04.07. Also TVMini HD now available from Apple Store, Keyspan RF remote for Front Row has 60' reach, next gen Deskstar hard drives announced, PC-Mac-Net FileShare reaches version 6, and more.
• Boot Camp: Apple officially supports Windows XP booting on Macintel hardware, The Macintel Report, 2006.04.06. No more need to do any hacks to get WinXP booting on Apple's Intel-based Macs. Apple's new Boot Camp software fully supports it.
• NewerTech miniStack: A great drive even if you don't own a Mac mini, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Reviews, 2006.02.08. Although it's designed to match the Mac mini, the miniStack hard drive can add USB 2.0 and FireWire ports to any Mac while keeping your fast external hard drive cool.
• Matias OS X and USB 2.0 Keyboards reviewed, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.01.03. Two very good, nicely priced keyboards for the Mac - one even has a USB 2.0 port for the iPod shuffle and other devices.
• A scrounger's guide to equipping the Mac mini: Choices for the budget conscious, Hardy Menagh, Empowered, 2005.12.22. How to add a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and stereo sound to your Mac mini for little or no money.
• Performance increase in replacing a mini's hard drive, Jamie Dresser, Other World Computing, 2005.01.27. Alternate hard drives can boost disk performance by 25% to nearly 50% compared to Apple's stock hard drive.
• PC2-5300 memory pricing, ramseeker
• Apple Specs for Mac mini (Late 2006)

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