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The Mac Mini (marketed and branded by Apple with lowercase 'mini' as Mac mini) is a small form factor desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier Mini-ITX PC designs, it is square and tall. It weighs . Before the mid-2011 revision, all models, except the Late 2009 and Mid 2010 server models, came with an internal optical disc drive. Models pre-2010 used an external power supply and were narrower but taller at . 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. 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 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. A special ''Server'' version of the computer was introduced in October 2009 that included the Server edition of the OS X operating system. The Server model was discontinued as of the late 2014 Mac Mini revision. 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. ==Overview== A small form factor computer had been widely speculated and requested long before the release of the Mac Mini. Rumors predicted that the "headless iMac" would be extremely small, include no display, and would be positioned as Apple's entry-level desktop computer. 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".〔Simon, William L.; Young, Jeffrey S. (2005). iCon: Steve Jobs, The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business〕 The Mac Mini is an entry-level computer intended for budget-minded customers. Until the 2011 release, the Mac Mini had much less processing power than the other computers of the Macintosh lineup. Unlike regular desktop computers, which use standard-sized components such as 3.5-inch hard drives and full-size DIMM's, Apple uses lower power laptop components in the Mac Mini to fit all the necessary components into the small case and to prevent overheating, common in such compact spaces. Previously, with the choice of components on the older models, the machine was considered somewhat slower than standard desktop computers. It also had less storage and memory than comparable desktops. However, the 2011 upgrade addressed many of these previous complaints. In general, the Mac Mini has been praised as a relatively affordable computer with a solid range of features. However, the press also agrees that it is relatively high priced for a computer aimed at the lower segment of the market. It is possible to buy small form factor computers at the same price with faster processors, better graphics card, more memory, and/or more storage. The small form factor has made the Mac Mini particularly popular as a home theater solution. In addition, the small size and observed reliability has helped keep resale values high. On October 22, 2009, Apple introduced a new server version of the Mac Mini along with revisions of the computer. This model lacks an optical drive, but contains a second hard drive in its place because two hard drives and an optical drive would not fit inside the case. This version is marketed as an affordable server for small businesses and schools. A new model of the Mac Mini was introduced on June 15, 2010. The new model was thinner, with a unibody aluminum case designed to be easily opened for RAM access, and incorporated upgraded hardware, such as an HDMI port and Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics. An update announced July 20, 2011 dropped the internal CD/DVD optical drive from all versions and introduced a Thunderbolt port, Intel Core i5 processor, and either Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics or AMD Radeon HD 6630M dedicated graphics. The server model was upgraded to a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor. Quad-core i7 CPUs are also used in the late-2012 desktop Mac Mini computers.〔(Apple Mac mini/2.3GHz Core i7 (Late 2012) specs )〕 A refresh in October 2014 used the same basic body but added Haswell CPUs, better graphics, $100 lower price for the base model. However, the design switched to soldered RAM which could not be upgraded by the user, and removed a quad-core CPU option. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mac Mini」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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