Tag: HDMI

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Mac mini (M2, 2023)

The Mac mini débuted in 2005 as a low-cost Mac for “switchers”—those running Windows who already had a display, keyboard, and mouse and wanted their very first Mac experience. When he announced it, Steve Jobs said,

“Starting at just $499, Mac mini is the most affordable way to enjoy Mac OS X and iLife. Just plug in your display, keyboard and mouse and you’ve got an incredibly compact Mac for a price that almost anyone can afford.”

The original Mac mini used a G4 processor (2005–2007), followed by various Intel-chip models (2007–2020), Apple’s M1 processor (2020–2023), and now Apple’s M2 chip.

Since its original release, I have always had a Mac mini, and I have always purchased the base model and attached it to my TV to function as my media “server.” At first—before iCloud—I primarily used my Mac mini as my “Music mini” computer, and as digital video became more pervasive, it is now used as a method to show digital videos and to play my very small collection of music not on Apple Music (yes…recorded music does exist that’s not on Apple’s, or any, streaming service!).

This new version of the Mac mini is available with both M2 and M2 Pro Apple Silicon configurations. According to the press release:

“Compared to the previous-generation Mac mini, M2 and M2 Pro bring a faster next-generation CPU and GPU, much higher memory bandwidth, and a more powerful media engine to Mac mini, delivering extraordinary performance and industry-leading power efficiency. Both models feature an advanced thermal system for exceptional sustained performance.”

The base-model M2 Mac mini “features an 8-core CPU with four high-performance and four high-efficiency cores, along with a 10-core GPU.” It includes 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD standard. The M2 includes the following physical ports:

  • 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports (DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4, USB 4)
  • 2 USB-A ports (up to 5Gb/s)
  • HDMI port
  • Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack

Wireless interfaces include Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), and Bluetooth 5.3.

The M2 Mac mini has a slightly larger footprint than the previous Mac mini models. It measures 1.41 inches (3.58 cm) high, by 7.75 inches (19.70 cm) square, and weighs 2.6 pounds (1.18 kg). The slightly larger size matches the square dimensions of the Mac Studio.

When the M2 Mac mini had been released for only one week, media outlets were reporting that the base models had slower SSD performance compared to the previous M1 Mac mini models. A MacRumors review reported:

“While the new Mac mini with the M2 chip has a lower $599 starting price, the base model with 256GB of storage has slower SSD read and write speeds compared to the previous-generation model with the M1 chip and 256GB of storage.”

This Mac mini originally shipped with macOS Ventura.

In my setup, this Mac mini plays music and video from external drives, thus, its SSD speeds have been more than sufficient.

Sources: Apple (Newsroom 2005, Newsroom 2023, Mac mini, Mac Studio), MacRumors

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Mac mini (Late 2012)

Since the first Mac mini was released in 2005, all models have been compact, shipped without a display, keyboard, and mouse, and all have been relatively inexpensive.

The Mac mini (Late 2012) was described by EveryMac: “Compared to its predecessor, this model looks identical, but it has a faster internal architecture with a faster processor, faster graphics, faster RAM, and USB 3.0 ports.”

Its primarily aluminum case has a plastic bottom and measures 1.4 inches (3.6 cm) tall, 7.7 inches x 7.7 inches (19.7 cm) square, and weighs 2.7 pounds (1.22 kg).

The Mac mini (Late 2012) was offered with a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 or 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor. It shipped with a 500GB or 1TB (5400-rpm) hard drive.

For a compact case, it had many physical plug options: Thunderbolt, FireWire 800 port, 4 USB 3 ports, HDMI, SDXC card slot, gigabit ethernet port, and audio in/out. Its 3 wireless interfaces included 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and an IR receiver.

This Mac mini shipped with OS X Mountain Lion.

Sources: EveryMac, Wikipedia, Apple

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MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)

The 13-inch MacBook Air, Early-2015 model, used the 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 and was also available with a 2.2GHz dual-core Intel Core i7. It shipped with 4GB or 8GB RAM. This model uses the Core i5 with 4GB of RAM and has 128GB of flash storage.

When it was released on March 9, 2015, Apple reported:

“The updated 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air now feature fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 2.2 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz, integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000, and Thunderbolt 2, delivering up to 20Gbps, twice the bandwidth of the previous generation. The 13-inch MacBook Air also features faster flash storage that is up to two times faster than the previous generation.”

This MacBook Air used a 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display at 1440 x 900.

Apple reported that this laptop had a 12-hour battery. Its physical ports included 2 USB 3 ports, a Thunderbolt 2 port, a MagSafe 2 power port, a SDXC card slot, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Wireless technologies included 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0. It also had a front-facing 720p FaceTime HD camera.

The full-size keyboard was backlit and with an ambient light sensor, and it used Apple’s Multi-Touch trackpad.

This MacBook Air used the tapered design of previous MAcBook Air models, measuring 0.11 to 0.68 inch (0.3-1.7 cm) thick, 12.8 inches (32.5 cm) wide, and 8.94 inches (22.7 cm) deep. It weighed 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg).

According to EveryMac:

“Compared to its predecessor, this model looks effectively identical, but has a more advanced processor and architecture, more advanced graphics, twice as fast 4x PCIe storage, and Thunderbolt 2 support.”

Source: Apple (Tech Specs, Newsroom), EveryMac

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Apple TV HD (2021) and Siri Remote (Generation 2, 2021)

The Apple TV HD (A1625) was previously known as the Apple TV Generation 4. It was originally released in 2015 when it came with the Siri Remote (Generation 1). In 2021 Apple renamed this device the “Apple TV HD” upon release of the Apple TV 4K (Generation 2). Both the Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (Generation 2) shipped with a then-new Siri Remote (Generation 2).

The Apple TV HD had ports including HDMI (1.4), 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, and a USB-C port (“for service and support”). Wireless connectivity included Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0, and an IR receiver. This Apple TV supported 720p or 1080p, but lacked support for 4K.

The Apple TV HD included the Siri Remote (Generation 2). This remote was all silver and included a “touch-enabled clickpad” to “click titles, swipe through playlists, and use a circular gesture on the outer ring.” Like its predecessor, it charged with a Lightning cable, included an IR transmitter, and used an internal microphone for Siri commands. It was larger than the original Siri Remote at 5.4 x 1.4 inches with a weight if 2.2 ounces. This new remote lacks both the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors that were included in the original Siri Remote.

The Apple TV HD used a dual core Apple A8 processor and came with either 32 or 64GB of internal flash memory storage. This example is a 32GB model.

Sources: EveryMac, Apple (Siri Remote, Apple TV)

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Apple TV (Generation 2, 2010)

The Apple TV Generation 2 was a major change from the original Apple TV. It was designed to stream rented movies and TV shows from Apple, and to stream movies, shows, photos, and other content from a Mac, PC, iPod, iPhone, or iPad at 720p (30 FPS). It also supported Netflix, YouTube, and Flickr using built-in apps.

The Apple TV Generation 2 used an Apple A4 processor and ran a version of iOS. Ports included HDMI, optical audio, 10/100Base-T Ethernet, and a Micro-USB port (used for service and diagnostics). It connected wirelessly using 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. Its all-black external case was 3.9 inches square and 0.9 inch tall.

The Apple TV Generation 2 shipped with the aluminum Generation 2 Apple Remote.

Source: EveryMac.com

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Mac mini (Late 2014)

The Mac mini Late 2014 included a Core i5 “Haswell” 2.6 GHz Intel processor (with two independent cores on a single chip), 8 GB of SDRAM, and a 1 TB hard drive. Ports included two Thunderbolt 2 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 4.0, and an SDXC card slot.

This and all Mac mini systems ship without a display, keyboard, or mouse. This model’s case is primarily aluminum with a black plastic back and base.

All Mac mini systems I have owned have served as my iTunes server allowing access to iTunes music/Apple Music, streaming video content, saved digital movies, and other media. This was the first Mac mini I owned with a direct HDMI connection to my primary home TV (others used VGA and DVI connections).

Source: EveryMac.com