Apple May Adopt Nvidia's Ion For Mac
After over a year and a half without a change, Apple finally updated the Mac mini in March 2009. As widely anticipated, the new Mac mini adopts Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics, the same GPU found in the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro – and it finally gets 802.11n WiFi as well (and 802.11a for good measure). There are three pleasant surprises on the back of the 2009 Mac mini: five USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port (FireWire 800, not 400), and two monitor ports – Mini-DVI and Mini DisplayPort (both can be used, making this the first Mac mini with dual display support). FireWire 400 devices can be used with a FireWire 800-to-400 cable or adapter. Both standard configurations run at 2.0 GHz, just like the top-end Mac mini they replace, but with a newer, more efficient version of the Core 2 Duo CPU that’s soldered in place (a first for the Mac mini) and thus cannot be upgraded; there is a $150 build-to-order option of a 2.26 GHz CPU. For the first time, there is no Mini with a Combo drive – even the entry-level $599 model has an 8x dual-layer SuperDrive.
The top-end model does have more RAM, a bigger hard drive, and uses twice as much RAM for graphics. There are two memory sockets: in the 1 GB model, one is occupied with a 1 GB module, and in the 2 GB model, both slots are filled, so to upgrade RAM on that model, you have to remove one or both modules. The computer is designed to use 128 MB of RAM for graphics when 1 GB of RAM is installed, 256 MB when configured with 2 GB or more. The Intel-based Mac mini looks like previous models from the front, but the rear is different. The new mini has five USB 2.0 ports (up from 4 on earlier Intel minis), two monitor ports, and FireWire 800. The tiny Mac mini (6.5″ square, 2″ high, 2.9 lb.) has a minimalist design.
On the front, there’s just a slot-loading optical drive (and for the first time, it’s a SATA SuperDrive) and a power light. On the rear, just enough ports to do everything important. The Mac mini doesn’t include a keyboard or mouse. Apple says buyers can plug in their favorite USB keyboard and mouse – or buy Apple’s offerings. Mac OS X includes support for remapping the Windows alt and option keys to option and cmd respectively. Intel-based Macs use a partitioning scheme known as GPT.
Only Macintel models can boot from GPT hard drives. Both PowerPC and Intel Macs can boot from APM (Apple’s old partitioning scheme) hard drives, which is the format you must use to create a universal boot drive in Leopard. PowerPC Macs running any version of the Mac OS prior to 10.4.2 cannot mount GPT volumes.
PowerPC Macs won’t let you install OS X to a USB drive or choose it as your startup volume, although there is. Details. introduced 2009.03.03 at US$599 (1 GB RAM/120 GB hard drive) and US$799 (2 GB RAM/320 GB hard drive), 2.26 GHz build-to-order option adds $150; replaced by faster on 2010.06.15. Part no.: MB463 (1 GB/120), MB464 (2 GB/320). Model Identifier: Macmini3,1 Mac OS. requires through, macOS Sierra via patch tool – see.
Broadcom BCM4321 WiFi module, if present, is not supported by Sierra. MacOS 10.14 Mojave and later are not supported. compatibility.
Grand Central Dispatch is supported. 32-bit booting only; cannot boot 64-bit OS. 64-bit software is supported. OpenCL is supported. compatibility. AirPlay Mirroring is not supported. AirDrop is not supported.
Power Nap is not supported. Core System.
Apple May Adopt Nvidia Ion For Mac
CPU: 2.0 GHz Penryn Core 2 Duo P7350. L2 cache: 3 MB on CPU. Bus: 1066 MHz.
RAM: 1/2 GB, expandable to 8 GB using two 1066MHz DDR3 SO-DIMMs. 128 or 256 MB of RAM set aside as video memory. (Requires to go past 4 GB.).
performance. Geekbench 2: 3567 (2.26 GHz); 3799 (2.53 GHz). Speedmark (with 2 GB RAM), 189 (120 GB hard drive) and 202 (320 GB). Previous top-end Mac mini scored 167. Video. GPU: Nvidia GeForce 9400M with resolution to 1920 x 1080 (VGA) and 1920 x 1200 (DVI).
Apple May Adopt Nvidia's Ion For Mac Pro
VRAM: 128/256 MB DDR3 SDRAM (shared with main memory). Video out: Mini-DVI and Mini DisplayPort, Mini-DIV-to-DVI adapter included, VGA with optional adapter Drives. drive bus: 3 Gbps SATA Rev.
Apple rumored to adopt NVIDIA's Ion platform By Thursday, January 15, 2009, 02:00 pm PT (05:00 pm ET) Based on reports from an unnamed NVIDIA partner, a PC Enthusiast website has controversially concluded that Apple's next Mac mini will be using NVIDIA's Ion platform, which pairs NVIDIA's 9400M system controller and integrated GPU with Intel's low power Atom processor. Writing for Tom's Hardware, Tuan Nguyen said that Apple was among the earliest recipients of NVIDIA's Ion samples, reporting that the company 'received prototype units long before Nvidia partners who opted to work on Ion.' The article's headline calls the 'confirmed,' but earlier reports from trusted sources seem to conflict with this notion. Ion and Atom NVIDIA's new Ion platform uses the same used in the MacBook and MacBook Pro, which takes the place of both the Northbridge and Southbridge controller chips used in earlier Intel Macs (such as those using Intel's Santa Rosa platform), as well as handling integrated graphics processing.
NVIDIA's GPU experience gives the all-in-one controller significantly better graphics performance than Intel's GMA-series of integrated graphics chips that Apple had been using, and the 9400M even stacks up fairly well against the performance of decent discrete GPU processors. However, Intel's Atom processor is designed to be a low cost, energy efficient x86-compatible GPU intended to compete against embedded processors such as ARM. Moving the Mac mini from its existing Core 2 Duo CPU to an Atom processor would appear to result in a drastic reduction in performance. Ion uses the new dual-core Atom 330, which runs at 1.6 GHz and uses a 533MHz front side bus for RAM. The current Mac mini uses a 64-bit Core 2 Duo running at 1.83 or 2 GHz, and 667 MHz RAM. The Atom processor line (which includes the chip originally referred to as ) has advanced rapidly as Intel works to take on the low power market now dominated by ARM licensees, but is no match for Intel's mainstream, full power desktop processors.
OpenCL to the rescue? The trade off to a slower CPU might be possible were Apple able to pass more of the Mac mini's processing load to the relatively fast GPU, using the company's brand new. Moving to Ion would give Apple the potential to deliver a cheaper mini, with NVIDIA throwing around numbers closer to $400 for simple Ion-based 'desktop netbook' computer.
However, OpenCL is part of the still unreleased Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6. While it should be able to dramatically accelerate some functions that work well on a GPU, such as HD video processing, it can't magically shift the majority of system overhead to the GPU. An Ion-based Mac mini would likely be a huge downgrade from the current model in basic GPU performance, which might not fly with Apple's customers even at a significantly lower price.
Additionally, other evidence suggests that the next Mac mini will not go the route of the netbook. Last month, AppleInsider reported on internal references to new Mac mini and iMac models found in the last year's series of unibody notebooks. That would indicate an NVIDIA 9400M GPU paired with an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU. Other reliable sources have also said that the Mac mini refresh is intended to occur cited in the Ion report.
Additionally, rather than being a stripped down mini-computer, other sources have maintained that the next Mac mini will be as full featured as the existing model, with, FW800, and an additional fifth USB 2.0 port. Apple TV to go Ion? It's still possible Apple will be using the Ion platform elsewhere, and a prime candidate could well be Apple TV. It currently uses a low power, so moving to the new dual core Atom 330 and a better GPU would be an upgrade. Apple still isn't making any money on Apple TV, with tear down reports suggesting that it sells the existing unit nearly at its materials cost. The power of the NVIDIA 9400M GPU would mean the unit no longer needs its standalone NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 GPU, but could still decode HD video. It's also possible that Apple is targeting a new low cost, low power computer at emerging markets, and planning to leave the Apple TV and Mac mini with more evolutionary, incremental updates.