Mac · The Digital Hub · 2005
Mac mini (G4)
Apple’s pitch to switchers: a tiny box that let Windows users try the Mac without ditching their monitor and keyboard, for $499 — a line that survives today.
Mac mini (G4): key facts
When was the Mac mini (G4) released?
The Mac mini (G4) was released in January 2005. Apple discontinued it in September 2006.
How much did the Mac mini (G4) cost?
The Mac mini (G4) launched at $499 in 2005 — about $818 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Mac mini (G4)’s specs?
The Mac mini (G4) used a PowerPC G4 running at 1.25 GHz, with 256 MB of memory and 39.1 GB of storage. It ran Mac OS X 10.3 Panther.
Why does the Mac mini (G4) matter?
The cheapest Mac ever — "BYODKM": bring your own display, keyboard and mouse.
Full specifications
| CPU | PowerPC G4 · 1.25 GHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 256 MB (up to 1 GB) |
| Storage | 39.1 GB |
| Display | External |
| GPU | ATI Radeon 9200 |
| Ports | USB 2.0, FireWire 400, DVI, Ethernet |
| Weight | 1.3 kg |
| Dimensions | 16.5×16.5×5.1 cm |
| Operating system | Mac OS X 10.3 Panther |
| Released | January 2005 |
| Discontinued | September 2006 |
| Launch price | $499 |
How the Mac mini (G4) compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 64× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 1.25 GHz, the clock is roughly 2.6× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 10,000 modern phone photos — a respectable library even today.
Launched at $499 in 2005 — about $818 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
It was smaller than the stack of manuals that came with a typical PC.
Related Mac models
Open the Mac mini (G4) in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25