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Intel Mac mini Q&A - Updated November 4, 2009
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What version of the MacOS is pre-installed on the Intel Mac mini?
When introduced, Mac mini systems released prior to the introduction of the "Early 2009" Mac mini on March 3, 2009 shipped with a version of MacOS X 10.4 "Tiger", the "Early 2009" Mac mini shipped with MacOS X 10.5 "Leopard", and the "Late 2009" Mac mini ships with MacOS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard". For the particular build number, please refer to the specs page for the model of interest.
Can the Intel Mac mini run MacOS X applications written for the PowerPC processor?
A good percentage of MacOS X applications written for PowerPC-based systems can run on the Intel Mac mini, and other Intel-based Macs, using the "Rosetta Universal Binary Translator", but as one would expect, these applications will run more slowly than they would if they were "native" for Intel-based processors.
The always excellent MacInTouch [no longer online] prepared a list of "Universal Binary" applications that will run natively on Intel-based Macs. The same website also has a list of applications written for the PowerPC with readers opinions regarding their performance using "Rosetta". You may wish to consult these lists to ensure compatibility with any particular application of interest [no longer online].
For more on Rosetta, please refer to "What is Rosetta? What does it support?" from the "Macintel" Q&A.
Can the Intel Mac mini run MacOS 9/Classic applications?
Apple provides no support for running MacOS 9 or the "Classic Environment" on Intel-based Macs. The Intel Mac mini relies on the "Rosetta Universal Binary Translator" to run software for MacOS X for PowerPC, and this emulator cannot run "Classic/MacOS 9" applications.
If you have a mission critical application that only runs on MacOS 9, you likely would be best served by maintaining a PowerPC-based Mac. However, you may also be interested in reading "Are there any third-party programs to run MacOS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs?" from the MacOS 9/Classic Support Q&A.
Can the Intel Mac mini run Windows?
Yes. For those unfortunate ones condemned to use Windows, the Windows on Mac Q&A provides answers for just about everything you need to know about running Windows on the Intel Mac mini or any other Intel-based Mac.
Can the Intel Mac mini run Linux?
Yes. The Intel Mac mini is capable of running a number of Intel-based distributions of Linux through Apple Boot Camp or by using "virtualization".
For more on Boot Camp and Virtualization, please refer to the Windows on Mac Q&A.
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