OSX

Around 2000-2010 OSX audio was an oasis.
You started iTunes and pressed play.

 

Today all kind of alternatives for iTunes are available.
They often claim to sound better than iTunes.
Tweaking the OS by disabling processes, HOG mode, etc.
All the tweaks and accompanying claims so common in the PC world now come to the Apple world.
Goodbye oasis.

 

iTunes was formally launched in 2001.
Two years later the music store was added.
In 2019 Apple announced it will phase out iTunes.

MacMini

The MacMini was a popular platform to be used as a music server.

Today everybody is streaming.

 

 

References

Beyond bit perfect: The importance of the Player Software And MAC OS X Playback Integer
Mode
- Damien Plisson, Audirvana developer