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Apple Upgrades Mac mini, Doesn't Tell Anybody
echomancer writes "Think Secret is reporting that Apple has released a slightly updated version of the Mac mini, but has failed to tell anyone. Some Mac minis may now include a 1.5GHz processor, 64MB of VRAM, and an updated 8x superdrive but these new machines are being shipped in boxes reflecting the original specs. 'The motivation behind this is to help clear current inventory without lowering prices. Essentially, customers are promised that the Mac mini they purchase will have specifications at least equal to the label, but that their system may exceed those.'"
I bought one about a week ago. I can't say I've noticed it's faster in real-world use, but it does benchmark slightly faster (in accordance with the CPU speed bump). Since its main purpose is to look gorgeous in the living room, run email and web-browsing, I have no complaints, but then I wouldn't have had, anyway
Having the extra VRAM seems to improve video performance a fair bit as well - subtly but noticeably smoother when doing the 'cube' switch using 'Desktop Manager', for example. (Which is the *very* first piece of s/w I ever install on a mac). Yes I use expose too, but with DM I can dedicate one screen per task. Much nicer
Simon
Physicists get Hadrons!
Reported here:
In a swift and decisive move, Dell Computers announced today that it will begin shipping all systems with intentionally mis-labeled specifications on the boxes. In what is being seen as an obvious attempt to play catch up with Apple computer's brilliant move to sell its Mac mini systems with specs that may "meet or exceed" those listed on their packing, Dell took the move one step further.
"We feel the average consumer is becoming bored with the computer buying experience." says Dell's Chief Marketing Officer Mike George. "They no longer wish to choose an item, pay for it, and have that item arrive at their front door. It's predictable. It's what their parent's would want. Today's consumer needs the element of surprise to add a bit of excitement to the table."
To that end, Dell plans to ship all of its consumer desktop models and its Inspiron 6000 and 1200 model laptop computers with wildly off-base specifications. "We've actually created a random number generator which is responsible for listing the model number and processor speeds. Even WE don't know exactly what is in those boxes. It really is exciting." says George.
We recently had heard in the office over one of the Yellow Machine that's made by Anthology Solutions.
So, is it time to insist on Sell By Dates on electronics? That sounds a like a good way to avoid purchasing stale products.
Oh well, what the hell...
YMMV
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
I mean, if you are in the market for one of these, why not wait a few weeks, to make sure that you get one of the "new" models?
I'd say that is perfectly reasonable. It would be simply unethical for them to ship packaging with specifications reflecting a more powerful machine unless they were capable of providing one in every shipment.
This method allows them to ethically clear unused inventory and provide additional value to the customer.
Do you like German cars?
Just like on my Cheerios box: "..., though some settling of contents normally occurs during shipping and loading".
I guess as long as the consumer gets at least what they're advertised to get I don't see this as any controversy, but maybe a decent approach by a seemingly decent company (don't know for sure, haven't done any real research into Apple). And as for any consumers of the "lower grade" Minis, again, I can't see there'd be any problem as long as they got what they paid for and was advertised.
On the other hand, there are lots of examples where companies advertise one way but deliver less. I recently purchases a washer/dryer set -- won't name the company, but it sears in my memory. Anyway, in the picture in the Sunday circular, they were pictured side-by-side, doors open. The dryer's inside light neatly illuminated the clothing inside, exactly one of my criteria. When I got mine, no light. Whaaaaah? I looked inside, no problem, there's the recess where the light should be, it must be burned out, annoying but fixable. The more I pried around and tried to find where the socket was the more confused I became. There wasn't ANYPLACE to install a light bulb. I called the company for an explanation. Their explanation: "the pictures in the ads don't necessarily reflect what the actual product looks like". No apology, no offer to fix it. Guess what, I'll remember this experience for a long long time. (The inside light was one of my primary criteria in dryers as I shopped.... sigh.)
Why stick with the 9200 video chip? That one part has kept me from buying from the day it was launched.
Finally Apple has learned from some of their shipping problems of the past. This is a good move on three levels. First, it's better to surprise a customer with something better than expected. Second, it's also a great way to avoid a sales slump when updated models get announced. Apple has always feared the Osbourne effect, but hasn't been able to stop the rumor mill from letting people know when to stop buying old machines and wait for new machines. Third, its a nice way to ramp to volume production without the pressure of backorders on a new model.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
In another suprise move, Microsoft has stated that it will be shipping random versions of its new Windows Vista operating system to its customers who buy it. Steve Ballmer defended Microsoft's action as "trying to stay on the cutting-edge of new technology", although nay-sayers deem that Microsoft is just playing catch-up again. Another Microsoft employee, who wished to remain unnamed, said that the new decision will add some excitement over the improved graphics and (supposedly) improved security and functionality of Windows Vista.
This is Apple we're talking about here. Don't you mean "style" products?
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Apples upgrade you!
Working for a telecom hardware company in the mid-90s, our team (burly xx and xy consultants all) came up with the strategy to enhance the software and packaging of their flagship product and *only* tell their trusted distribution channel.
God bless 'em, they took the advice.
Product launched. They ran out of manufacturing capacity in a couple of months; stuff flew off the shelves. Their competitors were in the "Michael Corleone without a gun in the restaurant" mindset for about 18 months.
Of course, they thought the world was circuit switched big dial tone and divided themselves pretty well by zero by 2000.
Verizon: Latin for "poor rural service".
Did you not check out the floor model when you purchased it? Or did you simply buy online?
AC comments get piped to
If there are original spec minis still available, I would be pretty pissed if I ended up with one of them instead of the better ones. If thats the case Apple was probably just hoping no one would notice.
is when will Apple 'officially' update the mini? I am ready to buy the top model, but when I heard this I thought "well, hell, I'm not going to order now and risk getting the lower spec'd model."
So, seeing as how this news has been around for about a week, I wonder if it's backfiring for Apple and no one is buying until they update 'officially'.
It's not that Apple is up-specing the Mini, which it needs, so much as they've run through their stock of low-end parts. It's also profoundly embarrassing to have the same 1.5 GHz processor in entry-level desktop as in your $2,500 Powerbook.
Expect a final PPC-based Powerbook revision almost immediately. THEN they'll own up to the Mini upgrade.
This is my post. There are many others like it. If you don't like what you read here, go try one of the others.
This isnt news anymore. It's history! History for nerds... Stuff that doesnt matter anymore.
"Ze whole point of upgrading ze specs is lost if eet is kept secret. Vhy didn't zey tell ze vorld, eh?!?"
Specialization is for insects. - R.A.H.
on-line... I live 10 miles from the nearest (small) town. And, if I were to comparison shop among brands among appliance retailers, I'd have to drive 40 to 60 miles to get to an area with enough competing retailers to do comparison shopping. It would seem a small favor to ask of manufacturers selling products to accurately represent their products in advertisements. (If Apple had been selling this, I suppose it would have been a dryer with no inside light, and it would have arrived with an indoor light... sigh.)
-Regards, yagu
You must be doing this on Windows. My 1.5ghz 17 month old Powerbook does NOT take that long to open iTunes.
Or quite possibly you're just a troll... which would make sense.
Tell me what you believe...I'll tell you what you should see.
Takes me back to my baseball card collecting days.....
This must have happened over half a century ago!
By law, a mail-order company must accept returns within 90 days. This is why so many infomercials advertise it loudly, as though it's something special which only they offer out of kindness.
Give it time though. Then you can start complaining ;)
In a new ad campaign Sun has said that they are '100% more random then dell' and has begun including only a random 12 parts in each box, you could get an entire server or 12 mice.
This is not only a shady practice, but how many times can we read about this?!?! Maybe slashdot should just label all of these stories the same but "upgrade" the content!
Only a couple of years ago. For all the hassle it looked like it was going to be (they were totally uncooperative), I figured I probably had "the law" on my side, but it was going to more of a hassle than I wanted to deal with. I was surprised this happened from such a major reatailer, and their unwillingness to offer any compromise. But, as I said in my original post, the experience has stayed with me, and I have stopped buying from them (though they've now been absorbed by K-Mart).
You actually mean that I could get more than what I agreed to pay for?! Those bastards, how dare they do such a thing! Honestly, people, it's not a bad thing.
I propose we all donate so that Slashdot story submitters don't have to live under a bridge and can get back on top of tech news (instead of two weeks behind)...
I think, therefore I am...I think.
Yes, there might be a problem here. According to labeling laws when you specify contents of a package, you must specify the contents as closely as you can, and when you have to round, you round down. Just recently the nursery industry got in a lot of trouble for selling "gallon" pots that, if you have ever bought a pot know, never could measure much of a gallon. Pretty much what has happened is that the industry is being brought into compliance. While the computer industry may not be regulated quite like the nursery industry, the labeling laws are quite strict, and they apply accross the board. The reason for a labeling law is so consumers can compare like products with a like product. So someone who is looking at a Mac-mini and some eMachine or something like that, the small difference in performance that the faster processor has might make a difference, and it could get them in trouble. The esscense behind the labeling laws is so the consumer can have all the information. You can understate content, but only by a little bit. And the question in computers becomes, what is a little bit.
The views expressed are mine own and do not express the views of my employer.
This is an outrage! This PROVES that Apple obviously has no respect for it's customers, and this is just another example of how the high and mighty have falle--
...
...shit, I give up. Carry on.
Whoa, wait a minute...this is a good thing? Arrgh, goddamn it. I blew my rant load for nothing...
What will I do now?
Guess I could...maybe do a cliche? Let's see... In Soviet Russia, you upgrade Apple's specs? Nah. Upgrade Natalie Portman's specs? Nice idea, but no. Not after Episode 3.
Hrm...
BytesTemplar.com
Thanks for telling everybody about our sekrit inventory plan. Now everybody is going to be demanding the new ones or holding out for a few months. You blew it for us you pencil-neck geeks.
Not Love,
Steve "black turtleneck" Jobs
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
If this was MS everyone where would be up-in-arms, but since it is apple it is perfectly a-ok. If I bought a mac mini, got the "regular" version, and I found out someone else got an upgraded version for the same price, i'd be pissed.
So you saw a well-lit picture and assumed it had a feature that was never mentioned anywhere else? You didn't check the manufacture's specs? You didn't do any research beyond looking at a well-lit picture? I'm sorry and not trying to troll here, but you bought a product that you really didn't know a helluva lot about.
I'm starting to think this isn't the best place to promote my Anti-Sig Campaign.
First, it's better to surprise a customer with something better than expected.
CNET News has a good point about this though, in that new owners hearing of this and being among the "unlucky" may complain about it, since they know there are betters setups out there, of the same model. And even if they don't, they certainly won't belong to the positively surprised crowd. I'm not sure singling out users on random with computers even using the same part number to confuse the retailers is such a good idea, especially when done silently from Apple's part.
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
...the new model is much snappier?
What's up with this? Usually news appears here a week after most people see it, this one's 2 weeks behind. I'm not even a Mac Fan and knew that.
Post em earlier folks
Lk-4
A similar thing happened when I bought my Sharp Zaurus SL-5600 near its end of life. They ran out of the buggy PXA250 processors and started shipping the last units with the improved PXA255. It was even marked on the box, but since most people mail-ordered the units it was a crap-shoot what you got. I got the old unit, and was a bit disappointed even though I did get what I paid for. I suspect Mac Mini buyers who don't get the lucky upgrade will feel the same way. They may even return their units and try again.
I wonder what percentage of Mini purchasers will ever know that they got something slightly better/different than what they ordered? People I know who actually bought one, they'll never know.
It's not as if someone is going to notice through normal use. I might notice that Expose works and from there discover that the machine has more video ram. But that's just because I heard that it doesn't work on machines with less than 64 mb of ram. If something on the machine labeled it as having a 1.5 ghz processor I'd write it off as a rounding issue.
If I had to guess, the price of the old components have become more expensive than the new better parts.
Platform advocacy is like choosing a favorite severely developmentally disabled child.
It's perfectly legal. I bought two boxes of cereal at the store, both claiming that there may be a prize inside. I open one box, dig around, and find my prize. I open the second box, dig around, and find no prize. Can I really get mad at the manufacturer? You can always create a "Component Reviewer's Lobby" and get funds to have such a law legislated... but I just can't fathom that.
Is this a smart move?
If someone gets a "slow" version, won't the customers just return it and say they was not satisfied with the product and get their money back?
That is exactly what intel does. It Creates a processorline of all equal ccpu's and in an patented move they label (flash) their cpu's to different speeds according to market requirements.
Well, refer to my Pink Panther signature below:
Oh well, what the hell...
are you retarded?! this is a way of bloating the price of old models. how is that ethical?
dont look at it as "hey, im paying for a 1.4ghz box and i got a 1.5ghz box!"
look at it as "hey i could have had the option of buying this 1.4ghz box for 100 bucks less or paying the $699 for a 1.5ghz box"
by your logic apple can continue selling mac minis for $699 in 10 years advertised as a 1.4ghz machine and you dont know whether you are getting a 3ghz box or a 20ghz box.
The obvious counter game is: buy more than one, until you verify you have a hi-spec, then rebox the lo-spec mechines and resell them as "brand new unwanted" on ebay. You'll probably lose a small amount on the others, but it's offset against the cheap hi-spec machine, raising its effective cost only slightly.
They are rounding down, the Mac Mini advertised specs reflect the origional specs, not the new ones, so if a customer is comparing based on advertised specs, they are doing so on the lower specs.
What might be a problem is when the owner needs warranty work doing, and their receipt doesnt match the system - how do you tell the difference between one of these systems and an overclocked system?
.. forget the 4200 / 5400 rpm internal drive, get a big 7200rpm 3.5 in drive in a firewire hard drive case and boot off that. Instant massive performance boost, and the chance to have more than 80gb of files too (my /Video directory is 73gb alone)
I have been a user for about 10 years. This ends Feb 2014. The site's been ruined. I'm off. Dice, FU
Oh great....now Fry's is going to run out of return labels. Oh the slightly related note, I have a Toshiba Libretto 50 which supposed to only have a Pentium 75 on it. But by the time mine was built, Intel has stopped making P75 and Toshiba ended up putting a P120 in it and underclock it to 75mhz....didn't take long before someone noticed that and a few soldering later, we have P120 Libretto 50s :-)
I noticed that it took iTunes ages to load when Imy iPod was FAT formatted, and this is on a 2.0Ghz imac. When I changed that to HFS it really speeded up the start time, so maybe he was pissed off at that?.
If me and a friend walk into an apple store and buy Mac Minis, I expect that mine will be just as good as his. I doubt there is anything illegal about this since the machine isn't below the specs marked on the box. But if there are 2 mac minis available for X dollars, and one has better specs, I want the one with better specs.
Ah, but don't you see what's going to happen in a few months? Apple will clear it's own warehouses of the old units (you know they have a way of telling which is which) then they'll update the official specs.
Retailers with the older models will have to discount all their "1.4Ghz" Mac Mini's since they wont be able to gaurantee the customer is getting more than that. Then people will be paying a discounted rate and getting the current hardware rather than right now where they pay the current rate and may not get the fastest they could, so it will all even out a bit in the end.
Considering how often Dell updates stuff, think how much less inventory they would have to discount to sell if they followed this idea.
how do you tell the difference between one of these systems and an overclocked system?
Apple will know, based on the serial number of your box.
This is one of those stories that should never been reported at all.
1. Apple is one of the few companies who actually care about their customers (Probaly because of the low market share).
2. If I bought a new mini mac and got unexpected got upgraded model, I would be happy. Since this story is released, few will buy Mini Mac out of fear of getting older model.
News.com and Thinkgeek.com ruined the surprise.
\
ever heard of word of mouth marketing?
its not like the specs on the new boxes are hidden or soemthing. i am sure that i would definately notice double the video ram immediately. i might immediately mention it to all my friends. they might immediately mention it to all their friends. it might end up on think secret. it might get slashdotted. they might sell out the old models really fast without lowering the prices. some (very stupid) people might think this is ethical and post (very stupid) comments about apple doing nice things.
i bet auto manufacturers would love to be able to pull this off. from now on till the end of time they can sell 2006 models. in 2009 you MIGHT get a 2010, you also might get a 0 milage 2008 that nobody has been able to sell... but thats ok because it was advertised as a 2005.
It's not as if someone is going to notice through normal use. I might notice that Expose works and from there discover that the machine has more video ram. But that's just because I heard that it doesn't work on machines with less than 64 mb of ram. If something on the machine labeled it as having a 1.5 ghz processor I'd write it off as a rounding issue.
Exposé works on machines with less than 64 MB of vram. With the 32 MB of vram on the Mini I'm using right now I can still use Exposé at 1600x1200. Here's a fun fact though -- the Cube Effect for "fast user switching" (isn't that what they call it in Windows land?) is disabled at 1600x1200 on a 32 meg video card, but still renders at 1280x1024. So, there might be your one clue to tell the difference between a 1.42 GHz Mini and a 1.5 GHz Mini (because the difference in clock speed just isn't going to be evident I'd imagine).
Read Heinlein's 1953 Revolt in 2100, now more than ever.
"Google takes over world, Microsoft left to die."
After google [Girl/Boy]-friend society stopped being as it used to be cause noone had to get out to get dates anymore.
Bill gates tried to bring out his own X-[Girl/Boy]-friend but bankrupted trying to compete with Google. Observers stated alot of software issues made the experience "too realistic" and resembling more like a "ex-experience" then a "eXperience" as Microsoft tried to market their last hope. Internal sources disclosed B. Gates would've "sworn to kill google".
Google is booming however and is working hard on their beloved GooglePhones, still in beta, which are cleverly linked with GoogleMaps while used. Plans are to make GoogleToaster linked with AdWords.
I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
Is there anything different about the box? A serial number prefix? Grey dot? Don't know if you have one to compare it to. I would like to buy a mac mini and would like to get the upgraded specs.
I think a more direct and legitimate comparison is an LCD monitor. Often times you cannot return them unless there are more than a specific number of flaws. You know your taking a gamble when you order one. If you wind up with a dead pixel in the middle of the screen, and your friend who bought two happens to get two flawless monitors by chance, its frustrating. I dont want to have to gamble when I buy electronics. It doesnt matter that apple is giving you "At least" what you paid for. I think its a reasonable expectation to have packaging reflect what is inside. This is kind of underhanded, and I would bet anybody who compares it to crackerjack or thinks that its a good thing to "possibly" get more than you paid for are not currently in the market for a mac mini
"macs" spelt backwards is "scam" .
So.. you're saying that macs are the complete opposite of scam?
That was sure funny.
A professor once explained that engineering requires advanced study by saying that even the task of assembling a television is not possible without some understanding - if one were to just put the TV parts in a box and shake the box, the result won't be a television.
Random parts may be stretching things, but what about a different kind of delivery model for geek gear where the system is constructible at random? Put the parts in a box, push the box down the stairs a few times and the output is bingo! a completely assembled item with a modicum of chaotic appearance. Not very realistic, but it'll kind of render to mythology the idea that ignorant people can't assemble devices. Also think of the manufacturing and military possibilities: dump a grab bag of parts into a crate and they will self-assemble while in transport.
Now, in the nanotech future these notions will be fairly degenerate but for the bored, we can make component interfaces a bit more idiot proof.
Know your pads. One time pad: good for cryptography. Two timing pad: where to take your mistress.
So is this Schroedinger's Mac? You might open the box to find a 1.5GHz Mac, or you might open it to find a dead cat. There's no way to tell!
By checking the VRAM, which is 64MB on the new systems, instead of 32MB?
:P
Can't overclock that very easily
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard. He went out about nine o'clock in the morning and saw others standing in the marketplace without work. And he said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. When he went out again about noon and three o'clock that afternoon, he did the same thing. And about five o'clock that afternoon he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day without work?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You go and work in the vineyard too.' When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the workers and give the pay starting with the last hired until the first.' When those hired about five o'clock came, each received a full day's pay. And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage. When they received it, they began to complain against the landowner, saying, 'These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.' And the landowner replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn't you agree with me to work for the standard wage? Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last man the same as I gave to you. Aren't I permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Gotta love it when a marxist quotes the bible...
there is a certain firewire chipset that is known to have a bug that causes freezes with os x. drive manufacturers have released fixes. check your manufacturers site
context menus are supposed to have less options than the menu bar by definition. context menus only have options that are relevant to that context, and in addition ux people will tell you they should only have the most relevant ones, not the whole kit and cabodle. context menus wouldnt save you any time if you had to dig through as many options as the menu bar
the close window control is supposed to close a window, and not shut down the application. you may be used to windows, where closing the last open window also shuts down the app, but many ux peeps will tell you this is not a good assumption to make: if you close the last window of a database server (say, a query window), do you want the database to shut down? if you close the last window to your mail app, do you want all mail services to shut down (i like still being able to see when ive got incoming mail)? the apple ux teams position on these things and others are well known (try google)
im surprised you would trust development to a system you see as so flaky
Lies about crimes
i think on the mac youre supposed to use a combination of application hiding (using command-h or the hide menu option) and minimizing (cmd-m). you can tab through open windows using tab-` and bring up minimized windows using cmd- (this last one doesnt seem to be supported by all apps, forcing you to use the mouse for those)
apple ux has been repeatedly asked about managers, and they pretty much seem to be saying: thats not intuitive and thats not our way
Lies about crimes
Forget price, efficiency, speed, reliability or looks. No, I wash my clothes in an underground cavern, and if I can't eat my dinner by the light emanating from the ol' Kenmore, then I don't want it.
Seriously, man, of all the features I've never desired in a consumer product, that's right up there. What on earth are your requirements that this seems like an important checkbox?
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
Won't this have a negative effect on the minis since some folks would rather just wait than to roll the dice and maybe get an upgraded model?
I'd be somewhat ticked if my neighbor bought one and got the upgraded one and I got the spec on the box. Now, I admit, I knew what I was buying but it would have been nice to get that little surpise upon opening the box.
Karma means nothing to me, so suck it...
Really? Then why can't I return CDs that I have to buy blindly then end up sucking once I listen to them, because the "shrinkwrap is broken"?
Am I begin fed a lie by those companies, or did the media industry get a special "no returns" exception to this law via their friendly congressbuddies?
that already happens..
try this, open a savings account with 100 dollars
now open one with 100,000 dollars.
guess which one gets the better interest rate?
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
True. A few days after I bought my 12" iBook they sent me a mail stating that a) a new version of the 12" iBook was just released, b) my order automatically got upgraded and c) they even matched the hardware configuration to what they believed I would choose for the newer model (eg. I originally selected a 60 GB HDD and the new model now had 80 GB as the biggest size, so they gave me 80). And to top that all off, the newer model was cheaper than the old one. In the end I got 200 MHz and 20 GB extra and paid about 100 EUR less.
If they actually tell you about it this is wonderful and it has really impressed me - it has put Apple into my personal "companies I like dealing with" list. Not sure how I would have reacted if they never had told me...
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
It's a good strategy for Apple if no one knows about it. Unfortunately, I do know, so I'm going to wait to make my planned purchase until I know I will be getting the up-spec'd machine. If enough people wait for the same reason, that could be a problem too.
-- Gary Goldberg KA3ZYW 301/249-6501 AIM:OgGreeb Digital Marketing Inc., Bowie, MD
Tell them, that you could keep the machine, for $20 for your trouble, and that it will save them the hassle of returning it!
Win Win!
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
I live in Sweden, Europe. The last time Apple upgraded the Mini, the price stayed unchanged in the US, but rose 12% over here ...
I can only expect the price to rise again.
That's what you get for waiting, I guess.
"We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
If you bought and got the original specs as advertised on the original box, YOU DIDN"T LOSE ANYTHING / YOU WERE NOT HARMED.
Next week people with the same bank account as me might get a free toaster.
Next week some of those ruttin shoppers at Pick and Pay are going to get ICE CREAM 2-FOR-1!
I paid the same money as they did and they got TWO!
Please.
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
c/mon people, stop trawling old news!, make up something new and exciting!
There was an unknown error in the submission.
Im curious if the scores are done with a random number generator, or just somebody smoking an awful lot of pot
I wanted the best of the current mini-macs. My local retailer didn't have any with the SuperDrive, which was advertised as being the highest end in the mini-mac series, and therefore had to special order one for me. After waiting two weeks, I get it, only to find out it isn't the highest end product. No, the packaging isn't misadvertising the product, but the company is misadvertising the products ! And as a result, I do feel cheated.
GENERATION 25: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social exper
That's not too far off the way Dell really seem to operate. They change hardware all the time and it makes keeping disk images a real paain if you have to support a lot of Dell systems. It also makes finding drivers far more awkward than it should be; evwn if you give Dell's website the system asset tag it can often offer more than a dozen guesses for each component.
I received a shipment of eight Dell laptops last week. All were the same model but there were three different wireless adapters in them.
Contrast this to IBM or Compaq who can tell you exactly what is in each system they sell.
Input error. Replace user and press any key to continue.
I bought two boxes of cereal at the store, both claiming that there may be a prize inside. I open one box, dig around, and find my prize. I open the second box, dig around, and find no prize.
In this case there may or may not be 2 prizes...
I think this story was generated for hype by Apple. There will be people now obsessing over slightly higher specs until they buy one. People really need to get over their fetish for Apple products.
"If you don't like the timelyness of the stories, submit more timely stories. "
I get it! You're trying to taunt me into joking about spelling mistakes, aren't you? Tough luck. I happen to find spelling mistakes very endeering.
BTW I don't care about the timing, when someone throws a ball, kick it, is my motto for today!
Cheers!
I think, therefore I am...I think.
You got what the box says it contains. Why should you have the right to complain? If you've heard there are boxes out there with beter specs, you also know that the others don't have the extra's.
The same happens with CPU overclocking. If you get a specimen that cannot be overclocked enough, do you go complaining? Still, another CPU of the same type might be perfectly qualified for higher speeds, but dumped in the lower frequency "bucket" because of shortage.
You could go complaining if you got the upgraded model and it turns out it consumes more electricity. If that would be the case, however, I'm sure you could easily find people who are willing to go and trade it in *for* you.
"It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
I want the one with better specs.
Get out your wallet and buy something better. Do your research and get the best model, like you said. If a 1.42GHz mini is not what you need/want, then go buy a G5 or whatever. Or wait until Apple is willing to guarantee you a 1.5GHz unit.
I can't believe you'd complain because there's a chance you might get more than you paid for. Do you get annoyed when you see those "20% More Cheez Doodles!" packages in the supermarket two days after you bought a regular-sized bag?
So, rather than allowing the price to drop due to age of machine, they start shipping the upgraded machine at the same cost, while denying those who just want the regular one the ability to choose a lower-cost machine.
And in the process, they've got their fans convinced they're doing 'em a favor.
110100 1101000 1101000 1100110 0 1101111 1101000 1100011 1
You're kidding right? We support Compaq/HP DC 7100's mostly for the lab I'm in and the 7100's we've gotten in since the school year started aren't identical to the ones we got in brand new 3 months ago. Without any sort of notice the graphics cards went from default on board to low end ATI. Jacked up all our images.
But did anyone notice an increase in teh snappy?
Then dell what? Surely you meant than?
I got a mac mini, it's actually a prety powerful computer. And so insanely silent 99% of the time, I don't even know it's on. This is a great update because they fixed some of the key issues:
- 512MB RAM is now standard (256MB isn't really very usable on OS X).
- More VRAM! Sadly not upgrading the chipset yet, but it's still an improvement
- 5400 RPM HD!!!! This is the biggest upgrade. The 4200RPM drive and minimal RAM makes this computer really slugish. Upgrade the RAM and the HD, and it's a whole new computer. That paging file will get you.
The processor upgrade isn't a big deal. The DVDR isn't bad, but don't know how much I'd use it.
It's a great computer. For anyone wanting to experiment on the Mac, or just want a cheap system, it's a steal. It's well engineered. The first time you hold it, you know it's well made. Solid, and good hardware.
I personally like this upgrade they offer. Wish mine had more RAM and a faster HD out of the box.
How about this then? You go to the bank and deposit your money. Some customers are getting extra money free from the bank, you don't. You both used the same service but others got better treatment.
Money's not the same thing. If they've got extra money for some, it can be evenly redivided for all. Electronics aren't quite the same. Of course, if a bank did do something like this anyway, and distributed money nonrandomly using criteria such as age, gender, race, or something like that, then it really would be a problem. Not if they discriminated based on the money you already have in your account, though, since it already works that way.
Speaking as someone who just bought a non updated mini....
anytime you buy a gadget you have to expect it to be replaced/improved so after buying any way. Look a cpu speeds in general...moore's law and what not. No matter when you buy it, a bigger, better, shinier one will be available the day after you buy yours.
So be like my....deal with it.
My dryer is in the darkest corner of a windowless room, it's door being in the farthest corner of the outer room.
You probably don't have brown-recluse, black-widow, or such spiders.
Spiders are useally fairly sedentary, but toss 'em in a tumbling machine, and they emerge pretty pissed off.
And, the machine is exactly has advertised. I feel ripped off!
I just bought one a month ago. i should have wited like I wanted too. I couldn't pass up that price at the time though.
Yes, I said it.
Is the hard drive still 4200 RPM? I think it's very annoying. They could at lest use a 5400RPM HD.
http://jsil.dyndns.org:8080/webcam.html
/.'ing but last time I looked, two friends were on the couch messing with Powerbooks together.
I'm sure they can't stand a
Granted, to a lesser degree. When I bought mine, the specs said it had onboard video and no AGP slot. I went and bought a PCI card. What did I find when I installed it? They upgraded the board, the new one's got AGP.
If the smaller unannounced upgrades are common with other manufacturers, too, that makes it much less of a jump to this.
I know that I'll be modded down to hell.
So a company called Apple upgraded "Mac Mini". This is caled news? I see all the comments modded up and I realize that Slashdot is nothing else than an Apple zealot community nowadays.
Except that the whole point is that the box is labelled with the slower processor speed. So if the Mini is comparing favorably to an eMachine on speed, then the person will still be getting the faster of the two machines - but they might get an even faster machine than they expected. What are they going to say - "Hey, I wanted one just a little faster, this one is too fast?"
Warning: Apple/Nintendo fangirl. Likes her electronics cute & cuddly. May be rabid.
Just like I complained when the bottle of Pepsi I bought didn't contain a winning iTunes code. Who cares that I got the Pepsi I paid for? I wanted the free stuff, damn it!
Warning: Apple/Nintendo fangirl. Likes her electronics cute & cuddly. May be rabid.
if i could get a 1.5ghz with 64mb VRAM mac mini i would... but not on the chance of 1.42ghz (whoopty-do) with 32mb VRAM (damnit) shipping instead. i never was very good at the casino...
Huh, why was this marked flamebait? Parent opened the door on this one.
If the interior light was so important to you, it may have behooved you to check on the specs online regarding whether in fact that very model had an interior light.
I grew up in southwest Missouri. I've seen a brown recluse or two in my time.
Spiders are useally fairly sedentary, but toss 'em in a tumbling machine, and they emerge pretty pissed off.
What kind of turbo-spiders do you have that can survive trips through loaded clothes dryers? Where do you live so that I may mark it off my "would enjoy the local fauna while visiting" list?
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
IIRC, the early hackers of the Mac Mini found that the jumpers were there to up the clock speed to 1.5 GHz. So that part of the bump might have been just a jumper change. For all we know, the CPU parts may have been 1.5 capable for quite a while now (as the mainboard certainly was since day one).
More interesting is the vram upgrade. Why does Apple all of a sudden decide that the Mini needs more vram ? Perhaps this bump'ed Mini might be a transitory product, not even worthy of a SKU number.. ever ! Or.. the product with the new number will have a whole new mainboard.. 9550 anyone ?
I'm stilll waiting for the other shoe to drop concerning the ipod nano dock adapter, in the funny size that doesn't fit anything.. yet.
All kinds of little clues swirling in the water.
This msg is brought to you by the letter 'W'.. for Worthless Wuss
What I would love to know is if the DVD drive is still crap. If it's a UJ-835, then it's not really an upgrade. See http://superdrive.crc.id.au/ for more info, and please let me know what you find! :)
Sendmail is like emacs: A nice operating system, but missing an editor and a MTA.
i can just see it now. Apple Supermarket: labeling all the milk as expiring at the same time, even if some of it will expire later. this way people won't reach for the milk that expires later and the store won't get stuck with milk they can't sell. Apple Motors: it will at least be last years model. Apple Pharmacy: you will pay one price and you will get at least the generic and the best part: /. will love you for it.
seriously though. usually when a new version of hardware comes out, the older versions come down in price to move them out. the user get to chose if they want to pay less and get a little less. some people don't care, while others will pay the extra to get the latest. you have to be a serious apologist to support this.
did it say it had a light in the description? spelling out specs is different than implying them in a photo. less room for lighting trickery or intpretation.
or it could trigger the Osbourne effect. those who want ensure that they get the latest hardware will hold off purchasing until they know for sure they will get it. if you are spending the same amount, why not try to get more? lots of things can be justified as being good for the companies bottom dollar.
I don't know what "labelling laws" you are referring to.
I better return all the 2 inch PVC drain pipe in my house. No part of it measures 2 inches!
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
When I'm buying equipment I don't want to take part in a lucky draw.
I'd rather pay a bit extra or get the crappier one for a little less.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
the point is that they would each be opening an identical account, including dollars invested. your analogy has one person buying a mini and the other a top-end tower.
sum.zero
The effect that this rather retarded marketing decision is having on me is that I'm holding off on buying a Mac Mini until I can be sure that I'm getting the upgraded version. I don't want to put my money down and find out I'm getting the older model with the lame hard drive and video RAM (the slight CPU speed increase doesn't mean much).
This seems like a somewhat sneaky attempt by Apple to clear out the old inventory without having to drop the price. They should just do the right thing, call the old models what they are - "clearance" - and sell 'em at a discount.
I know they're trying to cut costs, but, can you at least send the same machine when buying them together?
The law of which I was referring to is the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. This law requires any pacakge which bears a label to be statistically accurate. http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fplajump.html
However, you raise an interesting point. According to the FTC website, your PVC pipe is not covered by the FPLA. It would be considered a durable good. But most likely would be governeted by the wieghts and measures laws of whatever state you live in.
Now here is the clencher where my argument can fail -- according to the FTC a durable good is not covered by the purvue of the Fair Packaing and Labeling Act. Does a computer qualify as a durable good? I would argue that the life of a computer is less than three years. By definition a non-durable good is one that will have a life that is less than three years. Then to throw in for some real fun, stating that the Mac-Mini is a low-cost, and is not a very powerful computer, therefore has a lower life-time, is a non-durable good. While a high-end computer might become a durable good by virtue of the fact that it is on the bleeding edge of technology and not on the end of production life.
The views expressed are mine own and do not express the views of my employer.
Before purchasing (or at least, before opening the box), check the bottom of the box for the serial number. Go to Apple Support and type in the serial number on the lower right to "check your waranty status". Old Mac Mini's come up as "Mac Mini". The new upgraded ones come up as "Mac Mini (Late 2005)".
Quick story:
So, I'm one of the savvy customers that knows about this, and walked into the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. After grabbing a sales guy, I describe the current specs, the mislabeled boxes, and even point him to both eWeek and ZDNet for sources - not exactly Think Secret. He steadfastly refuses to confirm anything - okay, it's what he's been told, but it's still insulting to deny something that is clearly true to a customer who clearly knows what's going on. I'm not asking to confirm they have an Intel Powerbook in the back, I'm looking for a widely reported speedbump, and don't really want to get something that is already obsolete for the same money.
I ask him if I can just check several Mini's serial numbers before purchasing them, so I know I'll get the "right" one. He refuses. Okay, I'll BUY a stack of Mini's, find a "right" one, and return the rest. He refuses to sell me the product, because it will make a lot of hassle to process the returns (hey, I thought I already tried to avoid that for him?). The final conversation went like this:
Me: "So, what you're telling me is I have to buy a Mini and not know what's inside?"
Apple: "What you get will be at least what's on the box."
Me: "I know that. But you won't allow me to determine if what's in the box is what I want."
Apple: *shrugs* "I'll sell you a Mac Mini."
Me: "But without knowing what the configuration is."
Repeat ad nauseum (and I was getting sick of it all right). Finally we struck a deal - give me one Mini, and I'll check it. If it's good, I'll take it on the spot. If it's not, I'll walk out. While he claimed they hadn't had a shipment "since July 25th" (at Apple's busiest store? Yeah, right), sure enough, that Mac Mini he produced was the "Late 2005" variety, and had all the improved specs.
So yeah, most consumers won't notice, and some will get a nice bonus. But it SUCKS ASS if you're actually knowledgeable, and can't purchase the system you want, even though they have it and are just stonewalling.
I don't know what kind of crack I was on, but I suspect it was decaf.
They have no grounds to complain. They got what they paid for... or they could have waited x months for a new version to be officially released.
I've ordered Macromedia Studio 8. Because the initial online order for the downloadable version failed, I was called by a representative of their European division and I got the boxed version with premium shipping at no extra charge. Can someone else complain that they didn't get the same treatment? No.
The only reason why I may buy the Mac Mini is the almos noiseless operation (at a reasonable price).
When they start to put faster and hotter CPUs (at random) in, that is no longer guaranteed and for me a faster and hotter CPU is clearly worse. When I can no longer be sure that the Mac Mini I will get will be noiseless, it just got VERY much less attractive for me.
Is it possible to underclock a Mac Mini?
You know, here's your problem. The Mac, and the entire Apple experience, is intuitive for a certain kind of person. Artists, fashion mavens, leftists, and other creative personalities can sit in front of a PowerBook and just "get it," but accountants and everyday pencil-pushers don't have a prayer. Unattractive squares should stick to Linux and Windows. Macs are for different thinkers.
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Evidence?
http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/7792/img08079i
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/3600/img10156rv.
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/2539/soho0uj.j
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/5614/img66606p
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/6756/img64271jj.
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5082/bleeder0w
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/1672/img85083c
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/7234/img82642a
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/787/img60047ow
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/4819/img58719t
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9681/img46882w
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/8519/img45081g
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3102/img39464t
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/7783/img07414p
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5816/img07328r
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/5096/img07309m
Versus:
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/3118/ms1by.jpg
http://img270.imageshack.us/img270/7789/linuxnylu
..that all the people that got the upgraded MacMini will feel cheated next week, when Steve Jobs tells the world about that "one more thing" he's got planned.
Apple clearing stock in the easiest way possible, by giving stuff (better specs) away to people, not trying to cheat anybody.
Why don't they discount the old models?
Because you are buying a product that is inferior to the current production model.
This is not a fair business practice even if it is legal.
If you click the apple menu - then got to "About this Mac", it will give you the specs. I think there is a "More info" button there for more detail,(posting from XP at work) if not go to Applications > Utilities > System Profiler. That will tell you about all the bits in your box.
Agreed, consistency is always to be preferred; they should just have a cutoff date after which they announce that pricing is being changed and all of product X is being updated to Y.
Something similar to Apple's policy where if they introduce updated products when you have an order pending, they'll update your order to the equivalent product from the updated line; and if they dropped the price, they'll add extra stuff to match the price of your order.
It is possible, but probably more difficult than you'd want. Another solution would be to simply swap out the CPU for a slower one. That should be easy to find, probably a lot of the owners of the slower machines would swap willingly. Scratch that, EAGERLY!
Check out my foes list to see who is so retarded that they can't use the signature line!!!
I've seen countless postings on here which go something like "you have no right to complain because you got what was advertised."
Well I don't want what's advertised. I want the higher spec systems that Apple is shipping in the same box. I don't need lectures from people about truth in advertising or Apple's legal rights.
It's normal. If your company gives a random half of the employees plasma HDTVs as Christmas bonuses and you don't get one, you'll be pissed off, won't you? You're not going to skip to your car that evening with a satisfied smile, happy in the knowledge that they met their contractual, legal obligations to you.
I paid the going retail price for a Windows screen reader and got a free Unix computer!
What's wrong the jEdit?
Even worse, they may try to get their purchased unit replaced with whatever excuse in the hope of getting a faster unit.
To add CPU speed numbers and list technical stats would just confuse the apple user.
...now you're "playing" with power.
I mean come on, "Apple", "Tiger"...these are all simple names you'd give to a pre-schooler's computer. The Mac-in-trash has evolved into the ultimate "FisherPrice" machine....
Who cares about the ozone layer?...thanks to CFC's I can write my name......IN CHEESE!!!
They don't sell old models.
Huh?
What the fuck are you talking about?
Stupid fucking jackass.
Yellow Dog
Red Hat
Don't want to confuse those incredibly intelligent Linux people with difficult to remember or hard to comprehend names.
Even with some of the cheaper computers out today, I doubt many would consider them consumable (yet).
:)
I've been deliberately vague in my earlier message, I work for a company that prints product labels. The maze of laws that regulate the labelling of products in the US (and many other places) is crazy. There are more exceptions than rules, as you found out.
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
It's never enough to run linux .. there is so much "religion" when it comes to which distribution you are running ..
KJV, Matt.20
"1": For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
"2": And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
"3": And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
"4": And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
"5": Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
"6": And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
"7": They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
"8": So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
"9": And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
"10": But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
"11": And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
"12": Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
"13": But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
"14": Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
"15": Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
"16": So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen
Really, it applies. Think about it.
You're not just getting what's advertised. You're getting what you agreed to pay for. You walk into an Apple store and exchange $499 for a 1.25GHz Mac mini. You must think this is a good exchange for you, else why would you do it?
... wait, you're not in their employ.
You aren't an employee, so that analogy makes no sense. If a company arbitrarily gave out $2000 worth of goodies to a randomly-selected half of its employees, the other half might quit. If you want to quit working for Apple, you're
Even if you were, the difference between a 1.42 GHz mini and a 1.50 Ghz mini is not the same as the difference between a plasma HDTV and nothing. Users are reporting that they can't tell the difference in normal use. If you can't tell the difference between a plasma HDTV and an empty wall, why would you complain?
The correct counterpoint to this situation is if the other party in the deal (i.e., you) were to give more than asked for. Let's say you went to your favorite restaurant, and decided to tip a generous 20%. Then you go to the Apple Store, and pay $499 for a Mac mini. Should Apple be upset that you gave more than required at one business, but not theirs?
Well, it is written in Java, for one thing. As a general rule, I despise the Java AWT. The only Java application that I will use is Azureus (BitTorrent). And that is only because it has a GTK front end. It is still on the sluggish side as far as respnsiveness goes. Also, jEdit is 10x more complex that I need it to be.
Don't get wrong, I'm not using a Mac just for TextMate. It is just what they had available where I started working 2 months ago. I am trying to make the best of it. I still run Linux at home.
-matthew
"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
Thanks, I did phone support for the Macintosh for about 4 years. I'm intimately familiar with all the versions of the Apple menu (and whether it said "About this Mac" or "About this Computer") since OS 6. And yes, in newer versions of OS X (10.3 and 10.4) there is a "more info" button to go from that window straight to the Profiler.
Anyhow, I didn't mean to imply that the lack of the cube effect at high resolutions was the only way to tell if you had 64 MB of vram. You're absolutely right that you could more easily start the profiler open Hardware->Graphics/Displays and just read it.
Read Heinlein's 1953 Revolt in 2100, now more than ever.
The streets will flow with the blood of the non-believers!!!! lol.
Who cares about the ozone layer?...thanks to CFC's I can write my name......IN CHEESE!!!
yep, first the blood of the non-linux crowd, then the blood of the suse users, then debian, redhat, freebsd ..
God forbid that the Mac users are forgotten!
What gets me is, aside from the extra VRAM my 1.5 Ghz PowerBook effectively the same speed as my previous 500 Mhz version for everything I do on it. Both have 1 Ghz RAM, and I don't use that much on it, the bottle neck seems to be the CPU / and the appallingly slow 167 Mhz FSB.
I'd really hope they come out with seriously revamped PowerBooks in January (though I am not hopeful it will be that soon, and that we will have to wait for Intel versions later, around later next year or early 07 for them).
While OS X is very stable, the multitasking is superb compared to Classic or Windows, and I really like that it's got a GNU tool chain out of the box and that I can run Apache / PHP and SQL DB on it really easily, I've never regained the huge effective performance hit (~ 50%) I've taken in a lot of applications since switching from Classic (especially the Finder).
We had problems with known-good Firewire drives - it turned out to be a bug related to the iSight camera also being plugged in. Was fixed in a later release. Don't just live with it, this is entirely fixable.
I just find it amusing that whenever someone makes an Anti-MS, or Anti-Linux post, it's always moderated as "Insightful" or "Informitive"...or g-d forbid "Funny"... ...make one crack about a Mac or their user and you're a troll.
I guess the Slashdot mods are really closet Mac-in-trash users. lol.
Who cares about the ozone layer?...thanks to CFC's I can write my name......IN CHEESE!!!
I hate when hookers do that. I mean, I paid them for a hand job and then all of a sudden they're sucking my dick balls and all. Man I hate that!
Go ahead mod my karma bad, just remember what karma is fuckers!!!!!!!!!
There is one problem with this, although it is a minor thing. But think about it. Everyone in your office gets a Mac Mini. Joe and Bob get the faster one, you get the slower one. Joe and Bob gets their work done a minute faster then you because you are waiting for your system to finish rendering a picture for a presentation. Joe and Bob gets to the meeting on time and you are a minute late. Joe and Bob get promoted while you are stuck in you same job. Why oh Why didn't Apple just release the same computer for everyone!!!
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.