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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.'"
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.
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".
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.
Yep - there's no secrets, it's all on display in the profiler :-) I knew about the possible upgrade before I bought it - saw it on MacSlash I think, so I went looking for it.
ATB,
Simon
Physicists get Hadrons!
I found Desktop Manager to be flaky and unpredictable. At least on Tiger. Applications would mysteriously close, windows would open up on the wrong desktop... and things like that. Overall, it doesn't really work quite like I am used to on Linux boxes. I wish it was better integrated.
;-)
I started using a Mac on a regular basis about 2 months ago, and I am still finding it awkward to manage windows compared to the various Linux desktops I've used for nearly a decade. Yeah, I've tried Expose` too. Doesn't quite do it for me. Oh well, at least I have TextMate. If only I could port it to Linux...
-matthew
"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
Well, yes and no. There is still the occasional "what's it doing ?" pause when you start up something new (eg: System Prefs component). Spotlight is only marginally faster (pure "feel" rating there), but there are things that are noticeable as above. It's not a new computer, it's just marginally better.
:-)
This still isn't a bad thing
Simon
Physicists get Hadrons!
10.3 is *much* more stable, and a fair bit faster on a Mini too.
OTOH I never got into the Mac either... I use mine as a compile box but couldn't use it as my main machine, since Finder has a habit of falling over if the wind changes (it doesn't like my firewire hard drive... after about 10 minutes non use the driver locks up... the same drive works fine on Linux and Windows so it's definately an OSX bug. I once plugged the drive via USB... OSX threw a complete wobbly and died.. I guess nobody uses USB on the Mac).
There are UI things I don't like - for example options missing from the context menu that are only on the main menu.. so you have to go hunting around for them instead of just getting on with what you want to do. Finder seems to have a problem shutting apps down too.. you can close them and they'll keep running. Not sure if that's a bug or if someone designed it that way (??).
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.
Don't you see why people are annoyed that some are getting free upgrades and some aren't? If I got a "non-upgraded" version I'd sure be tempted to return it. Only a fool wouldn't look out for his/her own interest.
Apple certainly is within its rights to do this. In fact other companies have been doing this sort of things since before computer were even invented. So really this is a non-story and not a big deal. But you can't honestly be surprised at the reaction that some people are having.
If you wanna get rich, you know that payback is a bitch
And you realise that by design, most Mac apps dont close if you close their windows, you have to click on [App Name] (next to the apple) and go to 'Quit [App Name]'?
I have found that the Finder can be a bit flaky when dealing with SMB/CIFS shares though, seems like a feature that was added in a hurry, like the fact that selecting to save the password in keychain works (you can see it in the keychain viewer), but the password is not retrieved next time.