Apple lowered the prices of Mac Mini upgrades! and now 8x Superdrive!

[pashazade]

Yes, they're adjusted, I just gotta out of that care home and I've checked in again...1Gb RAM upgrade was £325..then £290 last night..now it's £561? and as you noted Airport & BT goes up from £84 to £152.88

Way to go Apple UK, must be a huge shortage on these products, they're trying to kill the demand.

I noticed that too, so 1GB RAM is now $1,049.37, a bit pricey I think

This means a fully upgraded mini iMac (Airport/BT/1GB Ram/SDrive/80GbHD + BT KBoard Mouse) is now £1,223.42 ($2,286.47).

What a bargain.

 

[24C]

I noticed that too, so 1GB RAM is now $1,049.37, a bit pricey I think

This means a fully upgraded mini iMac (Airport/BT/1GB Ram/SDrive/80GbHD + BT KBoard Mouse) is now £1,223.42 ($2,286.47).

What a bargain.

Funny thing is look at the 1.42 Mac Mini, and it's £220 for the 1 Gb RAM, and £69.99 for the BT & Extreme module. As said before, must be trying to restrict demand.... on the 1.25 Mac mini!

 

[Sargiel]

Surely some mistake ...

RE: UK prices

There has to be some mistake ... If they are able to drop US prices on these same components why these more than significant price increases ?! I thought this was some kind of joke until I checked on the uk Apple Store myself. Eek

This just makes getting a 2nd hand G4 powermac look that much more appealing ..

Sargiel

 

[bigandy]

just checked the apple edu store uk... and £527.83 for 1gb ram? pardon? that's well over $1,000!

the bluetooth/airport combo is up to £143.70 too - that's $300!

the other stuff is cheaper though, almost matcing the US rates. the wierdest thing about this is that it's only listing those two prices on the 1.25ghz model. the 1.42ghz does the 1gb ram for £206.80 (reasonable here for apple installed ram - but still $410), and the bt/ap combo for £65.80. more like it!

i think they may need informed of that one....

 

[crap freakboy]

NOT HAPPY

 

[dazj]

UK prices have been dropped now:

1GB Ram: £220
Superdrive: £70
APE & BT: £69.99

Puts my specced 1.42GHz mini under £600

Of course I've not bought it yet...

Oh, and looked at the US Store where the mention of an 8x Superdrive has been put back to 4x, so looks as though 8x burning is off the cards...

Unless they are firmware locked...

 

[aswitcher]

This disparity of pricing world wide is getting very weird. I hope it settles down a bit more fairly in respect of the exchange rate soon...

 

[24C]

This disparity of pricing world wide is getting very weird. I hope it settles down a bit more fairly in respect of the exchange rate soon...

The disparity is still there, in the UK BTO order options are running around £1=US$1.67, but it's just there are a few localised glitches (input errors/conversion scripts) on certain options that are not consistent, say 1GB RAM on a 1.25 Mac mini is still £561, yet for the 1.42 model it's £220...so don't fret, somebody will put it right soon.

PS & OT The 1 G iPod shuffle has arrived, it sounds great with the Sony Fontopia's, but the slider/switch on the back was fiddly to use.

 

[pmd]

Although the Apple store prices haven't changed (yet), I ordered a mini Mac on the night they came out, and have been tracking the order status page ever since. Hey, when it says 'on or before 28/1/05', I can hope for earlier!

I've been doing exactly the same

Given that it seems everyone outside the US who ordered the first day has been given the 28/1/05 date, I was hoping that the date is some kind of catch all and that it might end up shipping early in some cases.

2 days to go... then I get to experience the joyous puzzle that is Apple Europe's parcel tracking system.

 

[24C]

I've been doing exactly the same

Given that it seems everyone outside the US who ordered the first day has been given the 28/1/05 date, I was hoping that the date is some kind of catch all and that it might end up shipping early in some cases.

2 days to go... then I get to experience the joyous puzzle that is Apple Europe's parcel tracking system.

FTR, my 1G iPod was set to be delivered 'on or before 25/01', but TNT couldn't deliver it, driver couldn't find address...but it came today, so 25/01 was accurate enough. I noticed tracking info on 22/01, saying it had flown into NL from China?, guess you should be seeing something soon. HTH

 

[robbieduncan]

I've been doing exactly the same

Given that it seems everyone outside the US who ordered the first day has been given the 28/1/05 date, I was hoping that the date is some kind of catch all and that it might end up shipping early in some cases.

2 days to go... then I get to experience the joyous puzzle that is Apple Europe's parcel tracking system.

Not quite! I delayed a bit before ordering and got a on or before 11 Feb date!

 

[ASP272]

When the Mini first went up in the store I maxed out the 80gb version and it came to something like $1399. Now when I max out the 80gb version it only comes to $1,222. But I couldn't get it to say 8x superdrive when I set it up, it still says 4x for me. Weird.

 

[Chomolungma]

UK pricing

I heard this on a radio station but don't remember. Are all the UK pricing that people have mentioned here have tax included? The sale tax rate is quite high from what I can remember in some region, as much as 17%. If this is so, the RAM, BT etc price mentioned in this thread, IMHO is reasonable.

I few weeks a go I was in a Mac mini (rumor then) thread and I bitch about how you need loads of RAM to run this machine. I got to try the Mac mini over the weekend and the configuration was 1.42GHz, 512 MB etc. This thing scream. Opening up Safari was fast, Word too. The OS seems responsive. I would definitely buy this machine. The Mac mini plus a 20" Cinema display for $1800 sounds like a steal to me!

 

[robbieduncan]

I heard this on a radio station but don't remember. Are all the UK pricing that people have mentioned here have tax included? The sale tax rate is quite high from what I can remember in some region, as much as 17%. If this is so, the RAM, BT etc price mentioned in this thread, IMHO is reasonable.

Yes, all prices in the UK include VAT (Sales Tax) of 17.5%. The prices for upgrades for the 1.42Ghz machine have gone down. For some reason the upgrades for the 1.25Ghz machine have gone up by the same amount as the others went down (i.e ~£150 for bluetooth+Airport = ~$270). I'm sure that will be sorted out soon.

 

[anthonymoody]

FWIW I just called Apple to see about price protection. I'd ordered mine on the day of the keynote and received it on the 21st. The CSR hadn't heard about the price changes but went in and configured a system identical to the one I bought to see what the difference was. She credited me the difference no problem and gave me a confirmation number. She also said that if you don't call you won't get the refund.

TM

PS - thanks to this site for making me aware of the price drops!

 

[allansan]

UK RAM price goes mad....

Just checked the AppleStore price in the UK and the price for a 1GB RAM stick has gone from £249.00 + VAT (@17.5%) this has now gone all the way up to £561.53.....again that would be + VAT (@17.5%)
That brings a basic Mac mini from £339.00 inc VAT to, wait for it.....£900.53.
WTF are Apple playing at? Maybe they are thinking that if they give us something to really complain about, we'll stop complaining!?!

...It gets better, just thought I'd look at the wireless BTo options prices....get this, you can have bluetooth @£35.00+VAT or airport @£49.00+VAT, or you can have both @£152.88+VAT...how does that work????
I've included screen grabs to prove this...but go try it yourself...unreal!

 

[takao]

any eurpean members around which "order status" already shows a reduced price ? my bto order still shows the old price ('open',on or before 17/2) ...

any apple-store expericened buyers around who know how long it will take to change that (in european stores) ?

in some other forums people called and the apple employees had no idea about the price drop and couldn't garantee anything about refunding ...

looks like the price update came absolutly 'out of the blue' for the stores outside of the US ...

i transfered money via 'wire transfer' so how would i get the money back ?

 

[robbieduncan]

Just checked the AppleStore price in the UK and the price for a 1GB RAM stick has gone from £249.00 + VAT (@17.5%) this has now gone all the way up to £561.53.....again that would be + VAT (@17.5%)
That brings a basic Mac mini from £339.00 inc VAT to, wait for it.....£900.53.
WTF are Apple playing at? Maybe they are thinking that if they give us something to really complain about, we'll stop complaining!?!

...It gets better, just thought I'd look at the wireless BTo options prices....get this, you can have bluetooth @£35.00+VAT or airport @£49.00+VAT, or you can have both @£152.88+VAT...how does that work????
I've included screen grabs to prove this...but go try it yourself...unreal!

It's a mistake. They seem to have added the price drop instead of subtracting it for the 1.25Ghz machines (but not for the 1.42, try it...)

 

[Peyote]

Apple BTO options for the Mac mini now list the Superdrive upgrade as 4X, not 8X.


Bummer.

 

[Sargiel]

"Value added tax" in the UK is 17.5 %

The BTO price for 512mb isn't noticeably bad when looking at the Apple Store. It's just the 1GB prices that are the kick in the teeth. Admittedly it has now been dropped from £290 to £220 on the 1.42 model - but that is still pricey.

Looking at Crucial.com/uk they price a stick of 1GB 2700 2.5v unbuffereed, non ECC at £142.16 including VAT and with free delivery. Whichever way you look at it (and I'm trying to ignore the completely insane price for 1GB on the 1.25 model) the apple markup seems excessive.

I'm still looking to get one but suffice to say I won't be considering taking the 1GB BTO option

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Apple BTO options for the Mac mini now list the Superdrive upgrade as 4X, not 8X.


Bummer.

Well that was fun while it lasted. Though it will be interesting to see what people get in the next three or four weeks though. I wonder if this is to save face till the return period is up on the first buying spree?

 

[DPazdanISU]

im hoping i get an 8x superdrive, and a 5400rpm 80 gig HD put in my mini just cuz they ran out of the old stuff-im guessing thats why some people say they have the 5400

 

[petemc]

I just got an email from Apple UK saying I'll be getting a discount

 

[takao]

I just got an email from Apple UK saying I'll be getting a discount

i just got the email as well

i checked my order status on the apple store homepage and discovered that they simply subtracted the difference somewhere

but looking at the email i will have to call them for the bank information...at least i can sleep better now ...

side note: i found it interesting that i got the mail after 6 pm ...looks like they have to do some additional hours to get all the work done ..

 

[ScubaDuc]

"Value added tax" in the UK is 17.5 %

The BTO price for 512mb isn't noticeably bad when looking at the Apple Store. It's just the 1GB prices that are the kick in the teeth. Admittedly it has now been dropped from £290 to £220 on the 1.42 model - but that is still pricey.

Looking at Crucial.com/uk they price a stick of 1GB 2700 2.5v unbuffereed, non ECC at £142.16 including VAT and with free delivery. Whichever way you look at it (and I'm trying to ignore the completely insane price for 1GB on the 1.25 model) the apple markup seems excessive.

I'm still looking to get one but suffice to say I won't be considering taking the 1GB BTO option

It is similar in the rest of Europe. What people have NOT pointed out, is that if you order the RAM as a BTO option you get whatever Apple warranty comes with the product or with Apple care. When ordering from Crucial, you get a lifetime warranty included in the price.

Guess which is a better option?