Apple's Online Store Down for Scheduled 'Maintenance' Break, Possibly Ahead of Product Updates

[navaira]

I had a call from the store that sold me the 2016 Macbook and they said they don't have it in stock anymore and they have no idea when they will have it. So I expect that to be updated in an hour. (Or to be really pissed off.)
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Seriously, when does a company of this size take down a web presence for 5.5 hours for "maintenance," even to release a new product?

They are moving the entire store from Mac Pros to iPad Pros.

 

[jshammah]

Mac Mini with Ryzen

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

Im going to be so disappointed if this turns out to be nothing

I'm going to be so disappointed that it took them 5 1/2 hours to "maintain" the website.

 

[ctrlzone]

I hope it's not Macs, just to spite all the incessant whingers on here.

why? everything else is top products

 

[Dave245]

Red coloured iPhone anyone? https://9to5mac.com/2017/03/21/red-iphone-7-chinese/

 

[stanman64]

Everyone is getting really hyped for this. I can almost 100% guarantee that it might just actually be site maintainance and nothing new is coming. Any new iOS devices always get keynotes, only Mac refreshes don't. Considering the Mac Pro is aging poorly, I'm assuming any updates to it will be held until WWDC, or never. The MBP just got upgraded. Most likely new CPUs in either MacBook, iMac, or Mac minis. Maybe higher capacities on some iOS devices, larger (cheaper) SSDs in the Macs, and SSDs standard across the board (or at least Fusion Drives).

That is, again, if this not what I think it is (just standard maintainance) and everyone is reading too far into it.

Quickest way to be discredited and have people stop reading your post... say "I can almost 100% guarantee"

Second quickest way to be discredited and have people stop reading your post... say "100% guarantee" and "might" in the same sentence

 

[Steve121178]

I'm going to be so disappointed that it took them 5 1/2 hours to "maintain" the website.

It's to co-ordinate the press releases, not just the web backend. It's all geared around US time zones which is why it's been dead for the rest of the world during our daytime.

 

[ph001bi]

Apple's online store has been taken offline for a scheduled "maintenance" break between midnight and 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time. The extended downtime is fueling hopes that fresh hardware will be available when the store is brought back online, as has been the case many times in the past.

Apple traditionally invites the media to Special Events to unveil new products, but it does not have one planned for today. Accordingly, any additions or changes to Apple's online store today are likely to be minor, and a press release would be an appropriate medium for sharing the announcements.

Lending credence to this theory is that 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time happens to be exactly when Apple typically distributes press releases.

Rumors suggest Apple is planning updated 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, a 128GB iPhone SE, a red color option for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and new Apple Watch bands, all of which could be minor enough to simply be added to Apple's online store and announced with press releases.

Less likely to be announced today is a rumored 10.5-inch iPad Pro sporting slimmer bezels that allow for an edge-to-edge display, which seems too significant to be unveiled without an Apple event. If so, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro could be introduced at an upcoming Spring event, WWDC 2017, or possibly even later.

One rumor said Apple would host an event in March, but that appears increasingly unlikely at this point. Apple has yet to invite the media to said event, and there are only ten days remaining in the month. A subsequent report said Apple will host an event in April, coinciding with the opening of its new Apple Park campus.

Apple's online store has gone down roughly six hours before many of its recent Special Events, while today's maintenance break is scheduled to last five and a half hours. Apple said its online store will be "updated" during this time, suggesting that at least something new might be coming today.

So-called "maintenance" really could just be maintenance, but the classic "We've got something special in store for you" placeholder notice on the site suggests something more. We'll know for sure in just a matter of hours, so keep checking back.

Article Link: Apple's Online Store Down for Scheduled 'Maintenance' Break, Possibly Ahead of Product Updates

Finally some new Apple Watch bands...
Says absolutely nobody

 

[Farmerp2005]

Never seen the point in taking the entire site down, just to change a couple of items from the entire range. Just imagine the loss of income that being down for 5 hours does for the bottom line.

 

[Jsameds]

why? everything else is top products

Because I've had to listen to you whining and moaning in off-topic threads for what seems like an ice age now.

We get it, you want Macs. No need to bang on about it.

 

[ctrlzone]

Mac Mini with Ryzen

and where do you put the gpu ?

 

[policy]

I predict:
new watch bands
iPhone SE spec bump
new headphones
new, lower prices

 

[KarimLeVallois]

Finally some new Apple Watch bands...
Says absolutely nobody

I just want availability on the watch I want....

 

[MrGimper]

Migrating the site to Microsoft Azure, that's all.....

 

[ctrlzone]

Because I've had to listen to you whining and moaning in off-topic threads for what seems like an ice age now.

We get it, you want Macs. No need to bang on about it.

ok

 

[The Doctor11]

Seriously, when does a company of this size take down a web presence for 5.5 hours for "maintenance," even to release a new product?

Are they:

• Making a new web server farm out of the old computers? Really?
• Moving the computers to the attic from the basement?
• Coding it as we speak?
• The web developers getting trained on how the new products work, and need to understand it before putting the new web page up?

Something about this doesn't seem like... maintenance.

"Coding as we speak"

I think a lot of it is so that they can build hype before product launches.

 

[tparidae]

and where do you put the gpu ?

Apple did have early access on Intel CPU's in the beginning. I assume AMD could do this too for their APUs.

 

[Boatboy24]

New Mac Mini refurbs being added.

 

[mattopotamus]

Hoping for 128 GB iPhone SE / :- the best looking iPhone ever

would love for it to be updated. I know it is already a beast right now, but I wouldn't complain if they gave it the specs on the 7

 

[kemal]

New iMacs and Mac minis. Exact same specs as current models except all ports and SD card slot replaced by two USB C ports. Also smaller NVRAM backup battery.

 

[brnmilk]

I hope that is some processor/ram/ssd upgrade on mac mini. Its such a nice mac but its frozen in 2014. come on Apple! SSDs are so cheap nowadays, why you still want to use HDD 5400 RPMs? It makes all the diference

 

[navaira]

Do you think they found even slower drives to replace the 5400rpm in iMacs?

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

It's to co-ordinate the press releases, not just the web backend. It's all geared around US time zones which is why it's been dead for the rest of the world during our daytime.

I guess my point is that maybe taking it down for 30 minutes or an hour, but why 5.5 hours? I guess it could be that Apple wanted to be sure that no one in the US ordered anything today (US Time) until the new stuff came out. That's the only sense I can make of it, with your added information.

 

[ctrlzone]

Apple did have early access on Intel CPU's in the beginning. I assume AMD could do this too for their APUs.

indeed that could be

 

[BornAgainMac]

Might just be regular maintenance. Someone probably was lazy and used the same message used years ago for the Mac Pro when the store was down for that product.