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iPod Mini Supply Increasing

mini availability

I seen this increase in mini's in CompUSA and my local Apple store in the most recent two weeks. In Apple's most recent conference call they stated that supply would increase greater than orignial projections from the prior quarterly conference call. That is what we are seeing. Some of this is Hitachi ramping new production. The million dollar question is did Apple find another source of supply such as smaller Tosibha hard drive or Seagate hard drive. Start taking those recent delivered mini's apart. I just bet you they also have either Toshiba or Seagate drives in the mini in addition to Hitiachi
 
mini availability

I just bet you that Apple has another supplier. They new back in February the shortfall just in the U.S. and keep delaying international. First, Apple would not want just one supplier, that is high risk. Second, you just gotta know with all the talk of new hard drive player competition this year that Steve Jobs clearly understood that Apple had a once in a lifetime opportunity to drive a huge wedge between Apple and the competition if they could ramp supply. Steve Jobs is bright enough to see this and I just know that he pulled out all the guns and said get hard drives from anyone and everyone and now! If you remember last year heading into the Christmas selling season, Apple disclosed that the board had a debate on how many iPODS to order from Tosiba. Steve Jobs said I want a million and the board thought he was nuts. Steve won and they ordered a million. Guess what? They ran out of inventory because 1 million was not enough
 
full size vs mini

One other big factor. I have been closely monitering sales in CompUSA and Best Buy. Here is what I have discovered after about 8 weeks of questioning the sales people in a number of Best Buys and my one CompUSA. Sale through of the new 4G iPOD has been very strong, they been running out of inventory. Why? 5,000 songs instead of 1,000 for $50 more. Also the longer battery life and new click wheel. Those 4G have been flying off the shelves like hotcakes. It has taken some pressure off of the mini's. MacRumors should hire me for my most excellent in store research
 
I've got a bad feeling that this is not actually good news, b/c since when has there been good news on the supply front of anything? I think the change has been in demand, and that's all. People are sick of waiting, it's no longer new and cool, and people don't expect to be able to buy one and actually see it anytime soon.

Sorry to be the cynic.
 
Thank goodness, I am ready for everyone (ie: my friends and family) to be able to enjoy a mini as much as I have enjoyed mine :)
 
still no software update for the mini's so, in terms of functionality, they are identical to the 3g's.
 
ipods and Apple stock price

You just know that Apple is going to blow away unit ipod sales from the last two quarters. Two factors, increased iPOD availabilty for mini's and the new 4G iPODS. I know for a fact that the 4Gs have been hot, hot, hot and flying off the shelves. All the kids wanted them for back to school. The analysts are going to be shocked when they see unit sales. DA! The smart money buying the stock are in a postion to understand how many iPODS have been flying off the shelves this quarter. Every kid that works at Best Buy and CompUSA knows. The stock price knows before the general public. That is why it really pays to do research and check the channels.
 
i kinda figured that last month when stores here had all mini colors in stock, but then at 450usd i doubt theyre flying off shelves.
 
Apple //e said:
i kinda figured that last month when stores here had all mini colors in stock, but then at 450usd i doubt theyre flying off shelves.
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Doubt is a thought a feeling. For empirical based reasoned facts, please go to several of your local Best Buy and CompUSA stores and talk to the sales people. Get me facts son, just the facts. Everyone has an opinion.
 
Wow, I had no idea they were still backed up like that. I haven't tracked them much because I have been too busy playing with my 4th Gen iPod Big.
 
iPOD shipments per CBSmarketwatch.com

Shares of Lexar Media (LEXR: news, chart, profile) rose more than 14 percent after Susquehanna Financial Group raised its rating on the stock to "net positive" from "continued net neutral," citing a belief that demand for its flash memory cards is strengthening. The firm said it thinks Lexar is "well positioned to outgrow the NAND flash market driven by the newly formed relationship with Kodak and a better than expected penetration of NAND flash memory cards in the camera phone market." Susquehanna, which also lifted its financial estimates for Lexar, added that the popular Apple iPod also uses the NAND type of flash memory and that demand is strong, with Apple (AAPL: news, chart, profile) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ: news, chart, profile) planning to ship about 1 million iPods per month starting in October.
 
I called the local Apple store on Sept. 13th and was surprised to hear that they had pink minis in stock and that they expected to have a regular supply. I promptly grabbed one and my wife loved her birthday gift. :)
 
gensor said:
Doubt is a thought a feeling. For empirical based reasoned facts, please go to several of your local Best Buy and CompUSA stores and talk to the sales people. Get me facts son, just the facts. Everyone has an opinion.
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ok dad, there is no best buy or compusa in mexico, even though compusa is owned by a mexican company.

i have other things to do than check sales figures for ipods.

as you said "doubt is an opinion" - or at least thats what i think you meant

and if you want facts, a rumor site is the worst place to hang out in ;-)
 
PDubNYC said:
Does anyone know if Apple has in fact eliminated the earphone jack/static problem. I know it only affected about 1% of users, but that was some bad press.



whatever Doctor Q
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They solved this problem a long time ago, back in April. No need to worry about it anymore.
 
new supplier

Apple did announce an additional supplier to manufacture iPods. As far as I know, they are still only using Hitachi for the drives. Hitachi has supposedly increased their output by three or four times.
 
sethypoo said:
Wow, that's quite a gift. Rolling in the dough, are we? :rolleyes: ;)
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rolling in the dough with an iPod mini? You see fatfish's post? He bought a dual 2.5 and a 30" monitor! The monitor costs more than Apple's most expensive computer. I don't even think they have anything that costs more than that on their store. Seriously, I hope he's into the movie business, or does architecture or something. That's one insane monitor.
 
Porchland said:
I assume Apple must think their supply chain is in good shape if they're allowing these three retailers to move forward. These are probably three of the biggest mass retailers in the country, and that's in addition to all of the HP vendors that will be carrying the HP iPod.
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Yeah, I agree. I think it's gonna be a helluva quarter...
Apple sold 860,000 iPods during the quarter ended June 26, 2004, and that was with major supply problems with the iPod and mini. I haven't heard any forecasts on how many units Apple could sell during the fourth quarter of this year, but I've got to think it will be 2.5 million or more including the HP iPod sales.
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Yep. Just to clarify, since you didn't mention it, Apple's fiscal year starts/ends toward the end of September. So the 860,000 number was for the third quarter (end of March through end of June), and the fourth quarter (which we're speculating about) would be the end of June through the end of September.

FWIW
WM
 
barbaloot said:
What ever happened to the rumors the mini's would get a software update to match the option on the new clickwheel ipod?
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I have asked myself the same question quite a few times since that rumour surfaced. I would be so great if it ever came true but I now fear that it was only rumour. But let's hope Apple's still working on it. On a side note: wouldn't it be possible that Apple plans to release a 2G mini at MWSF featuring those things so that mini software 1.2 was intented to upgrade the current revision?
 
Ja Di ksw said:
rolling in the dough with an iPod mini? You see fatfish's post? He bought a dual 2.5 and a 30" monitor! The monitor costs more than Apple's most expensive computer. I don't even think they have anything that costs more than that on their store.
Click to expand...

The online Apple Store has the JVC GY-DV5000U for $5,995, and the 3.5TB Xserve RAID for $10,999. The 1.75TB and 1TB Xserve RAIDs are $7,499 and $5,999, respectively.

That sort of money would buy a lot of iPod minis.
 
Minis In Store

I work at Best Buy in Baton Rouge, and we just put out a display model of the mini again this week. We had taken it down so people would quit asking for them. We have five or six of them waiting to be sold for the first time in forever, as opposed to last week when they, along with the 4G 20's were on backorder.
 
Shortage

Peter Jones in London has had good stocks of iPod minis for some time now. Even when the Apple Store was quoting 3-4 week lead times I know some shops here had plenty of stock.
If Apple had sense they'd make sure that retailers were well stocked before they're own store. If you place an order via Apple it's more than likely you are prepared to wait for delivery. If you walk in a shop and they are not there then you might just give up. (Well, non-Apple fans might.)
 
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