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Low-End Mac Mini Shipping Date Slips Slightly, Additional Reports of iMac Shortages Surface

Mac Mini Order ... Not happening.

I placed an order for a low-end Mac Mini (with a RAM upgrade) via the Apple Store at a local Apple Authorized Dealer on September 18th. Here we are 8 business days later and apparently it is still 'Processing' ... which is suspicious for all the right reasons.

I was informed that a similar situation occurred with another customers iMac order around the same time ... but Apple flat out cancelled the order knowing (but without saying) the iMac updates are imminent.

Hopefully it's just a matter of time before they cancel my Mac Mini order for the same reason and I get can in on the new one ... whatever the upgrades may be.
 
Since this is actual concrete evidence, and very crucial evidence at that, it looks like the desktop refresh is ready to roll out. Can't wait!
 
lm57400 said:
I'm sure people still like the iMac and there's no need to reinvent it. Apple has just to upgrade functions and design, maybe to do a price reduction - and voila there is the new iMac.
Click to expand...

Yeah, not so sure. This is the first year in recent history that Apple's desktop shipments will be lower than the previous year's shipments.

Even though it's widely accepted that more PC buyers are choosing portables over desktops, Apple has did a fantastic job at growing their market share every year to counteract that phenomenon. Every year except this one.

These are their desktop shipment numbers for the last few years (items marked red show a decrease in shipments from previous year's same quarter):

Q1 2006 667
Q2 2006 614
Q3 2006 529
Q4 2006 624
2434 (Desktop Macs shipped)


Q1 2007 637
Q2 2007 626
Q3 2007 634
Q4 2007 817
2714 (Desktop Macs shipped)

Q1 2008 977
Q2 2008 856
Q3 2008 943
Q4 2008 936
3712 (Desktop Macs shipped)

Q1 2009 728
Q2 2009 818
Q3 2009 849
Q4 2009 ???
2395 (Desktop Macs shipped so far, would need 1317 shipments to match previous year)

You can try to spin it how you want, but desktop Mac sales have not been good this year. Which as stated before, that primarily means the iMac has not been selling well this year.

The question is why? How are they going to fix it? And why aren't analysts doing their jobs and questioning them about it?
 
jaw04005 said:
The question is why? How are they going to fix it? And why aren't analysts doing their jobs and questioning them about it?
Click to expand...

You can't eat a computer, the problem must fix itself, and the analysts are all unemployed.
 
I have mixed feelings about Wall Street wanting to pound Apple about not being feature competitive with other computer manufacturers.

Reason being that as long as Apple can move machines at the prices they do, the profit margins are fantastic.

I think that the most likely thing Apple will do is try to make the value proposition better for consumers and they will do this in a few ways.

1. Lower prices on the entire iMac and Mac Mini line.
2. Spec bump at the top end will likely consist of even faster C2D.
3. Chassis redesign and associated advertising blitz.
4. Addition of a few novel new features that will get them some buzz.

I am going progressively pessimistic that there will be anything to get much excited about in the way of Quad Core chips, Blu-Ray drives and the like.

The reason is that Apple loves profit margins more than they love adding major performance enhancements, especially in their all in one line.

Besides, if they do a chassis redesign, that alone will stimulate some sales. The typical Mac buyer is not terribly concerned with performance numbers, number of CPU cores, etc.

This buys Apple time to get better availability and pricing on Xeon or mobile i7 chips for a refresh in 2010.

It sucks for as addicts but unfortunately it's likely to be reality.

I don't expect we are going to see a quad core MBP, iMac or Mac Mini product, or a Mac equipped product with Blu-Ray until 2010.
 
I don't expect we are going to see a quad core MBP, iMac or Mac Mini product, or a Mac equipped product with Blu-Ray until 2010.
Click to expand...

i really hope you're wrong, although i doubt it. the reason is that while the imac is in dire need of a huge performance boost, this is just not the ideal time for it -- that will be ~Q1 2010. if mac continues to use mobile processors, we're only on the cusp of nehalem architecture being available in mass-market quantity. we're not there yet. if they would use desktop processors watch out, but no one here seems to think they can/will do that.

in which case, as you say, this is probably just a redesign more than a spec upgrade, simply to buy a little time them. probably an LED display, cheaper pricing, & some aesthetic/useful stuff i'm not getting paid to think of.

oh well, i can wait. i'd just rather not. also if the redesign isn't that impressive maybe i can get a really cheap last-gen imac.
 
jmpage2 said:
I have mixed feelings about Wall Street wanting to pound Apple about not being feature competitive with other computer manufacturers.

Reason being that as long as Apple can move machines at the prices they do, the profit margins are fantastic.

I think that the most likely thing Apple will do is try to make the value proposition better for consumers and they will do this in a few ways.

1. Lower prices on the entire iMac and Mac Mini line.
2. Spec bump at the top end will likely consist of even faster C2D.
3. Chassis redesign and associated advertising blitz.
4. Addition of a few novel new features that will get them some buzz.

I am going progressively pessimistic that there will be anything to get much excited about in the way of Quad Core chips, Blu-Ray drives and the like.

The reason is that Apple loves profit margins more than they love adding major performance enhancements, especially in their all in one line.

Besides, if they do a chassis redesign, that alone will stimulate some sales. The typical Mac buyer is not terribly concerned with performance numbers, number of CPU cores, etc.

This buys Apple time to get better availability and pricing on Xeon or mobile i7 chips for a refresh in 2010.

It sucks for as addicts but unfortunately it's likely to be reality.

I don't expect we are going to see a quad core MBP, iMac or Mac Mini product, or a Mac equipped product with Blu-Ray until 2010.
Click to expand...

If Apple was just going to stick to C2D then they could have done it a couple of months ago no need to wait till now. Especially seeing the US dollar was artifically high at the last refresh and that knocked a lot of the wind out of the machines international value.
 
yanquis said:
i really hope you're wrong, although i doubt it. the reason is that while the imac is in dire need of a huge performance boost, this is just not the ideal time for it -- that will be ~Q1 2010. if mac continues to use mobile processors, we're only on the cusp of nehalem architecture being available in mass-market quantity. we're not there yet. if they would use desktop processors watch out, but no one here seems to think they can/will do that.

in which case, as you say, this is probably just a redesign more than a spec upgrade, simply to buy a little time them. probably an LED display, cheaper pricing, & some aesthetic/useful stuff i'm not getting paid to think of.

oh well, i can wait. i'd just rather not. also if the redesign isn't that impressive maybe i can get a really cheap last-gen imac.
Click to expand...

I would have thought the ideal time to introduce new Macs would be now, in time for the Xmas shopping period, etc...? Obviously if the processors aren't ready then that just means Apple will get something ready for us for Christmas, then upgrade it early/mid next year when the mobile processors are available in the quantities and at the price they expect/need. Apple are experts when it comes to drip feeding it's customers!

Additionally, Apple pulled out of probably THE biggest Mac event taking place in Q1 so they have no pressure to introduce something new in that time frame.
 
Dont Hurt Me said:
They wont, never have.....I think if they look like the new displays they will have a hit. Heck I might even get one though my current imac is just fine. Long live the all in one!
Click to expand...

What he migh have meant is please no more low powered minis. Give us 3.0, hdmi, maybe a quad core and dedicated gpu instead of 5 year old parts. Which, well, quite frankly, do suck.

Peace.
 
No stock shortages in Australia.

Really hope that new iMac's are coming, but it's now been two weeks of continuous rumours and ... nothing :(
 
muskratboy said:
i'm guessing mr. jerk jobs will never, ever give us a decent desktop that isn't that ridiculous top-end behemoth.
Click to expand...

Why are you such an angry person?

If Apple doesn't make products that you want, then try Dell, HP or build a PC yourself.
 
Several of our tipsters work for Apple Authorized re-sellers who are running very low on desktop supplies, even an Apple Store tip says they have 4 iMacs in stock. When I worked at the Apple Store, there were always 40+ iMacs in stock. Having 4 in a store is just unheard of -- unless there's something in the works.
Click to expand...

Hahaha, rumors.


Look at all these rumors
running me everyday
I just need some time
some time to get away
from
From all these rumors
I cant take it no more
My best friend say
did you hear the one about me and
Club Nouveau ?
 
jmpage2 said:
I don't expect we are going to see a quad core MBP, iMac or Mac Mini product, or a Mac equipped product with Blu-Ray until 2010.
Click to expand...

I read a lot of ''not even until 2010''. Wel, 2010 is only a few months away from now, I can wait that long. In fact, I will anyway because of bank interest reasons :p .

Better wait longer for something better right? Waiting till 2010 ain't that bad, as long as we get awesome machines.
 
i would guess imac will go quad nehalem when the mac pro's get upgraded ~middle of next year. although frankly the quad mac pro cant POSSIBLY be a good seller for them. its an awful buy, anyone willing to pay that much for a quad can probably get an octal which is a much better deal.
 
new bigger imac maybe?

Does anyone think that there is a chance of maybe a new 26" or even 30" imac coming? What a prospect!!!!!:)
 
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