New Placeholder SKUs Appearing in Best Buy Inventory Database?

[MacRumors]

With another Tuesday right around the corner, the MacBook Pro update rumor mill is grinding away again, and this time it's a claim from our forums that Best Buy's internal inventory system has been updated with three new Apple products in the "Mobile Computing" category. Speculation on the identity of the new products ranges from updated MacBook Pro models to forthcoming Wi-Fi-only iPad models due for release late next month.

Apple's MacBook Pro line has been a popular source of rumors in recent weeks since Intel unveiled new mobile processors early last month and an unreleased Core i7-based MacBook Pro appeared in Geekbench's database earlier this month. Apple's MacBook Pro line is also due for a refresh based on our Buyer's Guide information on historical update intervals.

Excitement reached a peak last week when whispers we had heard about a MacBook Pro update possibly coming last Tuesday were followed by a report showing Apple's current MacBook Pro models to be "deleted" from Best Buy's database, later revealed to be a mistaken interpretation of the information. Observers were optimistic when Apple's online store went down for updates last Tuesday morning, but many were disappointed when Aperture 3 was the only new addition made during the downtime.

We have been told in the past that Best Buy rarely has specific advance notice of forthcoming Apple releases, making its inventory system an unreliable source of information as the company frequently uses its own speculation in adding placeholders for expected new products as it prepares to accommodate them. One notable case last year resulted, however, in an unidentified "Mobile Computing" product appearing in Best Buy's database carrying a model number that turned out to be an updated MacBook that was announced two days later.

Article Link: New Placeholder SKUs Appearing in Best Buy Inventory Database?

 

[niuniu]

In before 9to5 claim they broke this one

 

[flopticalcube]

3 new placeholders. 6 iPad models. 4 MacBook Pro models. Could we see the low-end 15" dropped?

 

[Peace]

3 new placeholders. 6 iPad models. 4 MacBook Pro models. Could we see the low-end 15" dropped?

16,32 and 64GB model iPads and perhaps BB won't sell the 3G version since it requires activation of sorts.

 

[flopticalcube]

16,32 and 64GB model iPads and perhaps BB won't sell the 3G version since it requires activation of sorts.

Possible. My local BB sells iPhones, however, but maybe they are under a different category.

 

[morkintosh]

3 new placeholders. 6 iPad models. 4 MacBook Pro models. Could we see the low-end 15" dropped?

Unlikely. Three WiFi iPad models methinks. Good news being that maybe we can order them this week.

 

[Ice2257]

I hope its an updated 15inch MBP

 

[appleguy123]

How do you guys know that some of these are iPads?

 

[morkintosh]

How do you guys know that some of these are iPads?

ESP man - it is totally sweet. Also, I'd make any big buying decisions before December 21, 2012 - just a heads up

 

[50548]

Hell Apple, just ANNOUNCE them already! Even if it takes longer to ship..! COME ON!

 

[J the Ninja]

3 new placeholders. 6 iPad models. 4 MacBook Pro models. Could we see the low-end 15" dropped?

I wouldn't be too surprised. Arrandale means a big internal overhaul, so they might just go with one base model for each screen size, and let the user BTO extra options.

 

[Ambrose Chapel]

i feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog day...

 

[rdowns]

Hell Apple, just ANNOUNCE them already! Even if it takes longer to ship..! COME ON!

Wow, was that criticism of Apple in a post from you?

I wouldn't be too surprised. Arrandale means a big internal overhaul, so they might just go with one base model for each screen size, and let the user BTO extra options.

Not a chance.

 

[50548]

Wow, was that criticism of Apple in a post from you?

I can do worse:

APPLE IS DEAD.

 

[iWoz]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

3 new placeholders - iPad 16gb,32gb,64gb.. Kinda makes sense

 

[3882303]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

3 new placeholders - iPad 16gb,32gb,64gb.. Kinda makes sense

Indeed, I'm not getting my hopes up.

 

[schreck]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

3 new placeholders - iPad 16gb,32gb,64gb.. Kinda makes sense

It may make sense to some, but I personally doubt the dummy SKUs are referring to those products. In Best Buy's inventory system (RSS), things are classified by individual classes. The person who posted the screen shot executed the following search in order for the SKUs to appear:

Computers>Mobile Computing>Apple (notebooks). I do not think BBY would classify the iPad as a mobile computer (I hope not, at least). Whether or not they refer to the new MBPs, I doubt they are for the iPad.

 

[tbobmccoy]

The iPad will definitely be sold at Best Buy... but I really doubt that they'd be updating their SKUs for iPads this far in advance of their release. I really think this might be MacBook Pro anticipation, but only time will tell...

 

[schreck]

The iPad will definitely be sold at Best Buy... but I really doubt that they'd be updating their SKUs for iPads this far in advance of their release. I really think this might be MacBook Pro anticipation, but only time will tell...

They will doubtless sell the iPad. But, like I've said more then three times in various threads (it appears as if no one reads all of the posts), it'd be dubious for Apple to include the iPad in a category designated for mobile computing/notebooks.

 

[tfstone]

That's exactly what we need. More fuel for the rumor mill

 

[tbobmccoy]

They will doubtless sell the iPad. But, like I've said more then three times in various threads (it appears as if no one reads all of the posts), it'd be dubious for Apple to include the iPad in a category designated for mobile computing/notebooks.

I'm with you, and I read your post too. I just wanted to add another stitch to the fabric of "this isn't the iPad" quilt

Anyway, we all know that Best Buy's inventory is an extremely unreliable source of information.. this is more of a Page 3 story than a Page 2 one... but I still really, really hope that it's true. Apple is going to have a lot of MacBook Pro orders once they announce it; the demand has been building for months.

 

[Icaras]

Page 2?

Shouldn't this be page 1 news?

 

[schreck]

I'm with you, and I read your post too. I just wanted to add another stitch to the fabric of "this isn't the iPad" quilt

Anyway, we all know that Best Buy's inventory is an extremely unreliable source of information.. this is more of a Page 3 story than a Page 2 one... but I still really, really hope that it's true. Apple is going to have a lot of MacBook Pro orders once they announce it; the demand has been building for months.

Very good. And you're right. I remember frequently checking RSS leading up to February 2008's MBP release - and what you said was proven by that experience - BBY's inventory system is simply unreliable. But I'm with you - I'm hoping for an update ASAP!

 

[The Samurai]

Sweet, the MBP's are deffo due an upgrade and I think its time they bumped em up

 

[rmbrown09]

That's exactly what we need. More fuel for the rumor mill

Went to Best Buy the last 2 days in a row, asked the Apple certified employee retailer guy (lol) what he thought the time frame might be. He got a seriously pissed off look and said i dont know.

so then i said, i hear you guys are running low on your macbooks around here, hes like, i have to go to the front and he left.

I was sad face.