Briefly: Mac Mini price cuts, Mac OS X 10.3.8, PowerBooks...

AppleInsider

Mac Mini BTO price cuts



Apple this week quietly lowered the price of some of its build-to-order components on the Mac mini, in addition to offering a faster version of its optical SuperDrive, according to MacNN. The changes come just two weeks after the Mac mini was introduced.\t



The company's online store is now offering the combination Bluetooth/AirPort Extreme upgrade for $100, a $30 price drop. Separately, the Bluetooth during-purchase option is now available for $50.



Apple has also slashed the mini's 1GB RAM upgrades from $475 to $325, and is offering a faster 8x SuperDrive (with both DVD+/-RW functionality) for the same $100 upgrade price as its previous 4x SuperDrive. Meanwhile a hard drive upgrade from 40GB to 80GB is now $50, as opposed to $90.



The estimated ship time on BTO and standard configuration Mac minis is now at 3-4 weeks.



Mac OS X 10.3.8



Meanwhile, it looks like Apple has distributed yet another pre-release build of its upcoming Mac OS X 10.3.8 system maintenance release.



According to reports around the web, Mac OS X 10.3.8 build 7U10 delivers a kernel fix for 'Audio component.' No other changes to the software were noted.



Mac OS X 10.3.8 will be one of the final updates to Apple's Panther OS. Previous reports indicate that it will deliver improvements to the Mac OS X graphics sub-system (especially OpenGL intensive apps games) and increase overall system reliability.



PowerBook revisions imminent



Not only does Apple inventory data now clearly indicate an End-of-life to all current PowerBook offerings, but several tipsters tell AppleInsider that certain Apple retail stores have rid themselves all display models, leaving the PowerBook planograms vacant and awaiting fresh meat.



Patience.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

ps5533

I love the changes but does anyone know why this was done?

i smell a conspiracy is apple looking out for the consumer, trying to save a buck or two or just tring to make the Mm more marketable?



any thoughts?



PS

screed

I really believe enough post-keynote griping reached management about the BTO pricing. Notice even with these price cuts that Apple is still making profit.



So this may be a case of Apple over-reaching and being called on it.



Screed

murmur

I am dying waiting for the new PowerBooks. This is the third week in a row i have been chanting "Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday"... hopefully February 2nd

ppike

I sold my wife's desktop three weeks ago promising her a new 'book. Shes not too happy today...

denmaru

Well, I say that the BTO pricing (except for the RAM) is pretty good now, and I´m sure the Mini will profit from this



As for the books - I bought my G4 800 last year, around this time, and I am still quite happy about it Just wait, the new Powerbooks are bound to arrive.

murmur

Your' slightly worse of than i am. I sold my Powermac promising myself there would be new PowerBooks... Maybe if we keep chanting "Tuesday Tuesday" it will happen sooner..

deepkid

Re: Powerbooks. Where's the beef? One can only hold on to his battered tibook 550 for so long. Especially after the screen was ripped off.





http://chrisgraydeep.com/hingeoff.jpg

mrclark

Target.com has also taken the Mac mini off their website. ideas? http://enterprisemac.typepad.com/

msantti

Must be why my BTO mini ordered was delayed from 1/21 to 1/27.



I opted for a Superdrive and maybe there was a change in the line from the 4x to 8x drives.



I have also got a 30 buck drop on the BT and Airport card.



That was nice.

ps5533

I've been thinking about getting a new 'book since the first notion of a G5 book was started but right now i'm thinking maybe a Mm will work fine.

benroethig

Quote:

Originally posted by PS5533

I love the changes but does anyone know why this was done?

i smell a conspiracy is apple looking out for the consumer, trying to save a buck or two or just tring to make the Mm more marketable?



any thoughts?



PS

For the Superdrive Panasonic must have told Apple the UJ-235-B was ready to ship earlier than expected.

shetline

Quote:

Originally posted by AppleInsider

Apple has also slashed the mini's 1GB RAM upgrades from $475 to $325...

Doesn't $325 represent a $100 drop, not a $150 drop, in the price of 1GB of RAM? I believe the original insane price was $425, bad enough without imagining it was $475.



$325 is still insane for 1 GB, but more manageable with a combination of drugs and therapy, and can be allowed unsupervised visits home on the weekends.



At any rate, this quick downward drop in prices and quick responsiveness are good signs that Apple is going to try to be serious about competing in the the low-end price range.

playmaker

my buddy ordered a mac mini 2 or 3 days after they were released and it just came in yesterday. He freaked out when he saw this article but when he looked at his credit card statment the bill reflects the newer prices. By the way this thing is sweet

jeffdm

Quote:

Originally posted by sCreeD

I really believe enough post-keynote griping reached management about the BTO pricing. Notice even with these price cuts that Apple is still making profit.

I have no problem with Apple making a profit, just that $425 for a stick that costs just a bit over $200 at Crucial or Kingston was way out of line. I still think the new price is out of line.

spytap

"...certain Apple retail stores have rid themselves all display models, leaving the PowerBook planograms vacant and awaiting fresh meat."



That's weird to me. I think this indicates slightly more than just a CPU upgrade, as some models would retain the old specs according to the current upgrade reports, no? Does this indicate perhaps a bigger upgrade? A new screen or an 8x Superdrive? Perhaps something as different as SATA hard drives? I don't know, but it definitely does seem bigger than just a CPU upgrade and a price drop.

porcelina

Regarding the new 8X superdrive in the mini, I think it´s the same drive that is intended for the new powerbooks... Not a too wild guess I think.

moesker007

Hey, I didn't know there were such a large community of Mac Rumor watchers until I heard about apple's lawsuit. Since about...last Monday i've been waiting for the new PowerBook's to come out. I sold my old ibook 500 on ebay, after i decided to get a mac mini. I then realiezd why do i want a MM, since I sold my old lapttop to get a new one. I've been searching around on the misc. rumor sites and was all excited to order my new powerbook today! Except....they never came out! Oh well, i decided i'd join and start posting! Well, anyone have estimates to when they're going to release the new ones? Probably next tuesday 2/1/05 or the wednesday 2/2/05 Well...hope i can find out when, it'll make this finals week in school go much quicker!



P.S I accidently created a new topic with this in it! If the moderators could delete it that would be awesome!

corradoslc

I just called Apple about the differences and they handled it very professionally...I didn't even have to get upset. They credited me the $31.20 difference for the Airport/BT combo and said that no mini's actually shipped with the 4x Superdrives...they just corrected the description on the webpage. I'm not able to verify this since I'm away on business for the week, but I'll take his word for it for the time being. Can anyone with a mini verify the speed of the Superdrive?



This is part of the reason people love Apple so much.

aegisdesign

UK Prices seem to have changed now also but I think they've got the prices wrong somewhere.



They're now charging £561.53 for a 1GB DIMM and £152.88 for the combined bluetooth and airport upgrade despite them costing £35 and £49 if you bought them separately!





Let's hope they fix that soon.

aegisdesign

To follow up on myself.



That was only for the 1.25Ghz model.



The 1.42Ghz model has the 1GB upgrade at £220.01 and the combined Bluetooth+AE at £69.99, which is drop on the previous pricing scheme. IIRC the 1GB was nearer £400.