Surefire Indicator That Apple Will Soon Release New Hardware

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  • Reply 41 of 187
    Seeing how September 7th is next week.....I guess an iTunes phone and/or iPod 5G....
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  • Reply 42 of 187
    .mac has been down for hours now... I think this is some kind of serious outage, not necessarily an upgrade.



    As for a "surefire indicator", the most dependable indicator I've seen is inventory levels at distributors. It appears that the PowerMac is in low supply, and the 17" PowerBook. But with the Intel transition afoot, I'm not sure that this is that meaningful. At times in the past, Apple has let inventory of some products sit at zero for months; the transition might make this happen again.
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  • Reply 43 of 187
    Over the last week we have seen Apple release a Security Update, the iPod Updater, Backup 3.0, iTunes 5.0.1, Xsan Tuner, Java 1.3.1 and 1.4.2 Release 2, the Java Security Update and WaveBurner 1.1.1.



    Well, that means we will see some new Apple hardware released the first part of next week.
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  • Reply 44 of 187
    Quote:

    Originally posted by rongold

    Well, that means we will see some new Apple hardware released the first part of next week.



    You have an interesting theory. It is reasonable and it did work with the iBooks. However, more experimental evidence is needed before accepting it as scientifically proved.



    I just hope it works and around Oct 1 we will finally see something new, like long overdue PB updates.
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  • Reply 45 of 187
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Emin

    You have an interesting theory. It is reasonable and it did work with the iBooks. However, more experimental evidence is needed before accepting it as scientifically proved.



    I have already accepted it as scientifically proven. In fact, I trust my theory to the extent that I even went so far as to go out and purchase a new Mac mini yesterday knowing that I would get the new and improved super-speedy super drive, the 1.5GHz G4, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, a faster hard drive AND the upgraded video card with double the RAM. If you are unsure of whether the serial number reveals the contents of the new & improved mini, I have a story for you. Some store employee seemingly sauntered up and exclaimed, "Hey, that there is one of those new Mac minis" and the employee I was originally talking to says, "how do you know" (as if he really didn't know). Then the greasy-haired employee with a sock sticking out of his back pocket???, says "Because it has a slash B there!" and points to the sticker. So ther you go, if you don't want to trust the serial numbers with the most recent week and the proper country code, just look for the "/B".



    Oh, they are also now including iWorks with these in addition to iLife, Quicken 2005, Marble Blast Gold, Nanosaur 2 (is that an omen :-) ) and the System Discs now include Mac OS 10.4.2, AHT 1.1 on the first disc (version 1.0) and then the second disk which I THINK has the applications (iLife, iWork, etc.)is now labeled version 1.3.
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  • Reply 46 of 187
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by rongold

    Some store employee seemingly sauntered up and exclaimed, "Hey, that there is one of those new Mac minis" and the employee I was originally talking to says, "how do you know" (as if he really didn't know). Then the greasy-haired employee with a sock sticking out of his back pocket???, says "Because it has a slash B there!" and points to the sticker. So ther you go, if you don't want to trust the serial numbers with the most recent week and the proper country code, just look for the "/B".



    Really.



    Well I guess you should tell the people that maintain Apple's website, because all three models listed on their Tech Specs page are the older version, yet end with "/B".







    Quote:

    Oh, they are also now including iWorks with these



    They include software they haven't even announced yet! I'm shocked.
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  • Reply 47 of 187
    rongoldrongold Posts: 302member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    Really.



    Well I guess you should tell the people that maintain Apple's website, because all three models listed on their Tech Specs page are the older version, yet end with "/B".







    Yeah, I was mainly just telling the story for entertainment value. It was probably more funny for me though than anyone else here.







    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    They include software they haven't even announced yet! I'm shocked.



    Well, it's the $79 package with Keynote and Pages. Just something else to add to the new hardware release. Kinda like having Tiger included so you don't have to purchase it seperately.



    Actually, when you add up the value of all the software included with this thing, the computer can just be looked at as expensive packaging.



    $ 70 Quicken 2005

    $ 79 iWork

    $ 79 iLife

    $129 Tiger



    That's $357, if you get the low end mini, you are only paying $149 for a brand new Mac... but I digress.
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  • Reply 48 of 187
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    They include software they haven't even announced yet! I'm shocked.



    What are you talking about?!? iWork has been available pretty much sine the introduction of the Mac mini...



    I know it was one of the items I installed when I set up a Mac mini for my ex-wife back in March of this year...
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  • Reply 49 of 187
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by rongold

    Yeah, I was mainly just telling the story for entertainment value. It was probably more funny for me though than anyone else here.



    You were telling it in a way as to make me think that you actually believed that. To my knowledge, Mac mini packages have absolutely *no* indication of whether they're the newer version; the only way to find out is to either break open a Mac mini and look at the bare hardware, or to actually run the thing and check in System Profiler.



    Quote:

    Well, it's the $79 package with Keynote and Pages.



    I was just commenting on the common "iWorks" misspelling.



    Quote:

    Actually, when you add up the value of all the software included with this thing, the computer can just be looked at as expensive packaging.



    $ 70 Quicken 2005

    $ 79 iWork

    $ 79 iLife

    $129 Tiger



    That's $357, if you get the low end mini, you are only paying $149 for a brand new Mac... but I digress.



    True, but then again, these are OEM versions, you don't get the entire package. For example, there's usually no printed documentation, no separate box, etc. Apple (just like similar suppliers like Dell) gets huge discounts on these OEM versions.
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  • Reply 50 of 187
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacRonin

    What are you talking about?!? iWork has been available pretty much sine the introduction of the Mac mini...



    Jeez, lighten up. I was talking about this ominous "iWorks"
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  • Reply 51 of 187
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    Jeez, lighten up. I was talking about this ominous "iWorks"



    Whoa, slow down...



    Someone adds an extra "s" to something, and it become ominous...



    Check your meds!



    ;^p
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  • Reply 52 of 187
    rongoldrongold Posts: 302member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    You were telling it in a way as to make me think that you actually believed that. To my knowledge, Mac mini packages have absolutely *no* indication of whether they're the newer version;



    I'm pretty sure you can count on checking which week of the year that the mini was put together to reveal if it is a new "updated" model - these 2 digits are found directly after the 5 at the front of the serial number. They have been assembling these every since they stopped that Mac mini promotion a few weeks back.
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  • Reply 53 of 187
    rongoldrongold Posts: 302member
    Actually, I think they started part way through week #35 (which is the same week they cancelled the Test Drive a Mac mini promotion) so I wouldn't count on any from that week necessarily.
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  • Reply 54 of 187
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    That would explain cancelling that program. A simple miscommunication between marketing and development.



    If they had gone forward with the program too many people would have sent back the Mini after 30 days and then gone bought the new one.
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  • Reply 55 of 187
    cubistcubist Posts: 954member
    Well, if they're just 'slipstreaming' those upgrades in there, I wonder if the same thing might happen to the iBook? A 14" with a 1.5GHz and more VRAM would be pretty nice to have...



    BTW as to the "Surefire Indicator", it looks like Apple inventory is at an all-time low for nearly all products. It's too early for the Intel stuff to be appearing, there's little software to run on it. Someone go shake the pipeline and see if you hear anything rattling in there.
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  • Reply 56 of 187
    dhagan4755dhagan4755 Posts: 2,152member
    Yeah, if you're a school looking to buy a 15-inch PowerBook looks like you have a long wait...









    Contrast that with two weeks ago:



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  • Reply 57 of 187
    rongoldrongold Posts: 302member
    Updates from Apple this week:



    iPod Updater 2006-03-23

    Final Cut Pro 5

    Soundtrack Pro

    Motion 2

    DVD Studio Pro 4



    This guarantees new hardware within about 10 days time.
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  • Reply 58 of 187
    rongoldrongold Posts: 302member
    I was completely out of touch with the world, no where near a computer, the last time Apple released new hardware (Mac mini and iPod Hi-Fi) but they too were preceded by a Front Row update, G5 firmware update and a whole series of iLife application updates.
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  • Reply 59 of 187
    dhagan4755dhagan4755 Posts: 2,152member
    Interesting, rongold...I had forgotten about this thread!



    Interesting dates come to mind at the moment. Aside from obligatory April Fools Day Apple 30th Anniverary, there's Tuesday April 4, a date largely speculated Apple would update hardware, including the venerable AppleInsider. Beyond this, I see Tuesday April 11th as the outside possibility.



    Hardware expected:

    MacBooks with 13-inch widescreen displays in a new or updated form factor



    17-inch MacBook Pro (outside possibility). Although with Toshiba, Dell et al coming out now with their 17-inch Core Duo notebooks, this may force Apple's hand. Hopefully if they do release it, it will not have the dreaded sound and production issues the first iteration of the MacBook Pro has...



    True iPod Videos with 4-inch widescreens and a virtual click wheel.



    I say bring it on.



    I think the deal will be sealed WRT hardware if the 10.4.6 update appears in the next few days...
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  • Reply 60 of 187
    tednditedndi Posts: 1,921member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DHagan4755

    Hopefully if they do release it, it will not have the dreaded sound and production issues the first iteration of the MacBook Pro has...









    Pardon me, but what problems have you noticed.? My MacBook Pro has been so far exemplary!





    Sound is good.



    Production is also good.



    I am perplexed.



    \
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