Briefly: Mac Mini price cuts, Mac OS X 10.3.8, PowerBooks...
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.
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.
Comments
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
So this may be a case of Apple over-reaching and being called on it.
Screed
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.
http://chrisgraydeep.com/hingeoff.jpg
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
P.S I accidently created a new topic with this in it! If the moderators could delete it that would be awesome!
This is part of the reason people love Apple so much.
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.
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.