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Customer receives updated Mac mini

updated 08:30 am EDT, Fri September 1, 2006

Mac mini update looms


According to a forum post on MacBidouille, one Apple customer reports receiving an upgraded Mac mini when they purchased a 1.5GHz Core Solo Mac mini. The computer they received 1.66GHz Core Duo model which included a 100GB hard drive (higher than the 60GB drie expected) and a SuperDrive (opposed to Combo drive anticipated). AppleInsider reports that this would not be the first time that Apple has silently upgraded a computer, allegedly in an attempt to clear inventory of old products. In fact, the last PowerPC revision to the Mac mini line occurred this very way when Apple began shipping 1.33GHZ G4s in place of 1.25GHz G4s and 1.5GHz G4s in place of 1.42GHz models within the same retail boxes. Previous reports indicated that Apple may be allowing the Mac mini inventory to drain as it has been refusing bulk orders -- historically a sign of a product update soon.


by MacNN Staff

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  1. Feathers

    Grizzled Veteran

    Joined: Oct 1999

    0
    09/01, 10:21am | report spam | Reply |

    screenshot?

    I would really like to seen a screenshot 'About this Mac' of this guy's claim before firing off loads of articles but then that's never stopped MacNN before!

  1. discotronic

    Mac Elite

    Joined: Oct 2003

    0
    09/01, 10:31am | report spam | Reply |

    Proof

    I agree with feathers on this one. Where is the proof that this really happened? I could make a post on the forums here stating the same thing but I would get blasted if I couldn't present a screenshot or some other proof.

  1. jwdsail

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jun 2000

    0
    09/01, 10:55am | report spam | Reply |

    Hmmmm

    Well,

    If he had received the core duo mini w/ 1GB ram and an 80GB drive, I'd think this was possible...

    More than likely, he ordered a BTO core solo w/ 1GB ram, and received someone else's BTO core duo mini. Somewhere, there's a customer that got a core solo in place of their ordered BTO core duo..

    just my $0.02US

  1. space-e

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 2000

    0
    09/01, 11:42am | report spam | Reply |

    possible

    I ordered a: G5 1.8Ghz 256Mb RAM 80Gb HD refurbished back in December and got a: 1.8Ghz 1Gb RAM 250Mb HD I love it when Apple does this stuff -

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    0
    09/01, 01:11pm | report spam | Reply |

    Who cares?

    What's the big deal. Either Apple's 'silently updating its computers' (which I doubt, because you don't advertise core solos when you could be advertising duos), the guy mistakenly got a different computer (human error, it happens), or Apple, due to supply constraints, shipped a different computer (easily to see if it were just a faster processor or slightly larger harddrive, but not likely in this case).

    Apple has been known to just put in better parts because that's all that was available. Back in the good ol' days you could find out that your 40MB harddrive was really a 50MB formatted at 40. Or you might have gotten a faster CD/RW drive in your mac. But you wouldn't have gotten that much of an upgrade.

    So, Apple sent the wrong computer. Wow! Let's call a media event! Let's call up the analysts and see what they have to say! What does Apple have to say? Can we sue Apple if we order a solo and get the mini listed above???

    BTW, the example about apple upgrading the mini previously is a horrible analogy. Apple probably just got faster chips because that's what IBM supplied, but didn't want to go through the headache of re-writing all their documentation and tech-specs. Also, if they then got some of the slower chips, they could still put them in the computers legally, since they were only promising a 1.33GHz chip (but, then, you get all those petulent whiners who insist on making sure they get one with the oh-so-slightly faster chip or they start crying how they were screwed by apple).

  1. Clive

    Mac Enthusiast

    Joined: Jan 2001

    0
    09/01, 01:41pm | report spam | Reply |

    Shifting inventory?

    How does upgrading machines without telling anyone help shift inventory? The customer goes into the shop and thinks he's buying the old spec, but gets a better machine. Someone else goes into a shop and buys a machine and actually gets the old spec - who is he going to complain to?

    Just to note, sometimes these things do get messed up. I had a PowerBook 5300 with the 640*480 screen. As some may know this model suffered with a screen fault, and mine had to be replaced - someone actually came to the office and did it right in front of me. When he'd gone it turned out that the replacement screen was the 800*600 model, which was a big deal at the time.

  1. sehix

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2000

    0
    09/01, 01:59pm | report spam | Reply |

    re: who cares?

    Assuming that the guy in question actually got an up-revved Mini, it wouldn't be the first time that Apple silently upped the specs on a machine, and not even the first time on the MIni in the past year.

    But those facts do get in the way of a minor rant, don't they?

  1. nativeNYer

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 2005

    0
    09/01, 02:03pm | report spam | Reply |

    Me too

    Yeah! And I ordered a Mac mini and got a Mac Pro with 30" ACD instead. Woot! [/sarcasm]

    I agree with posters above who would like to see proof. And even if it did happen, as was pointed out, sometimes mistakes happen. It doesn't really mean anything to get all worked up over.

  1. eldarkus

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Feb 2004

    0
    09/01, 02:44pm | report spam | Reply |

    re: who cares?

    Also... Add in facts like large orders for mac mini's were recently denied and there are claims that it will be updated soon. that's the main reason for the story.

    Still.. most likely a mixup.

  1. Jeronimo2000

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    0
    09/01, 03:47pm | report spam | Reply |

    Screenshot. Proof. Sure.

    Folks, you want a screenshot to believe this story? You'd actually accept a screenshot as proof?

    Alright. By the way, I'm writing this from a G6 Quad 3,2 Ghz, a pre-production model that never shipped. Want proof? Ok, I'll mail you a screenshot.

    Cause, you know - Photoshop runs great on this baby.

    ;-)

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