“Apple Computer, Inc. will soon begin selling its low-cost Mac mini computers through the nation’s largest consumer electronics chain, Merrill Lynch said on Monday,” Kasper Jade and Katie Marsal report for AppleInsider. “In a research note released to clients, analyst Steve Milunovich said, ‘It appears that Best Buy is near ready to sell the Mac Mini. [...] Last week one Best Buy showed us Mac mini accessories; Mac minis are coming later.’”

Jade and Marsal report, “The analyst speculates that Apple may have delayed the Best Buy roll-out until Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger could be pre-loaded on each of the minis that will be sold through the retailer. ‘Buyers would not be pleased if they had to plunk down an extra $129 after their $499 Mac mini purchase,’ Milunovich said. He added that Tiger is close to shipping and will likely arrive by the end of April and in time to benefit Apple’s third quarter earnings. Merrill Lynch believes the presence of Mac mini at Best Buy, along with the iPod, will help provide evidence of the halo effect — positive experiences with their iPods turning into new Mac sales. ‘Although we see plenty of anecdotal evidence of Mac sales benefiting from iPod success, the numbers will tell the tale,’ said Milunovich, who expects to see a consistent 15-20% year-over-year Mac revenue growth.”

Full article here.