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Is there a catch?

I LOVE THIS. Way to go Apple!!!

Windows users still have an excuse. Most of them don't have an extra
$599.00 laying around. After their day job at 711, and with the rising cost of everything, especially gas for the pickup, we don't have any money to buy diddly moreso a mac mini with.

Now please, please, PUH-LEASE lets see some advertisments for the offer on TV!!!!!!!!!

I remember reading a few months ago about someone proposing this. is this how Apple got the idea?

This is brilliant. It shows confidence and lets people feel like they have an "out" if it doesn't work for them (I suspect a small minority). I agree with G: Apple needs to ADVERTISE!

"I remember reading a few months ago about someone proposing this. is this how Apple got the idea?"

Seeing how Apple has done this in the (distant) past, no.

Tip to all mac widgetheads: The minimac ain´t selling. That´s why they are doing it.

Perhaps too much money once you add in all the things one needs and too little computer???

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!

Ah-hem.

This is a fantastic idea. They should make Airport standard in all the minis.

The "Mactel-is-coming" giant is rearing its head....mac sales are starting to stall.

Well, all the people who have whined about Apple not doing this, stop whining.

Ben Duncedale, nice negative spin. Why does everything have to be a sign of weakness on their part? To guys like you the glass is always half empty.

Ben: How do you know that the mac mini isn't selling?

Sculley tried this when he was at Apple and failed miserably then again Apple doesn't have the quality control problems that it had back then.

What is a good (cheaper) alternative to an Apple display?

I want to send this promo to a friend, but need to recommend a whole package. I know that she will not consider spending $999 on a 20" Apple display.

Thanks

Andrea - 15" LCDs (that are not great) can be had at Best Buy for $200 or less.

MDN: taken

Okay, you got me - just ordered. Let's see what all the talk about this Mac Tiger is about.

How about a decent one, preferably a 17" Lcd? Any particular brand? Thanks again.

Andrea,
Tell her to get an eMac instead. Complete package with a real hard drive in it. That is the main flaw of the Mac Mini.... 2.5" HD instead of a 3.5" drive. After you add everything you need you are at the eMac price level and the eMac out performs the Mac Mini... all because of the laptop drive in the Mini.

The Dude abides.

Andrea - If your friend is willing to spend a little more than the minimum for a better experience, try finding an LCD monitor with a DVI input. The image will look better, and it enhances the "it just works" factor to not have to worry about image size, geometry, etc., adjustments.

Andrea,

Toss a Samsung SyncMaster on it. You pick the size based on your budget. I recommend one that does at least 1280x1024 native resolution. Best Buy and many other places have 'em.

It seems to be US only, which is a shame. Might suggest that there's not really a problem shifting them, they just want to sell even more of them.

Guy in work bought one at the weekend. Last month's model with 256MB, but for £399 (£60 more than list), it came with an Apple Keyboard, Apple mouse and a 17" TFT (of unknown parentage).

Offer's not on the web, but it's happening at PCWorld in the UK.

"Windows users still have an excuse. Most of them don't have an extra
$599.00 laying around. After their day job at 711, and with the rising cost of everything, especially gas for the pickup, we don't have any money to buy diddly moreso a mac mini with."

There you go making friends with Windows users again. I am sure they couldn't feel more welcome after reading crap like that. I am surprised everyone doesn't run out and buy a Mac just so they can fit in with the smug condescending lot of ya.

Sadly, I think I am going to have to take the negative side here. Apple is also offering 120 day interest and payment free plans on a new iMac. I'd say there is some soft consumer confidence out there at the moment. Hopefully these measures will keep things rolling through the back-to-school season up to the holidays.

via dealmac:
Dell E173FP 17" LCD display for $219 shipped
http://dealmac.com/artclick.html?94547,137137

Where's Ron Popeil when ya need him?? Aw crap, nevermind, he sold Ronco...

DVI input, Samsung syncmaster... Got it! Thank you guys!

This is great, now I can allow my friend to "try before they buy"

Shipping back to Apple would be a hassle of course, but worth it if it turned out they didn't like it.

(hahah fat chance)


The problem I see is a lack of content and few people willing to train others how to use it.

Why is it that the "mac mini" reminds of the the "g4 cube" debacle of a couple years ago? It never interested me from day 1... maybe it was the limitation on upgrades for both of those units...hard to say. I need a new G5...do they have the 120 day interest/payment free plans going on those?

Andrew Hamilton
Las Vegas Videographers
Hamilton International Productions
http://www.hiproductions.com

Andrew,

Why is it that the "mac mini" reminds of the the "g4 cube" debacle of a couple years ago?

Probably because you are not in the target market for the Mac mini. It's targeted to Windows users who have the monitor and stuff already, but want to try a Mac inexpensively. You're not going to get Dual G5's in a tower for US$499.

The Mini is a G4 iBook without the screen, trackpad, or keyboard. After the initial hype, its not selling real well. This promotion moves inventory and entices Windows users by eliminating risk.

Taking lemons and making lemonade. Good business move. Now lets see faster laptops and an upgrade to the Power Mac line.

The program is going away after 2 months.

Until then no catch!

Another Mac mini 17" LCD monitor option with (small) built-in speakers is the Acer AL1715s-8:

link

MacMall has it for $258.99:

link

Gordon

Forgot to add - the Acer AL1715s-8 connects via VGA and DVI-D.

I remember when Apple tried this before, under John Scully (Remember him? He's the guy who sold Apple out to Billy Gates on the GUI issue, spilled the beans about the up-coming Newton….) and it didn't go over too well.
Let's hope things go better this time around.

For those on Macs for a while now, this sounds great.

I switched several months back and remember my frustration at first. If they included Office (as unfortunate as it is) I think many windows users will feel instantly at home. It'd be like taking your own pillow to the hotel. It takes the average user about a month to fully convert to Mac and become as fluid as they are on a PC.

I think there will be many who fail to reach this point in the 30 days.

I really do hope this works.

As of now, you don't see the risk-free trial until you select a mac mini. This should be on the front page of Apple.com or the front page of the store.

MDN MW: Few -> As few ads as always.

MMMMM.....Refurbs coming.

"Why is it that the "mac mini" reminds of the the "g4 cube" debacle of a couple years ago?"

Because its square like a cube, and your head, and because all the tech pundits keep saying it over and over.

Still don't know why people insist on calling the Cube a debacle. The VAST, and I mean VAST majority of people who had or have Cubes loved them. I know first hand as I took an unofficial survey of Cube users over the course of 4 years and over 90% of them used the word "love" when they described their Cubes. Just because it didn't sell doesnt mean it was a bad machine, to the contrary, many people still have and love Cubes to this day, this author included.

http://www.cubeowner.com is a perfect example. Name one other Mac model that has a website dedicated specifically to its users.

Does this mean I should get out my old "I'd rather be driving a Macintosh" bumper sticker?

"MMMMM.....Refurbs coming."

If so, this is actually a pretty clever idea.

Think about it. When new machines come along, Apple sticks the old machines in the "discount" area (ie, "Special Deals"). So if Apple has enough of the Mac minis sitting around, loan them out to people to get them hooked. If they return it after 30 days, wipe the hard drive and install a clean Tiger and stick it in "discount" area.

After all, at least in theory, it will be there in two months anyway if Apple is going to rev the Mac mini.

The other vaguely interesting thing about it is that the hoops you have to jump through are almost rebate-like. You can't just hop down to your local Apple Store, pick one up, play with it for the weekend, and return it. Oh no! You have to buy via the web, call up Apple and say you're returning it, get the RMA, pack up all the original material. You pay for shipping it back.

Heck, with this much hassle, you might as well keep the damned thing...

"mmmm-refurbs coming"
Oh, so, all these macmini testers are going to send them back...they don´t like them.
that´s good????
-------------------

The macmini died before it even came out. Why was it even made? Who are the buyers? It obviously is not being bought by windows switchers...or many other people - hence this "holy sh*t! the mini ain´t selling" marketing ploy.

And why would anyone buy a mac now when the mactel is coming.

The Mac mini is a wonderful computer for a good 50-60% of the people currently using any kind of PC. Not an extreme gaming machine, not a Pro Media Apps device-- but great for general use. We have had one in the house since Feb and for general stuff it is indistinguishable from my PowerMac G5 with 2GB of RAM. A great little machine and you cannot beat the price.

Apple continues to grow worldwide Macintosh market share - July 25, 2005

Gartner: Apple grows shipments 31 percent in Q2 2005, moves from 5th to 4th in U.S. market share - July 18, 2005

IDC: Apple gains U.S. market share at double overall market rate, up to 4.5 percent for Q2 2005 - July 18, 2005

MW= "fact" (no kidding!)

I LOVE my mini. Got it a few months ago. It indeed rocks!

Obleo wrote:

"Taking lemons and making lemonade."

Too bad nobody remembers Apple's early, early little business simulator: Lemonade Stand.

hammer wrote:

"The VAST, and I mean VAST majority of people who had or have Cubes loved them."

Still using my Cube today, it works like a champ. What's keeping me from the mini is its relatively weak performance. If its current performance ranked, say, between an eMac and an iMac G5, I'd be far more interested.

Comments about theMac mini's sales figures (or rather the assumptions of some about them) and Apple's motivation about their offer, bring to mind an old saying.

"Better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove any doubt."

100 pts to the MDN poster who can name the Journalist who suggested this..

Bill Palmer was it?

Salkever from BW?


I remember this exact thing reccomended in print...

Here it is.. for 2 months.. great stuff Apple.. you're actually trying what many have been suggesting.. first with the Mac mini, and now with the Promo..

The ONLY problem with the G4 Cube was the timing, if only it had come out four months sooner or eight months later. Unfortunately it came out between upgrade cycles. For instance I had just bought a G4/400 tower about two months before it was released, and desperately wanted one but had just spent $2500 on the tower, I know a lot of people felt the same way.

It was asked "is there a catch?"

A minor one - limited to certain models, so if you do not like "standard" spec e.g. want extra RAM then offer does not apply - but anyone wanting a custom mini is not really a try before buy person anyway.

C´mon macaddicts - common sense - a business does not offer a program like this on products that are selling well. One does it on dogs that ain´t working.

If it is such a great idea why aren´t they doing it with the entire line-up? Answer: because only the macmini has the sales problem.

Obviously Macmini sales are way below what is expected. Ever seen Apple announce actual macmini sales figures? Answer: no.

"C´mon macaddicts - common sense - a business does not offer a program like this on products that are selling well. One does it on dogs that ain´t working."

That may seem to be "common sense", but my life and business experiences have taught me that "common sense" ain't common, and "common sense" often doesn't make any sense if logic or reasoning is applied to it. Never use "common sense" to justify an assumption.

As a self-employed (for over 15 years) businessman I can can tell you that your assumption shows a lack of knowledge about marketing, business and economics.

Reality Check,

Have you not thought maybe they just want to sell more and more Mac minis? Has that thought ever crossed your pessimistic little mind?

I bought my Mac mini 4 months ago and my girlfriend LOVES using it, she surfs the web, emails her friends and uses iPhoto etc. It's fast enough, but more importantly it is SECURE AND VIRUS FREE.