“Imagine paying for a computer in January and being told that you’re likely to get hold of it some time in April. That’s just one of the examples of the impact of Mac mini delays that are beginning to appear in the Discussion Forum of this site, as avid Mac users and those new to the Mac in New Zealand, express frustration at trying to get hold of the latest Mac model from Apple,” Philip Roy writes for NZMac.com.
“Whilst it appears that standard mimi configurations were moderately available within the country in an earlier shipment, trying to get your hands on a more powerful Mac mini with such ‘build to order’ options as a superdrive, appear to be near impossible, with some people already having waited more than eight weeks,” Roy writes. “Based upon reports from users of this site and from Resellers around the country, it appears that New Zealand is once again at the whim of Apple Computer in the United States and that all Mac users in this country can do is either give up or express frustration while waiting their turn. Whilst it’s hoped by all that New Zealand will indeed ‘get its turn’ soon with more models of the Mac mini arriving, no-one is prepared to make absolute promises.”
“At the same time, the fact that the Apple Computer Division of Renaissance (distributors of Macs in New Zealand) appears to have charged some customers as far back as January for Macs that they expected to arrive from overseas, shows that perhaps even Renaissance has been caught out by the extended delays. As one Reseller put it ‘People have to realise that the fault here is with Apple, not Renaissance. I believe that USA is getting stock priority,'” Roy writes.
Full article here.
Whilst I can sympathize with the Kiwis frustration, they should not feel singled out for persecution.
From what I read, mini shipments are severely constraind all around the world, many Canadians I know are still awaiting units ordered months ago.
Good things come to those who wait, or something like that.
Stock priority in the U.S.? Hahaha that’s a good one. Here’s the reality on the mini. Demand outstrips supply to a huge degree. My guess is by something like a factor of 5 or 10. In our store we’ve gotten minis in about 6 times and they sell out within hours, almost all going to people on a waiting list. I feel bad for our Kiwi friends, but they must understand, everyone is waiting on this one.
Someday (maybe later this year) people will be able to go into a store a see mini, fall in love with it, and take it home that day. But for now, that day is many months into the future.
Also Apple should do a Mac mini with Superdrive priced at $699, that’s an option lots of people want.
Apple is going to have to get it’s act together if it expects to break out of it’s “boutique” image. Every time a new product comes out and gets a good response they fail to deliver the goods. How can you increase your market share if you consistently come to market unable to meet demand.
The PowerMac G5, Aluminum PowerBooks, iPod mini, iMac G5 and now the Mac mini have all had this problem. I realize that Steve Jobs & Co run a very tight ship on the manufacturing to protect Apple from downside but it is costing them sales and leaving customers frustrated. The shift to complete dependence on outsiders to make the hardware has also resulted in a noticeable drop in build quality and reliability.
Mr. Jobs was once quoted as saying “Artists ship”. Well Mr Jobs, “whatcha gonna do about it?”
The same situation in Latvia. 2-3 months in waiting. 🙁
3 weeks in Finland
we in Mesopatokirogistan (just north-sothwest of kurdipolistan) must wait 10-20 years for mac mini.!!!
my brother in North Korea, he still waiting 40 years for elektricti.
we have saying in Mesopatokirogistan – if donkey could sing then why we have naked chickenz in your bedroom.
Try living with the waiting lists here on Callisto. AND we have no iTMS.
It’s the same here in Germany on the long wait for the Mini. My hope now is that if it’s April maybe it will ship with 10.4 if the Tiger rumors are true.
Apple comes out with great products but can’t meet the demand. What’s up with that?
Paying in January and getting it in April? That is a lie or at the least, a huge exaggeration. Apple (and other companies) only charge credit cards when a product is shipped. AFAIK, it’s against the law to charge the credit card and delay the shipment for months. Placing an order != paying.
OTOH, Apple does need to plan better when releasing new products and ramp production quickly when the products are big hits.
Come along chaps. Get your wallets out. Go down to the store buy an iMac, or a Powerbook or a G5 Tower. They’re all better than the Mini anyway. And they’re all worth mortgaging your home for too. Oh, you already did that for the iPod? Sorry.
The fact of the matter is that Apple has just produced an earth-shattering new computer that everyone in the world wants RIGHT NOW and, try as they may, they can’t keep up with the demand. Probably no one could.
Magic Word – Great, as in Great for Apple !!!.
Mr. Gogbalvck: Your comment was hilarious. Still laughing !!! I hope Kiwis now realize they are not the only ones being singled out for a long wait.
Mwuh-Ha-Ha! My mini will be in my hands in 2 days…
I switched my mum and sold her PC.
Mr Gobalvck, you don’t fool me. You’re from Tragikistan, homeland of our own Sputnik.
Nobody is correct. That was my first thought, these people have NOT paid for anything. They have ordered, but it is illegal to charge for an item and not ship.
As far as Apple not having enough custom machines on hand, it happens. If Apple had enough on hand to meet demand on product introduction, then the product is probably a short lived failure.
Product shortages are not new. People waiting for items is not something Apple invented.
If Renaissance is getting flack for not delivering the perhaps they should change their name. Apple Computer Division of Renaissance sounds like they are Apple themselves, not a distributor of Apple products. If you are going to mislead with your name, then you have to take the good with the bad.
I am visiting this timeline from a parallel universe, and on my timeline Apple did not announce the mini until the year 2276, and it didn’t actually ship until three years later.
But the neutrino flux capacitor that came with the mini was faulty, and one terrible Pluterday it started a chain reaction that turned the sun into a black hole.
All life in the solar system was lost.
So quityerbitchen, Kiwis, at least in this timeline Apple doesn’t include neutrino flux capacitors in their hardware!
anastasia beaverhausen: you must confuse me with your sister´s cousin, Nuthin Inderhosen, the one you were traded in marriage for two long-haired 3-eyed goats and a henway.
Mr. Gogbalvck – what´s a henway?
About two pounds.
“Nobody” is not correct. I switched a friend in January in the UK, they ‘lost’ the mini in shipment and charged her credit card and put her to the end of the queue. It is now due in early April with no compensation for their mistake. She was fine about it, but I was furious. :^(
Well, I’m happy to say this is one Kiwi who has got his Mac mini. It is so choice!
Muhahaha!
Nobody is NOT correct. Illegal or not my Mac dealer had me pay 100% deposit in the first week of January. 6-7 weeks later I went into the store and got the deposit credited back to my Visa, because Apple had not even started to build my Mini.
At this point I’ll wait for Tiger and the extra RAM.
Never be a first buyer…always wait.
Citizen X, sorry to disagree with your statement:
“Nobody is correct. That was my first thought, these people have NOT paid for anything. They have ordered, but it is illegal to charge for an item and not ship.”
It may be illegal to charge & not ship where you live, but have a look at the terms of service for Renaissance (http://store.apple.co.nz/public/help/index.php?pg=termsconditions)
And I quote:
Payment
* Your credit card will be charged in full at the time of placing an order. This does not guarantee immediate shipment of your order.
* You cannot cancel payment or make any deductions from any amount you owe us without our prior written consent.
I didn’t expect that my forum post to nzmac.com would generate a story about it, but maybe it will help someone else who is in the same position as I am.
Bandit Bill, did you have much of a hassle getting your money back?
I always thought that if you purchased a build to order through the Apple store that you had to pay up front because the item is customized specifically to your order.
If you look at the legal stuff on http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/salesrefund.html
it says:
Please note that Apple does not permit the return of or offer refunds for the following products:
1.Product that is custom configured to your specifications
2.Opened memory
3.Opened software
4.Electronic software downloads
Its a bit like getting an artist to paint a portrait of yourself and then asking for a refund half way through….
Im sure you would of had to agree to these terms when you ordered, but Apple might let you have a refund if you ask – in an attempt to help salvage the situation and give good customer service!
-Bob