Apple Mac Mini Limited Memory options

[easywind]

Jan 24,2005 :confused:
Has anyone been able to purchase a 512Mb or 1GB Mac Mini at a any Local Apple Store. The ones I contacted prior to 1/21/05 cliamed only 256MB Standard was for Sale Locally. Now, Today 1/24/05
I read this post bellow:

Please feel free to go there at:
http://www.ifoapplestore.com/
Jan 22,2005
Here is the first photo of the Nagoya Sakae (Japan) retail store, which opened at 5 p.m. (PST) this evening. There was an overnight waiting line of 30 persons in near-freezing temperatures. The store is designed like other high-profile stores: two stories, glass staircase, Genius Bar on the second floor, kids section, etc. Download the store brochure (pdf) for some additional information.

Both the Mac Mini and the iPod shuffle (512 Mb and 1 Gb) are on display and will be for sale at the Nagoya Sakae store.

In fact, at the press event the entire store staff was wearing an iPod shuffle around their neck.

[Luca]

The 512 MB or 1 GB is only referring to the iPod shuffle. I think the Apple store does allow you to install more RAM right off the bat, in the store, but maybe with the huge demand for minis, they're restricting them to the base 256 MB if you buy them in a store. If you order online you can increase the memory.

[easywind]

Jan 25,2005

Yes Luca, I can see that now ! Thanx again.
However after doing some first hand research (going to a local apple store) I found that, yes indeed Apple is only shipping 256Mb Mac Mini.
Why so ?, when you can config @ the online Apple Store, either model with 512MB or 1 Gig, by the way- as you know, the 1 Gig will cost an additional $349.00 atop the unit price and then tax atop of all that.

Additionally, the buck wont stop there...If you go top the Apple Store they claim Apple only sends them 256Mb units, thats no to bad !, but then they want an additional $75- a total of $150 to sell you a model with 512MB installed. They tell you, " we will give you the 256MB chip back after we replace it with a 512 one.
Then I discover the spare 256 chip a DDR333 SDRAM will not fit in anything except the G5s.

So, your stuck with a Ram chip that has no place to go...E-WASTE !!!
Then again, if your willing to let Apple do it's DATA MINING ONLINE, you may upgrade for onlyb $75.00 and they keep the 256chip. So, why is it that the online Apple Store offers the same upgrade as the Local Apple Store, but the local Apple Store Charges you for the 256MB chip, or they can call it a simple labor charge. Apple wants PC users to switch, but they get stuck with the larger price tag if the go to their Local Apple Store.

Surely Apple knows that demand for the 512 chip will be greater than the standard 256, and even less demand for the 1-Gig chip.

...And now a word from our man on the scene: Our man on the scene recently went to a Local Apple Store, where the sales man told him that the 256mb was soldered on the Mac Mini Mother Board, so if we sell you another 256 chip you get 512mb. Our man on the scene was delighted, he asked, "So, if I buy a 512 chip installed in the single Ram slot, I'll have 768MB great !!
Another salesman steps in quickly, and he says "oh no, thats all wrong !" The Mac Mini has only one slot and it's filled with the 256mb chip."

So when you look at spending almost $180 more for a 512 chip, w/tax, you may think twice. So looking at the cost, for the 1.42Gig model with 512mb installed at the Local Store you come close to $804.00, buying Online at the Apple Store would cost $674.00 plus Tax, no shipping charges.

But the Apple Store Online only takes Credit Cards,Bank Cashiers Checks and Bank Wire Transfers, but you save almost $200.

But who wants to trust laying out that kind of money and waiting 3 weeks to a month, and trust that the UPS system will not damage this small little Box.

So, allow apple to mine your DATA online with your Credit Card, home address and other sensitive personal information and save $200, or go to a Local Apple Store and leave with Mac Mini in hand, and pay the extra $200.00

I for one think it's an outrage for the local Aple store to charge you double for the same thing the online store will do for 1/2 that cost. I would also like to mention, that when I took the 1.25gig 40gig Hard Drive , I found some intresting facts. For one thing with the full iLife05 package installed on a 40Gig drive, there was close to 36gigs of space on the drive left.

Secondly, there is no option to buy a 1.25gig Mac Mini with a 80gig Drive, so here we see clearly Apples stratergy. Buy a 1.25 with a 40gig Drive and with all the included applications you only have 1/3 of the space left for saving movies or burning Music, and or adding other personal applications !

[Paul]

eh... wtf?
1/3 the space?
you can get an 80 gig drive upgrade for $50 online...
whats the big deal about ordering online?

[Messiahtosh]

Apple drops BTO Mac mini prices
January 25 - 12:58 EST** Apple has quietly cut prices on build-to-order (BTO) components for its new Mac mini. The company is now offering the Bluetooth and AirPort Extreme wireless option for US$99 (was $129), the 1GB DDR333 SDRAM upgrade for $325 (was $475), and the 80GB ultra ATA hard drive upgrade for $50 (was $80). Apple is also now listing an 8x SuperDrive option instead of the previous 4x model for the same $100 cost.

[sunrain]

Apple drops BTO Mac mini prices
January 25 - 12:58 EST** Apple has quietly cut prices on build-to-order (BTO) components for its new Mac mini. The company is now offering the Bluetooth and AirPort Extreme wireless option for US$99 (was $129), the 1GB DDR333 SDRAM upgrade for $325 (was $475), and the 80GB ultra ATA hard drive upgrade for $50 (was $80). Apple is also now listing an 8x SuperDrive option instead of the previous 4x model for the same $100 cost.

That's unusually sensible of them. Excellent.

[Crusader]

Wow, I wonder what inspired the sudden price dropage?

[psmith2.0]

easywind's post above?




:p

[easywind]

Jan 25,2005 12:16pm PST.
Well Folks it just gets thicker and thicker. Before today I could not choose the option of a larger Hard Drive in the Online Store. So I went to a Local Online Store, when I configured the Mac Mini it only charged $75 for the 512Ram option and $50 for the 80gig drive. So then I contacted the Local Store and they said the price adjustments are not added when you shop at the Local Online Store....In other words, WYSINWYG, What You See Is Not What You Get !!
They said it would be a total of $150.00 to upgrade to 512MB, and they are not able to upgrade the Hard Drive-even so, that their Local Store Online allows you that option.

My wager is Apple will eventually ship a custome 512MB to the Local Apple Stores, and it will only cost (same as the online Apple Store price) $75.00
extra.

It makes sence because they will sell more 512Mb then they will 256mb
I also see some one time specials (available only online) comming in the spring, thats once the dust settles from all the Hoopala surrounding the Mac Mini.

When Apple see's sales start to level off, it's then and only then, will it allow certain configurations to be sold at the standard price.
This is a sales tactic we have seen in the past.

Lets hope for everyones sake that Apple see's the light !!

easywind ;)

[bastard]

imacs ram also got cheaper :-)