Apple chimes in to debunk those Mac mini / iMac rumors

There was a day during an age not far removed from our memory in which Apple would remain dead silent on any murmuring going on regarding its wares -- clearly, that day has passed. In a rather unprecedented move, an actual spokesman named Bill Evans emerged from the Cupertino cocoon in order to put to rest all those wildly speculative rumors going on about new iMacs and / or Mac minis. Quite frankly, he uttered that "[Apple's] holiday line-up is set." Our take? This move is likely being made in order to assure prospective holiday shoppers that buying now is "safe," and that new gear isn't just weeks / days / nanoseconds away. C'mon, you know a well-oiled machine like Apple doesn't want all sorts of about-to-be-outdated Mac inventory clogging its supply chain when Macworld rolls around, don'tcha?

[Via CNET]

[Zinger314 @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:23PM]

Apple is the 21st century equivalent of Big Brother.

[Dean @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:26PM]

...you haven't read 1984 have you?

[Zinger314 @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:56PM]

No, but I saw the reality TV show! :D

[Wormbolt @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:26PM]

War is Peace
Hate is Love
Lack of Functionality is a Feature

[GoCarnivore @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:25PM]

Does this mean I can finally afford an Apple product after 17 years?

[Alex @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:40PM]

Nope. Not yet.

[Mark.Nine @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:06PM]

Depends. Will you be paying for one with food stamps?

[Peter @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:29PM]

I still think they're going to have a spec upgrade for the mac mini sometime soon.

[RyanTV @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:16PM]

I sure hope so. I've been waiting to buy a MacMini to use as a media center for like 8 months now. its been so long since they upgraded the thing. It would be a real shame if they killed it off.

[nerdtalker @ Nov 4th 2008 12:26AM]

Don't you remember? Steve already forgot the Mac Mini. There's really no point even mentioning the thing, so long as customers are forced into the higher price point macbooks. In all honesty, it's a much more sound business model, and the entry macbook is (admittedly) a good deal.

[Randy @ Nov 5th 2008 10:15AM]

You'll Likely hear about it at Macworld in Feb. Apple doesn't usually drop new products outside trade events.

[holycow @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:35PM]

Mac Mini either gets upgraded or gets killed!

[matt @ Nov 6th 2008 3:51AM]

killed hahahah

[digitallysick @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:36PM]

Mac mini and power pc are the bastard apple children. Forgot about

[CraigJ @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:46PM]

They didn't forget the Power PC based Macs. They killed them.

[matt merritt @ Nov 4th 2008 12:04AM]

Now Craig, lets be fair...

The PowerPC processor wasn't killed off, it was quietly given up for adoption and taken into the Xbox's quaint foster home.

[Valicore @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:39PM]

That's Apple's way of saying: "Happy Holidays, bitches! Oh! And you're welcome!"

[Atropos @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:39PM]

That Mini is seriously pathetic. Give the fucking thing an overhaul! What would that take, like, a WEEK out of the lives of two Apple engineers? Good Lord.

[L8on @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:50PM]

agreed. I feel like its there just to be able to say they have a low end machine. I don't think they have any intentions at the moment for it to be a top-seller.

[nerdtalker @ Nov 4th 2008 12:32AM]

I don't think they have any intentions to sell any at all.

At any given time, it only makes sense to buy the latest-refreshed apple hardware. Right now, it's the macbooks/mbp. Everything else is kind of on-hold.

[michas_pi @ Nov 4th 2008 1:28AM]

It would take them three weeks to decide what existing features to remove.

[cranium @ Nov 4th 2008 10:33AM]

I read somewhere recently that the Mac Mini was the 3rd highest selling Mac. So maybe Apple isn't upgrading it because its still selling well. besides, if you make it too powerful it will cannibalize iMac sales.

[Rollins @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:51PM]

Well, wasn't that nice of them. I guess?

[CraigJ @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:09PM]

In my book, yes. Firstly, these types of rumors have a tendency to drive up the stock price, which then takes a dump when they don't materialize. Secondly, if people actually are in the market for one of these, it's nice to know that it won't be obsolete at least until January. Anyone that is buying a computer should expect almost immediate obsolescence, regardless of the manufacturer. A 3 month window is actually kind of large.

It is a bit self serving, but given the state of the economy and the predictions for this holiday season I don't blame them for proactively announcing (non-announcing?) this. It's kind of hard to get pissed off at a company for telling the truth.

[grull27 @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:04PM]

Thank god they didn't lower the price. I would have been pissed because i bought an iMac in August.

[2fast4u2fast4u @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:24PM]

Does it really matter! You rich republicans! Don't want to share the good stuff....

[E. Leigh @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:47PM]

I am a poor, conservative Republican :D. If only I didn't have to pay for my student loans plus other people's mortgages.

@grull27
I, too, hate it when I buy something and then they lower the price - I totally understand your thankfulness.

[E. Leigh @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:14PM]

Apple was on the right track with the Mac Mini, but I think the whole netbook idea might have killed it. I really thought when the Mini came out that the likes of a netbook-type computer was in the works (I dreamed of a smaller form-factor PC long before ASUS came out with the Eee, so I really thought apple was onto something when it came out). However, the specs were ridiculous even for the time in which was released. I think they might have missed out really developing the Mac Mini - best stick with a netbook that's AFFORDABLE.

Sadly, affordable isn't in the Dictionary of Mac Terms. Such a bummer - I would totally put one of the Pros right next to my Thinkpad T61. Mmmm, digital media editing goodness...

[Joseph Moore @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:21PM]

Apple keeps the mini alive not for home users, but for the myriad of embedded/industrial/enterprise/education (think kiosks, casinos, digital signage, POS/POP, etc.) purposes that it serves really well. You'd be amazed at how many applications are Mac Mini powered behind-the-scenes.

Sure a spec bump would be nice, but it's the form factor and OS X that make it "just work".

[nerdtalker @ Nov 4th 2008 12:29AM]

That, and being a generation behind even the old macbooks in terms of CPU/Chipset. Honestly.

Stick an atom in there, pull an MSI wind desktop, throw OS X on it, entry it at $299, even $349, and you've got a Mac Mini winner. That's what people want. OSX86 runs on Atom hardware like a charm, almost with no editing at all. Why can't apple do it?

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:33PM]

There is no mac mini at all. Apple has already sent out many letters to retailers saying not to expect any more mac minis. So I think this could be the last time we see mac minis after Christmas. And that's 100% true because the actual apple letter not to expect any more and NOT to Lower Mac mini prices. Which is bad because its the only apple computer I would consider buying.

[Backlin @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:47PM]

We need to go back to Apple keeping a lot of secrets.

[Dan @ Nov 3rd 2008 11:53PM]

I'm having visions of Apple having a press secretary in the near future.

[duke @ Nov 4th 2008 12:15AM]

Apple Store is down!!!!

[Taylor @ Nov 4th 2008 12:46AM]

He's right.
I doubt it's a new product though.

[allenvanhellen @ Nov 4th 2008 12:40AM]

I hope they still have firewire ports! I don't understand how Firewire has fallen so quickly out of fashion, with all those DV camcorders out there, not to mention audio recording boxes, etc...

[Ixon @ Nov 4th 2008 12:48AM]

Forget about the Mac-Mini... It'll never see an update. It's existence is purely just so they can say "well the mini is an option" to those who complain about their overpriced hardware.

They don't want it to be a good seller or a seller at all.. Why push something that's $600 bucks when you can push a $1100 dollar, $3000 dollar laptop/desktop machine?

Screw Apple, I'd pirate their OS and go to one of there shows and sit in the front row playing with OS X on some fucking crappie Acer machine just to get the shit stirred. It'd be fun to eject the disk and throw it like a frizzbie at Steve Jobs head, I hope I hit him between the eyes.

Oh and just one more thing.. Turtle neck are gay...

[MarbleMind @ Nov 4th 2008 4:59AM]

Quite amazing how a comment that's very good in the first half can succumb into utter suckiness in the second. And it's a bummer too.

Why the hatred? No one forces you to buy any Apple product. And being a homophobe much?

[Zachariah @ Nov 4th 2008 2:08AM]

Y'all with the potty mouths need to knock it off. There are children that read this site, and they don't need to be subjected to all the four-letter words. That sort of trash talking, while your opinions are fine to express if done so appropriately, is highly uncalled for. It matters not the subject matter, nor your credentials - an eloquent speaking ne'er do well could have a far more meaningful spiel and be thought more of than a potty-mouthed person of quality otherwise.

Even a fool is thought wise...

"...if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue."
-Proverbs 17:28

[Kelmon @ Nov 4th 2008 3:41AM]

Normally I'd agree with the sentiment but this seems to be quite a clean article so far. I'd also suggest that children probably don't read this site and that they also hear far worse at home, on the TV and at school.

I'll also note that your attempt at poetic prose at the end of your first paragraph does not make sense. If you are going to use terms like "ne'er" (which means "never", incidentally) then please use it appropriately. If you consider people's use of language to be inappropriate then I would suggest that you use terminology that they are likely to understand else the meaning of what you are saying will be lost. Remember, this is a blog on the Internet, not an English language classroom. English is also not the first language of everyone here.

[MarbleMind @ Nov 4th 2008 5:02AM]

Amen, father...

[francisco @ Nov 4th 2008 2:21AM]

well its Monday nov 3 11:20pm and the apple store is down so something is going on.

[tketch @ Nov 4th 2008 2:48AM]

You know what's actually pretty sad? After reading your comment I OBVIOUSLY had to go look and see if it was really down.

You sly devil you.

[Glenn @ Nov 4th 2008 4:34AM]

Wait, so Engadget even keeps us up to date on things that aren't going to exist now?

[Andy Polaine @ Nov 4th 2008 5:05AM]

Bill Evans was a jazz pianist who died in 1980. I wouldn't believe a word of it.

[Roark @ Dec 21st 2008 2:51AM]

whoa, brainiac!!!!

Yea, there was a brilliant Jazz Pianist with the name Bill Evans... who died.

There is also a rather famous Jazz Saxophonist named Bill Evans, who is still alive.

I am not a betting man generally, but I would bet a buck or two that there is probably more then a half dozen people named Bill Evans IN YOUR HOMETOWN!!!! Quit wasting our time on your pointless drivel or incredibly lame attempt at humor, or teaching us some Jazz History Lesson.

I can't even believe I am wasting my time replying to such a stupid blog remark. The Late Great Dead Bill Evans is the Apple Corporate Spokesman, so it must not be true....

The end of the world must be near. Idiots Blogging, Cats and Dogs Living Together, MASS CHAOS!!!

[Jash Sayani @ Nov 4th 2008 8:28AM]

The new products will only be announced after the old stock is sold, like they did with the iPhones... They surely dont want a stock a old Macs lying around....

But I'd still buy the old iMac if the price difference is good enough.....

[thedesolate1 @ Nov 4th 2008 10:47AM]

I don't think they would refresh the iMacs so soon because that would drive the price down of the current ones. The screen alone on the 24" would cost an arm and a leg thanks to the demand for faster response times for gamers and non graphics professionals and for cheaper TN displays..... it is difficult to find a very good 24" S-ips monitor at a good price (Read: Nec, Eizo). They are a dying breed and it's a shame. I had been holding back on buying an iMac but now Im gonna have to take the plunge. Does any1 know if these things get significantly reduced prices on black friday?

[Ixon @ Nov 4th 2008 3:09PM]

@ MarbleMind

It's not hatred, I like Steve Jobs.. I just like to sprinkle some funny mild violence on the situation. Turn on a TV, it's all the rage now..

LOL! Kids won't be reading this site.. Trust me.. Besides if there are the odd like 1% of children on here, they hear a lot worse at school, on TV and at home. My 4 year old nephew already knows all about getting down with girls, thanks to his school classmates.. Gimme a break.. lmfao.

[stuart @ Nov 4th 2008 5:52PM]

So looks like your Christmas gifts will all be a generation behind. I would be disappointed to get any Apple desktop product this holiday because I know i7 is out in the wild.