Lucky Mac mini buyer got Snow Leopard disc in the box?

If his story is to be believed (and it seems pretty believable), an anonymous tipster to Engadget Japanese got a nice surprise with his recent Mac mini purchase: a Snow Leopard install disc. It's one of those vanilla hardware-specific install discs, dubbing itself Mac OS version 10.6, and clearly packing the goods if the screenshots don't lie. This only adds confusion to the ship date, which has been listed as August 28th on Apple's online store, dubbed as "September" elsewhere, and obviously been totally disregarded in this specific case. No matter what, it looks like we won't have long to wait. Hit up the read link for a couple of Japanese-infused screencaps.

[Fluidity Posted Aug 22nd 2009 4:19PM]

Perhaps the pirate bay has now moved to hosting at sea and is flying a new flag?

[Cats Posted Aug 22nd 2009 1:17PM]

Interesting build number, since 435 is the dev seed floating around, and there are rumours of 465 (I think it was 465) with the social feature added to Address Book...how exciting- wish it was here already :(

[KarlW Posted Aug 22nd 2009 5:37PM]

I don't see the build number anywhere there.

I don't believe the rumours about build 435. I don't see it on ADC, neither do several other professional developers I know. The mockups of the social networking features seem fake, and it's unusual for Apple to let developers test an AddressBook with Exchange support but leave out social networking. If they're going to let them test the new AddressBook, they're going to let them test it with all the bells and whistles.

People often like to dramatise Apple's secrecy. They only keep the important stuff secret, and social networking support in the OS doesn't fit that bill.

[spin cycle Posted Aug 22nd 2009 7:33PM]

432 is the dev seed I thought.

[Deacon Blues Posted Aug 22nd 2009 1:18PM]

"(Direct link not cause such a sudden discharge does not, you will find now been reported for other areas of the board's time)"

I always knew the Japanese had some weird fetishes, but... Ew.

[dorkboy3000 Posted Aug 22nd 2009 1:36PM]

Just looking at the picture, the .6 in the 10.6 doesn't match up to the font on the rest of the disk. The period is lighter and kind of messed up and the 6 doesnt look like the other 6's. Yes I know it could have been a printing issue, but everything else on the disk looks crisp except the .6.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 22nd 2009 5:28PM]

He could of flipped the 9 in 2009?

[Jay Sathe Posted Aug 22nd 2009 6:00PM]

You are very right..... I call a fake!

[cruncis Posted Aug 22nd 2009 1:54PM]

I put in my order for an "Up To Date" copy for my recently purchased Mac mini. You can get Snow Leopard for $10 shipped if you purchased your Mac on or after June 8th:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate/

[zoran94022 Posted Aug 23rd 2009 3:43AM]

my system is qualified but nothing in cart?

[AndrewT Posted Aug 22nd 2009 1:56PM]

Didn't something like this happen awhile ago with MobileMe or something? I customer got it early but since he posted it, it received a bit of attention and Apple requested whatever he got early to be returned and Apple gave the customer free stuff? I'd expect something similar to happen if this person really does have a 10.6 install disc.

[fikhl Posted Aug 22nd 2009 2:06PM]

Mac Mini is still around?!

[Darrolm Posted Aug 22nd 2009 2:48PM]

I just had to check the backup disc I got with my mac considering it was just delivered yesterday after being shipped on wednesday. It is not Snow Leopard sadly.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 22nd 2009 2:56PM]

Well, that's because Snow Leopard hasn't been released yet.
=]

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 22nd 2009 3:03PM]

Wow, the Apple Store's been a mess lately.

First, they accidentally put up the first generation iPod up for sale. Then they list Snow Leopard as shipping on August 28th, then September, then August 28th, then charge the credit cards of the "Up-To-Date Program" buyers, then refund SOME of them, and don't refund others, instead, telling them that Snow Leopard will ship overnight.

And now someone got Snow Leopard with their new Mac.

What the hell Apple, pull it together.

[Darwin Posted Aug 22nd 2009 6:43PM]

Most of what you said was wrong.

[UK31337 Posted Aug 22nd 2009 3:43PM]

The 6 in "10.6" looks like it's marginally smaller than the other digits.

Maybe I'm not seeing it right but it definitely looks a bit fishy.

[cjschrissouth Posted Aug 22nd 2009 3:51PM]

Look at the Engadget japan link....its got screenshots...yet its still not entirely proof.

[artshark Posted Aug 22nd 2009 3:51PM]

kinda makes sense if you think about it, in the same manner that 7 will be RTM'd before you can buy a retail disk

[nak Posted Aug 22nd 2009 4:02PM]

There is just no way this happened.

I buy a lot of Apple machines, and unfortunately far too many are purchased soon after the release of a new OS X. It typically takes at least a month before the machine specific discs are included (to be fair, there is nothing specific about them other than a hardware id check in the installer). I'd always get "CPU Drop-in" discs for the first several weeks after a major OS X release.

[sjdurfey Posted Aug 22nd 2009 4:30PM]

good translated comment ....

"I wonder why you bad comments like this head.
Elementary school and you?"

[dicobalt Posted Aug 22nd 2009 4:40PM]

The World Wildlife Foundation plans to investigate.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 22nd 2009 4:50PM]

I'm pretty sure it's a fake. If you click the read link, the "Install Mac OS X" icon has a picture of a snow leopard on it, when Apple's official disc looks like this: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC204Z/A.

[Cougarcat Posted Aug 22nd 2009 6:23PM]

That icon was in the latest seed. There were also pics leaked of the packaging which looked the same.

[microlomaniac Posted Aug 23rd 2009 11:11AM]

The install DVDs shipped with Macs are always gray.

[Jigielnik Posted Aug 22nd 2009 5:04PM]

this is one lucky broseph

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 22nd 2009 8:54PM]

Sorry, but HP requires you make your own disc or buy a recovery disc. We do not give free disc's.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 23rd 2009 2:16AM]

And apparently, apart from not giving free "disc's", you decided to swap plural form and possessive form. Reminds me why I don't buy HP machines.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 22nd 2009 5:50PM]

(Writes something negative about Apple and it's mother to get low ranked.)

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 22nd 2009 6:38PM]

Anyone else see the "posted by:" I liked how Ryan Block is writing articles for Engadget Japanese....

[dank414 Posted Aug 23rd 2009 1:17AM]

Yah I wouldn't have noticed this until someone mentioned the "six" on the 10.6. If you look closely you'll notice the tail of the number smaller and touched up funny because there are some blurrage.

The funny thing is they had plenty of 6's in the few lines below.... if it was a photoshopped I don't understand why they couldn't have done this easily.

[pkicq Posted Aug 23rd 2009 3:25AM]

According to Apple, the latest Mac Mini Disc Numbers are:

Mac mini (Early 2009)
Model MB463xx/A D2.0G/1x1GB/120/SD-DL
Model MB464xx/A D2.0G/2x1GB/320/SD-DL
For Mac OS X 10.5.6 (Build 9G2030)
Part number Description
2Z691-6344 DVD Mac mini Install 10.5.6
2Z691-6345 DVD Mac mini Applications Install

[RAD Moose Posted Aug 23rd 2009 3:56AM]

spuɐʇspuɐɥ ƃuıop

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 23rd 2009 3:11PM]

Lucky guy