Apple scotches pre-Xmas Mac desktop revamp rumour
No more updates in 2008, says spokesman
Apple has confirmed it has now refreshed all the product lines it's going to revamp this year.
The Mac maker doesn't usually comment on rumours, but this week a spokesman broke ranks and told Macworld magazine that the iMac and Mac Mini will not be updated between now and the end of the year, contradicting speculation to the contrary.
As we noted last week, Apple's annual launch schedule kicks off with CEO Steve Jobs' Macworld Expo keynote early in January, and it's there that we expect news of a Mac Mini revamp, if any.
The Mini was designed as an easy lure for Windows users tempted to switch to Mac OS X. But with the increasing demand for notebooks, Apple's real switcher bait is really the new metal Macbook now.
That said, in today's chilly economic climate, a revitalised Mini may be useful for attracting switchers put off by the Macbook's price. Though Jobs has said the company is not chasing the kind of consumer who's only interested in low-cost kit.
A bigger part of Jobs' keynote is likely to be new Mac Pro desktops based on Intel's almost-released Core i7 processors, based on the new 'Nehalem' microarchitecture, performance evaluated here.
Apple MacBook Reviews
Late 2008 MacBook Pro
Late 2008 aluminium MacBook
COMMENTS
It's not that tough to figure out. . . .
Seems simple enough to understand. Rumor of upgraded products before Xmas could potentially cause buyers to wait for the upgrade before ordering. Since they know this could have an effect Apple dispells the rumor so people will not erroneously wait for a non-existent upgrade. Common sense, right?
No, wait, let's see how the Apple hating Reg readers twist the analysis of this easy to understand event into an "Apple is evil" scenario. . . . . . How predictable.
Odd timing....
this. The student offer of a free Nano with a Macbook or iMac finished on Friday. I for one dithered over taking up the offer (of an iMac) as I'd heard the rumours of a mid November upgrade.
Why deny the rumour now? Seems like a bit of a cock up.
Bummer
I need to buy one and I don't know if I can wait till January.
Lo-Cost Kit
"Though Jobs has said the company is not chasing the kind of consumer who's only interested in low-cost kit."
Anyone who's ever been into an Apple store knows this already.
Any store that charges £20 for a pack of iPod "socks" (my gf wanted one for her mobile - until she saw the price tag!) is definitely not chasing anyone who has any sort of financial sense. All the peripherals seemed vastly overpriced, even when compared to other high street retailers (WH Smith are cheaper for CD-Rs, which says a lot!)
