Apple e-mail weirdness = new iMac, Mac mini?

[TFox]

Long time browser, first time poster.

Last week I ordered a MBP and some software using my wife's educational discount. The MBP shipping had the usual 7-10 day delay; the software had to go through Adobe's somewhat more elaborate verification of educational eligibility, so it was split into two order numbers.

Yesterday, I received this:

To Our Valued Apple Customer:

Apple is pleased to announce the new Mac mini with Intel Core Duo processor. Because your order has not yet shipped, we will automatically send you a new Mac mini at no additional charge.

For up-to-date information on your order, please visit our Order Status website at http://www.apple.com/orderstatus. Once your order is shipped, you can also obtain tracking information on this site.

For more information about the new Mac mini with Intel Core Duo processor, please visit http://www.apple.com/macmini/.

Thank you for choosing Apple.

Sincerely,
Apple Store Customer Support

Note: I didn't order a Mac mini. At the time, I thought two things: (1) "Way cool." (2) "This is definite confirmation they're discontinuing the Mac mini, and they're burning off supply to appease people whose orders are delayed." I was puzzled by the reference to the "new Mac mini with Intel Core Duo processor," but figured that maybe Apple was still touting a year-old product as "new."

Then, today, I received this:

To Our Valued Apple Customer:

You may have received an email from Apple stating that due to a recent product announcement about the iMac or Mac Mini on your order, you will be receiving our newest iMac or Mac Mini at no additional charge. This email was sent in error. We have not recently announced iMacs or Mac Minis, nor is there one on your order. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

We intended to send you a reminder that we are still waiting for your Proof of
Academic Information to confirm your eligibility for our Adobe promotion [blah blah blah].

Again, we apologize for any confusion and look forward to receiving your information.

Now, I think: (1) "Easy come, easy go." (2) "They're about to release a new iMac and Mac mini, and this e-mail was supposed to go out to people who have pending orders to let them know there's a delay in shipping so they'll get the upgraded specs."

But hasn't it been Apple's past practice when transitioning between hardware to "surprise" new owners with upgraded specs without e-mailing them to tell them they've done so? You open the box and say "This was better than I was expecting?"

Anyway, the whole thing was weird, and there are people here who are better at reading these tea leaves than I. Maybe it means nothing. In any event somebody must have gotten their ass chewed for this mistake.

 

[Tara Davis]

Long time browser, first time poster.

Last week I ordered a MBP and some software using my wife's educational discount. The MBP shipping had the usual 7-10 day delay; the software had to go through Adobe's somewhat more elaborate verification of educational eligibility, so it was split into two order numbers.

Yesterday, I received this:



Note: I didn't order a Mac mini. At the time, I thought two things: (1) "Way cool." (2) "This is definite confirmation they're discontinuing the Mac mini, and they're burning off supply to appease people whose orders are delayed." I was puzzled by the reference to the "new Mac mini with Intel Core Duo processor," but figured that maybe Apple was still touting a year-old product as "new."

Then, today, I received this:



Now, I think: (1) "Easy come, easy go." (2) "They're about to release a new iMac and Mac mini, and this e-mail was supposed to go out to people who have pending orders to let them know there's a delay in shipping so they'll get the upgraded specs."

But hasn't it been Apple's past practice when transitioning between hardware to "surprise" new owners with upgraded specs without e-mailing them to tell them they've done so? You open the box and say "This was better than I was expecting?"

Anyway, the whole thing was weird, and there are people here who are better at reading these tea leaves than I. Maybe it means nothing. In any event somebody must have gotten their ass chewed for this mistake.

It may be a boilerplate message from the last time they upgraded the minis that was still floating around in their stack o' form letters.

 

[Dany M]

It may be a boilerplate message from the last time they upgraded the minis that was still floating around in their stack o' form letters.

For Some reason I doubt that alot, that they would accidentally rehash a email that for some reason wasn't deleted.

Can you show us a picture TFox of the first message???

 

[screensaver400]

I concur with Tara. I really doubt that an updated Mac mini at this point would use a Core Duo. If they continue to exist, they will use the Core 2 Duo.

I just reread the OP's comments on the initial Mac mini email, and I think you're reading it wrong. They wouldn't send you a free $599 computer because your order was delayed 10 days. That email would go to some one who purchased the original Core Solo Mac mini, and Apple announced the Core Duo mini before it shipped.

 

[c.joe.go]

not conclusive but indicative

the apple store was down for a short time earlier today. and now there are signs of funny emails turning up.....

i would imagine that apple runs a sophisticated script to automatically send such an email to anyone who orders machines subject to updates. if they are playing with the script preparing to use it in the next week or two, it would make sense that the machines referenced in the emails were old machines, as they have probably not updated any file references in the script. further, if they are planning to release new product, this script would have to be tested to some extent to ensure proper execution.

just a thought.

 

[TFox]

I just reread the OP's comments on the initial Mac mini email, and I think you're reading it wrong. They wouldn't send you a free $599 computer because your order was delayed 10 days. That email would go to some one who purchased the original Core Solo Mac mini, and Apple announced the Core Duo mini before it shipped.

First, it's not that I'm reading it wrong. It says what it says. What you're saying, I gather, is that I should have known it was sent in error, not that I was "reading it wrong." Subtle point, but an important one.

Second, it was the MBP that was delayed 10 days -- perfectly ordinary. But the order number referenced in the first e-mail was for the Adobe product that is more substantially delayed for purposes of the eligibility determination, and it was that delay that was referenced (remember, the e-mail said "Because your order has not yet shipped . . . ."). Still, yes, I thought the offer was weird and excessive at the time. I don't know when the Adobe product will ship. I interpreted the e-mail to mean it may be weeks or months.

Third, keep in mind that when I received the first one, it was a legit e-mail from Apple Support that referenced an actual order number that I had placed THAT DID NOT INCLUDE A MAC MINI, old or new. If you read the first e-mail in that isolation and in that context, concluding that they had accidentally sent me a boilerplate e-mail from September 2006 intended for purchasers of the old mini -- especially when it correctly recounted that my "order has not yet shipped" -- was actually less plausible than concluding it was a goodwill gesture for an open-ended shipping delay on the Adobe product. Did I expect something in compensation for the delay? Absolutely not. Did a Mac mini seem excessive? Absolutely. That's why I prematurely concluded they had been discontinued, and that maybe Apple had low demand and enormous overstock of a $599 model they have not upgraded in 322 days and considered them low in sale value. When the second e-mail arrived referencing the iMac as well, of course it adds context to the first e-mail that makes a free computer seem unlikely. But I didn't have the benefit of that yesterday.

All in all, there is a lot to suggest that the "new" iMac and Mac mini are from 09/06. But it seems really strange to me that Apple would have made two mistakes in one -- the first to trigger an old e-mail from 09/06 ("old boilerplate"), and the second that my order would have triggered an e-mail about the mini at all ("wrong boilerplate"). The "old boilerplate" explanation would only matter to me if I was trying to enforce the offer, and I'm not. The "wrong boilerplate" explanation is what I find interesting, because it's potentially more meaningful to speculation about an impending product release. And I said it may all mean nothing. If both the "old boilerplate" and "wrong boilerplate" explanations are simultaneously correct, you're right. If only the latter is, well, it could mean something.

I'll try to get a screenshot of the e-mail, but since it was sent to my Gmail account I'll have to find some kind of image editing software on my computer here at work to redact the shot of the browser window. No offense, but I don't particularly feel like posting my home address.

 

[imac/cheese]

I concur with Tara. I really doubt that an updated Mac mini at this point would use a Core Duo. If they continue to exist, they will use the Core 2 Duo.

I just reread the OP's comments on the initial Mac mini email, and I think you're reading it wrong. They wouldn't send you a free $599 computer because your order was delayed 10 days. That email would go to some one who purchased the original Core Solo Mac mini, and Apple announced the Core Duo mini before it shipped.

That is exactly what I thought when I read the original post. I was thinking, "Why did they send out such an old email?"

 

[thesdx]

i would imagine that apple runs a sophisticated script to automatically send such an email to anyone who orders machines subject to updates. if they are playing with the script preparing to use it in the next week or two, it would make sense that the machines referenced in the emails were old machines, as they have probably not updated any file references in the script. further, if they are planning to release new product, this script would have to be tested to some extent to ensure proper execution.

just a thought.

Interesting. Here's what I think it is. This script was in use when the Mac Mini Core Duo was announced. Recently, they must have updated the script. That's why the store was down. They were updating it for whatever new products will be introduced. They may have made a mistake in the script which caused it to accidentally send out this email.

Just a thought.

 

[netdog]

It wasn't old boilerplate. Since the Intel transition, there hasn't been a co-release of new iMacs and Minis.

THE NEW MINI IS COMING IN AUGUST!!!!

 

[number9]

Doesn't seem to indicate anything...

I really do not think that this is indicative of a pending Mac mini or iMac update.

Look at it this way: The second email said that you may have received an email saying that you would be sent a new Mac mini or iMac, and that that was a mistake because there are not any new versions of either and because you didn't actually order one. The fact that they mentioned iMac and mini simultaneously doesn't mean they're releasing new models of both, but rather that whatever error caused your first email to be sent out resulted in some people getting the canned mini email and some people getting the canned iMac email. It was one error that merely had two variations.

The fact that your specific order number was referenced even though it was not for a mini or an iMac probably doesn't mean anything either. The message you got first and what other people presumably received are automated and just insert the arbitrary order number in for a placeholder. Some bug, or a user error, resulted in scripts for the old Core Duo mini letter and Core 2 Duo iMac letter to be sent out to some set of random order numbers.

I do believe that there will be new iMacs in the coming months, and possibly minis, but I don't think this email bug is any indication of that. I'm certainly not bashing on anyone, but its just how I interpreted the emails.

 

[Tara Davis]

It wasn't old boilerplate. Since the Intel transition, there hasn't been a co-release of new iMacs and Minis.

THE NEW MINI IS COMING IN AUGUST!!!!

Um... The iMac is not mentioned anywhere in that message, it only comes up in the correction.

Like I said, old boilerplate from the Intel mini release.

 

[TFox]

Look at it this way: The second email said that you may have received an email saying that you would be sent a new Mac mini or iMac, and that that was a mistake because there are not any new versions of either and because you didn't actually order one.

A very minor point in an otherwise agreeable post: The second e-mail did not say "there are not any new versions of either." What it said was "[w]e have not recently announced iMacs or Mac Minis . . . ." The difference is pregnant with slightly more possibilities.

However, I now tend to agree more with the naysayers. I guess I was so blinded by admiration for Apple's customer service after the first e-mail that I couldn't fathom that they would have made two significant mistakes in the same e-mail!

 

[phalewhale]

Did I expect something in compensation for the delay? Absolutely not. Did a Mac mini seem excessive? Absolutely.

Wait until that gorgeous new MBP finds it's way to your door. When you find that the new LED screen is an absolute joke, you'll be wishing they had sent you a mac mini to compensate...

Jokes aside, good luck with your new MBP. I had 4 and NONE of the new LED screens were any good for me. Bottom half of the screen was darker than the top and after the first reboot, stuck dead pixels appeared - EACH TIME! Oh, and there was a yellowish tint there too.

Sorry to sound so negative folks - just a real bad experience on my part. The Apple store were great though.

 

[mathwhiz90601]

It may be a boilerplate message from the last time they upgraded the minis that was still floating around in their stack o' form letters.

Maybe they need to get rid of their stock of form letters for when they get new, upgraded form letters?

 

[kevinbal]

Wait until that gorgeous new MBP finds it's way to your door. When you find that the new LED screen is an absolute joke, you'll be wishing they had sent you a mac mini to compensate...

Jokes aside, good luck with your new MBP. I had 4 and NONE of the new LED screens were any good for me. Bottom half of the screen was darker than the top and after the first reboot, stuck dead pixels appeared - EACH TIME! Oh, and there was a yellowish tint there too.

Sorry to sound so negative folks - just a real bad experience on my part. The Apple store were great though.

That's too bad, my fiance and I both ordered the new 2.2 Ghz 15" matte finish and both are amazing little products. Aside from the kernel panics with certain routers on battery power, nothing else has gone wrong and the screen is absolutely amazing.

Back to the original post, I concur that they are messing with some script... and to the poster above, the last time both the iMac and Mac Mini were speed bumped, it was on the same day, 326 days ago. So that is false that Apple hasn't upgraded both machines at the same time.

I think we are seeing new models for both either next week or the following. Since I need a mini, I hope that is the case