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Analyst Sees Slower Sales of Mac mini and High-End iPods

Analyst Sees Slower Sales of Mac mini and High-End iPods

by , 5:20 PM EDT, May 17th, 2005

MarketWatch reported on Tuesday that Thomas Wiesel Partners analyst Kevin Hunt is telling clients that sales of the Mac mini and high-end iPods "have slowed down considerably."

Hunt wrote: ""Our checks suggest Mac Mini sales are somewhat slow, as consumers realize that price including monitor is no bargain." However, he continues to see strong demand for the G5 iMac, the new PowerBooks and the iPod mini and iPod shuffle. Hunt is maintaining his Peer Perform rating on the stock, with a range of US$26 to $38.

When requested, a Thomas Wiesel Partners media spokeswoman refused to provide the complete report to media outlets.


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Observer Comments

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Close Name:Guest
Subject: Apple needs to decide what to do with the mini

Is it the new iHome? Or a cheap upgrade for a user who an't come up with more than $500.00? Best Buy sure isn't marketing it, it looks awful, is slow and looks like any other PC due to the monitor they put with it. It has great potential as an iHome device, but Apple hasn't given any direction to that, so the masses wander arond waiting. As long as I'm ranting. how abot telling the world abot OS X like you do the iPod and used to do for the iMovie?

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Apple needs to decide what to do with the mini

Is it the new iHome? Or a cheap upgrade for a user who an't come up with more than $500.00? Best Buy sure isn't marketing it, it looks awful, is slow and looks like any other PC due to the monitor they put with it. It has great potential as an iHome device, but Apple hasn't given any direction to that, so the masses wander arond waiting. As long as I'm ranting. how abot telling the world abot OS X like you do the iPod and used to do for the iMovie?

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Sorry for the double post

...hope I didn't spit on anyone. : )

Close Name:Bookman Posts: 543 Joined: 22 Apr 2002
Subject:

In other news, today's top 40 hits won't be the top 40 hits of 2006. Every dog has his day.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Brilliant

They also believe the Hindenburg is a great idea and everyone should buy stock in it.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Check Amazon's Top Sellers, Folks

http://tinyurl.com/8tja6

As I post this Macs are the top five sellers, and seven of the top 10. This list is updated every hour, and Apple has been capturing most of the top 5 and 10 slots for months now. Right now the "poor mac mini" is in the #6 slot with 4 iMacs and a G5 ahead of it, but it often zooms up to # 1 or 2 or 3.

BTW, in terms of sales this is a *good* thing; the iMacs and G5s have higher price points and better margins.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Dumb

The point of the Mini for switchers is to reuse their PC monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It ain't pretty but they should mond too much, since they bought an ugly PC in the first place. This is what makes the Mini an inexpensive option for people looking to move up into the world of Mac.

Stupid anal-yst.

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
Is it the new iHome? Or a cheap upgrade for a user who an't come up with more than $500.00? Best Buy sure isn't marketing it, it looks awful, is slow and looks like any other PC due to the monitor they put with it. It has great potential as an iHome device, but Apple hasn't given any direction to that, so the masses wander arond waiting. As long as I'm ranting. how abot telling the world abot OS X like you do the iPod and used to do for the iMovie?


You actually believe what this analyst has to say? Have you learned nothing yet? These guys are bozos who know nothing. He checked what, six people? Out of thousands of selling loications worldwide?

Close Name:jhonka Posts: 77 Joined: 05 Sep 2003
Subject: wel...

I've pretty much tuned out analysts completely, because so many of them go off of nothing a lot of the time, it seems. And I agree with the person above who linked to the Amazon top sellers. The Mac has been able to sustain positions in the top ten on those lists for months now.

View Name:RealityCheck -   Troll Posts: 392 Joined: 06 May 2004
Subject: Mac Mini - The New Mac Cube
Close Name:Guest
Subject: Great Link RC

I usually ignore RC, but that link was actually pretty funny. Nice subtle satire. Makes me wonder about RC if he posts links like that...

Close Name:coaten Posts: 3071 Joined: 10 Oct 2001
Subject:

Quote
RealityCheck wrote:
The Mac mini is an underpowered overpriced nonupgradeable toy with a slow cheesy disk drive that fails with alarming frequency. Expect the Mac mini to be joining the Mac cube in the dustbin of Mac history. Check the facts:
http://www.divisiontwo.com/articles/MacMini2.html


"For example, there is no Outlook Express for email, but Apple includes a program called Mail, which is like a stripped-down email client that can’t execute scripts or open attachments without user intervention"

This is a bad thing?

What a dumbass.

An Apple product reviewed by an MCSE. Whaddya expect? Might as well ask Mike Tyson to review the latest Germaine Greer book.

"In fact, it took our techs about fifteen minutes before we realized the unit itself was operating normally and it was the monitor that was not plugged in properly."

ROFL

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Once again you prove nothing

RealityCheck writes:

"The Mac mini is an underpowered overpriced nonupgradeable toy with a slow cheesy disk drive that fails with alarming frequency. Expect the Mac mini to be joining the Mac cube in the dustbin of Mac history. Check the facts:
http://www.divisiontwo.com/articles/MacMini2.html"

So "opinion" posted on a Windowscentric web site are "facts?"

You really need to get a life. In a few years. when you are old enough to enlist, go down to the Marine Corp recruiter, they will make an adult out of you.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: http://www.divisiontwo.com/articles/MacMini2.html"

Guys & Gals, its a parady of Paul Thurrott article. Very subtle windoze bashing.

Hence "When I consider that a good deal of my time is spent running applications like Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk, Norton AV, Windows Update and Ad-Aware--none of which are available for the Mac platform--it doesn't make sense for me to "switch" to a Mac at this time."

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

"It turns out the Mini uses a weird kind of display connector on the back that requires a special adapter if you want to plug it into a PC monitor. We used a 15” Compaq VGA display."

Weird display connector? Guess they havent seen a dvi port before.

Quote
Guest wrote:
RealityCheck writes:

"The Mac mini is an underpowered overpriced nonupgradeable toy with a slow cheesy disk drive that fails with alarming frequency. Expect the Mac mini to be joining the Mac cube in the dustbin of Mac history. Check the facts:
http://www.divisiontwo.com/articles/MacMini2.html"

So "opinion" posted on a Windowscentric web site are "facts?"

You really need to get a life. In a few years. when you are old enough to enlist, go down to the Marine Corp recruiter, they will make an adult out of you.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Is this satirical???

Jorge Lopez is a DeVry graduate with an MCSE certification and is currently the Chief Software Reviewer at Divisiontwo.com's Technology Insider.

/'nuff said

Close Name:coaten Posts: 3071 Joined: 10 Oct 2001
Subject:

Oh RC, I fell for that one. Now I realise. Silly sensitive me.

This guy's review is so cleverly written I failed to feel his tongue in my mouth, pressing ever so caressingly against my cheek.

I'm so embarassed that I missed it the first time.

He must love the Mac mini. Nobody could be so ignorant without realising it, unless he chooses to prefer to not know what he doesn't know.

I now take his work as a glowing endorsement.

Safari fails to render MSN properly? Oh, that's priceless.

ROFL.

Perhaps the Academy of Motion Arts and Science could get him to write the next opener for the Oscars?

Close Name:coaten Posts: 3071 Joined: 10 Oct 2001
Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
Jorge Lopez is a DeVry graduate with an MCSE certification and is currently the Chief Software Reviewer at Divisiontwo.com's Technology Insider.

/'nuff said


Yeah.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: feel free to communicate with Kevin Hunt

Name: Kevin Hunt, CFA
Contact: khunt@tweisel.com - 617.488.4162

http://www.tweisel.com/twpds?__fwdtourl__=/research/ShowBio.jsp?id=166

Close Name:jacrav Posts: 268 Joined: 04 Jul 2001
Subject: Thanks RC :)

Very good, fun reading. This guy is hilarious. One good line, also, was: "Hold a Mini in one hand and four quarters in the other and tell me which one feels heavier. You could perform this experiment yourself at an Apple store." The seeming confusion of the mini's advertizing with the shuffle's is GOOD.
Also, spending most of his time emailing vbscripts to his buddies …
The whole thing is priceless !
Too bad many windows-using readers won't realize this is a hoax …

By the way, Happy (belated) Anniversary, RC. Already a whole year … time flies !

Close Name:les aptt Posts: 221 Joined: 19 Nov 2003
Subject:

Allow me to also extend my thanks to you, RC. The other Trolls both here and on the web at large would benefit (as would we all) from studying your posts. I know I have.

If nothing else RC, at least you know a good joke when you read it.

Close Name:Mace Posts: 9604 Joined: 07 Aug 2003
Subject:

Unit sale of iPod in 2002:

Q1: 125k
Q2: 57k
Q3: 54k

Hmm ... Apple should discontinue iPod, sale has been dropping.

Mac mini is being marketed like iPod. There is something not in place yet.

Close Name:Staggie Posts: 21 Joined: 06 May 2004
Subject: Even better.....

The review site also has a picture of the new Powerbook G5--it's fantastic!

http://www.divisiontwo.com/articles/appleweek1.html

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

"RealityCheck wrote:
The Mac mini is an underpowered overpriced nonupgradeable toy with a slow cheesy disk drive that fails with alarming frequency. Expect the Mac mini to be joining the Mac cube in the dustbin of Mac history. Check the facts:
http://www.divisiontwo.com/articles/MacMini2.html"

Sorry, Reality Check, but it looks like you're so wrapped up in blind Microsoft worship that you'll even call a comedy piece factual if it says something bad about Apple. And make no mistake, that article IS a comedy piece. Take a look at another hard-hitting Division Two article:

http://www.divisiontwo.com/articles/barbieOS.htm

Check the facts? It's a parady website, Reality Check. There's no facts to check.

As for the Mini, I'm sorry again, but it's more than fast enough for doing serious work, like multimedia editing. Unlike most Windows PC toys, it's main function isn't playing games. The failures were due to a defect in some of Seagate's harddrives, and there have been very few reported cases of them. You lose harder than usual.

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
"RealityCheck wrote:
The Mac mini is an underpowered overpriced nonupgradeable toy with a slow cheesy disk drive that fails with alarming frequency. Expect the Mac mini to be joining the Mac cube in the dustbin of Mac history. Check the facts:
http://www.divisiontwo.com/articles/MacMini2.html"

It looks like I'll be wrapping myself up in Microsoft packaging. That will be a hilarious comedy piece if I do that. And make no mistake, I will do that, by breaking in Microsoft's warehouse, Division Two.

Check the funny papers, there's a picture of a Mini, I'm sorry again, but it's multimedia editing that makes Macs failures due to a defect in some of Apple's multimedia harddrives, and their processors as well. I lose more than usual.

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

Awww, boo hoo, are mean people laughing at Reality Check for being even more of a clueless Windows zombie than usual? It's a good thing you're coming to his rescue. I mean, imagine if you didn't. His credibility might take a hit...

Close Name:Biff Posts: 1479 Joined: 08 Apr 2004
Subject:

This analyst is so funny. I know its not scientific but I always like to judge how things are going by whats going on around me. My friend just bought an iPod photo and I know two people about to buy Mini's because they are sick of all the crap they have to put up with in Windows.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: crap review

that's a crap review, the guy doesn't know what he is talking about... MacOS is superior to Windows Xp, and MSN doesn't work properly on Safari, because M$ doesn't follow standards.

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

It's a comedy review, my friend. A comedy review. Don't let it fool you like it fooled Reality Check.

Close Name:boodle Posts: 42 Joined: 13 Jun 2004
Subject: Son of Cube

The headless mac myth should die.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: DivisionTwo IS SATERICAL

If you look at the main site you will see that it is ALL satire and jokes. Look at the Mac Mini review. The author states "If you believe Apple’s marketing department, the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters”." which is obviously the description of the iPod Shuffle (announced at the same time I believe). I find it impossible to believe that, even if the author thought the above size comparison was referring to the Mac Mini, after receiving the unit would not have realized that there was a mistake somewhere and would have researched for a couple of minutes on the web to find his misunderstanding. ALso his saying that "Windows UPdate" was not available on the Mac should have been a clue.

Close Name:metavurt Posts: 163 Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Subject: Funny, but still horribly written

Satire isn't supposed to be SO subtle as to confuse the reader. You're supposed to be able to get it. The other guy that writes about Apple stuff (Bennett), has a more firm grasp on how to do that.

Lopez writes in such a way that thru search engine finds, he sounds halfway serious.

Just 2 cents.

Close Name:coaten Posts: 3071 Joined: 10 Oct 2001
Subject: Re: feel free to communicate with Kevin Hunt

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
Name: Kevin Hunt, CFA
Contact: khunt@tweisel.com - 617.488.4162

http://www.tweisel.com/twpds?__fwdtourl__=/research/ShowBio.jsp?id=166


OK...? So who is Kevin Hunt and why do we want to communicate with him?

Am I missing something?

Close Name:kenaustus Posts: 602 Joined: 27 Jun 2003
Subject: Apple's sales pattern

Look at any major new product from Apple and you'll see their typical sales pattern: A mad rush by a lot of people to get one as soon as possible with a strong backorder rapidly developing, followed by a decline to a "normal" sales rate. Apple uses this "normal" sales rate when committing to factory production and when the new product reaches this stable rate Apple is moving along at a very profitable pace.

All the "decline in sales" means is that the crazy initial rush has been taken care of and things are getting to a normal, profitable level.

RC has trouble understanding this because Dull is incapable of designing a new product that can generate the crazy initial rush - even when they try to copy Apple.

Close Name:coaten Posts: 3071 Joined: 10 Oct 2001
Subject: Re: feel free to communicate with Kevin Hunt

Quote
coaten wrote:
Quote
Anonymous wrote:
Name: Kevin Hunt, CFA
Contact: khunt@tweisel.com - 617.488.4162

http://www.tweisel.com/twpds?__fwdtourl__=/research/ShowBio.jsp?id=166


OK...? So who is Kevin Hunt and why do we want to communicate with him?

Am I missing something?


Oh

RC's post and the parody site he linked us to so effectively hijacked this thread that I clearly forgot how this topic started.

Sorry Mr Hunt, the organ grinder got upstaged by the monkey.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: My expereince with Mac mini potential purchase

I am looking for a new mac, because the old ones I have are before osx. I figure I would look at the mini since it is cheaper. I went to best buy and checked it out. Why does it not have a dvd burner or at least an option to upgrade it. This blows my mind. I can't see me buying a computer without the ability to upgrade. How do you ad pci cards, dvd-rw, etc. Also the mouse is horrible. I need my 2 button mouse. They really messed up here because most people do know how to upgrade their computers now. My mom even added a second hard drive the other day and a dvd burner. I guess I will try to find a cheap g5 somewhere.

Close Name:NoVaMac Posts: 121 Joined: 16 Mar 2004
Subject: Hey coward "guest"

You "repost" others comments and add your own jibberish to them. How creative of you! But after a few it gets dull. So, you feel afraid of the mac so you lash out and attack it. You fear what you don't understand, which is reason, and intellegence. You SUCK! get an ibook!! then some new clothes, a haircut, and take a bath dude. Then hang out at coffee shops, you MAY even get that first girlfriend...and an ilife to boot.
JOIN US...OR DIE!!!

Close Name:Guest
Subject: reality check is in a world of his own.

this has to be one of the dumbest liks i have ever read first the idots that put this hogwash together set out to discredit this quote

If you believe Apple’s marketing department, the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters.

that was said about the ipod shuffle , dumbass. get your facts straight.

then theres teh idotic claim that you cannot conect the mini to a printer? mayby on retard island rc. here in the real world a usb printer will connect just fine. then they go on to bash the minis quiet cool factor because they forgot to plug the monitor in. i realize wall outlets are a little high tech for you and your parents rc, but come on.

next we move on to the idotic complaint of a stripped down os. this is when i realized this article was just a smear campaign and not a credible or honest report at all. no one could be that stupid. but it is possible for someone to be stupid enough to believe it. or even post it on a mac message board as a fact. congratulations rc. perhaps if your mother had not slept with her brother we would not be having this conversation. oh yea and that mystical majical monitor port on the back that rrequiresa a "special adapter. its called a dvi port rc. and the special adapter to connect it to a vga monitor is included in the box.

theres about six more glaring outbursts of stupidity on this link but i wont go into it. do us all a favor rc and go back to sniffing your sisters panties.

Close Name:coaten Posts: 3071 Joined: 10 Oct 2001
Subject:

Hello? Forum mod?

I think this is getting out of hand, if you don't mind me saying so.

Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 3149 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject: Re: My expereince with Mac mini potential purchase

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
I am looking for a new mac, because the old ones I have are before osx. I figure I would look at the mini since it is cheaper. I went to best buy and checked it out. Why does it not have a dvd burner or at least an option to upgrade it. This blows my mind. I can't see me buying a computer without the ability to upgrade. How do you ad pci cards, dvd-rw, etc. Also the mouse is horrible. I need my 2 button mouse. They really messed up here because most people do know how to upgrade their computers now. My mom even added a second hard drive the other day and a dvd burner. I guess I will try to find a cheap g5 somewhere.


Are you serious?

The mini can come with a DVD burner. It is an option available thru the Apple store. Best Buy just may not carry that option.

Didn't like the mouse that comes with the Mini???? There IS NO mouse that comes with the Mini. Use whatever mouse you want.

It was not designed to be upgradable with regards to PCI cards and such. It was never advertised to be.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Re: Hey coward "guest"

Quote
NoVaMac wrote:
You "resell" others Macs and add your own accessories to them. How competitive of you! But a few extras won't sway me from buying a dell. So, you feel afraid of the 3rd Star Wars movie and prefer attack of the clones. Reason and intellegence says that Macs SUCK! get some new clothes, a haircut, and take a bath dude with the latest soapdish one-button mouse from Apple. I'll introduce you to my first iChat girlfriend...she told me to get an iLife, and gave me the boot.
WATCH US DYE OUR IPODS THE COLOR SILHOUETTE!!!

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Apples poor marketing

"Are you serious?

The mini can come with a DVD burner. It is an option available thru the Apple store. Best Buy just may not carry that option."

How many people that want a computer go to apple.com? Probably about as many people as have macs and that is not that many! If they want to market outside of the their fanatics that have tunnel vision, then they need to show the options at Best Buy and other places. The best buy poeple even told me they didn't even know how to work it right and were not trained on it. The store by me in Tampa had not even sold one yet our of the store, just online orders. sounds like apple messed up on this one. Just like that poor cube bust.

Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 3149 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

Actually, lots of people go to Apple.com. It is one of the most visited sites on the 'net. All of the Apple users in the world can't account for that.

And where, exactly, do you buy Dells?

I agree that:
1) Best Buy employees are not exactly the best ones to pick to demonstrate the computer. I have little trust for those who work retail on commission (no offense intended to those in retail)
2) Apple needs to better market their hardware, especially the Mini, if they want to expand. That is assuming, of course, that they intend to expand their market.

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

Hi,

If some people here found reality check's link difficult, try reading the Onion.com

s.

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