Mac Mini finds its Target

In another sign that the Mac Mini is aimed at the masses, discount retailer Target has added the diminutive desktop to its online store.

As of Friday, Target.com lists the Mac Mini as available for order. The site offers both the $499 and $599 models, the latter offering a more spacious hard drive and faster processor.

Customers may have to wait, though. Target's site lists availability as "arriving in 2 to 6 weeks. Order now." Apple's online store also notes a three- to four-week wait for new orders. The Mac Mini, announced at Macworld last week, is slated to go on sale at approximately 100 Apple retail stores early Saturday (as is the iPod Shuffle portable music player), though some of the earliest customers from Apple's online store have reported receiving their computer.

It is unclear whether Target's retail stores will also be carrying the product. Target and Apple representatives were not immediately available for comment.

Apple executives were asked during last week's earnings conference call whether the company would sell the Mac Mini in more places than have traditionally sold Macs. At the time the company said it had nothing to announce on that front.

The Mac Mini is seen as appealing to Windows users who may be interested in trying a Mac, but who have been scared off in the past by Apple's high sticker prices.

While Target has not been known as a place to get Macs, or even PCs for that matter, it has been selling the iPod for some time. Target was also the first venue to offer prepaid iTunes music store gift cards, though Apple has now expanded that effort.

Apple is opening its stores at 9 a.m. local time on Saturday. Store personnel contacted by Reuters in California, Colorado, Florida and New Jersey said they had been receiving a slew of calls about the mini and the flash memory-based iPod Shuffle.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Macmall has good mini deal

There seems to be good Mac Mini deal there. Best of all, shipping is expected within only 3-5 business days at my last check. I don?t know how they managed to get hold of Mini inventory.

http://www.themobileblog.com/

[PCCRomeo]

How's this any different from ordering @ Apple.com???!

IMO this would be no different than ordering at Apple.com.......Yea, you could charge it to your Target credit card, but chanced are if you have a Target credit card with a $500 limit on it than you have other's with the same........Now if they sold them @ Target stores THEN I would be impressed...

[Dachi]

Answer

The difference for Apple is that once the mac minis are in in targets warehouse they have already been sold (to target).

[WolfsBane]

Still off the mark ...

By the time you add monitor, keyboard, additional USB hub, and other stuff you need in a basic system, you are not talking $499 or $599 anymore.

Apple still tries to sell a feature degraded system as pretty high prices. And for a company that projects itself as a multimedia system leader, they still skimp on basic quality sound and video components in their systems...

Still waiting for them to fix this before I jump in the bandwagon.

[whiskey8]

Target sells Apples...Yay

I think it's great Target is adding the Apple Mini to their on-line catalog. With the Mini being more widely available, I'll be able to replace my ancient desktop.