Typo in ‘new’ Mac mini page or just marketing play on words?

As our team goes full bore on the new iMac and Mac minis that just popped on the Apple site, I’m sitting back a little disappointed with the ‘new’ Mac minis.

Apple is touting with ‘up to twice as much memory’, but it still only supports up to 4GB. That’s the same as the previous Mac mini line up….

Apparently it counts that they are with up to twice as much memory as before they came with 1GB or 2GB standard, 4GB optional. Because Apple now has a configuration which comes with 4GB  standard, that’s twice as much memory Standard as had been before.

The Mac mini would be an incredible powerhouse with 8GB, that’s what twice the memory should have meant. We were excited, at first, thinking Apple taken off the Mac mini’s memory ‘restrictor plate’, but alas – just a marketing play on words.

- OWC Larry

See All of OWC’s Mac mini Upgrades and Enhancements in our dedicated Mac mini section

At the moment, most – if not all memory upgrades – are still selling for substantially below the prices the same upgrades went for this time last year. What’s significant is that those prices a year ago were pretty much at lows already with the chipmakers (Micron, Hynix, Samsung, Etc) selling the parts at prices under that which it costs to produce. These companies have posted – individually – billions in losses on these memory chip sales over the past 2 years. Micron alone has lost over $2 billion during that period. When 4GB was selling for $99 last August – those prices were not sustainable. Due to the global economic meltdown at the end of 2008, costs that were already way below what was supportable dove to all new lows as the chipmakers needed to keep cash flow going. In 2009, we’ve seen productions reduced and entire producers (Qimonda/Infineon for example) completely exit production. As a result, prices had been easing up over the course of this year as the supply/demand equation has come into balance.

Today’s prices are still as much as 50% less than where the cost of various modules could easily be heading. Just over the past five days we’ve now seen cost increases of another 5-10% on DDR2 and DDR3 memory that was already up about 20-30% just over the prior 3-4 weeks. After about two years+ of supply imbalance, we are seeing things start to move swiftly back to a cost level that – if nothing else – will ensure memory continues to be available while these producers stop bleeding red ink to turn out the parts.

Currently, we have stock that doesn’t reflect the latest cost increases. More memory makes a tremendous difference for performance and will make an even bigger difference with Apple’s 10.6 Snow Leopard too. I have no crystal ball – with respect to real costs and supply – but it’s far more likely for pricing to continue ticking up a slope than go downhill again. It’s finally come to the point where the remaining chip makers no longer can continue producing parts sold below true cost vs. that long time bit about it being better to keep production lines going. They can’t afford to and the adjustment to supply is starting to show.

So, how do you turn this somewhat scary price ride into a fun, thrilling experience? Add some speed thrills to your Mac by getting in line on our site right now with these deals:

Add up to 8GB of Memory / Ram to Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro models with 4GB kits from $62.99

Add up to 8GB of Memory / Ram to Apple iMac models with 4GB kits from $62.99

Add up to 4GB of Memory / Ram to Apple Mac mini Models with 4GB from $62.99

Add up to 32GB of Memory / Ram to Apple Mac Pro Models with 8GB Kits from $25.62 per GB of upgrade

Your model not listed above? Never fear…we have upgrades for nearly every Mac produced during the last two decades!

More than just the original factory maximums, we also have tested and support configurations that were not or in some cases still not available from Apple. This includes up to 6GB or 8GB on various MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iMac models that were limited to 4GB; 16GB or 32GB on Mac Pro models originally limited to 8GB or 16GB. When you select memory upgrades by your model – our site shows exactly what upgrade options we have tested and support for your specific machine. Outside of Apple, OWC has the most extensively Apple Mac computer equipped testing lab which enables us to truly confirm all aspects of memory operation. This lab includes nearly every Apple Mac model that has been released over the past 15 years. We don’t just produce & sell memory for Mac – we know Mac memory inside and out.

Not all memory is created equal – OWC guarantees all our memory to meet or exceed Apple Specifications with particular attention to Apple specific requirements including (but not limited to) cooling/temperature, temperature sensor chips, SPD firmware, and gives you purchasing confidence by backing it with a Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty. Heck, we even offer cash back rebates for your old Apple memory modules!

So go ahead, buckle on in and let us help you take your Mac on a thrill ride before the “admission fee” increases.

We don’t get too excited about iPhone and iPod cases – they are more of a “personal preference” for most people – but I have to say that I have been extremely impressed and pleased with the XGear Carbon cases since I got my own at Macworld.

In a world with a million different silicon and neoprene casings, the Xgear ‘Nitrous Oxide’ line of Carbon Fiber based cases really are a world apart. I find the case to have excellent hand comfort, looks great, and is effective at protecting from drops onto hard surfaces too. One of the best features – it does not pick up lint, dust, etc. This has my ‘OWC Larry’ recommendation.

We currently carry the Xgear Carbon case for iPhone (1G, 3G, 3G S – all) – $24.99

You can also see all the Xgear ‘gear’ we offer here.

OWC's American Flag at half-mast

On Monday, May 25th, OWC was closed in honor of Memorial Day. This solemn day, originally designated in 1868, is now observed as a federal holiday on the last Monday of May. Designed to commemorate the lives given in service to our fair nation; parades, speeches, and family observances occur nationwide to honor those thousands of fallen men and women. To learn more about the history and meaning of Memorial Day, www.USMemorialDay.org is an excellent resource.

OWC proudly flies an American Flag at our headquarters and in compliance with Memorial Day decorum, it was my personal honor to set our flag at half-mast at sunrise and then restore it to full mast at noon on Monday. The entire OWC team takes its responsibility to our members of the Armed Forces very seriously and we support their efforts far beyond honoring those who have lost their lives.

OWC's American Flag raised to full mast at 12:00PM

In 2008, as part of our support project for the soldiers of the McHenry County National Guard Unit (Delta Company 1st Battalion, 178 Infantry Regiment who had been recently deployed to Afghanistan, we shipped individual care packages, one for each of the 55 soldiers, plus letters from the local elementary school children. We truly find it an honor to know and support our local National Guard Unit.

Earlier this year, we learned those troops, currently deployed in Afghanistan, were trying to start up regular softball games but did not have any equipment.

So, we felt it was our duty to send them a shipment of softball equipment. We received this grateful acknowledgement:

“I just wanted to write and let you know we have received the equipment you sent, and thank you again for your support. The guys are excited to get a few games going. We are waiting for a down day when we can get a couple of games in. We will try to get some pictures and send them to you. I hope everything is going well back home. I’ll be in touch. Thanks again for your friendship and your support.” SFC Bill Hornbeck

Two months ago, we learned with great sadness that three of our local heroes lost their lives in Afghanistan. Our American Flag was lowered and each employee engaged in a moment of silence to honor these young men. In a small town, the loss of one life reverberates across the community, and three fallen heroes is more than one town should have to bear.

Our sincere thanks and gratitude goes out to all those serving today, as well as those who have served in our Armed Forces across time. We remember and honor those that have fallen in the line of duty. Our hearts go with all of you who have lost loved ones in time of war and strife.

Many of you have come to know OWC and myself over the past 21 years via the Tips n’ Deals newsletter as well as various forums and events we are active in. As these modes of communication are continued, we felt a quick conversation exploring OWC today would be of interest to you.

Did You Know?
Our OWC Tips n’ Deals newsletter is available for everyone. This free newsletter, sent about once a month, provides performance tips and tricks, the latest Apple news with perspective, and offers just for subscribers. It’s free for the ‘taking’ and can be started/stopped at any time. Just visit our online resource page for more information, past editions, and to subscribe today.

OWC is pushing the limits of going green
For over twenty years, our focus has been on getting the most from existing resources. Such a philosophy resonates in our own product lines, which help you expand the capabilities, increase performance, and maintain the usability of gear you already own and extend its useful life. The same OWC headquarters location that designs, distributes, and even manufactures these products is also ‘green’ itself with compliance to LEED Platinum specifications. The latest news, which you are among the first to know, is that our facility will soon be 100% Wind Powered! Our on-site Wind Turbine will generate enough power for our operation as well as a surplus further reducing the draw on non-renewable energy sources. Learn more about OWC’s Green Evolution online.

OWC offers free installation videos with new videos posted weekly
With the typical service center charging upwards of $80 for an easy memory install, you can’t afford not to utilize this free resource. Many popular upgrades such as hard drive, memory, and optical drive installations are ‘demystified’ and can be performed in the comfort of your own home in as little as 15 minutes following the step by step video guide instructions.

The Mac (or PC) you have now could be better and do more than new
The easiest way to boost performance of a system is to add more memory. Typical factory configurations provide a minimum amount. When you have more memory for your applications, the system doesn’t slow down as much or as often (spinning beach balls). Having more memory easily trumps having a faster processor and usually for a fraction of the cost too.

If you’re running out of room on your hard drive, it’s easy to plug and play additional storage via USB2 or FireWire. Also, it’s a good consideration to look at your internal hard drive too. Not only can you significantly increase the storage capacity inside your Mac, but the much higher performance of today’s hard drives can give your system a bonus speed bump in addition to that needed drive space.

When it comes to reading & writing CDs, DVDs, and even Blu-ray discs – being able to handle different available formats or do so with greater speed usually doesn’t require a new computer, but rather can be accomplished via an internal or external SuperDrive solution.

Watch and Record TV, Import Video – Add additional Displays with ease too. We cover it all in our Video section.

If you’re serious about music and audio on your Mac, our staff expert Rick Van Dyne is here to provide exceptional advice and manages our music/audio product line to ‘rock your world’. Also listen to what Grammy award-winning musician Chris Vrenna has to say about OWC’s products.

As always, on behalf of the OWC team, thank you for choosing us as your trusted upgrade and accessories solution provider. I hope you’ve found the above highlights informative and should it spark any questions, we stand ready to serve you via email, Live Chat, and even toll-free 800-275-4576. To see current offers, read the latest Apple news, and follow staff insights on our blog, this is the ’spot’.

Our back room gurus tested the NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 and the ATI Radeon HD 4870 graphics cards from the early 2009 Mac Pro in the 800MHz and 667MHz Mac Pro models with varying success. The quick results are: GT120 functions, in both ports, in 800MHz Mac Pro.

Mac Pro ‘800MHz Memory Bus Models:
———-
4870 – Works A-OK via its DVI port. No-go via the miniDisplay Port.

GT120 – Works like a champ with both DisplayPort and DVI Port.

Mac Pro ‘667MHZ Memory Bus Models:
————
No go with either of Video Cards from the new Mac Pros.

We’ll have more details later, but there’s a preliminary first look summary. If you have an 800MHz Mac Pro now – the GT120 ought to become a nice option all around… And the 4870 maybe too for those wanting that super video performance while not needing it to support two displays.

Update note 3/17/09 should note that testing was done under OS X 10.5.6 and was done with a Mini DisplayPort straight into a new display.

Apple says the new Mac mini is good for up to 4GB RAM max. Maybe you’ve read of people who’ve put 8GB in it. Well – yes, it will boot with 8GB installed, but 4GB is the true limit of these latest Mac minis. As soon as the system tries to use more than 4GB, everything goes to molasses. There are plenty of examples where Apple states one limit and you can actually go beyond said limits – But, this is not one of them. Anyway – you can check out all of the ‘right stuff’ for any generation of Mac mini with OWC’s Mac mini guide.

A heart hello from San Francisco! As the final hours and minutes tick down, the team and I are all ready to go and looking forward to the opening of the Expo tomorrow at 11AM. Apple’s keynote, as has been the tradition – and looking like for the last time, will officially start the expo tomorrow.

This is the first year, since Steve Jobs came back to Apple, that it won’t be Mr. Jobs talking up all that Apple’s ready to show off and hype to the world. We hope Mr. Jobs is in good health and that other pressing matters are the reason for ‘Phil’ giving this years opener. Who knows, maybe he’ll still drop on by with some kind of appearance. Given that Apple has announced this to be their last year participating with the Expo, you’d sure think they’d be going out with some kind of bang. We’ll see.

**Breaking News(click for full story) – Steve Jobs advises his health is good – has suffered weight loss due to a hormonal problem that has been identified and treated. He stated that doctors expect him to recover back to his normal weight by spring***

Newsletter Continues>>

Here’s wishing you a Happy New Year from all of us at Other World Computing! 2008 has certainly had a few bumps and I expect many of us are looking forward to the fresh 2009 year. Exciting it is to turn the page on another year, and all hopes for a new year that’s Happy and Safe as well.

Not just the end of another year, we also recognize it’s the end of another tax year for most businesses as well. With that comes those last minute buys that flow through maximizing various tax deduction opportunities. Our team is here tomorrow to see such purchases processed. As usual and of course, our customer support and tech team is here to serve and assist as well. While we are open tomorrow, OWC is closed on New Year’s Day. Won’t be until next year, this Friday January 2nd, that our normal hours then resume. :)

Then comes Macworld Expo! The good news is, with some arm twisting, we’ve got passes available for all of you and yours who’d like to be our guest at the Expo this year. We’re going to make our best efforts to make sure this isn’t the last Macworld Expo SF show, and either way – we hope you can be there. Already next week Jan 6th through the 9th. So – if you think you might be going and still need a pass, don’t hesitate and immediately register following our link here:

http://eshop.macsales.com/link.cfm?id=5623-1163

The deadline is 11:59PM EST 12/31/2008 (that’s tomorrow/Wednesday) to take advantage of the no cost pass. After that point, the lowest cost becomes $25.00 – still a nice savings, but… $0 is much better. :)

Newsletter Continues>>

Greetings from snowy Woodstock! After some warm weather last weekend melted our snow (and the first snowman my son, daughter, and I together made), the eight plus inches that’s dropped in the last 18 hours has restored the winter wonderland sight. This is typical Midwestern winter weather – and as such, normal operations and shipments continue just the same should it be the nicest of summer days. We do appreciate that winter weather can be not so nice and our hearts go out to any of our friends out East still enduring the aftermath of the unseasonal and highly damaging ice storms that hit a week ago. Be safe, be warm, and always the best. From all of us at Other World Computing – Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

We have a super special on:
Dell 24″ Color LCD Displays – just $277.50

Newsletter Continues>>

Greeting from your Friends in Woodstock! I hope the season so far has treated you and yours well. It’s a winter wonderland here, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be here and wouldn’t have it any other way. Having said that, watching some people drive in the snow leaves me only to imagine what it’s like for our more Southern friends that have seen the snow fall where it’s just not that norm. Weather aside, with all the activities this time of the year – be safe and have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The wait if over for the Free Macworld Expo passes! If you are planning on attending the Expo, please be our guest and register online via our link here: http://eshop.macsales.com/Macworld/

To receive your pass into the expo at no cost. Also available are discounted for the various conference options as well. The Expo pass itself provides entry to the full Macworld Expo Hall January 5th through the 9th next month. We hope to see you again or the first time! :)

Newsletter Continues>>

Greetings & Happy Thanksgiving from the OWC Team! Hard to believe it’s already here. We’ll be carving up the turkey and with trimmings all ready. As fast as these holidays come to be, it’s that time with you family gotta make count all the more. Once the moment is passed, only in memory does it exist. Ideally fond memories with lots of thanks.

While we’re being thankful and hopefully enjoying the day with family, remember those that don’t get the day off. A sincere thank you to everyone in our public services – police officers, fire fighters, doctors, med techs, ambulance drivers, all of you with jobs and responsibilities that don’t just pause because it’s a national holiday, weekend, etc. Huge thanks to those in the service and our Veterans who’s service has preserved and protected so much we sometimes forget to be thankful for. In this age of information, lots of things to complain about – just need to remember so much more there, the important things to be thankful for.

Newsletter Continues>>

Greetings again from Woodstock! I think we’ve got a nice variety of information in this newlstter edition and hope you’ll enjoy. Got 6GBs of memory for MacBooks, a new ‘Voyager’ HD Dock, a realworld look at the Unibody MacBooks + lots more in between. Here we go!

Install up to 6.0GB in MacBook & MacBook Pro Core 2 Duos

One of my favorite things to say and show is how more memory really makes the difference. For nearly two years we’ve been working to provide a solution that would allow us to break the 4GB limit in Core 2 Duo Mac models. While we’ve been able to build 4GB DDR2 SO-DIMM 667MHz models for some time, the challenge – or really what ended up being the wait – was for the memory device components that could run at a low power and heat level as to meet specification and provide the reliable operation required of every OWC module.

Newsletter Continues>>

Roughly once a month we post those open box, refurb, one of a kind, end of life – you name it products that are priced to move. Limited availability and first come, first served fulfillment means these goodies don’t very long once the word is out. As a Tips n’ Deals subscriber – you’re getting the first notice of these latest postings. About 200 listings now live with nearly 150 just turned on. Hot buys on wireless, hard drive enclosures, hard drives, memory, some ‘for parts ibooks, all sorts of accessories, etc.

On Monday we’ll be sending notice out far and wide – this weekend you’ve got notice first to have have first dibs from this first look:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/garage_sale

Have a great weekend – we’ll be writing again real soon! And Thanks! :)

Newsletter Continues>>

Greetings!

As you have surely heard, Apple today introduced brand new MacBook and MacBook Pro models. We’ve got the full line on order and hope to be publishing real-world benchmark test data sometime next week. The new MacBook 13.3″ models are shown to be shipping without delay while the MacBook Pro 15.4″ stock models indicate a 3-5 Day delay. 

Without question a full overview and review of these new main models will be provided in our next regular newsletter edition. For now, going to cover some key points of today’s new product introductions (which go beyond the two aforementioned). I will be as brief on this as -I- can. :)

Newsletter Continues>>

Greetings from your friends in Woodstock! It’s practically a shock to my
system for school to already be in gear and Labor Day Weekend to be upon us.
Where did this crazy summer go? From saying a goodbye in early July to welcoming my third child into the world at the end of July. On an impulse it’s very easy, for me at least, to be wondering how the summer breezed by – but with a moment of thought to the matter, really is no wonder. As so, life goes on. :)

Big plans for a our next newsletter and it will be loaded… At the moment, all indications are that the next MacBook Pro and possibly MacBook model updates are imminent from Apple. In prior years we have seen new model intros right after Labor Day weekend. I expect this will be the case this year as well, and if not, certainly sometime very soon after. I will be surprised if there isn’t some new Mac next week… Beyond stupefied should we not see any new Macs in September. Oh, probably some new iPod soon too… But we’re looking to talk Mac.

Newsletter Continues>>