Boxes Arriving?

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by Escher
For those of you who don't speak French and want something better than a Babelfish translation, here's my English rendition of the MacBidouille post.

"I work at the Parly II [store] of the FNAC [chain]. [Note: FNAC is a media/electronics chain; Parly II is presumably the store location where the informant works.] We have indeed received a series of boxes, which we cannot open (because of possible audits/controls by Apple France... with severe consequences/punishment). Judging from the size of the boxes, it would seem that there are new laptops with 15" screens. On the other hand, the large boxes are _very_ large. I tried to get more information from my boss, but he doesn't know anything more, other than that Apple is committed to rapid sales, which is why FNAC is involved."

Escher

Thanks for the translation.

It sounds like (assuming this true) they've got both Powerbook and Powermacs waiting to be unloaded. Very interesting...

If this is true, it means Apple has done an amazing job of keeping things secret. As far as the non-rumor press (at least seems to) knows, Powermac 970s are a month off. And there's been little mention of Powerbooks.

What I'm wondering about know is what the deal is the 12" Powerbook. The recent price-reduction suggests an update, but I don't know what that update would be. Obviously a low-power 970 would be nice. But a 1 GHz G4 with 1 GB RAM and some L3 Cache would be a major improvement, too.

 

[Escher]

The immediately following post on the MacBidouille discussion boards purports to add more info.

"Hey, I was right about the boxes I saw, by pure chance. (Well, I had a close look at the boxes to make sure they were indeed from Apple.) However, the store employees had already removed the notice [prohibiting opening] on the boxes. Otherwise, I would have read it.

"Well, otherwise, the eMacs are now marked EOL (only the 800Mhz SD models) on FNAC.com and the Alu 12-inch SD are marked "new model to come."

"The 15" TiBook G4s are now "temporarily unavailable," even though their entries [in the inventory system] had previously vanished. (Obviously, the features have not changed. But that fact that they put [the entry] back [in the system] leaves us some hope.)

"All PowerMacs are EOLed."

That's it for my translations today. Enjoy! Can't wait for the June 23 keynote. I'll probably head to my local Apple Store to view it.

Escher

 

[Escher]

I'm reading through the thread on the MacBidouille boards, and here's another interesting post.

"I have just made the round of several Paris-area FNAC stores. It seems that the central warehouses, which supply the individual FNAC stores, have already taken delivery [actual product not specified] and that the systems will be on sale on the 24th [of June]. Aside from that, not a single store told me (or wanted to tell me?) that they had received boxes."

Looks like French Mac users have just as obsessed with rumors as their English-speaking counterparts here on MacRumors.

Escher

 

[Escher]

PS: A few more posts from MacBidouille readers claim they got the same "systems will start selling on the 24th" line from FNAC employees. Sounds pretty good to me!

Escher

 

[Black Badger]

Has anybody actually seen the box in question? No, because it doesn't exist or if if does, lets have a look, can't be that difficult to take a quick pic with a digi camera.
There is the challenge, if one of these boxes turns up in the next couple of days, post a pic, go on, dare ya. Bet didly happens.

It's like when somebody sneezes and you say "bless you" then the other person goes "No! don't say that, it kills a fairy", well if so... show me the bodies.



May have had too much sun today.

 

[DGFan]

Re: Re: timing of boxes

Originally posted by iJon
i believe they didnt have a lot of 30 giggers, thats all i heard.

iJon

They must've sent them all to Michigan! When I went in the next week to buy an iPod all they had were 30 GB iPods (and 10 GB ones but, come on, who wants those?)

 

[iJon]

Re: the new machines ARE coming

Originally posted by emdezet
people, relax!

i work at a local apple-only retailer. just this week we removed all g4 minitowers from their demo stations only to replace them with... nothing at all. a little early, you say? so say we, but...

the only definite info we were given from hq is that new machines are coming, none of which are based on the G4. now, unless you consider Apple shipping G3 (GOBI) towers...

oh, and about G4 mt sales: i felt ethically compelled to share the news with a customer who meant to buy 1GHz G4 MDD at 1699EUR. you know what he did? he bought it all the same!

maybe not everybody out there is looking for the latest, fastest, shiniest, ********ingest computer after all. granted, that customer probably didn't grasp the severity of this generational upgrade. but after all, not everyone is feeding mac-rumor-sites intraveneously.

about the mystery boxes: we haven't got any, yet! which is a pity, because we have an x-ray scanner in the basement

wow you not the smartest person are you, your a good example on how to get your shop busted.

iJon

 

[QuiteSure]

Originally posted by MetallicPenguin
Yeah I'd wait until everyone had left then sneak a box out to my car real quick, then ride home....open up the box and behold the new whatever is in the box.

Then the box emits a mysterious noise that causes the listener to suffer a hideous death.

How's THAT for enforcement of an NDA?

 

[Shaktai]

MacBidouille is now indicating that the boxes are likely 15" powerbooks and 19" eMacs. (Like they said before, the boxes are big).

FNAC is at http://www.fnac.com

It is kind of like a Best Buy or Circuit City here in the US. Here is a list of Apple products on their side. http://search.fnac.com/Search/Quick...s=apple&IMAGE2.x=0&IMAGE2.y=0&Recherche=-49|A

The low end eMac 800mhz is marked no longer available for sale, as are all 3 Power Mac Models.

The Powerbook 15" and 12" are marked "temporarily unavailable". With the 12" superdrive marked as new model coming, temporarily unavailable.

All very interesting but not definitive. Sounds more like updated 15" and 12" powerbooks (doubt the 970). The eMac bottom end model is being dropped to make room for a new top end 19". I would suspect the current models will just move down the pricing scale.

While the PowerMac towers are "no longer available" id doesn't sound like their replacements have arrived yet. This would make sense. Updates to the Powerbook models and a new top end eMac would not be as big a deal as all new Towers and hence the less concern with getting them out early.

 

[pyrotoaster]

19 inch eMacs?
Please excuse the tone, but...
Yeah, right!

 

[iJon]

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
19 inch eMacs?
Please excuse the tone, but...
Yeah, right!

thats what i was thinking, when did rumor come about.

iJon

 

[DHagan4755]

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
19 inch eMacs?
Please excuse the tone, but...
Yeah, right!

19-inch iMacs maybe...(recall Digitimes said this) but 19-inch eMacs...why? Why take an already hideous computer and make it even more hideous? I won't at all be depressed if the 970 doesn't appear at WWDC because it will come at some point between now and Sept. Don't worry, folks! Also, if those supposed new PowerBooks aren't above 1GHz, I'm going to scream because that would be totally pathetic of Apple!

 

[Shaktai]

Originally posted by iJon
thats what i was thinking, when did rumor come about.

iJon

Just a bit ago. The quick google translation:

The infos which will follow, are of a source of which we do not know reliability. There would be in the paperboards (boxes) not to open of Powerbook 15"and the eMac 19

Remember, that just because you don't like something, doesn't mean there isn't a demand for it elsewhere. I would never buy an eMac, but I have heard rumors that there is demand for one. We will know soon enough.

 

[iJon]

Originally posted by Shaktai
Just a bit ago. The quick google translation:


Remember, that just because you don't like something, doesn't mean there isn't a demand for it elsewhere. I would never buy an eMac, but I have heard rumors that there is demand for one. We will know soon enough.

when did i eve say i dont like the emac, i really do like the emac, its a great machine, i just see a 19inch one doubtful, plus the emac box is the biggest computer box out of all apples computers besides the xserve. i cant even imagine how big a 19inch emac box would be.

iJon

 

[Sayer]

Proof of Weapons of Mass Computation?

The questions everyone should be asking are:

• Do these boxes really exist? What is the intelligence source's creditbility?
• If these boxes exist what do they contain? Are we certain they are Weapons of Mass Computation and not pesticides?
• Where did these boxes come from? How do we know they are really Apple boxes without independent confirmation from the EU?
• Are there legitimate uses for these allged-to-exist boxes? Could they be used for storing product to be shipped to someone else?

I think that we need to send in inspectors to all FNAC locations to locate these allged boxes of Weapons of Mass Computation.

It could take months and the boxes may be moved in the meantime, or opened and their contents moved or sold to a third-party. Merely finding the empty boxes are not conclusive proof that the contents ever existed.

I am afraid we may be staking the reputation of the Mac community on the belief that these Weapons of Mass Computation ever existed. What happens if they are not revealed on the 23rd? Should we call for the impeachment of Steve Jobs, President of Apple?

 

[chetwilliams]

CompUSA.com appears to be out of 1.42 GHz PowerMacs. Club Mac's supplies of the 1.42s have also dwindled to about 150 from about 210 a few days ago. Interestingly, there are plenty of the other three PowerMac models (incl. the OS-9 boot version) and their inventory numbers on those have actually increased in the last few days. I would imagine that releasing a 970 would EOL all the PowerMacs but apparently there are still plenty of the non 1.42s to go around right now.

 

[Philippe Robin]

Fnac

Look for yourself,
go to http://www.fnac.com then go to "micro & telecom" then type apple in the search box on the left.
Look, no more 15in powerbook as there used to be and the powermac g4 is unavailable!

Fnac is a big chain in france and they usually have special deals with apple.

philippe

 

[job]

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
19 inch eMacs?
Please excuse the tone, but...
Yeah, right!

It's the eMac SE, now with 1.1Ghz.

That's a pretty big all in one. Why on earth would Apple wait to release a 19" model now especially since the eMacs were updated just over a month ago?

 

[Shaktai]

Good question. MacBidouille did emphasize that the source of that info was unproven, and that the information was coming from their forums.

What appears to be consistent is the delivery of boxes to FNAC warehouses and some stores, and that some match the size of boxes currently for 15" Powerbooks and that the other boxes are "large". Only time will tell, but that time is growing shorter. Likewise this information seems to correspond with some information on the FNAC website.

Of course someone may have just seen the FNAC info and fabricated a story out of it though confirmation of the mysterious "boxes" seems to come from more then one source. Less then 8 days to wait, then we will know for usre.

 

[pyrotoaster]

There won't be any 19 inch eMac. Ever. There probably won't even be a 19 inch iMac (in the current LCD form).

I can't believe MacBidouille would put any faith in a rumor that goes against almost all expectations of this keynote. This won't be a showcase of slightly faster consumer machines, it'll be a knock-your-socks-off we're-finally-kicking-Intel's-ass 970 fest.

BTW, wouldn't it be cool if Steve mentioned that old "Kick Intel's Ass!" Power Computing ad...?

 

[jimthorn]

Originally posted by Shaktai
MacBidouille is now indicating that the boxes are likely 15" powerbooks and 19" eMacs. (Like they said before, the boxes are big).

19" eMac? Where did this come from? Can't we just let the eMac line die already? I mean, does anyone really want a 19" CRT with a built-in computer these days?

 

[MetallicPenguin]

yeah I agree that kind of just makes the rest of the computer bigger at the same time, it should stay the same.

 

[brig]

guys honestly

i bet its an imac, and the error was made somewhere along in a translation or the guy just got things mixed up. a 19" imac could happen (thats a big ole' screen for that little base...), so just let it be. Then again, all I care about is the 15" 970. oh well.

 

[job]

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
This won't be a showcase of slightly faster consumer machines, it'll be a knock-your-socks-off we're-finally-kicking-Intel's-ass 970 fest.

That sounds a lot like what people were expecting at MWSF02. Just replace '970' with 'G5' and you've got the expo that was supposed to be 'beyond the rumors sites, way beyond.'

And what did we get? The LCD iMac. Go figure.

I'd like to see the 970s at WWDC, but I don't think we will. And I won't be shocked if they don't show up. There might be an announcement. I guess for us Mac users, confirmation is everything.

Has anyone thought that these large boxes may be for the larger of the two towers mentioned on the Apple Insider forums?

 

[DoJo]

I agree that a 19" eMac is unlikely but I stopped by the Apple store in Chandler AZ today and the three eMacs on hand (display models) were 700Mhz. I know that after the last update they had 1 GHz and 800 MHz models on display.

I guess they could have sold out their stock and had to sell the display models but it seemed kind of odd to me. I would expect CompUSA to have out-of-date floor models but I have never seen this before at an Apple Store.

Oh well, probably nothing.