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A Whole Lotta Pre-orders (1/28/02)
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Not that you'll have to wait particularly long if you've still got your eye on the 800 MHz iMac, mind you; Apple issued another press release today indicating that the high-end iMac-- the one with an 800 MHz G4, a SuperDrive, and a flat-panel display "that floats in mid-air" (but don't get too excited; you can totally see the wire)-- has just started shipping, thus meeting Steve's original "end of the month" directive. We're not entirely sure what the phrase "has begun shipping" necessarily indicates from a practical perspective, but we can hazard a guess and assume that the very first pre-orders are being filled, and that Apple retail stores will probably start getting some iMacs in stock by the end of the week. (A store representative would only say "soon.")
As far as we're concerned, though, happy as we are that the new iMac is finally shipping, that's not the real news in that press release. We're far more jazzed by the revelation that Apple has racked up "a record-breaking 150,000 pre-orders for the new iMac since its introduction three weeks ago today." What th--?! That's fifty grand a week, people! That's over seven thousand a day, nearly three hundred an hour, about five every minute, or one each and every twelve seconds since the Stevenote, nonstop. That's huge. Actually, scratch that-- it's Huge's big brother, Staggering.
Let's break it down another way: Phil Schiller notes that Apple has now scored more G4 iMac pre-orders in three weeks than it booked original iMac preorders in the entire three months between that product's introduction and its ship date back in 1998. Considering that the original Bondi Blue Wonder turned out to be a smashing sales success by pretty much everyone's criteria, Apple's iMac: The Next Generation looks like it's going to be a star of utterly cosmic proportions. This, we can only assume, is a Very Good Thing™.
So much for any concerns we had that the new design wouldn't catch on; clearly it's caught on in a big way with the people who count-- namely, the ones trying desperately to suppress their salivary reflex long enough to pry open their wallets and whip out the plastic. Kudos to Steve and the inimitable Mr. Ive. How could we have ever doubted you? (Oh... that Cube thing. Right. Never mind.)
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SceneLink (3531)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 1/28/02 episode: January 28, 2002: New Power Macs! New Power Macs! Okay, can we all move on, now? Meanwhile, Apple announces that the new iMac is now shipping, after having racked up some 150,000 pre-orders in just three weeks, and the "Crystal Clear Savings" promotion dies abruptly-- and arises in a slightly different form...
Other scenes from that episode: 3530: They're Here-- So Buy One (1/28/02) See? All good things come to those who wait-- and luckily for everybody in the Mac community, evidently that guideline applies equally whether one shuts up and waits patiently or complains constantly and fidgets like a ferret with a painful rash... 3532: Some Promos Live Forever (1/28/02) Hey, let's go back to that whole Power Mac thing for a second, and discuss the Promo That Wouldn't Die. When Apple first introduced the "Crystal Clear Savings" promotion last year, it promised $100, $300, or $500 back by mail to customers who bought an Apple display with a Power Mac G4-- the more expensive the G4, the bigger the rebate...
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