Apple's New Mac Studio Computer

[r.e.]

@Ari,

If Apple releases a Mac mini that you want, here are three things that I've learnt from buying a Mac Studio. The current supply chain crunch is probably part of the reason for the following:

1. Apple Stores are only carrying base models. That is true of the current MacBook Pros as well as the Mac Studio. Last week, an Apple rep confirmed this to me on the phone. My recollection from the past is that Apple Stores used to have a couple of choices in addition to base models. That is not currently happening.
   
   
2. If you want a base model, there's a good chance that you can get one on launch day by going to an Apple store as well as by ordering online right after the event. The caveat to this is that demand for a Mac mini/M1 Pro or M2 may be very high. Since March 18th, when the Mac Studio was released, it's usually been possible to get one from a few of New York's 12 Apple stores, but fewer stores have had them in the last few days. Today, there are none available in New York, in either base configuration.
   
   
3. If you want build to order, try to make your order soon after the announcement. Wait times lengthen quite quickly. As I note in post #79, if I want to upgrade my Mac Studio, which I have to decide by this Friday, the current estimated wait is 12-14 weeks. I suspect that Apple is being conservative, but I have no way of knowing by how much. I imagine that Apple itself doesn't know. There's a MacRumors thread in which people post information about the progress of their "build to order" orders. The thread shows a fair amount of volatility in estimates, including for individual orders. On the upside, the changes are frequently welcome news to the customer (hence my comment about Apple being conservative). One wrench was the Chinese Government's decision five days after Apple started taking orders for the Mac Studio to implement a coronavirus lockdown in Shenzhen; not the kind of event that a company can plan for. The Mac Studio, by the way, is assembled in both China and Malaysia, and customer location appears to determine which country the computer is shipped from.