Apple CEO Tim Cook is thrilled with the performance of the new Mac line, but it’s not good news for anyone looking to get a Mac mini.
Apple had a great quarter when it came to Mac. And not just with returning Apple fans, but with new Mac users as well.
On Thursday, ahead of the April quarterly earnings call, Cook said CNBC:
“We couldn’t be happier with the enthusiasm we’ve seen for the most advanced Mac line in our history…we’ve seen tremendous enthusiasm for the MacBook Neo, which opens up the Mac experience to a whole new range of customers.”
The MacBook Neo, launched in early March, is Apple’s most economical MacBook offering, at $599. Although critics have been hesitant to use the A18 Pro chip because it is a “mobile chip”, Apple is right, there is a market for it.
In fact, Cook even said that Mac had its best launch week ever for new Mac customers. Strong demand for Apple’s “little laptop that could” contributed greatly to this.
However, this requirement is a double-edged sword. While no business wants to see their sales drop, that also doesn’t necessarily mean that “more is more” when it comes to moving products.
Demand for certain products, particularly the M4 Mac mini, is at an all-time high. So high, in fact, that you can’t get one.
“Huge demand,” Cook said of the Mac mini. “So much demand that we can’t fully meet it. We had supply constraints during the quarter. We still have supply constraints, and we will probably have them for several months.”
This is largely because Apple’s small desktop computer has become a fan favorite for running local AI models and tools. And it’s not just Apple that’s experiencing shortages: third-party sellers can’t keep them in stock, leaving models marked on eBay as the only option in most cases.
In addition to Mac mini shortages, some Mac Studio models are also completely sold out. While it’s still possible to get “low-end” models if you’re willing to wait up to twelve weeks, high-end models are also listed as “unavailable.”