Apple Maxed on Mini Orders

"No company can fully anticipate the kind of demand they are going to get for a new product introduction," said Deal, who has no position in Apple shares. "However, Apple is notorious for introducing a new product and failing to deliver it on time."

The computer company has had a runaway success with its iPod players, capturing some 65% of the total market, according to its own estimates. But to date, the company has shown little ability to translate the popularity of its iPod into expanding the market for its Macintosh computers.

That's where the company hopes the Mac mini fits in. Priced at about $500 in its base configuration, the device represents Apple's effort to appeal to PC users who might have been interested in the Macintosh platform but thought Macs were too expensive to purchase.

One surprise reseller of the Mac mini is Target's (TGT) online store Target.com, which is offering both versions of the device. Analysts have speculated that Apple will broaden the distribution of the low-cost computer beyond its normal network of resellers.

Kerris said she didn't have any information on Target.com as a reseller for the Mac mini. Apple doesn't have any new resellers to announce for the Mac mini, she added.

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