Too Much of a Good Thing?

About 60 people lined up outside Apple Computer's retail store here on Saturday, many arriving more than an hour before the store's 9 a.m. opening. Although the shop did have a supply of Mac Minis and its latest software titles, there were no iPod Shuffles to be had.

Not everyone who arrived early was disappointed, though. Among the happier campers was mobile device consultant Russell Beattie. He already had his iPod Shuffle, having bought one the first day they went on sale. On Saturday, Beattie came to buy a Mac Mini--his first Mac. "I'm going to do a switch," Beattie said, who said he had been considering the move for a while, but had been put off by the Mac's high prices. But, the Mini will allow him to use the monitor and keyboard he already has. "I'm exactly the market they are aiming for."

Also in line was investment banker Peter Morrissey who was picking up the higher-end Mac Mini. "This would be my first Mac," he said, noting that he has been the holdout in the family, with his brother, sister and parents all avid Mac users. With both products, Apple is aiming to offer less costly versions of existing products in an effort to gain more mass appeal. The effort has shown early success, with multi-week waits for online orders of both the Shuffle and the Mac Mini.