Something's rotten about these apples

Apple Computer has been bombarding me with mail urging me to buy a Mac so I can get a free Ipod Mini. Actually, my household already has a Mini, and its hard drive died a month ago. More importantly, Apple has released the Nano, which is solid state and a fraction of the size of the Mini.



And Apple has removed the Mini, only about 20 months old, from its catalog.

The Mini was a remarkable piece of engineering. The Nano blows it away. Apple was courageous, and wise, to replace the Mini with the Nano.

Everyone understands the purpose of a fire sale. What I don't understand is why Apple is pushing an item no longer on its catalog -- a product prone to hard drive and battery failure. If the "free" Mini comes with a warranty, it's going to cost Apple big bucks in the long run.