Target Pulls Mac From E-Store

Now you see Mac Mini; now you don't. That was the disappointing experience for shoppers at one major retailer. Retailer Target, which began selling the new Mac mini computer on its online store just days ago, has pulled the product, citing availability issues.

Target.com, which showed the Mac mini starting last Friday, now has withdrawn the two models, one priced at $499 the other at $599, from its Web site.

The former link to the Mac mini now displays a "There is no Target.com page matching your request," and buyers -- who were told when they ordered that the wait might be as long as six weeks -- have been informed via e-mail that their orders won't be filled.

"We can't offer a definite date when it will be on hand again, and because of this, we're not able to make it available for ordering at this time," the e-mail from Target said in part.

Apple's own online store continues to show a backlog of three to four weeks for both models of the newest Mac, and Amazon.com, which also lists the computers, notes that the $599 model will ship in one to two weeks, but promises that its third-party sellers can ship the $499 system in just one to two days.

Apple has been caught flat-footed before on product when it releases new hardware. In the past, it missed the crucial back-to-school selling season for its newest iMac, and made customers wait six or more weeks for the iPod mini.