In what seems to be an Apple-reply frenzy, a customer who expressed his concern over reports that the Mac mini was dying allegedly got a reassurance call from Apple. The user, interviewed by AppleInsider, claims to have been told to “be patient.”

Reports saying Apple is all set for the holiday were apparently the cause of this customer's concern. Earlier this week, Apple spokesman Bill Evans toned down rumors of iMac refreshes this year, as well as those concerning hardware upgrades for the Mac mini and Mac Pro. According to Macworld, “despite Internet rumors of forthcoming product releases,” Bill Evans said that, “[Apple's] holiday line-up is set.”

Reportedly, the customer chose not to follow the trend of addressing concerns to the company's CEO (Steve Jobs), but went on to e-mail Bob Mansfield, Apple's newly-appointed head of Mac hardware engineering. AppleInsider reveals that it wasn't Mansfield who issued the reply, but rather a colleague in Apple's executive care division. Allegedly, the reply was almost instantaneous, but didn't offer a timetable for a Mac mini update. Nevertheless, the Apple staffer assured said customer that the company was aware of the system's market value, and suggested that patience was in order.

"I got a prompt reply by phone from an Apple executive care person essentially giving me no new information, but assuring me that Apple knew the mini was a popular machine and to be patient," the customer said. "I certainly appreciated the contact, and I think it was a nice way of letting me know that rather than bug their head guys."

MacMiniColo, an Internet hosting company that has shown significant interest in Apple's low-end desktop Mac, noted in a piece titled "The State of the Mac mini" that the computer was very popular among small organizations, in hospitals, and in the entertainment and even security areas. The report thus hinted at an almost inevitable Mac mini refresh, providing specs to go with the rumor. "In ordering a Mac mini from Apple, there will be an option to have two SATA HDDs and eliminating the optical all together," the report said. "With the new Remote Disc introduced with the Macbook Air, this option will be tempting for many.”