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mikerally · Nov 23, 2002, 02:37 PM

So from now, and throughout Xmas you can grab yourself an eMac for $999 - well $1099 and a $100 mail-in rebate voucher.

Or for $999, you can get yourself a nice new iBook.

So, the question lies, how long will the original iMac continue to sell? I mean, $799 is a lot of money, and I presume an extra $200 is worth the step up to eMac or iBook.

Will the eMac go back to $1099 after Xmas? Will $999 remain as the new price tag? Or will the price fall even further?

All new Macs will ship only to boot into Mac OS X as of January - so if Apple is still shipping the original iMac - I assume that will only boot into Mac OS X too.

Now, the original iMac is a bit of an old dog, it can run Mac OS X, quite well even, but will it as it stands be good enough to run only Mac OS X?

CheesePuff · Nov 23, 2002, 02:48 PM

Same idea here about the ld $799 iMac.

I mean, for $200 more you can get a better looking portable, with a 200 MHz faster processor, better graphics card, a nice LCD with same resolution, and more L2 cache.

tooki · Nov 23, 2002, 06:26 PM

Originally posted by mikerally:
All new Macs will ship only to boot into Mac OS X as of January - so if Apple is still shipping the original iMac - I assume that will only boot into Mac OS X too.

No, Apple said that all models released after New Years will only boot into OS X. Existing models, even when sold after that point, will still boot into OS 9.

It also wouldn't surprise me if Apple decided to be "generous" and allow one or two models to keep booting into 9, for those people who use programs that don't exist for OS X.

tooki

mikerally · Nov 23, 2002, 07:13 PM

Mmm, that makes things more interesting.

Are you absolutely sure? The Apple guy I spoke to today at the Mac Expo gave the impression that all machines next year would.

Apple may as well be consistant - after all how confusing will it be to people to find one product can boot Mac OS 9 and the other can't?

And what does constitute a new model? A 100Mhz speedbump? A Price Cut?

Suppose the flat panel iMacs, the current ones get a price cut and become the mid-range, and then a new model is introduced which is (for illustrative purposes) just 100Mhz faster - does that mean just the new model will only boot Mac OS X, or will the whole product line be revised to only boot Mac OS X - and if it's just the new model - why should some new iMacs only boot OS X and some don't?

It's way way way too confusing for the average consumer - I don't see Apple having to explain to enquiring customers which machines run OS X only and that don't. It's far more consistant to say from this moment on they all only run OS X.

It makes sense to do all of them or none.

Commodus · Nov 23, 2002, 09:48 PM

The "all new models after January" statement does suggest that they'll be gradually rolling out 10-only systems throughout the year, rather than suddenly modifying all the hardware all at once (however slightly) to prevent OS 9 booting.

The January figure would also coincide nicely with an iMac update: the symbol of the Mac world would be the first to lead the charge, while everything else (eMac, PowerMac, PowerBook, iBook) gets its updates in turn.

gumby5647 · Nov 23, 2002, 10:55 PM

still not cheap enough. needs to be 899.00. And the CRT iMac needs to DIE!

Peder Rice · Nov 24, 2002, 02:46 PM

Actually, the CRT iMac should get a price drop to $499 and a bump to a 700MHz Sahara and a GeForce2MX.

jfwjxn · Nov 24, 2002, 03:27 PM

Does anybody remember when Apple had the iMac special edition (CRT Model) they were in Graphite & Snow, offered a 700 MHz, 60 GB Hard Drive, CD-RW, and some other stuff. They were kinda on the expensive side if I can remember correctly they were out until the end of last year and sold for $1499?

gumby5647 · Nov 24, 2002, 06:41 PM

the 700Mhz G3 750CXe, CD-RW in Graphite and Snow were intro'd at MWNY '01 and EOL'd after MWSF 02. They weren't anything special really, MacWorld didn't even do a review of them. Everyone knew that the FP iMac was "just around the corner"

But now, it's time for it go be discontinued and put up in a museum or something. Drop a CD-ROM in an eMac and sell it for 799-899 and you're left with a simple but complete desktop line. From cost consumer, to Consumer, to Prosumer to Professional.

CheesePuff · Nov 24, 2002, 08:00 PM

Yeah... give the iMac G3 a 100 MHz speed increase, more L2 cache, better graphics card, and sel it for $599.00.

slider · Nov 24, 2002, 09:18 PM

No more cd-rom just CDRW on lowest models. I could hardly believe they dropped the processor speed from 700MHz and dropped the cdrw. I understand they didn't want it to compete with either the fp imac or the emac, but come on, they each offer something unique to the table. and I know it had noting to do with production cost, the 15" iMac should be selling for $599 700MHz and a cdrw, it would probably do more to sway fence sitters than drop down to that model if someone was considering an eMac. It's the user base stupid. man this is a lazy post, sorry

gumby5647 · Nov 24, 2002, 11:09 PM

Give it up people. Apple won't ever enter the 599.00 market. Leave that to beleaguered Gateway and Co. The lowest price Apple would ever go is probably 699.00, even then, i don't see them going that low any time soon.

there is a BIG discussion on this over at AI.

Here: http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-b...c&f=1&t=002695

and here:
http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-b...c&f=1&t=002614

and yes, Apple should offer a CD-ROM choice. Many users already have an external CD-RW drive. Why would they want another one if it means they could save some money?

slider · Nov 24, 2002, 11:36 PM

OK, what is the price difference between an OEM installed cd-rom and cdrw? Sure even a six months ago I would have agreed with you. There will also not be two models of crt iMac again, and if gateway is offering their $599 whatever with a cdrw, shouldn't this be a built in feature? Just because someone might have an external cdrw doesn't sound like an argument, good, it will be easier for them to make copies, what about joe who wants to burn cd and only as a couple of bucks and no external burner. Btw, I have no idea what the price difference is between an oem install rom and rw, but I am guessing it ain't that much anymore. Aren't PC makers putting them both in?

gumby5647 · Nov 25, 2002, 04:25 PM

Originally posted by slider:
...and if gateway is offering their $599 whatever with a cdrw, shouldn't this be a built in feature?

I don't think Gateway is exactly the "model" computer company.

slider · Nov 25, 2002, 07:24 PM

Originally posted by gumby5647:

I don't think Gateway is exactly the "model" computer company.

Can't argue with that.

mikerally · Nov 27, 2002, 06:03 PM

I've just been to 3 Apple exhibitions in the last 3 months, Apple Expo Paris, the Making Movies Conference in London, and MacExpo UK in London.

Everytime Apple had their entire product line on display, EXCEPT the original iMac. This seems to be the black sheep of the family, Apple don't like to promote it, they obviously don't really acknowledge it's existance anymore - it's never mentioned in any of their product lineups, not even as an option (it's only mentioned at the Apple Store).

They must have stopped making the machine ages ago, and probably are only clearing inventory, the machine has come to the end of it's life. Apple doesn't offer any build to order options on except for choosing your RAM configuration.

When Apple finish their stock, it will be the end of the machine - but for just how long will it linger? Will Apple have to make any more price cuts to it just to get it to sell?

I really want to see this machine to go - it's had it's time - and I don't want to see it hanging around slowly dying - I want to remember it as a great computer - not one that slowly died.

gumby5647 · Nov 27, 2002, 11:48 PM

i think Apple is still producing them. Them sold 76,000 of the buggers last quarter.

icruise · Nov 28, 2002, 01:19 AM

Yes, I've heard that as well, and if those numbers are correct the "classic" imac makes up quite a large percentage of Macs sold every quarter. I think it is true that Apple is trying to downplay the old mac -- after all they want people to buy the newer and more profitable models. I imagine a lot of the sales went to education and so forth, where they probably get an even better deal. There are many settings where a cheaper G3 imac would be more attractive even if you can get a much more powerful eMac for a bit more. It seems unlikely that huge numbers of these are being sold to individuals, but I am just guessing.

mikerally · Nov 28, 2002, 04:54 AM

76,000 is not all that much compared to how much the iMac used to sell.

How many original iMacs did Apple sell the quarter before that?

How many do you think they will sell next quarter?

I'm sure the sales are in a steady decline at least.

icruise · Nov 28, 2002, 10:51 PM

I don't have the numbers at hand, but that is considerably more than the number of powerbooks sold in the same quarter. But the powerbooks are much more profitable, of course. The point is, I don't think they have hundreds of thousands of these sitting in a warehouse waiting to be liquidated -- I'm pretty sure they are still being made.