[newportnews]

With all the talk of an LCD iMac I was wondering from current iMac owners what it would take to to get you to buy a new iMac.

So List:

1. Your current iMac
2. What it would take for you to upgrade.


1. Flower Power iMac SE 600/40/256/CD-RW

2. iMac 17" display (LCD or CRT) G4 733/40/128/Superdrive

Now I know that this model is probably a year to 18 months off at least... but I don't need a new computer, I just got my iMac SE in April.

Note: The current iMac SE is a rocking machine. Flower Power looks much better in person than in pics... it's actually transparent so you can see through the machine. Much better than boring graphite (Oh, I know that statements going to cause problems)

NewportNews

[keekeeree]

1. iMacDV/400MHz w/ 128 RAM

2. 15-17" LCD, all-in-one, 700+ MHz, CDRW, 40 gig drive, 128+ RAM, cordless optical mouse, great looks (a black-chrome look would be killer).

(that, or a visit from Ed McMahon )

Right now, I'm very happy with my iMac (could use more RAM, but that'll be coming shortly). Basically it would take Apple creating my dream machine for me to consider dumping it in the near future. And if Apple doesn't (probably won't), then I'm happy to wait a bit with my current machine.

[misc]

Originally posted by newportnews:
<STRONG>With all the talk of an LCD iMac I was wondering from current iMac owners what it would take to to get you to buy a new iMac.

So List:

1. Your current iMac
2. What it would take for you to upgrade.
</STRONG>

1. iMac DVSE 500 (Summer of 2000)
2. iMac 17" LCD, G4 733+, 50 Gig HD, 128 Stock RAM, Superdrive, the DV+ models should have a two VGA outs, one for video mirroring, the other for dual moniters( do you think this is too much to ask for?), and I need $4,000.

[Lolo from Paris]

1 - iMac DV 400 (DVD...)

2 - 15" CRT (no LCD for me) but with a flat screen, faster G3, killer graphics card (Geforce 2 MX), more ram, more hard drive space, wireless keyboard and mouse, 3 buttons mouse with wheel, titanium/alumiuin design, combo DVD/CDR, USB2 & bluetooth too.

[CaseCom]

1. iMac DV 400 grape, 192 MB RAM, 30 GB HD

2. I won't upgrade until my current iMac is so outdated that I can no longer do what I want to do. When I reach that point, then I'll look around and see what's out there. I figure I'll keep this one for at least another year.

[shmerek]

1) rev b 160MB RAM 20gig hard drive
2) I don't think I will buy another iMac unless it is something spectacular: killer graphics, the ability to upgrade the graphics card, a super fast system bus and processor, and cheap. Mine has been a pain in the ass but I think that it is due to faulty RAM. I really believe that the next purchase will be a portable.

[BLUiMac]

1. Indigo 350Mhz, 192 MB RAM, 7 GB HD, CD-ROM
2. A G4 processor. (Yeah right.)

[lee vieira]

1. 350MHz Indigo Summer 2000 iMac.

2. A combination of all of the following: Bigger CRT or 14-15" LCD, good graphics card(defined by me as a 16MB GeForce 2MX or 16MB Radeon VE, aka the low-cost Radeon), at least 128MB RAM standard(64 in the age of OS X is an insult), OS X 1.1 pre-loaded, at least 600MHz G3 or 500MHz G4, combo drive(CDRW/DVD-playback).

A 133MHz bus w/DDR-RAM and 4xAGP would be nice too. Current bus is getting outdated.

And oh yeah, colors I like(currently Indigo is the only one).

--lee

[ 06-22-2001: Message edited by: lee vieira ]

[ericdelangen]

1. Rev. A, Bondi Beast... 233, 160 MB, 30 gig
2. Not Much...

It still runs fine... it's just starting to feel really slow. I know I can upgrade the proc, but it seems a new machine is all around the best choice for me. Whether it's what's released at MWNY or one of the previous revisions that's being sold for cheap, I'll definitely be getting a new machine in a month's time.

[pdjr]

1. iMac DV Blueberry (400 MHz), Pro Keyboard and Mouse, Maxtor 80Gb external

2. At least a 1GHz processor (G3, G4, whatever), a fully functioning version of OSX, Quicken for OSX, Office 2001 for OSX, a larger monitor (~17"), and a super-large stock HD (at least 60GB)

I plan on upgrading within three years. Why go from a 400MHz G3 to a 600MHz G3. That's pure stupidity and fiscal irresponsibility, IMO.

[adamwsoccer]

Last Edit

[mikithecrackhead]

1. imac snow 500mh 394mgs ram
2. faster processer 1gig ( to keep up with the windoze jones) and anice price tag of $999

apple can still profit from that price tag and their market share will sky rocket. But apparently apple is not out for market share and my dream machine will probrally ship with 64mgs of ram!!!!
but enough of me bitching, bottom line is my imac rocks. I see nothing that can convince me of letting go of my imac for another machine. Even if there was a new mac with 1 gig processer and a $999 price tag, I might not let go of my snow. because it still rocks...

[Frumpy]

1. iMac 266MHz, 6gig HD, 64Ram

2. Over 700MHz G3, 60gig HD, Flat Panel Display (i really don't care if it's CRT or LCD), DVD/CD-RW combo drive, GeForce2MX with 32mb of RAM.

I bought this iMac in March of 1999, and it still does mostly everything i want it to do. Of course, 8 months ago i purchased a 466MHz SE iBook, so i don't really have any problems running anything with a Mac symbol on it. I've gotten so used to the flat panel display though that i want it on every Mac i buy from now on. The main thing that bothers me is that the display on the old iMac is sooo much brighter than my iBook, not to mention the better resolution that i end up over there for most of my home use. I'm also into digital video editing with iMovie, and would LOVE a huge hard drive. I also love games, and with some of the titles hitting the Mac in the near future (Halo, Doom 3, Alice), i'm going to want a better graphics card than a Rage Mobility, although it does give me 50 fps for Unreal Tournament online. I don't think i'm asking for too much in the next revision though.

[AusRob]

1. iMac DV 400 (Grape)
2. It pretty much has everything I need (USB, firewire) to get me to upgrade it would need at least a G4 733 (or better) with a combo drive. Not too fussed on the screen specs or the colours. 256Mb RAM or higher would also be good along with 40+ gig HD.

[Nicko]

I have a revA Bondi Blue 233 imac with 192megs of ram, 4gig HD, Oh and a 2meg rageII

She does pretty much everything I need her to do ...except 3d ofcourse

I would love to have DVD, CDRW, bigger screen, and a kick ass vid card.


What I'm really wondering though is if the next imac only has a G3 instead of a G4, will OSX ever get optimized enough for it? I mean, G4s are the future right?

1. iMac DVse 400

2. A lottery win!

Seriously, just had my DVse since October & it won't be paid for till October 2003, so barring some disaster or coming in to some unexpected cash I won't be looking for a new machine till then.

Hopefully the super drive & iDvd will have reached the consumer machines by then, they interest me a lot.

Cheers!

Inkfinger.

[koffedrnkr]

this thread reminds me of the "simpsons" epsiode where homer designs a car....so our perfect imac would be:

" a 1ghz G4 with your choice of a 17'' CRT or LCD screen, 60gig drive, a CDRW-DVDR superdrive, a radeon or geforce3 graphics card with 32megs of VRAM, firewire, USB, USB2, bluetooth, 3 button cordless optical mouse with scrollwheel, 256megs of RAM, dual video outs, OSX 10.1 preloaded, cool form factor that includes new colors and lots of powerbook styled titanium"

$899

DOH!

[scaught]

1. 600 mhz graphite imac, 512MB ram

2. i dont think im ready to upgrade no matter what comes out in MWNY. the system i have now is fast, and i like it quite a bit. honestly, for what the wife and i use it for, we could probably get by on a lot less computer, but its nice to know itll rip when we need it to

[dakiller]

1. iMacDV 400 (it's Lime!)/ 10Gb Hdd / 128Mb Ram
2. . a new sexy iMac with 15" LCD (I'm sick of CRT, and I'm not an artist so I don't need any color accuracy)

. G4 450 (I always want Cube. Since Cube will be axed soon, I want it's brain instead )

. Geforce2MX, DVD/CD-RW, 256Mb of Ram, 20Gb Hdd

I don't think this will come out next month(NEVER!) but since my Lime iMac is still useful, I don't want to change it right away.

. oh yeah, and a important one : Mac OS X 10.2 preinstalled (I already told you I'm not waiting for MWNY next month)

[ 06-22-2001: Message edited by: dakiller ]

[xyber233]

I have a rev. b imac with a 466 mhz G3, voodoo 2, 20 gb hard drive, and 192 mb of ram. I want a 17" LCD, DVD/CD-RW combo drive, and either a geforce2 or a radeon.

[lee vieira]

Originally posted by Nicko:
<STRONG>

What I'm really wondering though is if the next imac only has a G3 instead of a G4, will OSX ever get optimized enough for it? I mean, G4s are the future right?</STRONG>

Good question.

However, OS X has improved quite a bit speedwise since the initial 10.0.0 release, and this was with just minor updates (10.0.4 just got released). This leads me(and most everybody else) to believe that X was rushed out the door a highly un-optimized mess, so there's plenty of room to improve.

So who knows how fast it'll be once the major update (10.1, aka 'Puma') releases at or soon after Macworld NY?

It may very well be that a fast G3 will run X extremely well then. We'll know in about a month.

PS oops, scratch the above comments. G3 users are reporting that the just-released 10.0.4 update makes OS X quite fast on most G3 machines.

So apparently, Apple's already there, far as OS X-on-G3s goes. You still need lots of RAM though, no matter what Apple says.

10.1 should just flat-out fly.

--lee

[ 06-23-2001: Message edited by: lee vieira ]

[ 06-23-2001: Message edited by: lee vieira ]

1. revA iMac w.NewerTech G3/466; Gamewizard Voodoo2; 192 meg RAM; slaved IDE cable and power supply for CD burner (external); standard 4gig drive.

2. I want to give movie-making a try, so I'm going to need Firewire.
As long as the monitor is an increased size, I'll be happy.
I'm also really into UT and its future incarnations so I'm going to want a more capable video card. If speculation is correct then there will be Geforce 2 as standard so some smart-arse will figure out how to shoe-horn a 32meg version and/or Geforce 3 into it . I'm game. That's why I'm not looking into a G4 desktop - the price difference (don't forget monitor) coupled with the ardent iMac community make me want to stick with it. Besides, no matter what the specs, its gonna look cool!

[natbaker]

1. Strawberry iMac 333/4/96

2. I 'd like to get the current graphite 600 with all the memory people are giving out with the systems, but I'm holding on to see what the new ones bring. I'm hoping for the 17" screen and the CDRW/DVD combo.

[georgius]

1. iMac DV Grape , 400MHz G3, 192 MB RAM, 10 gig.

2.iMac DV SE +, 800MHz G3, Deep colors (Indigo, ruby, copper, jade), 40 gig, 128 MB RAM as standard, 17 ich flat panel or a 17 inch CRT.

As you can read, it would take a lot to make me upgrade...I still love what I have...and to be perfectly honest, I would only go for a new iMac if it were something totally radical from the current design...and if the next iMac isn't...I'd go for a new G4...

Play it cool

[suprz]

1999 blueberry imac 350mhz 6gb hd . 192mb ram......

unfortunately i wouldnt buy another imac, i will go with a new ibook, and a new (or a sawtooth, if i can find one) G4. i just dont like not being able to upgrade easily. the imac was my first home computer and has served me well, and i'll never part with her but, now i want to play with the big dogs......

[ 06-24-2001: Message edited by: suprz ]

I have an iMac 333MHz, 160 MB RAM, pro kbd/mouse.

It would take a 15+ inch LCD and at least 600MHz processor and DVD/CDRW included under $1000 for me to upgrade. So that means I'll get one in 5 or 6 years.

[MS]

1. 400 MHZ imac dvse with DVD.
2. It would have to be exceptional. I don't play many games, except for an occasional UT, so even though a better graphics card would be great, it wouldn't be enough. The only thing I really want is the superdrive, so I can burn DVD's, which will probably never be in an imac.

If I upgrade, it will be to a G4 most likely.

1. Rev a iMac, voodoo card, 384 MB RAM, 20 GB HD
2. G4, fast video card (better than the rage 128), flat screen would be cool, but I could settle for CRT

[LokiiAlpha]

Have: * iMac DV+ 450 (Sage)
* 576mb RAM
* OSX 10.0.4

Dream of: * iMac G4 1GHz Superdrive
(Any color but Flowerpower and Blue Dalmation)
* 17in. LCD Screen
* Pro Mouse w/ a scroll button
* OS X optimized and running as smooth
& as fast or faster than 9.1 javascript: x()
* An internal docking cradle for my Apple P.D.A. javascript: x()

[LokiiAlpha]

Have: * iMac DV+ 450 (Sage)
* 576mb RAM
* OSX 10.0.4

Dream of: * iMac G4 1GHz Superdrive
(Any color but Flowerpower and Blue Dalmation)
* 17in. LCD Screen
* Pro Mouse w/ a scroll button
* OS X optimized and running as smooth
& as fast or faster than 9.1 javascript: x()
* An internal docking cradle for my Apple P.D.A. javascript: x()

[mikithecrackhead]

nice to see many folks with rev A and revB imacs. in addition to my snow I have a 266 grape with 96 ram and that too still rocks!!!!

[roders]

There seems to be a tug of love in this thread between price and spec's, or more acurately, good specs versus an LCD.
I used to have a Rev C iMac, and am now using a 466Mhz Graphite SE iBook, which I'm going to pass on to my little sis this autumn (or fall to you yank's!).
Basically I'm telling you this because I will never go back to a CRT if I can help it.
I want an LCD, 14" is fine, the picture is sharper, and I don't get ANY eyestrain, which used to really piss me off when doing graphics work using my iMac.
Apple's GOT to redesign the iMac to raise it's profile to consumers again, they need a hit, a slightly revised iMac won't do it, it would probably do the opposite, and I think Apple knows this (they were smart enough to invent/design the iMac in the first place)!
As far as specs go, I would only consider an iMac with a good graphics card (Geforce 2 MX) after being hobbled with the Rage Pro in my Rev C.
This leads me on to the crux of my rant, I think Apple has to and will bring out an LCD iMac at MW, all the signs are pointing to it, which is fine by me, but the only thing I'm worried about is price and specs,.
I want a completely cool/new looking iMac with reall good specs, but I can see the need for Apple to have cheap iMac, so, why can't they do both, with a hot HIGH speced SE model at the top ( with Geforce 2MX or Radeon with 32MB) bluetooth USB 2.0 etc fast motherboard (133MHz AGP X4) faster chips (G4???) slighly bigger HD's, wireless keyboard and/or mouse etc, with a Price that reflects the high spec; and a bottom of the range bargain model with the same new case and screen (...maybe a slightly smaller LCD in the same case) with the current 100Mhz motherboard and specs (no USB 2.0 bluetooth or wireless keyboard or mouse) and a mid range that's got a 14" LCD but a combination spec wise, of the top spec and bastard (i.e. crap) spec iMac's I have suggested (old or new motherboard with 16MB Geforce 2MX or Radeon value, no bluetooth etc, and a G3).
Apple might introduce a notepad or some sort of bastrad son of the eMate/Newton, to cover the low end if the iMac has to go up a little in price to give it an LCD AND respectable specs.
I think a new newtonish/palmish device would be great but it would HAVE to be smaller cheaper, and less specced than an iMac or iBook, obviously.
Sorry for ranting!!!
Had to get it out of my system, if the new iMac's not cool looking, well specced AND reasonably specced, I might just have to get a PC, sorry guy's
it's nothing personal, but I'm a bit sick of missing out on tech/specs/stuff, because I've paid more than I would for a PC, and although I find Winblowz a little less user friendly than the MAC OS (and the programs that run on it) it's the different ethos's (where there coming from if you like) of the company's (Apple & Microsloth) which I like to think come out in the products each of these companies make ,that are the biggest problem to me.
P.S I've left the spelling mistakes in in this post to try and keep you awake while you read this rant (sort of like an intellectually challenged crossword puzzle) honest!

[ 06-26-2001: Message edited by: roders ]

[penginkun]

My next computer will be a portable. Most likely I will get an iBook, or perhaps a PBG4. This will be my primary machine. Most likely I will get a base model without a CDR and then buy a FireWire CDRW so I can use it with both the iMac (which I will keep for my wife's art) and the iBook. I don't know what I would do with the 7500. Probably mothball it for the time being.

Then, for the really intensive DV (and games) I would jump the Apple ship and get a Sony Vaio Digital Studio. Yes, I know, it's Windows, the hated enemy. BUT it's $1,000 less than the G4/733, has the same DVD-R drive, and has an MPEG card. Plus it's got a TV tuner and can, like the TiVO, record TV shows to the hard drive. Now, if by some chance Apple manages to deliver something similar for a reasonable (~ $3,000) cost, I would buy that before I buy a Vaio. But, alas, Apple isn't offering such a beastie yet, so for now my eyes are on the Vaio. These are features I require for what I want to do.

I will never again buy an iMac. I should never have bought one in the first place. It is the wrong computer for me. If it had been available at the time, I would have bought a Cube, in spite of the greater cost, or the G4 tower. Now, maybe in ten years, if my wife and I have some kids, and Apple still makes them, I'd buy an iMac for the kids. ^_^

[peterthorn]

1. iMac 333/96/6 orange
2. just about anything. Need better processor, and would certainly also like a more silent machine.
It has been a good friend for around two years, but it's probably about time to change.

Peter

[ 06-28-2001: Message edited by: peterthorn ]

The DVDr drives in the Sony are not the same as Apple's. They have half the datarate, show 2 hours instead of one, but quality of the output suffers. DVDr and DVD-RW drives are two different formats that are in competition for the standard.

I read recently, I believe it was on cnet.com, where a reviewer used a compaq with DVD-rw vs. the G4 Mac. He found that the overall experience on a Mac was very slick, while the Compaq was disjointed and difficult to use for making DVDs. Apple's iDVD was the winner. He also was not happy with the quality of the output from the Compaq.

I would look at the specs and study a bit more carefully before making such a drastic change.

Originally posted by penginkun:
[QB]
Then, for the really intensive DV (and games) I would jump the Apple ship and get a Sony Vaio Digital Studio. Yes, I know, it's Windows, the hated enemy. BUT it's $1,000 less than the G4/733, has the same DVD-R drive, and has an MPEG card.
QB]

[penginkun]

Well, it sure looks like the same one to me... I can't find any place on Sony's site which gives the model. PC Magazine just reviewed this, and according to the article, it has a "Pioneer DVD-RW". Seems to me, though, that I saw here on MacNN that it was the Pioneer.

In any event, the quality of the video is not dependant on the speed of the drive; rather, it is dependant on the hardware used to create the MPEG. Since the Vaio has an in-built MPEG encoder card, it will be equal, if not superior to anything done in software. It will also be FASTER.

For the record, Apple's (I should say Pioneer's) DVD-R can support longer formats. Using DVD Studio Pro, one can create the longer, somewhat lower-quality 2 hr discs. iDVD is limited to 1 hour.

Anyway, the make and model of the DVD-R is immaterial to me; I want the Vaio because it's one sweet piece of hardware. I/O ports out the yin-yang; TV in; the ability to record TV to the hard drive, and then to DVD if I choose; built-in MPEG encoder...wow, the list goes on. If I wanted all this in the G4, I would have to spend well over $1,000 above the cost of the computer, and I don't even know if there's a way to get do the TiVO-like stuff on an Apple. Costwise and featurewise, the Vaio just makes more sense. *shrug* I will buy the RIGHT machine for the job, even when it's not an Apple.

I would LOVE IT if Apple were to build this machine. I would sell a kidney to buy it, even. Unfortunately for me (and Apple, and the hypothetical person who'd get my kidney) Apple DOESN'T make this machine. If they come out with one before I scrape together the funds to buy the Vaio, I'll ditch the Vaio and go with Apple again. Otherwise...

[ 06-29-2001: Message edited by: penginkun ]

Does anyone else think that Apple just makes their computers TOO good?

I mean, come on, if you have a PC as old as a rev. A iMac, it's a piece of crap, a paper weight. Apple's stuff lasts too long, stays relevant too long, and doesn't force owners to upgrade or replace very often.

That's great for us, bad for Apple. Or is it?

[dn15]

1. iMac DV (1999, Lime) 400 Mhz, 192 MB, 10 GB

2. Whatever great new specs are available in a couple years. I will upgrade when I need it, not just when a shiney new model comes out. My iMac runs any program I need it to and pretty fast, too. The only complaint is OS X's speed, but nobody's forcing me to use it and I can always go back to 9 if it doesn't get faster.

[Composer]

Long time reader, first time poster.

&lt;Happy Mac Guy&gt; I understand, I currently have a 266mhz iMac w/96MB and I don't plan on upgrading for at least another year. Before that I had a Performa 600 that still worked like a champ.

My next Mac will be a portable, hopefully a tablet based computer. I recently tried a Qbe Cirrus, and thought I'd finally found EXACTLY what I'd been looking for in a computer. If Apple doesn't make one, I may have to switch...

[Applefreak01]

1.Rev. A 64MB
2. I won't get another iMac in this life time.
My next Mac will definitely be a portable. Apple's laptops are a better deal than their desktop computers. They are just as fast (well almost and don't cost a lot). I have an iBook (1999, 300MHz, tangerine) and I love it. I have 320MB RAM and airport installed. I love airport, that's why I'll get anyother laptop in a couple of years. For now my iBook does just fine running Mac OS X.

[ 07-06-2001: Message edited by: Applefreak01 ]

[ 07-06-2001: Message edited by: Applefreak01 ]

[OddManOut]

1. iMac DV SE 400
2. a) 15" LCD or 17 CRT
b) Killer graphics
c) Substantially faster CPU and 133 Bus
d) Ability to play .ram media format as well as Windows Media Player media natively in OsX

[Taloston Man]

1. Graphite iMac DVSE 400/13/192/DVD-ROM

2. Something incredibly new....

When I first bought this iMac about a year and a half ago, I loved it to pieces. Then in the summer of last year I began to think of selling it in lieu of something with more power/screen/upgradeability, etc.
I've come to the conclusion that barring something radically new rolling out of Apple's doors in the next year and a bit, I'm staying where I am.
And what defines radically new? Something that doesn't exist in the line now, and not just a new type of optical drive, something more than a processor or RAM upgrade.
And I also decided yesterday to order an iBook DVD to compliment the iMac.
So it's not the fastest machine in the world, so it can't burn DVD's/CD's/Newer Pentiums, I've come to the conclusion that the marketing machine isn't as powerful on me as it once was, and that for my needs (Photoshop Art, iMovie Rendering), this thing is just fine.

Trevor Haldenby

[pete.z]

a: imac 400 dv,320 mb,10 gb hd.
b: faster(g4.1 gig?),bigger screen(lcd would be nice,but only if it is affordable,not pushing the imac into g4 prices.Then I would buy a g4,and I think a lot people would.)
c: Money.....

If they keep the imac like this,my next one would be a g4,with big display.(but maybe that's what Apple want us to do?Or am I getting paranoid now?)

[criedel]

iMac DV 400 mhz, 320 megs RAM
I would like to see a complete change in form factor for the next iMac that I purchase. Of course the more I look at the new iBook, my next 'puter may not be a desktop at all.... we'll see after MWNY.

1. rev a 96mb OS 8.6

hafta say, it does everything I want with no drama....nice machine, and I guess it's a classic so could never part with it.

2. iBook probably next buy, but if new iMac is a genuine tech leap forward -- ie G4, &lt;14" LCD, fan-less, improved graphics, 10.1 and some native OSX goodies thrown in, maybe I'm game 'cause I'd like to Airport the 'book direct without a base stn.

[gfxgeek]

1. 500mhz DVSE Graphite (Summer 2000).
256mb
OSX 10.0.4

2. Nothing, at least not for another two years. This baby flies and I absolutely love the form factor.

I really hope Apple keeps the "Fun" in the consumer line.

[bloodbeard]

Ok, I'll jump in here after reading through

1) Bondi Blue iMac (b) 233mhz.160mb.20gig.rage pro/voodoo2

This iMac served me non-stop until a month ago, when I developed the Green Light of Death syndrome. I sent it in to Best Buy (I know I know, that was my first mistake, but they were the only ones I could find that had the iMac with the rage pro) The only thing I really felt like I was missing out on was a new graphics card and firewire. I had a Gateway laptop that was also 3 years old, and when the new iBook's came out, I was able to kill birds with one stone. My rule of thumb for upgrading, was that the specs be at minimum Double the origonal. Compared to my 233/32/4 gig machine, the iBook does that. In order to upgrade to another iMac, I'd like to see

2) I'm a picky guy

�A G4 processor. AltiVec is a beautiful thing, but always just above my reach, pricewise. Hopefully Apple thinks it is now ready for the masses. Mark Adams, president of Westlake Interactive, has said he won't spend the extra time adding Velocity Engine code to their ports until Apple puts a G4 in the iMac. Clockspeed should be ? 3 times faster than the origonal bondi blue, so 733mhz

�A decent graphics card. Apple would be wise to throw in either a GeForce2 or a Radeon into the iMac. While it is a consumer machine, they could get these cards for cheap considering how many would go into the iMacs..

� A flat panel screen, preferably LCD. While I'm glad that I got an extended warranty on my bondi, as it will cover the "GLOD", If it was an LCD, I wouldn't have had this problem. I have to say that I've been spoiled by this iBook's LCD, but if the cost of getting a LCD into an iMac was too much, I'd settle for a flat panel monitor.

� As far as optical drives go, I don't care as long as any writable drive also includes DVD in the machine. I don't want to get stuck with an 8x internal CD writer and no DVD. I'd much rather buy a faster firewire drive and have the ability to do direct copies. A Superdrive would definatley be worth the extra cost in the iMac line (If there were, say, a Special Addition line upwards of 2k), but if again, cost was an issue, I could always pick up a firewire drive later and add that to the iMac line.

A few others on this thread have mentioned similar specs, and many others who've read the thread probably think that these specs are too much for a consumer machine. Even if an iMac like this is a long ways off, I'd definatley buy something like this.

[beverson]

Current model: Rev B. Bondi iMac, upgraded to 192 MB RAM and a 30 GB HD.

Upgrade: this has (and continues to be) a fabulous machine and seems to have much longer legs than my old Performa 6200CD; once X is finally optimized, I think it will again breathe new life into my iMac (just like the upgrades did). I could sink another few hundred into an upgrade card, but I think now I'd rather save up for an iBook. Portables have a great appeal to me now, and plus I plan on never giving up the iMac...it'll be my stationary home system, and with the bigger drive still my main repository of crap...then maybe throw it in a closet in 3 or 4 years just to be a server with X (XI?) installed...then I'll just keep it around as an antique or something.

So yeah, no new desktop for me for several years. But I still hope the new iMacs, whenever they're released, are way cool.