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PSST · Jan 23, 2003, 07:33 AM

I had a thought for a new design for the iMac that took the best of the old, the new, and the eMac.

Get rid of the eMac and LCD iMac and go for an LCD screen interchangable all-in-one design that can accomodate every screen size from 15 inch, 17 inch, 19 inch LCDs (normal and widescreen) in different resolutions, upgradability if you want it, or need it, at least the user has the final choice for upgradeability, even if you never use it.

Apple should built it to be a strong as a brick, but lighter than even the LCD iMac. Strong, light and durable. With good choices for all kinds Apple users, in all kinds of different situations.

Without destroying or taking anything away from the TOWERS or the Pro users, that makes then also unique.

But, please kill all three lines: eMac, LCD iMac and the CRT iMac, and incorporate each and all of the best qualities of all three models. Besides, sales for each of the three are slowing down.

A new design, with a good competitive price for all.

After all, look at the room that Apple has for pricing: from sub $1000 (for the CRT iMac), $1000 for the eMac to $2000 for the LCD iMac.

Price, Performance, and the WHOA factor returns: all-in-one, all over again.

Can't this be done?
-Sabastian

D'Espice · Jan 23, 2003, 07:55 AM

Keep on dreaming...

Chimpmaster · Jan 23, 2003, 08:22 AM

I love the g4 imac; I have one and its the best desktop I have owned.

They are excellent value and I hope to hell apple keeps them, but bumps up the speed, ram and graphics cards for the next rev.

Ill be sticking with mine though; its an awesome machine.

twinkiee · Jan 24, 2003, 02:10 PM

I think that is a terrible idea to combine the emac and imac. The emacs are for people who don't give a crap about the awesome LCD's and want a cheaper affordable whole deal package. The imacs are for people who appreciate the compact sleek design with enough power for the average consumer. If you wanted to eliminate the imac/emac for a more powerful system and be able to choose out your screen (LCD or CRT in all sizes) you are talking about the powermacs.

SOLIDAge · Jan 24, 2003, 02:38 PM

i think some people are losing sight that the new iMac was introduced a year ago...
don't expect a form revision anytime soon
look at the original iMac...yaaa

JNG · Jan 24, 2003, 08:30 PM

Originally posted by twinkiee:
The emacs are for people who don't give a crap about the awesome LCD's and want a cheaper affordable whole deal package.

Or for people who think LCDs aren't so "awesome" at all. (Blecch.)

twinkiee · Jan 24, 2003, 10:32 PM

or for people who are stuck in the middle ages.

JNG · Jan 27, 2003, 08:12 AM

If being stuck in the middle ages means that you enjoy resolution switching and proper color saturation, then yes.

RodFr · Jan 27, 2003, 08:32 AM

One interesting idea I saw somewhere was the prospect of a rotateable LCD screen that snapped into two different positions, portrait and landscape, 90 degrees rotated from each other. So for DVD, graphic surfing etc. the landscape mode is best and for WP long docs portrait.

Simon · Jan 27, 2003, 08:45 AM

Originally posted by RodFr:
One interesting idea I saw somewhere was the prospect of a rotateable LCD screen that snapped into two different positions, portrait and landscape, 90 degrees rotated from each other. So for DVD, graphic surfing etc. the landscape mode is best and for WP long docs portrait.

There used to be CRTs that did that too. I remember a Radius 1 Page CRT Display that could be rotated from portait to landscape. At its time it was a great thing. I suppose today it's not such an issue anymore because of the high DPIs we have reached on CRTs and TFTs. My 17" TFT at home is wider than tall (5:4), but the 1024 pixel height is still enough to view a whole page length at once, i.e. no need to rotate the display.

RodFr · Jan 27, 2003, 11:56 AM

Good point Simon. I guess what I'd really like is a screen that shows the actual size of the sheet you'll end up printing on i.e. A4 (here in Europe, or US legal in the States?) with the text actual size too.
With my 15" flat panel, and my eye-sight ( I concede though that you can increase text size) it would work a treat.

Simon · Jan 28, 2003, 05:44 AM

Originally posted by RodFr:
Good point Simon. I guess what I'd really like is a screen that shows the actual size of the sheet you'll end up printing on i.e. A4 (here in Europe, or US legal in the States?) with the text actual size too.
With my 15" flat panel, and my eye-sight ( I concede though that you can increase text size) it would work a treat.

Well, if you're interested in pure WYSIWYG I think all you have to do is set your screen resolution to a value equivelent to 72dpi. Of course if you're on a 15" TFT using such a resolution wouldn't let you see close to an A4 or letter page. If I recall correctly such a resolution isn't even that easy to achieve. A 15" running at 1024x768 is about 85dpi whereas the next lower resolution is 800x600 and gives about 67dpi...

Superchicken · 12:54 AM

Since no one has said this... and since I was watching American idol tonight... hey the rejects are halarious!... anyway...

You are offically the removed insult to other poster.

OK now that might be mean but look what you said.

Light, cheap dourable upgradeable, I suppose you also want it to be able to fit into your pocket and carry thousands of songs while being able to monitor span with 20 inch monitors, come in 256 colours and do a little jig for you when you turn it on!

Sheesh! Computers are heavy. Why? Cause they're made of things. A hard drive weighs something, if you make it lighter to save on weight for some removed reason (if you can't carry a 15 inch iMac I'm surprised you can depress the keys on your keyboard to write such a removed post.) you end up with a slower notebook computer drive.
If you make it smaller you limit the amount of heat it can dispensate further limiting the processor...
With making the screens interchangable... you give a nice option to 1% of iMac coustomers and make it confusing for the rest of us.
What parts do you want them to make lighter? The arm? Uhh you make it out of plastic it's less durable you asked for durability then you get weight.
And Durable... aside from the arm, keyboard and mouse... WHY THE HECK DOES AN iMAC NEED TO BE DURABLE!?

It sits on your desk, and unless you're an idiot you don't carry it around, you don't have kids that'll pick it up and throw it around, you're not throwing it into a backpack, you're not doing anything with it but occationally lifting it up to get the ring of dust around it when you're cleaning your desk, or turning it to plug stuff in. And if you're mannaging to cause harm to it that way then... well then you've got problems that the rest of us don't.

As for killing the orignal iMac... why? I mean sure it's dumb to have it but they don't NEED to kill it... it's there if people want it, they've got units in stock still so let em sell it for goodness sake!
The eMac yeah it's BIG and it's bulky and sure it's not PURDY, but so what? If I want a comp for my dorm room with power and a CHEAP one I'd get an eMac, I have a friend who loves his eMac he thinks it's fine. The design isn't so bad, it's nothing stellar but it's not supposed to be.
the iMac is a great design why kill it?

And what would an eiMac look like?
Moveable 17 inch CRT? That's the eMac on a tilt and swivel stand.
LCD on a swinging arm... comming out of the back of a old iMac?
Like... how would you COMBINE THEIR STRENGTHS... the eMac and orignal iMac are pretty similar.
the eMac built on the original iMac's strength. The only thing they screwed up on, it doesn't look friendly like the old iMac.

Yeah... sorry but this is the removed post I've read in a long time and it's just... yeah... please for goodness sake think before you post next time... you know I feel bad saying th with my lil iChristian sig in my signature... but at the same time... this is an incredibly .....

Superchicken, save the personal attacks for the lounge. All kinds of people use Macintosh, with all kinds of needs and uses. I recommend you check out the Univeral Access portion of OS X system preferences- Macintosh is for everyone, and not all people use the computer the way you do.

Asking for it to be lighter because a person can't lift it doesn't mean that they shouldn't use the computer- that's just insulting.

Please, keep your attacks confined to the lounge. They don't belong in iMac.

Cipher13 · Jan 31, 2003, 12:52 AM

Superchicken, no need to be so harsh... tone it down a little.

I bet people would have considered the iMac LCD design stupid if it hadn't materialised... right? And if somebody just came up with it?

PSST made it clear that this was just a thought... a pipe dream... nothing wrong with you making clear the technological feasibility (or lack thereof), but you don't have to be so harsh about it on a personal level.

Believe me, if this is the dumbest post you've ever seen - you need to hang out in the Lounge more often and keep an eye out for Zimphire

Superchicken · Feb 3, 2003, 09:13 PM

Hazza I have been modded! Oh well out of almost 1000 posts I think I'm allowed to loose it once in a while on a post like this...
I'd still reiterate my thoughts on the intiligence of this author...but I think it'd be removed... more than anything... I'm simpliy amazed anyone could write something like this and suggest it for the iMac... it sounds like he wants a CRT iBook...