[Thunderbird]

This quote is from a Reuters news article that was released today. Flat screen iMac's are coming, they're just not cheap enough yet.

Chief Executive Steve Jobs, asked by analysts whether future iMacs would have the flat screens, declined to comment on products before they were announced but said, "We are absolutely headed in that direction as fast as economics would allow.

Read the entire article at "Apple Speeds Up iMacs, But No Changes to Look"

[Scott_H]

Well duh.

I think computers will get faster and displays will have better resolution. I'm a seer.

[Korv]

Originally posted by Scott_H:
<STRONG>Well duh.

I think computers will get faster and displays will have better resolution. I'm a seer. </STRONG>

Genious! Are you an Apple engineer? You should be!

OK /sarcasm. But seriously, we all kn now flat screen iMacs are coming. G4 iMacs too. The question is when.

[M�lum]

Well, here we have the answer why we didn't see a new iMac yesterday.

So for all the unhappy people, blame the economy, not Apple. Go to Genova! They have a G8 there!

[lee vieira]

Originally posted by M�lum:
<STRONG>Well, here we have the answer why we didn't see a new iMac yesterday.

So for all the unhappy people, blame the economy, not Apple. Go to Genova! They have a G8 there!</STRONG>

Um, Steve said "as fast as economics would allow", not "as fast as the economy would allow".

That seems to indicate that still-too-high LCD prices are the culprit, not the worldwide economic slowdown.

Of course, I said as much at the very beginning of all this, but the pie-in-the-sky LCD nuts went medieval on my ass

--lee

[Apple Otaku]

I think the most obvious sign that all new LCD iMacs are coming soon are the updated CRT iMacs that were just announced. Why put a lot of time and effort into the CRT iMacs when new LCD iMacs are just around the corner? Think about it. They just bumped the speeds, ram and hd space. They even went back to the previous shells which were much cheaper to produce than the injection-molded patterned shells (love them or hate them), Flower Power and Dalmatian. They could have used more subtle Pearl or Frost patterns on these latest iMacs if they wanted but why bother? They're not going to be around for very long. Did you notice how nonchalantly Steve went over them during the keynote? The feeling I got was that the LCD iMacs are not ready yet for whatever reason so they need to have something to sell in the meantime. Certainly the $100 price increase on the low-end is not due to slightly improved specs. If they just added to the price every time an improvement was made they would cost twice what the original $1299 Bondi iMac did. Could it be to limit sales in accordance with their limited supplies (assuming its true they aren't buying CRTs for them anymore) or maybe to soften us for the higher prices that using an LCD will bring? One thing is for certain. These latest iMacs are no big deal. We know it. Steve knows it. There is a reason for it.

[ 07-19-2001: Message edited by: Apple Otaku ]

[BrunoBruin]

I can't imagine Apple increasing the price of iMacs just to get us used to higher prices in anticipation of LCD models. If iMacs were flying off the shelves, maybe, but as things are, Apple needs every single sale. Raising the price just for psychological reasons would be pretty reckless.

As I pointed out in another thread, that $100 increase for the base model actually buys you a 10GB larger hard drive (a $200 extra on the iBook), an extra 64MB of RAM (admittedly not worth much), upgraded video, a 100MHz faster processor and a CD burner. That's pretty good value for $100 -- assuming, of course, you didn't think the $899 model was already overpriced.

We all know -- and have known for some time -- that LCD iMacs are coming. It's pretty clear that the price points just aren't where they need to be, especially in a weak economy.

[Face Ache]

If Apple got down to a $500 CRT iMac and then pulled it for a $1000 LCD iMac there would be a huge outcry. They're intentionally bumping the price for the reasons stated.

This means the new iMac lineup will be all LCD. No CRT model.

This means goodbye to the low end of the market. Apple are obviously willing to lose them here and now anyway. Otherwise those new iMacs would have been cheaper at the low end.

They've lost the plot.

[maclove]

Flat Screen iMac's are coming NANANANA..........

[jccbin]

Perhaps Apple is creating room at the bottom end of the price spectrum for a new product...

Originally posted by Face Ache:
<STRONG>This means the new iMac lineup will be all LCD. No CRT model.
</STRONG>

Unless you qualify for an educational purchase.

The thing keeping me from expecting LCD iMacs anytime soon is the fact that the 700MHz G3 iMacs won't even be available 'til next month. OK, that's not all that far off. Never mind.

[Hawkeye_a]

im getting kinda bored of rumours of Apples upcoming products.
i mean here's what i think
iMac Revision:
G5 @ 1.5 Ghz
300 Mhz system wide bus,
1 GB memory
17" holographic 3D display
.1" thin.

im sure that product is is being developed, the point is we dont know WHEN we will see it !!!

I think Apple should have release one high end Imac with flat screen. Hey w/ Cube gone, there should be a replacement. What better than with high end Imac w/ lcd. Sure it costs few hundred dollars more, but this gives consumers more choices to choose from. More choices = more sales = more market share = more software availablity on Mac format = more power to Mac users!

[biogeek]

LCD iMac . . . when?

OK, I think we are all in agreement that flat-screen iMacs are on the way. The question now becomes when will they be introduced?

Will Apple wait until January (after the holiday season)?

[Lolo from Paris]

Originally posted by biogeek:
<STRONG>

Will Apple wait until January (after the holiday season)?</STRONG>

It would be a disaster

Apple really needs new iMacs before Christmas, the "new" ones won't sell enough, people have already seen them, the colors are the same, either are the specs...

iBook and Tibook will certainly have a revision at Apple Expo Paris, I hope iMacs will too.

The "new" iMacs are just products to wait a few months, maybe just 2 months..They didn't cost that much for Apple to produce, they use the same pieces as the old ones etc.

For LCD iMacs, I don't know, if it's too expensive it could be a flop like the Cube was, plus LCD have a pretty bad reputation (color accuracy, not very reliable, they look smaller too...). I don't want only LCD iMacs, I hope they will keep one or two CRTs models with better specs and new design too....

[Matsu]

hmmm...

If Apple doesn't supply LCD iMacs before the holiday season (available in November at the latest) then there's no point doing it untill SanFrancisco. With an added 8-9 months, there is a real possibility of much cheaper (at least in Apple quantities) LCD panels. They could incrementally drop the prices of the CRT iMacs (back to an 899 entry level) and simply replace them with same price LCDs at that time. On the other hand, if they get the LCD iMacs out before Christmas they'll be able to charge a bit more for them (since mac die-hards would snap them up).

[Macintosh]

The LCD iMac will be here on September 26th.

[edited to remove too-large sig image -CaseCom]

[ 07-21-2001: Message edited by: CaseCom ]

[Thunderbird]

Originally posted by Macintosh:
<STRONG>The LCD iMac will be here on September 26th.</STRONG>

Hmmmm... My sources say September 31st.

[Phoible]

It is possible that Apple put the iCracks in the old-colored cases to get rid of excess inventory of colors that didn't sell in the past. Maybe snow was overproduced the first time around. People probably aren't going to need case replacement under warranty repair, so Apple is safe in getting rid of every last iCrack enclosure.

Of course they (the LCD iMacs) are on-the-way -- This FALL!!!

Alpha Top was manufacturing the screens for these several months ago -- These machines are probably already 95% assembled somewhere in Taiwan!

NEW FLAT SCREEN IMAC SEEN!
http://www.sony.co.jp/sd/products/Co...oard/top3.html

i love apple (pb520 x 2, quicktake 100, pm7600/120, pm7600/200, pb2400, imac/233, ibook 300, imac/500/blue dalmation, icebook/dvd)...

BUT apple is not as innovative as we all like to think.

the imac is recongnized as being the "all-in-one solution" but what about the mac classic? the performa series? etc? sure it struck a chord for it's form factor, but the earier all-in-ones were new form factors as well.

the powerbooks have always been the envy of the other computer makers, but the vaio jumped out at consumers and now is used in Steve's keynote addresses.

the LCD iMacs (not to be confused with the now-extinct LSD iMacs)will come along one day and we'll all be impressed for a week (i'm sure i'll have to up my credit card limit and have one)

BUT sony, and fujitsu, NEC, has beat apple to it again. the sony airboard was introduce more than a year ago and while it is not a full computer it fills a nitch in the japanese market... wireless internet (and even tv).

all i'm saying is that all the people thinking apple needed to "innovate"
and introduce an lcd imac to survive should relax. what we should be wishing for would still be the ever rumored buy-out of apple by sony (talk about the best of several worlds).

but for the next macworld, let's all hope for the iCeCube because the nextCube was so successful and the g4 Cube was even more successful.

[dbergstrom]

It will be interesting to see what happens. I'll be very surpised to see LCDs at every price point - I think they will creep down the line-up the same way the Superdrive is doing in the G4s.

First, when you compare the components of the iBook to a possible LCD iMac, I don't think there's anyway we'll see an LCD iMac in the sub $1300 range. I've said this in another post - iBook with CDRW and 20 GB hard drive costs $1799, but iMac with similar specs is now $999. Even assuming that the drive and power supply and some other components are slightly more expensive for the iBook, I don't see them being able to offer a flat screen iMac in the low end.

Apple still needs to produce the low end - for schools, for families, etc. My sister-in-law ordered a $999 iMac Wednesday night. They had a Gateway that was quite old. It was like pulling teeth to convince them that an iMac was a wise purchase, especially when a Dell with a 17-inch monitor could be purchased for $1000. I convinced them of the value of the iMac (better quality, cool iApps), but it wasn't until they could get an iMac with CDRW for $999 that they snapped one up.

Apple cannot make consumer machines without keeping in mind who the consumers are. Value and price are important. While an LCD might rejuvenate the line (and be really cool), if it costs too much it will suffer the same fate as the Cube.

[The Blue Meanie]

Originally posted by Macintosh:
<STRONG>The LCD iMac will be here on September 26th.</STRONG>

A bizarrely confident statement! Explain yourself good sir! Do you know something we don't?

[M�lum]

Originally posted by lee vieira:
<STRONG>

Um, Steve said "as fast as economics would allow", not "as fast as the economy would allow".

That seems to indicate that still-too-high LCD prices are the culprit, not the worldwide economic slowdown.

Of course, I said as much at the very beginning of all this, but the pie-in-the-sky LCD nuts went medieval on my ass

--lee</STRONG>

And why are the LCD prices the culprit? Maybe because of the economic slowdown?

[lee vieira]

Originally posted by M�lum:
<STRONG>

And why are the LCD prices the culprit? Maybe because of the economic slowdown?</STRONG>

LCD prices actually drop during an economic slowdown, because during a slowdown, LCD supply exceeds LCD demand, as LCD makers are stuck with excess manufacturing capacity.

In fact, that's exactly what we've seen in the past year, and its why an LCD iMac is being considered by Apple at all.

What Steve is saying is that LCD prices haven't dropped enough yet to include them on the iMac. But that isn't blaming the worldwide economic slowdown. The slowdown is what has made LCD iMacs almost viable now.

--lee

[M�lum]

Originally posted by lee vieira:
<STRONG>


LCD prices actually drop during an economic slowdown, because during a slowdown, LCD supply exceeds LCD demand, as LCD makers are stuck with excess manufacturing capacity.

In fact, that's exactly what we've seen in the past year, and its why an LCD iMac is being considered by Apple at all.

What Steve is saying is that LCD prices haven't dropped enough yet to include them on the iMac. But that isn't blaming the worldwide economic slowdown. The slowdown is what has made LCD iMacs almost viable now.

--lee</STRONG>

So why didn't the prices drop enough?


( I was told by somebody from Apple recently that the prices of their LCD displays may increase soon, I suppose the economy is picking up)

[ 07-20-2001: Message edited by: M�lum ]

[lee vieira]

Originally posted by M�lum:
<STRONG>

So why didn't the prices drop enough?

</STRONG>

Because, obviously, economic slowdowns and their resultant demand shortfalls vary in severity. Some are mild, some are bad, and some are downright awful. The current one is merely bad.

Also, it is not 100% about supply and demand, though these play a very important role. There is also the cost of materials and manufacture, and, as monitors go, LCDs are still expensive to make. You really can't expect LCD makers to sell way below cost even in a downturn, as that will simply drive them out of business.

<STRONG>

( I was told by somebody from Apple recently that the prices of their LCD displays may increase soon, I suppose the economy is picking up)

</STRONG>

That's an excellent point.

I've read news articles indicating that LCD prices are pretty close to bottom right now, and won't go significantly lower in the next year, because even if technology makes LCD production cheaper and cheaper, the predicted recovery of the worldwide economy later this year will boost LCD demand, and thus LCD prices along with them. Which would largely cancel out any technology cost-savings in manufacturing techniques.

If it goes that way, Apple would be smart make an LCD iMac soon, since LCD prices aren't going to be much lower than this for quite awhile (like 2003).


--lee

[ 07-20-2001: Message edited by: lee vieira ]

[ 07-20-2001: Message edited by: lee vieira ]

[ironknee]

AGAIN I ask why no one has said that the VW beetle needs a redesign because it;s been 3 years...

the current iMac is a classic. It will be in the MoMA eventually Im sure.

So when will the flat panels come? I say whan the economy dictates. When we all can sign and say the economy REALLY has hit bottom. Then is the time to announce something really new, maybe MWSF.

I applaude Apple's current lineup. Streamlined and solid. And also the current push is OSX.

btw, I really did get one of Steve's water bottles...

Sam

[M�lum]

Originally posted by lee vieira:
<STRONG>

That's an excellent point.

I've read news articles indicating that LCD prices are pretty close to bottom right now, and won't go significantly lower in the next year, because even if technology makes LCD production cheaper and cheaper, the predicted recovery of the worldwide economy later this year will boost LCD demand, and thus LCD prices along with them. Which would largely cancel out any technology cost-savings in manufacturing techniques.

If it goes that way, Apple would be smart make an LCD iMac soon, since LCD prices aren't going to be much lower than this for quite awhile (like 2003).
--lee
</STRONG>

So basicly, what you're saying here is that when the economy recoveres, it will be a good idea to come out with LCD iMacs.

Isn't that what I stated in my first post?

[lee vieira]

Originally posted by M�lum:
<STRONG>

So basicly, what you're saying here is that when the economy recoveres, it will be a good idea to come out with LCD iMacs.

Isn't that what I stated in my first post?</STRONG>

No, what I'm saying is that Apple would be wise to make an LCD iMac ASAP, since LCD prices are near bottom right now.

If they waited until the worldwide economic recovery was fully underway that would be bad, since LCD prices would be the same or higher, and they'd be delaying a product that could seriously help Apple's sales.

Is that a bit clearer for you now?

--lee

[Nicko]

I can't wait when we start predicting when the first 3d holographic imac will come out, imagine the mockups on that!

[KidRed]

AGAIN I ask why no one has said that the VW beetle needs a redesign because it;s been 3 years...

Well, compare the '97 Jetta to the 2000 Jetta

[M�lum]

Originally posted by lee vieira:
<STRONG>

No, what I'm saying is that Apple would be wise to make an LCD iMac ASAP, since LCD prices are near bottom right now.

If they waited until the worldwide economic recovery was fully underway that would be bad, since LCD prices would be the same or higher, and they'd be delaying a product that could seriously help Apple's sales.

Is that a bit clearer for you now?

--lee</STRONG>

Yes, it is.

Did you read this article? http://news.excite.com/news/r/010720...-pc-outlook-dc

It may help you to see things clearer: Apple doesn't have a cristal ball
they just have to wait until there are signs that the economy is picking up, not until the economy is fully underway

They didn't come out with new iMacs because of the economy.
Even if the time may be good to buy LCD displays in stock, it's not a good time to sell them with an iMac, because the economy is in a slum and nobody would be buying the things.

So like I said in my first post, blame the economy, not Apple.

[ 07-22-2001: Message edited by: M�lum ]

AGAIN I ask why no one has said that the VW beetle needs a redesign because it;s been 3 years...

the current iMac is a classic. It will be in the MoMA eventually Im sure.

Hear, Hear!

The iMac is a design icon & Apple will probably be wary of changing the design too radically. So forget the majority of the flights of fancy that have been seen on the net lately, I'll bet that when an LCD iMac does come along it will still look like an iMac, just a bit thinner & with a few tweaks here and there!




Cheers!


Inkfinger

[lee vieira]

Originally posted by M�lum:
<STRONG>

Yes, it is.

Did you read this article? http://news.excite.com/news/r/010720...-pc-outlook-dc

It may help you to see things clearer: Apple doesn't have a cristal ball
they just have to wait until there are signs that the economy is picking up, not until the economy is fully underway

They didn't come out with new iMacs because of the economy.
Even if the time may be good to buy LCD displays in stock, it's not a good time to sell them with an iMac, because the economy is in a slum and nobody would be buying the things.

So like I said in my first post, blame the economy, not Apple.

[ 07-22-2001: Message edited by: M�lum ]</STRONG>

Thanks for the article, but everyone already knows that worldwide PC sales are flat to down across the industry already.

What I've said throughout this discussion, is that Jobs' exact quote isn't what you think it is. Here's his exact words, from the Reuter's article at: http://news.excite.com/news/r/010718...-tech-apple-dc

Chief Executive Steve Jobs, asked by analysts whether future iMacs would have the flat screens, declined to comment on products before they were announced but said, "We are absolutely headed in that direction as fast as economics would allow."

He didn't say the worldwide economy, he said 'economics'. As in, its hard to make a good LCD iMac at iMac pricepoints.

PC manufacturers have already found this out...Gateway, for example, made an LCD all-in-one that exceeds iMac pricepoints, and while IBM's bottom of the line LCD all-in-1 almost fits a $1299 pricepoint, it has awfully wimpy specs (and their better ones go up to $1750).

Panasonic also hawked an LCD all-in-1 for a time, and it went for $2000.

So the 'economics' of LCD prices haven't exactly been conducive to making an Apple LCD iMac product with decent specs that fits iMac pricepoints.

You on the other hand, maintain that Apple hasn't released an LCD all-in-one iMac because the economy is slow.

But, if that were true, then why has Apple released the very innovative new Powerbook Titanium G4 and iBook while the economy was slow, and why have they released great new towers during that period as well?

Answer: Because you don't put innovative new products on hold just because the market is stagnant.

In fact, it'd be better if you got innovative stuff out the door at that time, because it gives stingy consumers a reason to open their pocketbooks.

After all, during a time when the econony is going gangbusters, you can sell pretty much anything. 'cept the Cube at its original prices, of course


--lee

[ 07-22-2001: Message edited by: lee vieira ]

[BRussell]

It's interesting to me that people are trying to explain why Apple didn't release an LCD iMac. It's like we're all trying to explain why Apple didn't release the computer that we all "knew" they were just on the verge of releasing.

Remember, all the "rumors" about LCD iMacs weren't really rumors at all, but just speculation (based on the all-LCD monitor line-up they now have), and wishful thinking. There were never any prototypes mentioned (all those photoshop mock-ups were just people having fun). Never any inside-Apple sources. Ever.

And I don't believe these self-serving reports by rumor sites that it was pulled at the last minute. If so, then why were some of the new iMacs already in the channels the week before the keynote?

Maybe it has nothing to do with LCD prices or the economy. LCD prices haven't changed dramatically recently - they've been pretty stable. And reports that the prices are rising have been around for months. I don't believe there was some last-minute info about LCD prices that made Steve pull the plug the night before the keynote, or even the month before.

And the economy argument doesn't make sense, either - as lee points out, they released the iBook during this computer-buying slowdown, to great success. You'd think they'd want to repeat that. And Jobs said that rather than layoff, they are trying to "innovate their way out of the economic problems."

Here's another possibility: They never intended to release LCD iMacs. It was a fantasy. We can all wake up now.

[Matsu]

You know these days, I jones less and less for an LCD iMac. Eventually it will come, but only when prices allow. If I want an LCD iProduct I'd much rather have the portability of the iBook. After witnessing the recent price drop on the 733, I think I'd rather see the iMac keep it's current spec but get really cheap, and have the Low end PowerMacs drop in price (including CDrw/combo) to occupy the space of the current upper and mid level iMacs.

Some of Apple's marketing for the iMacs seems confused. Far be it from me to complain about big drives and more RAM, but I think 20-30GB and 128MB is fine for an iMac. Why not freeze the spec but get the price down into the 699-1099 range. And let's get the low end powermac down to 1299-1499, perhaps by a discount if you buy an LCD to go with it.

I know it is completely unlikely, but it might bring Apple more in line with other manufacturers.

[neutrino23]

Originally posted by Matsu:
<STRONG>You know these days, I jones less and less for an LCD iMac. Eventually it will come, but only when prices allow. If I want an LCD iProduct I'd much rather have the portability of the iBook. After witnessing the recent price drop on the 733, I think I'd rather see the iMac keep it's current spec but get really cheap, and have the Low end PowerMacs drop in price (including CDrw/combo) to occupy the space of the current upper and mid level iMacs.

Some of Apple's marketing for the iMacs seems confused. Far be it from me to complain about big drives and more RAM, but I think 20-30GB and 128MB is fine for an iMac. Why not freeze the spec but get the price down into the 699-1099 range. And let's get the low end powermac down to 1299-1499, perhaps by a discount if you buy an LCD to go with it.

I know it is completely unlikely, but it might bring Apple more in line with other manufacturers.</STRONG>

This is a very interesting question which we can't answer. Why does Apple price various iMacs as it does? It isn't just a random choice. It is not a case of simply adding up the parts cost, multiplying the result by some factor and calling it the list price. Apple marketing has decided that the low end consumer iMac should be $999. Only they can tell you why. If they wanted a $699 or $599 iMac you can believe that engineering could deliver one.

The analyst meeting that followed the keynote was much more interesting and information packed, especially the Q&A section. Listening to it you get a better sense of how Apple is serving a broad market with a range of needs. In the keynote you get more of a sense that the target market is the early adopters and those looking for the latest and greatest though this keynote was a bit of an exception on that point.

In the Q&A Steve mentioned that Apple sees the $999 iMac as a price reduction, not a price increase. He didn't spell it out in detail but it seems that the $899 iMac disappeared and the previous $1199(?) iMac dropped to $999 (with a few spec changes).

[Fat Barry]

The 500mhz iMac now has more RAM, a guaranteed 16MB Ultra Rage in Europe, comes with a free printer, and even costs less, so it is a better deal than a month ago. It's much better than my 400mhz Ruby iMac DV with only 8MB of VRAM for my iTunes visuals. So the current roster doesn't suck.

If they do release those LCD iMacs this fall, they should be popular for Christmas. I wouldn't mind one because the LCD would mean less heat in my room than from my Ruby iMac's picture tube. Of course, I'm used to putting a box of donuts on my iMac to keep them warm and I can't do that with an LCD. It will be a compromise for me, but macs rule. The new G4's are sweet.

Sincerely, Fat Barry

[M�lum]

Originally posted by lee vieira:
<STRONG>

.........
But, if that were true, then why has Apple released the very innovative new Powerbook Titanium G4 and iBook while the economy was slow, and why have they released great new towers during that period as well?

Answer: Because you don't put innovative new products on hold just because the market is stagnant.

In fact, it'd be better if you got innovative stuff out the door at that time, because it gives stingy consumers a reason to open their pocketbooks.

After all, during a time when the econony is going gangbusters, you can sell pretty much anything. 'cept the Cube at its original prices, of course

</STRONG>

Well, I would like to ad a Answer C to that: although the sales of computers are going very badly, the portable computers (Tibook, iBook and concurence) are the exception.
Portables were, until recently, a much less important market then the desktop market.
This is changing.
Apple' s G3 powerbook and the old IBook desperatly needed an update, if not Apple would have missed out in the only growing sector of the market.


I don't think you can mix up the consumer and pro market like you did;
The pro market moves in a different way then the consumer market, better Pro machines will always be needed by professionals.

I don't agree with you that it's a good idea to release innovative products during a weak economy. (if an LCD iMAc would be innovative is another topic)
It's a good idea to release them when the economy is picking up, and I have the feeling we'll have to wait much longer before that's going to happen.

The cube is a good example here. It was considered too expensive, I'm pretty convinced that if it was released a year earlier, for the same price, it would have become a success.
Why? Because at that time ( before the Nasdaq, eeuh,drop) the people Apple was aiming at with the cube would have spend that much money on a flashy computer.
After the Nasdaq, euh, drop, the whole climate changed and the Cube was perceived as too expensive. That niche that the cube had to fill in evaporated.

This is the only explanation I can give why Apple released the cube like they did.
If they would have known how the market was going to move, they might have killed the Cube before it came out. (another possibility is that they knew just before reeasing the cube that it was risky , but they had invested all this money in it's development...)

I think they are more carefull now, it doesn't look very good. Especially for consumer desktops.

And about the interpretation of the word "economics"; did you check the meanings for it?

Anyway, I have the feeling we can carry on forever here..... I find it interesting; a lot of people here often seem to forget about the economic factors.

[lee vieira]

Steve Jobs explanation of why the Cube failed:

During today's semi-annual Apple financial analyst meeting, Apple CEO Steve Jobs characterized the Power Mac G4 Cube, which was discontinued after less than 12 months on the market, as a mis-priced product that was targetted towards the wrong market segment. Jobs noted that the company was targetting the product to professional users, but quickly discovered that pro users would rather sacrifice space and noise for expansion options. Some consumers saw appeal in the product, but pricing was targetted towards the professional market, said Jobs.

Mis-priced, targeted to the wrong market segment (pro users, when they should've been going for consumers), no expansion, pro-user pricing for a consumer product.

Sums it up pretty well, and nothing about the worldwide economy.

Interestingly, what killed the Cube is exactly what would kill an LCD iMac done while LCD prices are too high. Mis-priced, no expansion, pro-user pricing for a consumer product.

Sounds like Apple learned from the Cube's failure, that's why we haven't seen an LCD iMac yet.

I admire you sticking to your guns, but the evidence seems too strong going the other way.

--lee

[M�lum]

Well Lee,

I hadn't read thsi statement and quit frankly I thought it was rather shocking.
Shocking because of the stupidity of the marketing for the cube.
If this statement reflects their market reality, and if Jobs himself used these words, then there is no reason to think the contrary, then I'm greatly disappointed.
I had a higher opinion on there marketing, but this was a planned failure.

So I hope they learned their lesson and check the market reality a bit better now.
(although following the market in all details is a mistake too)

I'm sorry, but you haven't convinced me. I call it a day; People here might think we're lovers.


M�lum

[lee vieira]

Originally posted by M�lum:
<STRONG>Well Lee,


I'm sorry, but you haven't convinced me. I call it a day; People here might think we're lovers.


M�lum</STRONG>

Well, you have the right to your opinion, and I respect that.

However, I can't imagine anyone thinking we're lovers unless they have that sort of thing on their mind to begin with

--lee

[Matsu]

Apple doesn't really have an entry level computer any more. They have new beginner features (ease of use and quality) but not new beginner prices. I think Toronto might be the best place in the world to buy generic PCs so maybe the example isn't the best but I can by a cheap windows box with a 17" monitor, 20-30Gig HD, CDrom, Athlon 1Ghz, 128MB, 32mb Geforce MX for $1000 Canadian. That amounts to, what, 650 real dollars? Now the thing comes with no software other than windows, but most PC users will pirate, nee, 'borrow' a some software from their friends. Now it's ugly as sin, (and if you absolutely bargain basement perhaps not that reliable), but in general it's very cheap and good for internet, MP3, office, and light gaming use. Sadly people are cheap-- does Apple need this market?

[hshafez]

How many times do I have to say this NO LCD IMAC
(any time soon)

Ok I will try to calm down but for any one to convince me that there will be an LCD imac soon, they have to convince me that they can sell an imac with these specs

ibook price + $500 (for 12" to 15" size change) = $1800
500Mhz
cd/10GB/64/8Mb ATI Rage

Please I dont want any body to give the crap about how the drives are smaller. That will not make a huge diffrence espicially when you put in 5200 rpm in the imac as oposed to the 4200rpm in the ibook

end of story no LCD imac until ibook is AT LEAST $500 cheaper can they do it?

Now I will try to get some money some how to buy my new imac

[Nicko]

Quote from today's Go2mac.com:

Wed, 25 Jul 2001, 09:30

A source had an interview with Pascal Cagny, Apple's boss for Europe, who unofficially confirmed that the new LCD iMac (Tessera) and revised TiBook (Onyx) will be announced in Paris during Apple Expo on 26-30 September 2001. The source promises more information after an interview with Cagney next week.

[erdle_the_turtle]

I would say they are going to be alot of money. iMac's Now U put the cds in like u do on a cd platyer in a car. that is neat and different. Apple is always different that is why I like them better instead of taking desines they make there own and syick with them they might just make some different changes an that is all. but that is also why they are better

There are cheaper iMacs, but they're only available through education channels. $799 will get you a 500Mhz iMac with a CD-ROM instead of CD-RW.

$1129 will get you G4 533Mhz tower. Not a bad deal...

The low end market that Apple is targeting is students and schools, not Joe Consumer.