[NewsPoster]

Apple's cheaper $1,099 iMac, launched on the 18th, is already being sold for less at some third-party vendors. Best Buy is offering the computer for $980, while B&H Photo has marked it down to $979. Students shopping at Best Buy can use an electronic coupon to further reduce the price to only $830.

Typically third parties aren't able to discount Apple products so quickly, since that can drive buyers away from Apple Stores. That would imply that Apple has expressly authorized the current price cuts, whether because the $1,099 iMac isn't selling well or it simply wants to spur Mac sales.

[akent35]

Originally Posted by NewsPoster 

Apple's <a href="http://www.electronista.com/articles/14/06/18/design.cues.remain.the.same.unit.uses.intels.new.i 5.4260u.processor/">cheaper $1,099 iMac</a>, launched on the 18th, is already being sold for less at some third-party vendors. Best Buy is <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-21-5-imac-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-500gb-hard-drive/2680419.p?id=1219075853336&ref=199&loc=SnlbqrT3b2s &siteID=SnlbqrT3b2s-3y1tQ3FATFe7EMBZYtkK8Q">offering</a> the computer for $980, while B&H Photo has <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1060558-REG/apple_mf883ll_a_21_5_imac_all_in_one_desktop.html" >marked it down</a> to $979. Students shopping at Best Buy can use an electronic <a href="http://tinyurl.com/l2v6bfs">coupon</a> to further reduce the price to only $830.<br /><br />Typically third parties aren't able to discount Apple products so quickly, since that can drive buyers away from Apple Stores. That would imply that Apple has expressly authorized the current price cuts, whether because the $1,099 iMac isn't selling well or it simply wants to spur Mac sales.

A few days ago, there was a review of this machine on maccentral's site:

Lab Tested: New 21-inch 1.4GHz Core i5 iMac benchmarks | Macworld

Mid-2014 iMac review: lower price, way lower performance | Macworld

When I first read it, I was certainly not impressed. Heck, my 2013 13" MacBook Air, with the 256 gig SSD and "only" 4 Gig of Ram, runs at least as fast (actually, the 2014 MacBook Air model was just about as fast as this new iMac, equipped with a 1 TB Fusion Drive. Previous reviews of the 2014 MacBook Air model indicated that the SSD drive did not perform as well as the one on the 2013 models (like the one I have)).

So, it seems somewhat understandable that the new, cheaper iMac would possibly not be selling too well. If I was in the market for a desktop machine, I would go with the fastest Mac Mini, along with a decent 19" to 21" monitor. (When I did just that back in July 2013, I already had a 19" Sony monitor (still using it), an Apple extended keyboard, and a Logitech mouse). With the Mac Mini, one can easily upgrade the RAM, and just like I did, replace the slow 5400 rpm 1 TB drive (I installed a 256 Gig Samsung SSD). And, the Mini has plenty of ports.

[Flying Meat]

But it is a nice option for folks on a budget. The all in one design is just a better fit for some folks, and they do look awful purty. At that price, a lot of folks can buy one for their kid/s to use.
If you're looking for higher performance, you probably shouldn't be looking at the bottom end of the price line (unless you like tinkering, in which case, this would not suit you anyway).

[Flying Meat]

It's also a bit early to suppose it is not selling well, even if some third parties are offering it at a discount.
Most third parties do that on even the more popular models of hardware, and particularly those third parties mentioned.

[DiabloConQueso]

At $830, you can count me in. It'd make a lovely little desktop web development station. I'm not looking for the computer-to-end-all computers, nor am I looking to purchase a computer that'll replace or be the most powerful in the house. I don't need 16GB of RAM in this particular computer, nor do I need a blazing fast processor in this particular computer.

I need something desktop-oriented, with a large enough monitor, that runs OS X and can connect to the internet wirelessly. Might opt for the Fusion or an SSD for snappiness™, but at right around $900 to $1,000, that's the price point I was looking for.

[akent35]

Originally Posted by DiabloConQueso 

At $830, you can count me in. It'd make a lovely little desktop web development station. I'm not looking for the computer-to-end-all computers, nor am I looking to purchase a computer that'll replace or be the most powerful in the house. I don't need 16GB of RAM in this particular computer, nor do I need a blazing fast processor in this particular computer.

I need something desktop-oriented, with a large enough monitor, that runs OS X and can connect to the internet wirelessly. Might opt for the Fusion or an SSD for snappiness™, but at right around $900 to $1,000, that's the price point I was looking for.

Understand. Myself, when I looked at replacing my aging MacPro Desktop last July, after exhausting all the iMac possibilities, I am glad I opted for the fastest Mac Mini. I purchased it at Best Buy for only $774 + Tax (thus a total of $847.52). I of course already had a workable Sony 19" Monitor, an Apple Extended Keyboard, and a Logitech mouse. If I had purchased an iMac, about the only thing I could reasonably salvage from my equipment would have been the Logitech mouse. Trying to sell the (older, but working fine) Sony 19" monitor would have been iffy at best. Also, with the purchases we did using our Best Buy Rewards card, I got a $50 "coupon" to use at Best Buy, and I used it in November to purchase the Samsung 840 Pro 256 gig SSD for only $120. Put it in my Mac Mini, and then placed the 5400 rpm 1 TB drive inside a nice, slim external case (which came in very handy for our trips to London last December, and to Florida and our cruise in late January, and will also be nice for our upcoming visit to Iceland in about a month).

I also was not necessarily looking for the fastest desktop machine possible, but the Mac Mini included quite a few positives: plenty of ports, ability to easily upgrade the RAM, and ability to upgrade the hard drive on one's own (exactly what I did with the Samsung 256 gig SSD). For now, the 4 gig of RAM is enough for me (just like my 13" Mac Book Air), but if I want to upgrade (would most likely go to 8 Gig), it is a snap to do it. (I do like to tinker, but as long as it is not too difficult, nor too challenging).

Again, though, I understand why the new 21.5" iMac would be an attractive choice. And, if one is a student, the $830 price at Best Buy is even better!

[Lynn_Fredricks]

Maybe its not selling because its not what people want. Almost everyone I know who has had a mac mini in the past is looking forward to the next update to the mac mini. That's the only desktop mac Ill buy at this point.

[Charles Martin]

It's not a case of "not selling well," because it has only just been announced, people. It's being discounted because Apple has gotten more liberal with discounts (look at Amazon, look at resellers on Ebay, look at Costco which has just gotten iPads back in, look at MacMall, etc etc etc).

I predict this model will do very well indeed. It's not for geeks, it's for normal users. Families, kids, seniors. If my wife wasn't dead-set on a portable, I'd have bought it for her. It's a great little machine ... for a lot of more typical users.